Joe Johns | BIO
CNN Correspondent

Former Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards talked a campaign aide into claiming he fathered a child born to Edwards' onetime mistress, sources familiar with the issue said Monday.

Edwards admitted to his affair with Rielle Hunter in August 2008 after months of denials, but said he could not have been the father of Hunter's daughter, who was born the previous February. Former Edwards staffer Andrew Young has said he was the girl's father - but has recanted and says he made it because he believed in Edwards, lawyers and others familiar with the matter told CNN.

Young was married with children when he claimed to have fathered Hunter's child. He never signed any affidavits or legal papers, however, and reversed his claim after Edwards, as one of the sources put it, dropped Young "like a hot potato."

The news comes as a grand jury in Edwards' home state of North Carolina is investigating payments made to Hunter - who had been hired as a campaign videographer - by the former senator's campaign and supporters. Hunter was photographed entering the courthouse where the grand jury was meeting in August.

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South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford on Wednesday as he admits to having an affair.

Sen. John Ensign of Nevada at a press conference admitting to an affair with a campaign staffer.

Jacob Smilovitz
AC360° Intern

Today’s admission by South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford that he made a secret trip to Argentina where he was having an affair with a woman may be interesting, but it is definitely not unprecedented in American politics. Tonight on AC360° we dig deeper into what makes these political figures take such risks. For a quick refresher, here are some notable apologies and mea culpas over the years.

Gov. Mark Sanford (R – South Carolina)
June 24, 2009

In a news conference:

“And so the bottom line is this: I have been unfaithful to my wife. I developed a relationship with a - what started as a dear, dear friend from Argentina. It began very innocently as I suspect many of these things do, in just a casual e-mail back and forth in advice on one's life there and advice here.

John Edwards admitted in August, 2008 that he had an affair with Rielle Hunter in 2006.

Gov. Eliot Spitzer, wife at his side, apologizes on March 10, 2008 and announces he is stepping down.

Sen. David Vitter apologized after his telephone number appeared among those linked to an escort service.

This photograph taken from CNN television shows President Bill Clinton testifying on August 17, 1998 in the Map Room at the White House.

But here, recently, over this last year, it developed into something much more than that. And as a consequence I hurt her. I hurt you all, I hurt my wife, I hurt my boys. I hurt friends like Tom Davis. I hurt a lot of different folks.

And all I can say is that I apologize.”

Sen. John Ensign (R – Nevada)
June 16, 2009

In a news conference:

“Last year, I had an affair. I violated the vows of my marriage. It's absolutely the worst thing that I have ever done in my life. If there was ever anything that I could take back in my life, this would be it.

I take full responsibility for my actions. I know that I have deeply hurt and disappointed my wife Darlene, my children, my family, friends, my staff, and all of those who believed in me. And to all of them, especially my wife, I'm truly sorry.”

Former Sen. John Edwards (D – North Carolina)
August 8, 2008

In an ABC News interview:

“In 2006, Two years ago, I made a very serious mistake. A mistake that I am responsible for and no one else.

In 2006, I told Elizabeth about the mistake, asked her for her forgiveness, asked God for his forgiveness. And we have kept this within our family since that time.

All of my family knows about this and just to be absolutely clear, none of them are responsible for it. I am responsible for it. I alone am responsible for it.

And it led to this most recent incident at the Beverly Hilton. I was at the Beverly Hilton. I was there for a very simple reason, because I was trying to keep this mistake that I had made from becoming public.”

Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D – New York)
March 10, 2008

In a news conference:

“We sought to bring real change to New York. And that will continue. Today, I want to briefly address a private matter. I have acted in a way that violates my obligations to my family, that violates my or any sense of right and wrong.

I apologize first and most importantly to my family. I apologize to the public, whom I promised better. I do not believe that politics in the long run is about individuals. It is about ideas, the public good, and doing what is best for the state of New York.

But I have disappointed and failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself. I must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family. I will not be taking questions. Thank you very much. I will report back to you in short order. Thank you very much.”

Sen. David Vitter (R – Louisiana)
July 10, 2007

In a written statement:

"This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible. Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling. Out of respect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there-with God and them. But I certainly offer my deep and sincere apologies to all I have disappointed and let down in any way."

President Bill Clinton (D)
August 18, 1998

In a primetime address:

“Good evening. This afternoon in this room from this chair, I testified before the office of independent counsel and the grand jury. I answered their questions truthfully, including questions about my private life, questions no American citizen would ever want to answer. Still, I must take complete responsibility for all my actions, both public and private, and that is why I'm speaking to you tonight.

As you know, in a deposition in January, I was asked questions about my relationship with Monica Lewinsky. While my answers were legally accurate, I did not volunteer information.

Indeed, I did have a relationship with Ms. Lewinsky that was not appropriate. In fact, it was wrong. It constituted a critical lapse in judgment and a personal failure on my part for which I am solely and completely responsible.”

Elizabeth Edwards
For Time

John was gone a lot in 2003 and 2004 running for office, and although I saw him all the time in 2005 when I was getting treatment for breast cancer, I knew I would see him less in 2006. I even participated in his being gone.

I thought he should do a spring-break trip for college students in New Orleans to help with the Hurricane Katrina cleanup. His antipoverty work would take him across the country, and I knew that. When he told me that the political action committee was going to have behind-the-scenes videos made of some of these efforts, it didn't seem like that bad an idea, and it certainly didn't occur to me to ask about who was making them.

It didn't occur to me that at a fancy hotel in New York, where he sat with a potential donor to his antipoverty work, he would be targeted by a woman who would confirm that the man at the table was John Edwards and then would wait for him outside the hotel hours later when he returned from a dinner, wait with the come-on line "You are so hot" and an idea that she should travel with him and make videos. And if you had asked me to wager that house we were building on whether my husband of then 28 years would have responded to a come-on line like that, I would have said no.

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Elizabeth Edwards
For Time

John was gone a lot in 2003 and 2004 running for office, and although I saw him all the time in 2005 when I was getting treatment for breast cancer, I knew I would see him less in 2006. I even participated in his being gone.

I thought he should do a spring-break trip for college students in New Orleans to help with the Hurricane Katrina cleanup. His antipoverty work would take him across the country, and I knew that. When he told me that the political action committee was going to have behind-the-scenes videos made of some of these efforts, it didn't seem like that bad an idea, and it certainly didn't occur to me to ask about who was making them.

It didn't occur to me that at a fancy hotel in New York, where he sat with a potential donor to his antipoverty work, he would be targeted by a woman who would confirm that the man at the table was John Edwards and then would wait for him outside the hotel hours later when he returned from a dinner, wait with the come-on line "You are so hot" and an idea that she should travel with him and make videos. And if you had asked me to wager that house we were building on whether my husband of then 28 years would have responded to a come-on line like that, I would have said no.

Read More...

CNN

Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of two-time presidential hopeful John Edwards, does not know whether he fathered a child during his affair with a campaign staffer, she says in an interview that is to air this week.

"I have seen a picture of the baby. I have no idea. It doesn't look like my children, but I don't have any idea," she said in an exclusive interview with Oprah Winfrey to air Thursday.

Winfrey's Harpo Productions Inc. provided CNN with several preview clips.

John Edwards admitted in August that he had had an affair with Rielle Hunter, then 42. Hunter was hired to make a movie about Edwards, then making his second try for the Democratic presidential nomination.

The former senator has denied that Hunter's baby is his.

He told his wife that Hunter approached him at a hotel, Elizabeth Edwards said.

Keep Reading...

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."

On Reille Hunter’s employment:

"I do think it's one of the central questions here. There had been people who have traced out the timelines that suggested that their relationship did indeed start before he put her on the payroll. That he paid her out of his pack money. That this was money he had taken from others for various political purposes and for his campaign against poverty. And therefore, he betrayed the donors.

But I must say that there is a much larger sense of betrayal here that hangs over this and that is having run, had he won the nomination of the party, all sorts of people are now asking the question we talked about Friday and that is what if this had blown up at any time along the way. Would somebody else have been nominated and if it had blown up very late, would he have cost his party? If he had been the nominee of the party, would he have cost his party a chance to take this one?"

On Hilary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention:

"Well, other than the question of [Barack Obama's] vice-presidential candidate, it's about the only story the press has to deal with over the next two weeks. So I think it's interesting how the press is coming back to the Hillary Clinton story.

As you know, I continue to believe that Hillary Clinton ought to be on the short list and be very seriously considered for the vice- presidential spot."

On Hillary Clinton and the VP shortlist:

"Personally, I'm in Chicago and my impression on the Obama campaign is that she is not. And I think they're scrambling to make sure that she is honored at the Convention. I do think Chelsea is likely to introduce her now and there will be a magic moment and that will be a chance to have quote, 'a catharsis' that she thinks is necessary at the convention. It will be a big, big rally for her at that moment, and then her husband will have a chance to speak. So they're going to get plenty of major, major airtime.

But the reports from the field are, and I run into this all the time now, there are an awful lot of people out there, who are Hillary supporters, especially older women who are not yet reconciled to the Obama candidacy, who are resisting it in a variety of ways. And I think they still have a job to do on both sides, the Clinton side as well as the Obama side, to bring this together and the convention is going to be critical."

On the Democratic National convention:

"Just very briefly. I think [Obama] is controlling the convention. He's being gracious and I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that both Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton will come out as unifiers out of this convention. I do not think their speeches will be divisive. I do think they're going to be very supportive."

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.
2. People cheat because they’ve fallen out of love: Many unfaithful spouses report that they still love their wives or husbands. Whereas women often report being unhappy in their marriage, some men consider themselves in semi-happy, or even happy marriages—despite their affair. Cheating typically results from other relationship issues.
3. Once a cheater, always a cheater: It depends. The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. However, if someone cheats one time due to immaturity, poor judgment, impulsivity, intoxication or opportunity and receives tough consequences for their actions, they may learn from their mistake and never do it again.
4. Spouses who are cheated on “know” at some level, but choose not to see the infidelity: Many spouses don’t have a clue that their husband or wife is cheating—especially if there is trust in the relationship and the cheater is a slick liar. Hindsight is 20/20–but during the actual affair, extra time at work, plans with friends, or weight-loss won’t automatically spark thoughts of infidelity.
5. People cheat with someone younger, sexier, or better in bed than their partner: Many victims of infidelity are shocked that the “other” man or woman isn’t some young stud or hottie. It may be the other person’s witty banter, submissiveness, undying affection, heaps of attention, shared interests, unexplained chemistry, gifts/money or “understanding” that pulled at your spouses heartstrings.
6. No sex = No affair: Deep and intense relationships are developing over the internet and as male and female co-workers spend hours upon hours together. Emotional affairs can be incredibly addictive due to their secretive and unconsummated nature. Commiserating about unhappy relationships can quickly turn into bonding, attraction, and desire.
7. Women don’t cheat as much as men: The percentage of women cheaters is quickly catching up to men. Both genders report similar reasons for cheating, though some women in midlife feel they “deserve” to cheat after raising kids, being a supportive wife, and sacrificing their identify in a marriage. Women who marry young may feel trapped if they haven’t played the field—especially if their young husband doesn’t fit their idealized view of who she thought he was.
8. A one-night stand is just as bad as a long-term affair: Long-term lying, betrayal, deception can have a much larger impact on marriages than a one-time mistake. Both can negatively affect the marriage and break the trust—but a one-night stand tends to have much less of an emotional component, which gives the relationship a greater chance of surviving.

If you find yourself looking outside your marriage for what needs to be fixed inside your marriage, talk to your spouse or a professional NOT your opposite-sex neighbor, co-worker, or friend!

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!

But I digress… several weeks ago I barely had the volume turned up on my TV when I heard the following comment that haunted me for days, “It's hard enough to have a relationship in today's society," Canseco said. “But a guy like Alex Rodriguez - good looking, money, playing with the Yankees. It's over."

There was something about the comment that rattled me to the core, despite it hardly being a novel concept, nor being delivered by exactly the gold standard authority on relationships. I suddenly found myself wondering if we’re wired to pursue that which is most harmful for long-term stability when seeking a mate.

So I set out to conduct a highly informal and un-scientific inquiry, and pose the following question to some people who I figured would have a wide-array of takes on the topic:

“Is being attractive, wealthy, and having a high profile job a recipe for relationship infidelity? Is it possible to be attractive, wealthy, high profile AND faithful?”

You may, or may not be surprised to learn that I reached out to several publicists of high profile people, and very few got back to me. One in particular, said, “Yeah right. We’re not going to touch this.” I think that speaks for itself. Next.

So here we are. It's Friday. Scandal time. Live program. Game on. Tune in tonight as we spend the hour looking at the latest on Sen. Edwards.

Below you will hear some of the answers people sent me in regards to my fidelity question.
________________________________________________________________________________

Dr. Gail Saltz
Psychiatrist
Author, Anatomy of a Secret Life

Is there a correlation between how desirable you are and how likely you are to cheat? Do handsome, rich, powerful, successful men end up straying from their partner because they are presented with a bevy of women who are after all those attributes? I don’t think that anyone has done the research, but there are a number of issues which make such a possibility potentially true. Attractiveness is often interpreted by a member of the opposite sex as a reflection of good genetic material and good health. Men with higher levels of testosterone tend to display certain facial features, such as a very square jaw, and women will seek out high testosterone males because they are strong, can protect and have good genes. Women may look for softer facial features when it comes to choosing a husband but for the affair, particularly data shows at midcycle time when they are ovulating, they will pick a very handsome strong featured man. From an evolutionary perspective the goal is primarily to get strong male genes to mix with your female genes and your own genetic material is more likely to survive.

Similarly women are often drawn to men with power and wealth. They are both representations of their success and again reflect genetic material that bodes well for the woman’s offspring. Aside from an evolutionary view, women certainly like the idea of financial security and the excitement of power and prestige. They want to be associated with it. Sleeping with that man gives many women a sense of owning a piece of him and thereby getting to have some of that status and power themselves. Even being with a high powered man can allow a woman to identify with him and his lifestyle and she can vicariously enjoy having those attributes.

So, if more women are gravitating to the good looking, wealthy successful guy…you have to think that either he has more willpower than the guy who gets hit on less, or he succumbs more often. Here….we would need some data to really predict what happens. But for celebrities there is one more factor that may tip the scales. Celebs tend to be surrounded by an entourage that provides constant “yes, you are terrific and can have anything you want” feedback. Those close to the celeb tend to yes them to death because they want to hold onto their own proximity and good will. They too want to be rich, important and successful by association. So sadly for a celebrity they may start to believe that they really are entitled to have whatever they want and that the rules do not apply to them. This may contribute to the seemingly large number of affairs and marriage break ups in the celebrity community. Sometimes they get what they seem to want up front and it ends up being very self destructive in the end.

________________________________________________________________________________

Doug Christie
Fmr. NBA Player

Jackie Christie
Wife of Doug Christie/Entrepreneur

Doug Christie: “Having been in the NBA for over a decade, with much success, I personally never found it difficult to be faithful to my wife. I don’t agree that having a high profile job provides an excuse for infidelity. In the sports world, you have to make sure that you’re conveying to others that you’re off the market – period. Yes, people will continue to make advances but the onus is on the athlete to remove themselves from any conversation or situation that does not respect their marriage, family or relationship.”

Jackie Christie: “It is absolutely possible to have a monogamous relationship with a professional athlete; my marriage to Doug is a testament to that. Although I am the wife of a professional athlete, I’ve never viewed our marriage on those terms. Our love and commitment to one another is more important than the money and notoriety that comes with his profession or NBA contract.”

Doug & Jackie Christie: “It is really disappointing that infidelity among entertainers and athletes today is widely accepted and forgiven. Divorce among couples–both in private and public spheres–is considered the norm. It is imperative that we ask ourselves what message this sends to today’s youth, the next generation. We’ve been happily married now for over ten years and have been ridiculed and mocked all for having a solid marriage! Hopefully, society will shift its views, focus and begin to value the benefit of committed relationships.”

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:

At the beginning of his acceptance speech, Edwards told the crowd, “I hate to admit it, but I’m not the best parent in my family. The best parent in my family is my wife Elizabeth, who is with me today.”
By the way, the council says on its web site it presents the Father of the Year/ Outstanding Mother Awards to deserving mothers and fathers of high accomplishment in their chosen fields who have also exhibited enormous achievement as parents.”

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:

STATEMENT OF SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS:

August 8, 2008
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

In 2006, I made a serious error in judgment and conducted myself in a way that was disloyal to my family and to my core beliefs. I recognized my mistake and I told my wife that I had a liaison with another woman, and I asked for her forgiveness. Although I was honest in every painful detail with my family, I did not tell the public. When a supermarket tabloid told a version of the story, I used the fact that the story contained many falsities to deny it. But being 99% honest is no longer enough.

I was and am ashamed of my conduct and choices, and I had hoped that it would never become public. 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. I also have not been engaged in any activity of any description that requested, agreed to or supported payments of any kind to the woman or to the apparent father of the baby.

It is inadequate to say to the people who believed in me that I am sorry, as it is inadequate to say to the people who love me that I am sorry. In the course of several campaigns, I started to believe that I was special and became increasingly egocentric and narcissistic. If you want to beat me up – feel free. You cannot beat me up more than I have already beaten up myself. I have been stripped bare and will now work with everything I have to help my family and others who need my help.

I have given a complete interview on this matter and having done so, will have nothing more to say.

We'll have the latest details on this developing story tonight on 360, starting at 10pm ET.

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.

Why do we accept the family living in their car, the mentally ill and the addicts who die on our streets, and the children who go to school tired and hungry? Maybe we accept things as they are because poverty has always been with us and we think nothing will change. Or maybe we accept things as they are because it's so easy to look away.

And that demands that we ask another question: why has it been so easy for us to look away?
We didn't look away when Katrina hit. We looked right at the families on the rooftops, the children crying at the Super Dome, the seniors trying to stay alive. We saw that this was America. This was "us:" the struggle and the help.

But, the hard truth is that it's been 40 years since we have led a sustainable effort to fight for economic justice in this country.

Read entire blog...

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.

After the Iowa caucuses earlier this month,  The Wall Street Journal did a poll asking about Clinton, Edwards and Obama.  Then they did something interesting: they took Edwards out of the equation, just as Edwards has now done himself.

Former Sen. John Edwards ended his presidential bid on Wednesday.

What happened?  Clinton and Obama both picked up five or six points.  Will we have a split decision now, too?  Maybe.  But a lot has happened since that poll.

Pro-Obama types say Edwards voters are "change" voters.  Ergo, Obama voters.  But you might get a different answer if you look at Edwards' base of support.

They tend to be less educated (less than the average Obama voter, anyway),  rural,  working class,  union.  That sounds like Clinton voters. 

Now, Edwards had said he was in the race until the convention.  So what happened?

Elizabeth Edwards was instrumental in his decision to get into the race, and to stay in the race after she was diagnosed with cancer.  And she was instrumental in this decision, too.  Why did he drop out now?

After the South Carolina primary, where he underperformed,  Edwards went home to North Carolina on Sunday night. Monday, they had a big strategy (conference call) meeting in camp Edwards.  They talked about how they could pick up 200 delegates on Super Tuesday, where they would go to do that.

All the strategists and top aides came away from that thinking,  OK,  full throttle. But on Tuesday, "something happened."  His advisers tell me it was "organic."  Edwards went with his "gut."

He talked to Obama and Clinton and said he was thinking about dropping out and would they pledge to make anti-poverty a part of their campaign agenda?  Yes. And it was over. No big meetings, no grand strategy session, aides say. Just Edwards, who called his top people and told them, "Here's what I'm doing."

Edwards made the decision..

The loneliest time of any campaign.

–Candy Crowley, CNN Senior Political Correspondent