John Edwards admits fathering Hunter’s child

[jefferson_dem]

John Edwards admits fathering Hunter’s child
Former presidential candidate promises to support his 2-year-old daughter

NBC News exclusive
By Lisa Myers and Michael Austin



For the first time, John Edwards is publicly admitting that he is indeed the father of a 2-year-old daughter conceived with Rielle Hunter, a campaign videographer with whom he had an affair.

In a written statement provided exclusively to NBC News, the former North Carolina senator and Democratic presidential candidate says he’s taking responsibility for the child, Frances Quinn Hunter:

“I am Quinn’s father. I will do everything in my power to provide her with the love and support she deserves. I have been able to spend time with her during the past year and trust that future efforts to show her the love and affection she deserves can be done privately and in peace.

It was wrong for me ever to deny she was my daughter and hopefully one day, when she understands, she will forgive me. I have been providing financial support for Quinn and have reached an agreement with her mother to continue providing support in the future.

To all those I have disappointed and hurt these words will never be enough, but I am truly sorry.”

Harrison Hickman, Edwards’ close friend and personal advisor, spoke to NBC’s Lisa Myers on Edwards’ behalf.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/34963767/ns/today-today_people/

[WCGreen]

1. As of this moment..

Who, other than a small circle of friends, gives a shit...

[babylonsister]

2. Lisa Myers on m$nbc does.

:shrug:

[vaberella]

7. I've found someone who has no life then. n/t

[MrsCorleone]

38. Agree. I can't believe that this tabloid crap has been posted given the SC ruling this morning.

[quantass]

3. Everyone saw this coming 6-months ago...

Old news...We all knew it was his baby way back and so he finally grew balls to admit it. The man is a walking disaster. And the hits to the dem. party keep coming this week.

[timeforpeace]

55. It was the Xmas gift of "How Babies Are Made For Dummies" that helped him understand. "Oh! Then yes,

I did it!"

[Mass]

4. Will this improve his ratings. Latest poll which bothers polling him (a couple weeks ago, and you

may wonder why), had him lower than Cheney.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

11. Ouch....

Lower Than Cheney. I mean, there's bad and then there's bad.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

49. This is how politics works and every politician knows this.

They KNOW Dems are held to a much higher standard than Republicans and they KNOW that adultery is given a greater weight than a lot of more important things. This is politics 101. So what irritated me is that he had the arrogance to do it anyway.

[JI7]

44. i think because unlike Clinton and Spitzer, the reason people liked Edwards had

a lot to do with what they thought of him as a "family man". everyone knew Clinton cheated but they liked him for other reasons.

Edwards was one of those critical of Clinton also.

this is why his numbers were low.

[cali]

5. now that's a shocker.

what a coward that man is.

[deminks]

6. OK, I get it. Democrat candidates pay for misdeeds for the rest of their lives.

Rethuglicans keep their offices, their religious cults cover them and support them, and the press moves on.

It's OK if you are a rethuglican. Not ok if you are a democrat, and most especially if you are a populist democrat.

And before anyone jumps all over me about this one being a presidential candidate, I would ask them to look and Sanford, Ensign and even Brown (who posed nude and recently offered up his daughters for some unknown service). They were (will be again) all potential presidential contenders.

Let any female candidate rethuglican or democrat try to run with nude pictures in her past. Watch what happens.

Edwards political career is over. Let him be. Some of his ideas were good ones. I still hope he can contribute to the dialogue in the future. I did not make his personal life my own. IMHO.

[Rebubula]

8. Apples and Oranges

Sorry...what John Edwards did was unforgivable in a political candidate. His vanity and ego almost cost the Democratic Party EVERYTHING! He FUCKING KNEW this was an issue as his wife was battling cancer and he was running for the Presidency. If he had won the nod, John McCain would be President right now.

Sanford...dead in the water. His own party is trying to get him out - he is an embarrassment
Ensign...about to face Ethics charges, many staffers have been subpoenaed
Brown...meh...he posed in a semi-nude pic 30 years ago (the daughter comment was a bit creepy)

If it makes it easier for you to digest the fall of John Edwards by blaming the system so be it. John Edwards fucked this up.

He was a charlatan from the word GO anyway...

[cali]

13. nonsense. there's a long list of rethugs who went down over

their misdeeds in recent years. As for Ensign, his presidential ambitions are dead as a doornail. And for fuck's sake, we all know that Brown wasn't offering up his daughters for some unknown services.

[karynnj]

24. I agree that people should let him be, but I think you are still defending him too much

Sanford's Presidential hopes are as gone as Edwards and his career is likely over as soon as leaves the governorship. No one yet knows, if there will be an ethics investigation of Ensign. There should be, but his career is damaged as well - he is no longer a potential star.

Brown is very likely an empty suit and a bad one at that, but his picture was from when he was in his twenties. I agree that would have ended a woman's career and likely would have hurt a Democratic male. Imagine in the height of the 2004 election, it came out that Edwards did this to pay his way through law school. There would have been talk of the need to throw him off the ticket. But, assuming they didn't, I doubt it would have changed the race or Ewdards' pre scandal future. The comment was really just an embarrassing dad trying unsuccessfully to be cool statement.

As to Edwards, my view is that he was a politician, who was the frontman for a team of advisors and experts. While this is really always partially true, it likely was even more so with Edwards. The fact is he spoke with the same wide blue eyed "sincerity" for two very different platforms in the 2004 and 2008 races. Now, in both cases, he had final say over his positions, but there is no reason to think that the ideas originated with him or that he did any of the detail work. You have to remember that before the late 1990s, he was essentially apolitical. He really had no background on foreign affairs or on domestic policy.

He obviously cannot again be the charismatic (to many - not me), articulate figurehead supported by solid policy gurus. He does not have the likability or the credibility. This makes his future more problematic, he does not have the depth of experience of a Gary Hart, who could lead co-head an important commission (on terror) and later a think tank (ASP). In addition, Hart did not wear out his welcome with important people in the Democratic party and his scandal, which cost him dearly, was nowhere near as bad as Edwards. (You do realize what this admission means? It means he continued the affair even after EE's cancer was declared incurable. It also means, that he disavowed his child and lied about the timing in his "come clean" confession - a time line EE then used. Remember that he tried to make himself look better, by saying that Elizabeth was in remission. I already knew he lied about many things from 2004, but this is clearly a man who lies - even if he does so with open eyes.

He is smart, so maybe if he continues to work on a specific area. He then might have the expertise to actually be the expert on that for someone else or he could write in the area.

[ObamaKerryDem]

32. +1

[Renew Deal]

48. There's a huge difference

Edwards has been lying about this for years. A new revelation or proof of his lies comes out every few months. That's why this keeps going.

[Freddie Stubbs]

9. This is about as big of a shock as when Elton John came out of the closet

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

10. What?! He did WHAT?!

What in the heck are you suggesting? Elton John is GAY?

I've got to get out more...

[Vinca]

12. Other than those close to Edwards, who really cares?

He must have felt the need to put his kisser in front of a camera again.

[Seedersandleechers]

40. No, it was a statement.

[BeyondGeography]

14. Just the first step on the road back to Iowa

I kid...

[dionysus]

15. LOL.. good one!

:thumbsup:

[karynnj]

25. Glad you are kidding

I assume that even JRE is not that delusional and his financial backers were fewer in 2008 than in 2004.

[TexasObserver]

16. But his daddy worked in a mill!!

When will he admit he's a lying jackass who suckered everyone who supported him for years?

[mopinko]

35. +1

this is just one. i would not buy a used car from this guy if the other choice was walking through the mojave desert.

[liskddksil]

17. At least he actually gives a crap about the poor around the world

and continues to go to places like El Salvador to build houses.

[karynnj]

27. It will take years of doing this on a long term basis

before that this truly was what motivated him. Even if it wasn't originally, it will not matter if that becomes his mission in life. You become what you do. I think his main goal is to rehabilitate his reputation - not for running for office. That is highly likely gone forever, but simply to be someone his children can respect as they get older. I would not be surprised if Elizabeth recommended doing that. It gets him out of the country, where life being John Edwards had to completely suck this last year. It is hard to imagine having to constantly face people, including many who once had faith in you, look at you with disgust.

Not to mention, what are the other things he could do? He can't be a politician. He is too toxic to be appointed to anything and he does not have an area where anyone points to him as one of the world's experts. Many politicians end up at universities, but at this point, his name would not enhance any school - not even a county college. TV pundit, no - his likability is far too low. Even in his prior profession of lawyer, he now is not what he was. He was successful because he could sway juries, if you had a case would you want a man known to be a liar as your lawyer? He could do non-jury work, but that is different and might not interest him.

Edwards really really destroyed his own life and, unfortunately really damaged his family's lives. It really is a tragedy.

[robcon]

18. Edwards is scum.

1. He knew this would ruin his campaign. If he had won the nomination, we would be calling John McCain President McCain. What would this country be like if this selfish prick had won the nomination?????

2. It takes a real lowlife to deny paternity to one's child. It's good that Edwards apologized, but it WAY too little and WAY, WAY too late for Edwards supporters. (I was not an Edwards supporter - he was my second choice, though.)

[JVS]

19. Baby Cyclops!

[last1standing]

20. This should take our minds off of the latest corporate sell-out.

So what if Obama's opening up Social Security, EDWARDS FOOLED AROUND!!!

[Cha]

33. Do you have a link for that or are you just shootin' the shit again?

[LatteLibertine]

21. Despite how

good their hearts may be I have a big problem trusting men with this sort of fundamental character flaw. It's a matter of basic trust.

If you can't be loyal to your wife I'm not sure you can be loyal to the American people or your agenda. Honestly, I'm tired of this sort of politician.

[Beacool]

22. Notice how he didn't deliver the message himself.

He sent his spokesman to do the dirty deed.

;(

[spiritual_gunfighter]

23. Who cares, there are more important things going on right now

than tabloid horseshit.

[99 Percent Sure]

39. His public proclamation comes out less than a week after the National Enquirer

featured him on the cover. Again:

__________

Breaking
News
__________

John Edwards CAUGHT CHEATING AGAIN!
<<WITH THIS WOMAN
SHE TELLS ALL
Humiliated wife finally kicks him out

Yep. On the cover. Of the National Enquirer.

One more 'nother time.

Busted.

Again.

[fadedrose]

26. Who really cares? nt

[DefenseLawyer]

28. We all live our lives as best we can

I plan to keep living mine as best I can. I don't recall Mr. Edwards ever condemning me or giving me advice on how to live, so I will refrain to doing that to him.

[unabelladonna]

41. ummm, then you don't remember

the BS about the "sanctity of marriage"....he was against gay maariage for that particular reason. i was never fooled by this charlatan...he was always a smarmy, unctuous creep.

[DefenseLawyer]

52. You're still talking politics, I'm just talking people

He's out of politics, by his own actions, which is undoubtedly for the best. What his campaign positions were is neither here nor there at this point. He's not going to me making policy for anyone. Now he's just a guy dealing with his own life as it is. Whether he is noble or whether he is a "creep" it is simply of no concern to me. I choose to let other people live their lives, for better or worse, but then I'm sure that would be more difficult for one as sanctimonious as yourself.

[Spazito]

29. The only reason he is admitting paternity is...

because of the book coming out Feb 2nd by Andrew Young which, by all accounts, addresses this issue.

It has nothing to do with "doing what is right" and everything to do with crass expediency, imo.

[alteredstate]

46. I agree.

He's a spineless jerk.

[Arugula Latte]

30. ...

[alp227]

31. Once again, a field day for Fox News & the right-wing noisemakers

Edwards's admission will probably just confirm the right-wing suspicion that Democrats are conspiring to destroy the traditional family structure through allowing same-sex marriage and abortion, laws that restrict corporal punishment by parents and grant more permission for children to make their own decisions (such as abortion consent), and of course being loose with your ding dong like those guests on the Maury show.

Back in the '90s, Bill Clinton was accused of fathering a prostitute's child.

But before they start hollering, I'd like to introduce them to former Representative J.C. Watts, a Republican from Oklahoma. He got a girl pregnant while he was in high school. What about the woman-hopping Newt Gingrich, who married his former geometry teacher and had two daughters with her before divorcing her when she had cancer? (Gingrich later re-married twice but had no more children.)

[The Backlash Cometh]

34. Let me make this clear.

I will never donate to another candidate because of John Edwards. I donated more money than I had to give to his election. I believed in him because I needed to believe that someone like him existed. I won't do it again.

[nini]

36. I'M SHOCKED!!! SHOCKED I TELL YOU!!!

not

I don't have much to say about his affair because I really don't give a damn about the personal lives of those guys. What pisses me off is how he risked the whole election had he been chosen the candidate. We'd be stuck with McCain/Palin - :puke:

[Jersey Devil]

37. I really don't care who this guy is boinking

He's not holding public office and is irrelevant.

[Clear Blue Sky]

42. Yawn. Old news...

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

43. I'll just be eternally grateful he didn't get farther than he did

Schtupping someone on the side while he runs for President and his wife is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Then having an aide cover it up for him, then deny it for two years. He really deserves the ignominy that is his.

I usually don't give a damn about what happens between consenting adults, but its all the behavior around this that really fries me.

He could try to prove that he was sincere about his concern for the poor and the Two Americas, but I now believe that was just another insincere front.

[politicasista]

45. Did he fight

Ohio and count the votes like he said he would? Oh wait, that was Kerry's job to do that all by himself, while Edwards can use this as a smear against him and rallying cry for the left, liberal progressives. :sarcasm:


This story is so sad in many ways.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

47. He should have just admitted it all at once-like ripping off a bandaid.

[Raine]

50. Two YEARS of denial ... this kid

is going to have issues. The ass should have admitted it to begin with ... COWARD. x(

[karynnj]

54. I suspect that he was still deluded enough to think he would get a cabinet appointment

Admitting paternity meant not using what he insanely thought was his best defense, "Elizabeth was in remission then". As bad as people thought he was, knowing that the affair continued even after his wife was diagnosed with incurable cancer and they opted to continue the campaign in spite of it. (Note - I do NOT believe EE's timeline. I suspect that she thought she was stuck with 2006, because she said in the Daily Kos post after JRE's "confession" that she learned in 2006 and was stunned by the people who really bashed her for letting the campaign continue. The weak argument that she learned after the announcement and it was too late to back out without questions ignores that a few months later announcing it was over because he wanted to spend the time helping her and she needed the time that would have been spent on the campaign to be with her young kids. I would bet that leaving would not have raised a single question - just praise and this was before any rumors were in teh public domain. )

[Crunchy Frog]

51. What a worm. How the hell did he ever get on the '04 ticket?

[karynnj]

53. This scandal had not happened and his duplicity was far less evident

than in 2008. He was a media darling and a party favorite, pushed by both Kennedy and Clinton. When Elizabeth Edwards had her recent book out, many articles linked to the 2004 coverage when he was picked. To me, it was sickening in retrospect. Kerry VERY VERY thoroughly beat Edwards to get the nomination, but the coverage was ga ga over Edwards, his charm and charisma; her intelligence and charm - knocking the Kerrys in the process. (To consider the long term impact of those characterizations, watch this fascinating very short video and consider the stereotypes given to the four people - do they fit? http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=628737n&tag=related;photovideo With all that was said - note that the Kerrys responded nore visibly to each others words and it was Teresa who, at one point unobtrusively reached out to hold her husband's hand. Teresa's very wise last words are so incredibly true - and it is clear her husband has valued her doing both. Elizabeth agreed, but we know she did just one side and that too much.

Shrum's book showed that Kerry had a negative gut instinct about Edwards, but was persuaded to see him again by people involved. Their imput was that Edwards, who then had high favorabilities (built up by incredibly positive media coverage of "sunny" John Edwards and his brilliant wife) and whose Southern background and down home family values would appeal to people who might have some difficulty with John's and Teresa's more exotic backgrounds. Note that even Halperin's new book speaks of a huge personality change in Edwards that occurred after he was picked to be VP - the very junior Senator Kerry somewhat knew was described as a nice, reasonable guy.) Elizabeth was admired by almost as many people as Laura Bush. With all the internal polling showing that he added the most and his own campaign showing he was a skilled campaigner, who did not generate big controversies, he seemed like a person who would do no harm and could help with his energy and one would expect a silver tongued lawyer to excel at his debate after debate practice.

Had Kerry gotten the Edwards of the primaries, who was a nice, down home guy who could give inspiring speeches and who was the team player he was in the Senate when he worked with people like Kennedy, he could have been the choice that helped Kerry win - in spite of everything stacked against him.

In 2006, some anonymous people from the K/E campaign spoke to the Boston Globe to set many stories straight after the Edwards lied about the dynamics of that campaign, but the most convincing and damaging proof that Edwards had quickly become completely infatuated by himself was Edwards in late 2007, bragging to the NYT that he "stood on his principles" and refused to use the campaign slogan - because he declared "hope is on the way" was better than "help is on the way". Now, I would argue that hope was already there as it was before an election that could have changed things and people wanted something more concrete, but the point is they needed one - just one - of the two and he was not the head of the ticket. This made the other account that Edwards would not do things he was asked to do and even what he promised Kerry specifically he would - including defending him on the SBVT charges, for which the entire NAVY record backed Kerry.

The only thing I fault Kerry for, is I doubt he really believed Edwards was ready to be President. As to Kerry's gut, that's a tough question. When people who had worked with him more, like Kennedy, trusted him, a vague distrust could have come from their competition or even a wish that he were treated as kindly be the media. If there was nothing concrete and all things pointed to Edwards being the one who gave the best chance for a win, it likely would have taken something more specific to justify not taking him. Especially if you factor in the negative coverage that would have occurred if he picked a solid person and legislator, like Durbin, who was rumored to be Kerry's personal preference. I bet you the most dominant thing would have been that Kerry's ego led him not to pick the more (ha!)charismatic Edwards.