Elizabeth Edwards speaks
Posted on August 9, 2008
She released a statement vowing to stand behind her man:
Our family has been through a lot. Some caused by nature, some caused by human weakness, and some most recently caused by the desire for sensationalism and profit without any regard for the human consequences. None of these has been easy. But we have stood with one another through them all. Although John believes he should stand alone and take the consequences of his action now, when the door closes behind him, he has his family waiting for him.
John made a terrible mistake in 2006. The fact that it is a mistake that many others have made before him did not make it any easier for me to hear when he told me what he had done. But he did tell me. And we began a long and painful process in 2006, a process oddly made somewhat easier with my diagnosis in March of 2007. This was our private matter, and I frankly wanted it to be private because as painful as it was I did not want to have to play it out on a public stage as well. Because of a recent string of hurtful and absurd lies in a tabloid publication, because of a picture falsely suggesting that John was spending time with a child it wrongly alleged he had fathered outside our marriage, our private matter could no longer be wholly private. The pain of the long journey since 2006 was about to be renewed.
John has spoken in a long on-camera interview. Admitting one’s mistakes is a hard thing for anyone to do. I am proud of the courage John showed by his honesty in the face of shame. The toll on our family of news helicopters over our house and reporters in our driveway is yet unknown. But now the truth is out, and the repair work that began in 2006 will continue. I ask that the public, who expressed concern about the harm John’s conduct has done to us, think also about the real harm that the present voyeurism does and give me and my family the privacy we need at this time.
It takes a lot to be able to stick with someone who’s cheated on you. And it takes a special kind of person to not only stick with the jerk, but also to stand up and defend him. I highly doubt that the Edwards’ are being completely honest and truthful, but you know what? Elizabeth is right in that it is their business. While I get the feeling that she’s sticking by him purely for political reasons, it’s her decision and I won’t lambaste her for it.
I will say, though, that I don’t quite understand why so many politicians’ wives do this. Once, just once, I’d like to see a woman who has been completely betrayed by an egocentric, narcissistic [edited] stand up and say so. I’m all for standing by your man, but some things are unforgivable. Cheating on your wife when she’s battling terminal cancer would be considered unforgivable in my book. But hey, it’s her decision. Either she really loves him, or she really loves the money/power (a la Hillary).
Meanwhile, Rielle Hunter is challenging Edwards to take the paternity test. He says he’s happy to take it, because, you know, he’s so sure the kid isn’t his. My money is on the test coming back positive though. I feel a little bad for Rielle. She’s been shoved under the bus so quickly, she never had a chance to know what hit her. Boy, John Edwards is just an all-around great guy, huh?
The family of John Edwards’ former mistress, Rielle Hunter, is challenging the former senator to take a DNA paternity test after his claim that he did not father Hunter’s 6-months-old child.
In the first reaction from Hunter’s family, her younger sister Melissa told ABC News that Edwards should immediately follow through on his pledge to take a paternity test.
“I would challenge him to do so,” the sister said.
“Somebody must stand up and defend my sister,” she said. “I wish that those involved would refrain from bad-mouthing my sister.”
Of course, someone’s gotta be held accountable besides John Edwards. And that means Rielle Hunter has to take the fall. Like I said, he’s a real class act.
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7 Responses to “Elizabeth Edwards speaks”
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Hmmmm……so John Edwards thinks he’s off the hook!!! I’ll bet half of his interview on Nightline was a lie. You know darn well that he had sex with Rielle Hunter the last time in Beverly Hills…and, now he’s lying about holding up his new baby girl in the National Enquirer photo… On Nightline, Edwards said that he has “no idea” where the photo came from or who is in it. Is this idiot for real? This guy is just a pathological liar!!! It’s so rare to see one on tape! John Edwards doesn’t have to agree to a paternity test….the child support judge is going to demand it. Get busy!!
Now, for all you John Edwards supporters who are let down…what in the hell were you thinking? Couldn’t you spot this phony the second you saw him? I did. Edwards made his money suing doctors!!!!! He is a professional liar….just like Obama!!! You’re all smucks!!!
Obviously Obama knew about the allegations against Edwards for a long time. If Obama didn’t, then he’s a dope! So, right up until Friday, Edwards was still on the short list for VP.
Yes, this whole “affair” shows that Obama is stupid and needs vetting team (not sleaze hiders) for the VP spot! Now, let’s show that Obama knew about the affair and still wanted Edwards.
Rielle Hunter isn’t challenging Edwards to take the paternity test.
Her family is.
Here is my take:
Rielle Hunter used her family members to articulate pressure on Edwards from the point of his announcement that he desired to take a paternity test (which he was free to say whether he intended to follow through or not, whether he intended to induce Rielle Hunter to block the comparison to the child’s DNA, which only she she can do legally, or not)to the point when she announced publicly through a lawyer that she would not allow a paternity test. During that time she became rich. If she had made public statements insisting that he take the test, he could have attacked her credibility as if she were extorting money from him. By using family (a “cut out” as it were) she avoided that.
John Edwards better hope that the Enquirer or other sources do not have DNA information on the child, and have not perhaps sampled the trash at his hairstylist’s, for example, because there are other ways of obtaining DNA comparisons, including getting a sample from his teenage daughter (assuming they have a comparison sample for the child.) I don’t know about the Enquirer. I wouldn’t have thought they would be able to get this far, maybe they have been keeping some powder dry.
Elizabeth has the signs of a woman in an abusive relationship.She believes in her mind she is the only one betrayed.John has lost his credibility with others also.
In an abusive relationship she lashes out because she is the lashed.Its established,she get cut off in traffic and she finds some othe to cut off.Hurt people,hurt people.
This lsckof character and judgment is not the qualities of leadership.
I am shocked. I expected a different sort of bombshell from Edwards. I expected it to be a homosexual relationship.
I had no expectations that there would be such a scandal before the Enquirer story ran in October of 2007, and as much as I detest Edwards politically, I wasn’t sure I believed it given the source. But the sound of his denials in the meantime had an odd ring to it. Imagine you are an innocent and faithful spouse accused of such a thing. It would be a lot not to knock the teeth out of the report’s mouth, wouldn’t it. There was not only not enough genuine outrage on his part about being accused of something false and degrading to his marriage and hurtful to his wife – but hie gave this run on answer which was very derivative. The “I’ve been married to Elizabeth for 30 years and she’s the best thing since sliced bread” answer is really not responsive to the “are you having and affair with X?” or “were you in city Y at hotel Z with Miss W last week?”. I’m surprised he, of all people doesn’t understand what that sounds like to the public.
Regarding Rory’s comments about the Judge demanding a DNA test in a support action: That assumes there is a support action. Yesterday in announcing she was not going to allow a DNA test, Ms. Hunter was tacitly acknowledging that she had accepted a large sum of money or property in return for an agreement not to seek such a determination. unless she files a support action – there will be no support action. There is a process called intervention – in which a third party can attempt to enter an action, but in a child support or family law setting I do not think anyone will have standing to get involved until the mother files a support action – or after some showing of abuse or neglect a guardian or guardian ad litem is appointed for the child. So – effectively, John Edwards has poured a cement lid on this one.
Please Elizabeth Edwards, get real with yourself. You can forgive you cheating husband all you want & stay with him for what ever reason you choose. You have lost your credibility with the public that you helped deceive. You are an educated woman and you underated the intelligence of the public by supporting and aiding John in his deceit. The public has a right to know the person who is running for president of our country. Don’t blame the National Enquirer for allowing the public access to the truth about a man who would hold this position.