I can't believe what's been happening on DKos lately.

[MonteLukast]

I refer, of course, to the JRE "love child" stories. What really dismays me is how many Kossacks are eating it up. Yes, I know it's a mistake to assume that progressives are always more intelligent than righties, but really, I expected better from those in our camp than to act like a bunch of trolls.

:banghead:

:hide:

[Critters2]

1. Some of them--most, imo--are a bunch of trolls.

Note the post counts.

[waiting for hope]

2. This rehash of the original piece of

shit they put out is an indication that someone(s)is looking to smear him again - maybe because he's in the top 2 for VP?

[MissDeeds]

3. Exactly

I have two things to say about all this.

1) Who stands to gain the most by discrediting JE with a smear campaign?

2) If it is true that he is cheating (and I don't believe for a second that it is) what "other woman" will sit still and hear him call Elizabeth "the love of my life" time and time again? Sorry. It's not going to happen.

This is a pathetic attempt at swift boating, and it's not going to work.

[mother earth]

4. The only story I've seen is from Faux noise, I rest my case.

This is a pre-emptive smear just in case he is the VP. And I agree that dkos has been infected with trolls.

[saracat]

5. As has DU. Notice the post counts of some of the nastiest.

Frankly, while I support free speech I would be in favor of not allowing this kind of trash about anyone, either JRE, Clinton, Obama or McCain. But it ain't gonna happen.
I think this is more about the trolls fear that he may be AG and go after the media. Heh! I hope he is and squishes them like the fiends they are. Bring back the Fairness in Media Act! Maybe one of our Dems can sponsor it though I know the presumptive nominee states he is opposed to it.

[mother earth]

6. Hi, Saracat, I agree. If there was any validity to this story, the press

would be all over it. The opposition is in fear mode.

[garybeck]

7. I don't know...

This story has a strange smell to it. The swift boat lies were possible because it happened a long time ago and would be difficult to prove. This is different. A DNA test could prove the paternity of the child very easily. And I'm having trouble figuring out where the supposed facts end and the supposed story begins. Are we supposed to think the entire story about the hotel at 2:45am never even happened? I think this has been confirmed by the guard. I think the media is holding on this because it's a weekend and they want to check into it more before they drop the bomb. At this point I think the story could go either way. One thing I'll say, if it is true, I'll be very disappointed...

[saracat]

8. This has been "confirmed" about by no one credible. Apparently they are also posting lies

about "criminal " action concerning prosection of the gurads or the NE or someting which has been debunked by the reall law authorities who say NO such charges exist. It enrages me that JRE could even be requested by some for DNA. Why the F***K should he even respond to this garbage? I notice few are saying anything about the OBama marrige breakup sory on the cover? That is in the NE too as was the Larry Sinclair story. Are ALL of those true as well?

And on another track, If it were true? Why is this our business? I s think it would still be John and Elizabeth's.No matter what the case I still believe John loves her very much ad she does him and whatever the case this is their life, not the general publics.

[Noisy Democrat]

10. Debunked?

Do you have a link to where law enforcement people said that the NE hadn't filed a complaint? I've been reading anything I can find, trying to decide what to think about it, and I hadn't run across that. Thanks.

p.s. Excuse me for just dropping in here when I'm not a regular, and asking about such a sensitive topic. I figured the people here would know where to find whatever factual information there is to be had, if anyone did.

[garybeck]

11. Geesh.

I think there might be a tiny bit of double standard here. Yes the jury is still out on whether it's true or not. But as I said, if it is true, it is NOT just their personal business. If he's having an affair, that's his business, until he's running for president, and particularly in the Democratic Party. NO ONE has any business running for president while having an affair. It puts the entire party in jeopordy. And it's stupid.

Now, hopefully the story is untrue and these points will be moot. But to say it's none of our business is a little naive. You might not care, but if he had the nomination and then this came out it would have been a disaster. If he was having an affair he had no business running for president. Maybe that's why he dropped out so early? I don't know.

It's one thing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But to assume the allegations are false and just call them garbage while we don't really know, one could say that's a double standard.

gary

[saracat]

12. Okay. Then no one has disproved the Obama "gay lover story! Sheesh

Larry Sinclair should be considered credible then!

[beachmom]

16. Larry Sinclair is not a credible witness. That is a big difference.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/11164.html

Sinclair's biography, though, may get in the way of that pitch: Public records and court filings reveal that he has a 27-year criminal record, with a specialty in crimes involving deceit. The record includes forgery charges in two states, one of which drew Sinclair a 16-year jail sentence. The Pueblo County, Colo., Sheriff's Office also has an outstanding warrant for Sinclair's arrest for forging an acquaintance's signature and stealing her tax refunds.

He was also arrested:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/6/19/155816/041

I am also barging in here to see what is what on this Edwards story, and to help out if I can, if it is untrue (which I really, really hope it is not true). So far so good, in that it has not gone up the food chain.

Still any info you guys have would be helpful.

[cornermouse]

13. It's the National Enquirer.

I can't believe anyone would believe anything they "print".

[NashVegas]

31. Hmmmm .. On What Other Topic

Has Kos been swarmed with outrageous posts that you'd never think to see on KOS, in a similar way to DU? Any ideas?

**Raps fingers on desk **

Let me think ...

** Taps pencil **

Geez, seems like there was something ...

** Taps forehead **

I'm trying to remember ....

** Rests jaw on hand **


I just can't think of it, but I'm sure it will come to me later.

Any ideas, Saracat?

[shimmergal]

9. I find it really hard to believe,

for several reasons. If there were this recent and public of an affair in his life (with a baby about to be born, even) surely JRE wouldn't have invested so much money, time and hope in a presidential campaign. He's smart enough to know how easily the info. could get out and instantly kill his chances.

I'd guess somebody/some group is trying to keep a potential Obama administration "reform free" insofar as doing anything to reign in corporate power goes. Getting both John Edwards and Hillary Clinton out-of-the-reach of the VP nomination is the first step, then eliminating them as possible cabinet members a close second. I just hope Barack is aware of this and willing to ignore these new efforts to demonize strong, progressive Democrats with followings of their own.

[MissDeeds]

14. This whole"scandal" was floated out before

Several months ago this story was in the tabloids and got no traction whatsoever. Now, just before a VP candidate and possible cabinet members are to be selected, here it is again. It didn't have legs when he was running for the top slot, and now it's being trotted out again. Why?

The same tabloids have touted that Pickles is going to dump Shrub, and that she would be marching out of the White House with bags in hand. Stories such as that got nowhere. Pictures of Bush have appeared with apparent bruising on his face, and the tabloids shouted "He's fallen off the wagon!" and it got nowhere. But John Edwards alleged affair is creeping into the MSM - an NBC affiliate in KC ran a "story" about it Friday night, citing Faux and the National Enquirer as sources (the very bastions of journalistic integrity!).

But consider who is floating this stuff out there. Who owns Faux and the NE? Gee, do we see a pattern here?

[Virginian]

15. Leno was just cracking jokes about it. n/t

[MonteLukast]

17. And now a NC newspaper is saying something

link now on FRONT PAGE of DU

:puke: :puke:

[waiting for hope]

18. Heh -

Let them defend this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3417748&mesg_id=3418501

[MissDeeds]

19. Funny that's not on DU's home page

DU seems more than willing to feature right-wing fueled rumors about Edwards on the home page, why not the rumors about BO's "love child" and his "philandering"? I guess JE is fair game and BO is off limits. Democratic? Not so much.

[MonteLukast]

20. Actually...

... it seems it's more likely that the campaign manager is the father, not JE?

People can do crazy things when they're afraid of embarrassment. JE doesn't have to actually be the father to be embarrassed or have his reputation smeared, and that's the point.

In an impulsive moment, one in which he has months or years worth of "oh shit" crashing down in the space of a few seconds, he certainly could've acted in a way the reporters found "story-worthy". We're all overly inquisitive about ANY outsize display of emotion.

Apparently, the whole reason Bill Clinton lied about his affair with Monica was to spare his family embarrassment. Yes, you can make dozens of arguments about how stupid that was. But when you face an acute attack of embarrassment, and you may not have adequate time to calmly make plans for dealing with it, all you're thinking might be, Stop the humiliation. Do something. NOW. And you do something knee-jerk that you often regret later.

[waiting for hope]

21. Double standard -

and why this story hasn't really hit anywhere of importance other than Fox. I'm sick of it - if we could, I'd move out of the country. Somewhere warm. :evilgrin:

[pamela]

22. About Lee Stranahan...

Most of the stuff on Kos about the Edwards' rumors was written by Lee Stranahan. It was his initial (poorly written) diary that was also posted on Huffington Post. He seemed weirdly obsessed with the story and kept posting "updates" on Kos. These updates mostly consisted of rehashing the Enquirer rumors and posting links to trashy blogs, as if these were proof. He was finally banned by Kos after the FOURTH such diary.

Here's the kicker...It appears that Mr Stranahan's background includes a stint as a pornographer. (No, I'm not making this up.) He called himself a "fine art" pornographer and seems to have had quite a following on "fine art erotica" sites. You know, the kind of "fine art" sites you have to be 18 to enter. I guess he wanted to make a name for himself in the tabloid trash industry, too, and sadly, Kos and HuffPost gave him that opportunity.

[waiting for hope]

23. He got banned over at

Kos for doing what he did. I read all of them, with the replies. It seems that the posters over at Kos are less inclined to believe the NE Edwards lie. Here's a link to his "site": http://intimatearts.com/blog/

He's a creep and an attention seeker.

[saracat]

27. No kidding. What a sick jerk! And he can't spell either. "Exploitation" not "Explotation" LOL!

[waiting for hope]

29. He's been stalking an Edwards Bloggers

listserve - you should have seen it, it was unbelievable. He's an attention seeker - that's for sure. After all the verbal abuse he got over at Kos and then on the listserve, kinda makes you question motive here.

[Catchawave]

24. This is fun:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/6/133349/1355/858/563587

[saracat]

28. It is but it is sickening with those folks who "want" to believe this story is true!

Ick! And they call themselves Edwards supporters and 'progressives" Odd. They seem selective in the NE stories they promote. What about the "Obama marriage collapses story " from last week? Or the "Obama gay love triangle" All "equally "credible" yet no one promotes them!:sarcasm:

[ChiciB1]

30. Hi Sara... Just Wanted To Say I Can't Believe This Is Getting So Much

attention AGAIN. This AM on C-Span there was some mention of it too. Or maybe it was yesterday. The Politico made some comments about it but was unsure of specifics and said they didn't "know" if there was ANY truth to it. However, they said they knew it had been around before and was surprised it was coming up again. I'm not sure if they wanted Edwards to come forward with a denial or not.

FWIW I feel that going public would only fan the flames. As you can see I've been in and out these days, just can't STAND hearing more and more attacks all the time. This country SHOULD be better than this, BUT... well you know!!!

:hi: :loveya:

[benny05]

25. Corrente has a good snark

http://corrente.blogspot.com/2008/08/bush-love-child-photo.html

[Catchawave]

26. Wasn't this guy banned from Daily Kos ?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lee-stranahan/john-edwards-needs-to-sto_b_117298.html