Update: John Edwards Mistress And Love Child Scandal

By Robert Paul Reyes

The press often claims that the public cares only about the issues, and not about the private indiscretions of politicians. They use this excuse to avoid publishing scandals about politicians they favor.

This is an abject falsehood; the public has a deep desire to learn everything they can about the men and women who will be representing them in Congress and the White House.

This year I have written over a hundred essays dealing with political issues, but an article that I recently wrote about John Edwards' alleged mistress and love child garnered more hits than any story I have written this year.

In most cases a politician's private foibles are not the concern of the public, but when hypocrisy or rank evildoing is involved, we have a right to know.

Private citizens are entitled to privacy, but politicians know that intense personal scrutiny is par for the course. John Edwards is not a regular Joe; he is a famous politician who before this scandal broke was being considered as a possible Veep for Barack Obama.

I digress to point out that I'm not a conservative desperate to smear leading Democrats; I'm a left-wing Independent who is never afraid to point out that the Emperor isn't wearing any clothes.

The facts of the scandal as reported and verified by Fox News are that John Edwards was caught at the Beverly Hilton Hotel at 2:00 am meeting his alleged mistress and love child. He hid from reporters in a hotel restroom until a guard escorted him to his car.

I hate to agree with conservatives but if Dick Cheney were caught in a similar situation, he would have to stay in his bunker for the rest of his term to avoid the hordes of reporters.

Here is the latest update on the John Edwards scandal from the National Enquirer. I'm forced to quote from the tabloid because the mainstream press, for the most part, is still ignoring the scandal:

"A NATIONAL ENQUIRER investigation has uncovered John Edwards' mistress, Rielle Hunter - the mother of his "love child" - has been secretly receiv­ing $15,000 a month as part of an elaborate cover-up orchestrated by the former presidential contender.

The money is being funneled to Hunter by a wealthy colleague who was closely tied to the Edwards' campaign. This same man is also shoveling cash to Edwards' pal and former aide Andrew Young - who tried to take the heat off the ex-Senator by claiming he is the father of Rielle's baby."

There are a few enterprising reporters who are doing their job by demanding that Edwards answer questions related to the scandal.

"About a dozen reporters and photojournalists attended a speech Edwards gave to an AARP Foundation symposium on poverty and aging in Washington. Afterward, he avoided most of the waiting reporters, at least some of whom wanted to question him about recent reports in the National Enquirer that alleged an inappropriate relationship with a former campaign videographer."

Quotation from: http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/1160048.html

I will not let this story die; I will be publishing periodic updates, as unfolding events dictate.

Robert Paul Reyes is a NewsBlaze writer on Politics, Pop Culture and Pointless Pontificating. Contact him by writing to NewsBlaze.