Bristol Palin, daughter of Republican vice presidential candidate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, poses as a member of the Juneau-Douglas High School junior varsity basketball team in February 2007.

Amy Holmes | Bio
CNN Political Analyst

Editor’s Note: Amy Holmes is an Independent conservative who has not endorsed any candidate for president.

Here’s what we know. Bristol Palin is pregnant. And that’s all we know. We don’t know if she was unaware of how babies are made, or how to acquire contraception. As the eldest of five children, it’s hard to imagine that she was not acquainted with the basic facts of life. And none of it is our business.

If we want to turn someone’s personal life into a teachable moment, may I suggest John Edwards? “Warning: Extra-marital sex may result in messy paternity rumors and derail national political ambitions.”

Do they teach that in sex ed?

Sen. John Edwards’ affair with Reille Hunter, the former director of operations for his presidential campaign, raised questions on the impact it would have had, had Edwards made it to the conventions as the Democratic nominee. Last night on AC360° we sat down with CNN Senior Political Analyst David Gergen to explore the larger implications regarding the Edwards affair along with the upcoming Democratic National Convention and the potential VP’s for presumptive nominee, Sen. Barack Obama. Here are his observations and insight:

David Gergen
CNN Senior Political Analyst

On how John Edwards and Reille Hunter met:

“There may be people out there who believe his story, but so far I haven’t met any. Everyone has questions about when this actually started up and whether she did on the payroll as after, and there have been various reports showing a timeline suggesting she went on the payroll after the relationship started; about the paternity of the child, about the money payments since then.

And now there are questions, of course, about whether John Edwards himself was a victim to some degree, whether he was set up at the Beverly Hilton. Perhaps even by her friend.” Keep reading

Dr. Lisa Boesky
Psychologist, National Speaker & Author

John Edwards…many of those who didn’t want him for president still viewed him as a “nice guy.” A politician cheating? Not shocking. But, John Edwards, the squeaky clean devoted husband who let his cancer-stricken wife stand at his side throughout his entire campaign? Devastating.

Most of us have either cheated, been cheated on, or know someone who has been unfaithful. Yet, much of what we think about cheating is WRONG!

1. Infidelity spells the end of a marriage: It definitely feels that way when you first find out—anger, depression, anxiety. There appears to be no way to work it out. But, with time (and a lot of work), it is possible to rebuild the trust. If couples seek professional help to deal with the aftermath of the affair, their chances of staying together are pretty good.

Keep reading

Tom Foreman
AC360° Correspondent

In case you’ve forgotten… Sen. John Edwards was selected by fellow Democratic senators to give closing arguments in the impeachment trial of Bill Clinton. The excerpt is here below:

Sen. Edwards’ closed-door impeachment statement, released into Congressional Record, February 12, 1999

“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.

So I said to myself, what is the right and fair thing to do? And this is what I have done. I have looked–many times until 3 a.m. in the morning–at the evidence in this case. Because I think that is the way we need to make this decision.

The perjury charge, I believe, is just not there. The evidence is not there to support it. I know many of you believe it is there. I respect your view on that. I don’t believe it is there. The obstruction charge is a totally different matter. And this is the way I have thought about the obstruction charge.”

Alyssa Caplan
AC360 Staffer

For many of us 360 staffers, today was supposed to be a much coveted “Summer Friday.” With no live show to produce, our usual late night schedules were replaced with the promise of champagne wishes and caviar dreams — a rare chance to get out of work while the sun still shines, meet friends on a roof deck, beat traffic out of town, or in my case, complete a blog post on which I had been working, but hadn’t had a chance to finish. Then I planned to re-unite with my all but estranged “normal working hour” friends and tend to my vitamin D deficiency.

So I settled at my desk to tackle the post I had conceived about infidelity - inspired by some comments former major league baseball player José Canseco told the TV show “Extra” several weeks ago when the whole A-Rod/Madonna situation was playing out in the media.

Little did I know how timely the topic would be, or how crazy this day would become. Instead of finishing the post, I ended up spending the next two hours booking guests like crazy as the news broke that Sen. Edwards admitted that he did indeed have an affair. So much for an early night! Keep reading

Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer

We just found something interesting on the 2008 John Edwards for President web site. The campaign posted a clip of Senator Edwards on June 7, 2007 accepting the “National Father of the Year” award in New York from Father’s Day/Mother’s Day Council, Inc..

That’s almost nine months before Rielle Hunter had a baby.  Edwards admits to ABC News that he had an affair with Hunter in 2006. But he denies being the father of the baby.

In a statement released this evening Edwards says, “With my family, I took responsibility for my actions in 2006 and today I take full responsibility publicly. But that misconduct took place for a short period in 2006. It ended then. I am and have been willing to take any test necessary to establish the fact that I am not the father of any baby, and I am truly hopeful that a test will be done so this fact can be definitively established. I only know that the apparent father has said publicly that he is the father of the baby.”

That’s Edwards today.

Now, I want to take you to that June night last year when Edwards accepted his award for “Father of the Year”.

Here’s the clip: Keep reading

Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer

Former U.S. senator and Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards has admitted to an extramarital affair in an interview with ABC News, the network reported Friday.

Speaking to ABC, Edwards acknowledged an affair with 42-year-old Rielle Hunter, but he said he did not love her. According to the network, Edwards made a point of saying that his wife’s cancer was in remission when he began the affair with Hunter. Since then Elizabeth Edwards has been diagnosed with incurable cancer.

The affair began in 2006 after Hunter was hired to make documentary videos for his campaign, ABC said.

Edwards has denied being the father of Hunter’s child as had been alleged in the National Enquirer.

A former campaign aide, Andrew Young, has said he’s the father of the child who was born on February 27, 2008.

Just moments ago, Senator Edwards released this statement: Keep reading

CNN Political Unit

Editor’s note: We’ll have complete live coverage of the developing Edwards story tonight at 10p ET

Former U.S. senator and Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards admitted to an extramarital affair in an interview with ABC News, the network reported Friday. He denied being the father of the woman’s child, as had been alleged in tabloid reports.

Asked by a reporter late last month whether he had provided any financial support to Rielle Hunter, or to Andrew Young — the former Edwards aide who claimed paternity of the child — Edwards replied that “I have no idea what you are asking about, I have responded to consistently to these tabloid allegations by saying I don’t respond to these lies.” He also said again that he had not lied during his presidential campaign when he denied an affair with Hunter.

Election Center: The John Edwards File

Speaking to the network for a story to be aired Friday night, Edwards acknowledged the affair with 42-year-old Rielle Hunter, which began after she was hired to make documentary videos for his campaign, ABC said.

He said he has not taken a paternity test, but that the timing of the affair rules out the possibility that he could be her baby girl’s father.

Read more…

John Edwards after a speech in the Upper Ninth Ward in New Orleans in January 2008

John Edwards
Former U.S. Senator

If we want to end the great moral shame of America — the 37 million Americans who are denied economic justice in our country — then we need to ask the most basic question: why? Not why are “they” struggling every day, but why do we accept things as they are?

Why do we accept that the waitress who just brought us lunch needs the church’s food pantry to feed her daughter for the rest of the month? She’s working and that should be enough.

Why do we accept that the man who just bagged our groceries is 72 years old and lost everything when his wife got sick? He’s worked all of his life and retirement shouldn’t mean more work.

Why do we accept that the men and women who wore our uniform are committing suicide in their trucks because they can’t afford to see a doctor? They served us and they shouldn’t even have to ask.
Keep reading

David M. Reisner
360° Digital Producer

Hey Bloggers,

Breaking News: John Edwards is to endorse Sen. Barack Obama as the Democratic candidate for President…The Obama campaign tells us the announcement will occur tonight in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

We’ll have the story at 10p ET. Please join us.