I know I am in a minority when I say I hold RH in greater contempt for

[saracat]

deliberately getting herself impregnated by a wealthy man in order to feather her nest. The fact that she was willing to use whatever means necessary to entice Edwards( who has his own responsibility to bear in this matter), who she was well aware had a terminally ill wife, in order to guarantee herself the lifestyle to which she felt she was entitled, without working for it herself, makes her far worse than an honest prostitute.

I am disgusted by the fact the almost no one in the so called progressive community is horrified that this creature deliberately brought a child into the world only in order to enrich herself and enhance her social standing.

RH was almost 43 years old. She may even have taken fertility drugs to ensure the birth of her child. She never had any children from any prior relationship including her marriages. Obviously, she was not maternally inclined. The specter of her turning that innocent child's face to the camera as she walked into the courtroom to ensure she be photographed is revolting.

Few have noticed that she has only come forward when the money seems to have dried up or not become sufficient to maintain a jet set lifestyle.Many have even "praised" her for "fighting for her child".I do not believe she is fighting for her child in the least. That little girl is only the means to an end , and she may have had a multitude of uses to many different people, none of them good.

I do not know who the father of that child is and despite rampant conjecture, we may never know. Even if Edwards were able to produce evidence that he is not, who would believe him? We do know who claims to be her mother, and for that alone she has my deepest sympathy.

[MonteLukast]

1. I'm with you, Saracat.

Have always been with you. If only there were a way to get RH officially declared an unfit mother. She clearly sees that girl as a blackmail weapon and meal ticket-- not as a human being.

*try highlighting the next passage of text*

Interesting theory about the fertility drugs. I'm wondering if she could have even found some of Elizabeth's leftover ones, expired though they may have been.

In fact, I wouldn't put it past her to steal and freeze some of his sperm, to use for later. If JE and EE had used in-vitro fertilization, he might have still had some sperm sitting in a cooler in the fertility doctor's clinic. Sperm can be kept frozen for as long as 50 years, this website says. VERY interesting to find this out.
All she would need was a means of getting it, without being detected...

He probably went to such lengths to conceal the affair because he knew what a loose cannon he was dealing with. He knew how relentless she would be, and that being the man and NOT a sociopath, the blame would all fall on him. Exactly as what's happening now.

[saracat]

2. I have always found the age of the mother of this child suspect

and I have had information from reputable sources that are aware of certain particulars regarding this matter and this isn't any form of "conspiracy theory" to understand manipulation made this event possible.The parentage of this child, concerning either its biological mother or its father ,and the process of her "conception" may always be open to debate and only a very few persons may be aware of the facts.I don't think that any of us will ever know the answers or who these people are.I would doubt that Edwards is privy to all the details himself.

That being said, he did allow himself to become involved with this women and she was likely not the only one of his affairs.The money on all sides of this equation is phenomenal and RH wanted to reap the benefits. It may well be that she was hoisted on her own petard when not only her usefulness but that of the child expired. I would suspect she is living in very dangerous circumstances at the moment and that could account for the reason she has had to have protection.

[MonteLukast]

3. She needs protection? That may explain her moving to a gated community in NC.

That's different from the NE's account of "JRE moving her in".

I would suspect she is living in very dangerous circumstances at the moment and that could account for the reason she has had to have protection.

Funny-- what sort of danger would she be in?

No, I actually do believe she was his first affair. Elizabeth's reaction strongly tells me so.

[saracat]

4. I would like to believe that but I fear that this may only be one

that was undeniable.Elizabeth may have been reacting to yet another broken promise.We do not know.

As was the case with Hillary, we only saw the anger with the proven and public humiliation.And Monica was not the first.Many folks new John was "vulnerable to temptation" as was Clinton.And I wasn't referring to protection by John but her FBI protection.

[MonteLukast]

5. Don't forget I also asked you about what protection...

... RH might need.

I never stopped to think how her physical life or safety might be in danger?

[saracat]

6. I think those for whom she was a necessity no longer need her .

My guess is, she is in over her head.

[MonteLukast]

7. You can be vulnerable to temptation...

... in different ways.

Clinton already had an established pattern of adultery.

With Edwards, it was his looks, wealth, and need for adulation that would leave him vulnerable to an RH type exploiting him.

What really strikes me as weird about this affair what that he remained just as loving to Elizabeth even right in the middle of it. Sounds like a very different person than the smitten swain the book proposal presents him as.

This entire affair has been out of character for him, except for the love of compliments. Recklessness and lack of concern for consequences are the total opposite of what he was like as a lawyer.

BTW, thanks for clearing up about the FBI protection.

[saracat]

8. well, there are many in SC FWIK,( and I am not from there,) who

apparently were aware of other incidents.And Clinton also never really wavered in his devotion to Hillary. There is a new book out of tapes that he did almost every week recording his reactions to everything inclusing the monica affair, as it transpired and the author actually interrupted Bill and hillary making out in the WH hallway during the Impeachment trial, so go figure.

I do NOT believe John was "smitten" by this woman in the least, and I do think she is either a pathological liar or delusional. I do think she was made promises but not by John.

And BTW, John's vulnerability was not so much different than John's at the end of the day. Clinton also needed adulation and had looks and power making him attractive to women.

[waiting for hope]

9. I think she's using the child too - as a mother myself

I was appalled that she brought the then 18 month old to a nine hour court proceeding...any decent mother would have found a babysitter but she used the opportunity to showcase her holding the baby. Trash...

[Catchawave]

10. Hi Sara, you made me log in ! LOL.....

I only blame John. Hopefully this commentary will help us all move on....

...snip.....Edwards is reportedly considering a public affirmation of paternity as a way to spin the story in his direction -- make it look like he is standing up to take responsibility, doing the "right thing."

I have a very simple answer for him, one I think most women my age -- Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative -- would agree with:

Just. Shut. Up.

Message to John Edwards: We know it's your baby. Everyone knows that. You want to do the right thing? Do it privately. Do penance for the next 20 years. Wash your wife's feet and help the poor. But don't make public pronouncements or expect public forgiveness.

Nothing John Edwards can do will change the judgment we have reached about him. World-class scumbag doesn't begin to describe it. I can think of no one in recent political history whose betrayal matches his.

A lot of politicians have affairs. I know this. I will be reminded in a matter of seconds, if I don't say it right here, that I spent years defending one of them, whose taste wasn't much better than Edwards'.

How many times did I say that an extramarital affair is not an impeachable offense? It isn't. But when your wife has metastatic breast cancer, when you use everybody around you, when you lie to her and your aides and the voters, when you distort a presidential race you had no business being in and bring a child into the world because of your arrogance and cruelty, then it's an unforgivable one...snip...

Please read the whole article here:

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_susan_estrich/dear_john

It just might help you with closure {hug}

[MonteLukast]

11. I don't like Susan Estrich.

She never did like either Edwards-- neither John nor Elizabeth-- but that's not the reason.

She's looksist and petty. She attacked Elizabeth for her appearance rather than anything substantive. She reminds me way too much of Kathleen Parker and other charisma-ists who psychoanalyzed Al Gore in 2000.
How ironic that though she never liked John very much, she helped condition our whole population to excusing everything obvious charismatics like him do. What's a little economic abuse or a few war crimes? Gosh, they connect with people well, and that's all that matters!

[Catchawave]

13. I've moved soooo far away from politics now....

We were warned, and "they" were right. I didn't "like" a lot on DU that criticized JRE either, but "they" were right. I get great pleasure that "they" could have been wrong about Obama too. We'll see :)

[saracat]

16. Boy do I hear ya!!

[saracat]

12. Hey Catch! Gotcha! LOL!

I blame them both.And RH is the one that brought the child into the world. I just don't get only blaming Edwards.The fact that what he did was contemptable doesn't make Hunter either a victim or Mother Theresa. And I really don't need any :"closure" I am actually just disgusted with politics in general. And not just because of John. I still believe in his platform and am glad he is still working with the poor.

But I don't think I will ever be involved in politics to the extent I was.

[Catchawave]

14. I walked in those shoes

and never blamed the skank-ho. It does take two in a marriage, I hope Eliz and John hit their 40th too :))

[MonteLukast]

15. Only eight more years!

That would be a nice long survival time. Go Elizabeth!

[medeak]

17. met JE and next to me was RH's sister

had no idea until later that my moment was scarred by this woman's sister right next to me.