John Edwards Comes Clean About Affair
ABC News has managed to orchestrate a sit down interview with Senator and former Vice Presidential nominee John Edwards today in Chapel Hill, North Carolina where the man finally comes clean about rumors concerning an extramarital affair that have been plaguing him for the past couple of months. Excerpts from this interview will air tonight on ABC on World News with Charles Gibson and in full on Nightline at 11:35PM ET. Um, wow:
John Edwards repeatedly lied during his Presidential campaign about an extramarital affair with a novice filmmaker, the former Senator admitted to ABC News today. n an interview for broadcast tonight on Nightline, Edwards told ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff he did have an affair with 44-year old Rielle Hunter, but said that he did not love her. Edwards also denied he was the father of Hunter’s baby girl, Frances Quinn, although the one-time Democratic Presidential candidate said he has not taken a paternity test. Edwards said he knew he was not the father based on timing of the baby’s birth on February 27, 2008. He said his affair ended too soon for him to have been the father. A former campaign aide, Andrew Young, has said he was the father of the child. According to friends of Hunter, Edwards met her at a New York city bar in 2006. His political action committee later paid her $114,000 to produce campaign website documentaries despite her lack of experience. Edwards said the affair began during the campaign after she was hired. Hunter traveled with Edwards around the country and to Africa. Edwards said his wife, Elizabeth, and others in his family became aware of the affair in 2006. Edwards made a point of telling Woodruff that his wife’s cancer was in remission when he began the affair with Hunter. Elizabeth Edwards has since been diagnosed with an incurable form of the disease. When the National Enquirer first reported the alleged Edwards-Hunter affair last October 11, Edwards, his campaign staff and Hunter vociferously denounced the report. “The story is false, it’s completely untrue, it’s ridiculous,” Edwards told reporters then. He repeated his denials just two weeks ago. Edwards today admitted the National Enquirer was correct when it reported he had visited Hunter at the Beverly Hills Hilton last month. The former Senator said his wife had not known about the meeting.
Well, I guess score one for The National Enquirer. And isn’t this just the crappiest news? I mean, you know that people aren’t perfect (and politicians are among the most imperfect people on Earth) but sometimes you just want to believe the best in people. This deffo changes my perspectives on John Edwards. And without a paternity test, how can he really be sure that he’s not the father? Blah. This is one confessional interview that I’m really not all that interested in watching … I think I’ve heard enough :(
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August 8th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
I really thought he was a better man than that. People do cheat on their ailing spouses all the time but it’s just so heartbreaking esp. when it happens to such a seemingly nice family (and one that’s weathered so many storms). I will not be watching this interview. I’ve seen enough. This just isn’t juicy gossip. It’s a sad case of infidelity.
August 8th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
With a WOMAN? Really!!! I guess my gay-dare was off.
August 8th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I agree with you Trent. What else is there to hear?
August 8th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
scum.
August 8th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
*le sigh* is there anybody you can believe in nowadays? There goes my dream of a great Democratic Ticket! I hate to say this, but it doesn’t suprise me because he’s a Gemini, and Gemini’s are famous for having two lives, two faces, whatever- you know, just like Angelina Hoelie! She’s a great person, but in her personal life, she’s a slut and quite selfish.. But hey, who are we to speculate on anyone’s personal lives- we only get a small piece of the puzzle, dictated by the clever media, so who really knows what’s going on, what people’s real motives are? So sad tho. Poor Elizabeth.
August 8th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
This was just so un-settling to me and so frustrating! He seemed like a really good wholesome politician. Now it makes me sick thinking back when his wife had cancer and how he was ’sticking by her’ and how he understood the average American’s struggle in the Health Care industry etc…and the whole time she was sick he was having an affair! Makes you wonder what else we don’t know about…………..
August 8th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
It’s about time. This thing has been rolling for over a year around the ‘Net. I don’t know if this “outside” baby is his or not, I’m sure the mother will let it be known in her own time. I leave it to him and his family to deal with it all. I will say that everyone reacts differently to traumatic events, like a cancer diagnosis, so I cut him slack for being a normal, flawed human being who doesn’t always do the right thing.
He obviously loves his wife and kids.
August 8th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
All this does is make you wonder what else he was lying about. This just goes to show you can’t trust politicians. They say what needs to be said until they get into the white house. Whether you are for Obama or McCain it doesn’t really matter because in the end they are both full of shit. Yes, this might be a cynical outlook but it is pretty spot on when you look at politicans in the course of American History!
August 8th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
I totally agree, Trent. Disappointed is the best word to describe me. What a let-down. I don’t even feel like talking about it.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Wow. That sucks. You’d think that Bill set enough of a precedent getting his ass impeached to deter other democrats from lying about affairs. I mean, someone’s gonna spill it sooner or later, and when you’re running for Prez, that’s pretty good gossip. It’s super lame that he cheated on his wife after her initial battle with cancer too. Kinda selfish. Dude’s moved from a little to slick to super greasy in my book. Booo.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
It’s an incredibly shitty move. Not because he was a contender for the leader of the free world - but because he has a wife at home who is dying from an incurable disease.
SELFISH SELFISH SELFISH!
August 8th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
@kittycatastrophe — get real! The poor guy’s reaction to traumatic events like his wife’s cancer is to go screw around? That is utterly ridiculous. The loser has no sense, no self control and no regard for anyone but himself.
I used to really like him and even hoped for an Obama/Edwards ticket. Thank goodness we dodged that one.
Love to Elizabeth.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Yeah, I’m disappointed too, but how come it’s the Democratic ones that are always outed by these type of things, yet the Republicans can basically “commit murder” and get away scot free. And we all know that there are numerous skeletons in their closets, but no one is going after them. It’s quite sickening, really.
August 8th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
I guess it just goes to show that whether they are a democrat or a republican, you can’t trust a word they say.
August 8th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
This is such a let down. It has nothing to do with the politics of it, it is a matter of trust and honesty.
August 8th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
I have to agree with everyone else. I actually LIKED Edwards so very much and thought that he had good ideas for America. He legitimately understood what it means to be poor, and I thought that he cared very much to make everyone’s lives better. He still does believe and represent for those things, but I just can’t think about him the same way! I mean, I voted for the guy several times…why do these candidates have to disappoint us so much? I’m not naive–I understand that men chronically cheat–and I guess that I’m grown up enough to recognize that personal lives can be personal, and have nothing to do with how somebody governs the country (hello, Bill Clinton), but it is truly, fucking disappointing. I believed that Edwards was one of the good guys. guess not. geez!
August 8th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
What gets me is he’s still lying about the baby. If they broke up before the baby was conceived, why meet her in Beverly Hills recently? Who sneaks away in the middle of the night to meet a woman they don’t love, and a baby that’s not theirs? Especially somebody with everything to lose. He’s not telling the whole story. Still lying. These politicians think we’re idiots - they’re barely putting any effort into their lies anymore!
August 8th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
He’s scum. I hope Elizabeth leaves him. His career is over. And JD, seriously, no one outs the Republicans? If anything it’s the other way around. If you’re a Republican you cannot get away with anything. If you want to talk about getting away with murder look no further than Ted Kennedy. He actually killed someone and he is a still serving as a US Senator.
August 8th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
I’m a little peeved that anyone is let down or disappointed in Edwards because of this. Eight years of republican mental illness has brought out the worst in all of us, I guess.
I’ve heard roughly eight hours of moral outrage from Edwards’ supporters and other non-republicans, as if Edwards’ successes are diminished by this AND as if CNN and the National Enquirer were colleagues or some–oh, never mind….
Why is this such a big deal compared to the atrocities being committed daily by more worthy human specimens of depraved indifference?
August 8th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
you know what? what he did was messed up, but at least he admitted it. the first step to correcting your actions, in my opinion, is admitting that you have done something wrong. i wish more politicians would just tell the damn truth. of course, when they do, no one votes for them. i’m not saying he’s a good guy for doing what he did- but like i said, at least he told the truth.
August 8th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
*For the record, his affair was before his wife was diagnosed with cancer.
August 9th, 2008 at 5:24 am
Paz — as stated in the article, “Edwards made a point of telling Woodruff that his wife’s cancer was in remission when he began the affair with Hunter.” She had breast cancer surgery back in 2004.
Any way you look at it, he is a scumbag liar — whether his wife was diagnosed the first time, the second time, or the TENTH time
As a democrat, I was never a huge fan of Mr. Edwards but am obviously less-so now… and convinced that the term “honest politician” is an oxymoron. Why the hell can’t these guys keep it in their pants?!?!?!?!?
August 9th, 2008 at 6:51 am
-@wundersmack:
I’m not excusing what he did, I was just stating that anyone is capable of doing selfish things and arrogantly believing they can get away with it. He’s no more scummy or dishonest than most of the politicians out here, he just wasn’t smart enoug not to get caught with his hands in the cookie jar. If anything he’s proven himself to be a poor long-term thinker and a horrible liar.
August 9th, 2008 at 6:56 am
At least he admits it - gotta give him that. But it still sucks. He was one of the few Dems I actually liked. Why can’t politicians keep it in their pants?!
August 10th, 2008 at 5:43 am
Wow - no one quick to judge here. I’m glad we’re all personal observers in their marriage that we assign blame so quickly.
Yes, he cheated. Yes, his wife had previously gone through a health scare (and unfortunately, would be going through another).
Americans are uptight when it comes to morality. It sucks that his marriage isn’t going well enough - but there are always *two* in a marriage. Unless he’s a serial cheater/cad like our friend Bill Clinton - it’s not necessarily an example of his lack of morality. Just an example of poor judgement and a bad patch in a relationship (or just plain bad relationship - people do grow apart - and it’s harder to divorce when you have kids and/or in politics).
It doesn’t change that he probably would have been an amazing president (liked alot of his political views) and possibly a great vice-president if that was the possible future.
Why is it that 49% of the people thought that a cocaine snorting fun drunk was better than a man who protects the environment and was one of the political leaders that created the internet. And that a president was on trail for having an affair, when one who lied to the senate, the UN and the american people is not? There are people DYING because of those lies - and Osama Bin Laden has his feet up right now watching the olympics.
Personally I would still like to see John Edwards as presidents regardless of who he sleeps beside, He reminds me of someone who lead the US to several years of prosperity and made good foreign decisions.