Enquiring Minds

For nearly a year now, the National Enquirer has been floating a story concerning John Edwards's alleged mistress and the "love child" the couple supposedly produced. The reasons no other media have picked up this story depend on who you talk to.

Last night the Enquirer ran its latest installment in this sordid tale:

The married ex-senator from North Carolina - whose wife Elizabeth continues to battle cancer -- met with his mistress, blonde divorcée Rielle Hunter, at the Beverly Hilton on Monday night, July 21 - and the NATIONAL ENQUIRER was there! He didn't leave until early the next morning.

(Snip)

...(A) months-long NATIONAL ENQUIRER investigation had yielded information that Rielle and Edwards, 54, had arranged to secretly meet afterward and for the ex-senator to spend some time with both his mistress and the love child who he refuses to publicly acknowledge as his own.

People scoff at the source, but it's a legitimate story. I noticed that "John Edwards" is right up near the top of AOL's most-searched items today.

As a Republican participant in a discussion group I frequent says (somewhat obliquely), this appears to be a Republican attempt to deal with the possibility of an Obama-Edwards ticket. Edwards would certainly be a very effective choice for the second spot, if he'll consider it. Such a turn of events could further amplify Obama's already considerable advantages.

If that were to happen, and this accusation turns out to be true, all Edwards would have to do to defuse it is go on national TV, confess his sins, and ask forgiveness. I've observed that most Americans are willing to forgive anything except theft, murder, and lies. The reason: who among us is qualified to cast the first stone?

If the accusation is false, and he can prove it's false, Edwards doesn't have to say a word about it. Somebody else can handle that job for him. A DNA test might be useful in this case.