be speaking in Denver.

Again, we fall for the Republican's trap of devouring our own due to personal indiscretions when we should be worrying about the real problems facing the nation.

Who cares who fucked who?!

with Mary Elizabeth Williams on this one. Judging Edwards' little adventure says nothing about him as a politician, just about how sanctimonious American society is. It's like trying to judge him by studying his chess strategies -- there certainly are clues to his personality there, but we should be much more interested in his record as a politician than in any sexual escapades. Just like his wife's cancer, that's a family problem.

And this while war breaks out in South Ossetia, with repercussions for NATO, the EU, and the US.

How long have we heard from the self righteous Clinton bashers (such as Edwards) about what a horrible person Bill is for his one night stand?

Now we have Edwards being caught in an on going affair. Think we'll here those same hypocritical Clinton bashers going after Edwards? Not likely. Edwards was Obama's little attack dog during the primaries.

So now we get to see if the hypocrite Obama will stand with his close friend Edwards or if he'll sacrifice Edwards like his close spiritual adviser Rev. "God Damn America" Wright.

In 1999, when Edwards was a senator, he said of President Clinton and his affair with Monica Lewinsky:

"I think this president has shown a remarkable disrespect for his office, for the moral dimensions of leadership, for his friends, for his wife, for his precious daughter. It is breathtaking to me the level to which that disrespect has risen."

In 2008 Edwards says "I was and am ashamed of my conduct and choices. With my family, I took responsibility for my actions in 2006, and today I take full responsibility publicly."

He didn't take responsibility, he got caught!!!!

The hypocrisy of the Obama camp reaches a new low.

The NYT reports today that the mistress and the purported father of her baby, Edwards' staffer Andrew Young, both moved out of North Carolina after receiving payments from an Edwards backer named Fred Baron. Baron claims he felt bad for how they were being harassed by tabloid journalists, so he helped them move out of state. Ridiculous, of course, because the National Enquirer would hardly drop a hot story simply because the persons of interest have moved to another state.

Rielle Hunter and Andrew Young both moved to Santa Barbara. Hunter's house is worth $3 million and Young's is worth $5.4 million (and according to the Times, he has "no visible means of support").

Exactly how much was paid to these two, and why? And by whom? And when? Are we talking $10 million or more? Why would this Baron guy spend so much of his money to set them up in high style in Santa Barbara?

I think we're looking at straight up blackmail and bribery. I think it vastly strains plausibility that Edwards didn't know about this - or that his wife didn't. I wonder what else will emerge as the weeks pass - or whether Edwards' carefully timed, highly qualified "admission" will have its intended effect and bury all future stories.

You're all missing the point: Follow the money ...

Before he dropped out of the race I was an Edwards supporter. I sent money. I rooted for the man. Now I find out he had this "secret" that would have made it almost impossible for him to win . He had to know that the Rove machine would have turned this information into the catalyst for defeat. Why did you even bother to run, John? I don't care how noble your causes or how brilliant your career. This is America and a sex scandal will take you down. I hope your little bit on the side was worth it.

"Edwards' crime -- sexually straying with a campaign operative -- wasn't his worst offense..."

Listen very carefully, Joan Walsh and the rest of the Broadsheet Staff: adultery is NOT A CRIME. If you are not capable of understanding that fact, then you are just making us an easier target for Republicans who denigrate us while authorizing the torture of prisoners, the violation of the Constitution, and other actual crimes.

Whether you like what he did or not, the fact remains that John Edwards, despite sharing the same marital infidelities as

Bill Clinton

John Kennedy

John McCain

Thomas Jefferson

James Garfield

Franklin Roosevelt

Dwight Eisenhower,

was and is an exemplar of Democratic political ideals. If you allow the fact that he had an affair to cripple his ability to influence the political process, then you are basically telling the Republicans "we will let you ruin our best and brightest for doing something that isn't illegal while you get away with doing dozens of things that are illegal".

You are playing into their hands by condemning a man for doing something bad while those leading the attack on him use it as a smokescreen to get away with far worse. Does anyone in this day and age really think there is any such thing as a perfect knight in shining armor?

Can you actually be that stupid?

First, SH, I can easily explain how Young, rather than Edwards, would be the father of the baby, and it's not rocket science. A young campaign aide, intoxicated with the idea of banging a future president, has a brief fling with Edwards, the affair quickly fizzles as those things tend to do (especially when the man has an ironclad out, "I can't continue this, my wife is sick") and Young catches her on the rebound. The two of them hit it off better, and Edwards is more than happy and delighted to help them set up housekeeping, since Young has taken the problem off his hands. By the way, Edwards is an experienced trial lawyer who knows his way around DNA evidence. Do you seriously think he'd offer to take a paternity test if he were anything but 100% certain that the baby is Young's and not his?

Now. Is Edwards's behavior sleazy? Yep. Is it any worse than that of Newt Gingrich and John McCain, both of whom not only cheated on sick or injured wives but abandoned them for hotter, younger, and in one case much richer women? No, and those two not only got forgiveness from the GOP, but went right on with successful political careers, and continued to be lionized as "pro-family" (Gingrich) and "A Man Of Honor" (St. John McCain, the War Hero Who Can Do Nothing Dishonorable.) David Vitter and Larry Craig haven't ended their careers. And how about that Vito Fossella? Edwards's conduct toward Elizabeth was disgusting, and so is the double standard.

There was a time when the news media just didn't touch this kind of story, for which both Democratic and Republican politicians had much reason to be grateful. George H.W. Bush's relationship with Jennifer Fitzgerald was just as much an open secret as JFK's adulteries, but until Bush 41 foolishly decided to attack Clinton for womanizing, those stories weren't considered news, and I agree with that. There are a few things happening this week, like, oh for example the news that the White House ordered the CIA to forge documents justifying the Iraq invasion, that are a lot more important than the messy personal life of an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination.