Dipping Your Pen In Political Ink

From ABC News:

"The Edwards family indicated that they probably wouldn't be attending the convention," Obama said, "I understand that," he said, "look this is a difficult and painful time for them and I think they need to work through that process of healing."

And:

"I am profoundly disappointed and devastated," said Chris Kofinis, who was Edwards' communications director during his 2008 campaign. "We believed in him, and it's heartbreaking, and I send my thoughts and prayers to Elizabeth, the senator and his family as they deal with this personal tragedy."

Wow. John Edwards struck down by disease? Big car accident? Bad news from the kids?

Nope, just another politician caught banging somebody. In this case, the politician is John Edwards, and there's rumours swirling that his mistress gave birth to a love child. Edwards admits to the affair, but denies being the child's pop. Now the woman's family is asking him to take a DNA test to prove it. Oh, and Edwards' former finance chairman admits to paying the mistress some hush money to shut her up.

In politics, that's what you call a pretty bad news week.

So the charade has begun. Edwards apologizing on TV for his mistakes. Edwards' wife standing by her man, saying the family needs time to get over this tragedy. Politicians and supporters declaring how shocked they are at these tragic events.

It's an old line but a true one: strangers are criminals, our friends make mistakes. It works with affairs, too: if your sister's husband cheats on her, you think he's a scumbag that deserves to lose all of his money. But if your sister cheats on him, well, she just made a terrible mistake. Tragic.

I'm not one way or the other when it comes to affair stories. Guy cheats, gets caught, gets thrown out, fine by me. Guy cheats, gets caught, works it out with his wife, fine by me, too.

But tragedy? Please. Tragedy is when a church roof caves in and kills a bunch of kids. Tragedy is not a politician taking off his suit to bang a babysitter.

In any event, it looks like Edwards' political career is done, at least in the near term. Obama, like any politician, is a very good liar. When he says that Edwards needs time to go through the "healing process," what he means is that Edwards has a snowball's chance in hell of speaking at the Democratic convention or being part of an Obama cabinet. "Sit at home and heal up, John. These trying times will make it too hard for you to be anywhere near me."

Of all the things to come out of this mess, the most entertaining has got to be the press quoting the National Enquirer. The Enquirer broke the story first and did all of the legwork on it, forcing Big Media to pay them lip service.

It's been a bummer week for the Beltway press bigshots. A liberal senator's career goes up in smoke, and they have to mention the Enquirer's name? Tragic.

Cartoon: John Cole