Bismarck Tribune - North Dakota News - Edwards right to come clean

Edwards right to come clean

Aug 23, 2008 - 01:05:52 CDT

By RON SHAW
Bismarck

I so highly respect John Edwards’ honesty and integrity for his admissions to an affair, despite the chance it might affect his political career, his job, his reputation, etc. Any man who would lie to his (for better/for worse; till death do us part) wife, and the world, about something as sensitive and private as ’sexual encounter(s)’ can’t be trusted in anything, can he? It makes me think there are some politicians in Washington DC who will tell the truth despite the, perhaps, consequences, for truth’s sake.

Thank you, John Edwards, for being an honorable man.

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Comments

did not wrote on Aug 30, 2008 8:15 PM:

" John Edward did not come clean. He was caught. Big difference. Who goes to see a baby in a hotel in the middle of the night unless it is their child. He looks foolish. Just fess up the whole mess and be done with it all. That being said I don't think private lives of elected and non elected officials is anyone's business. Why the heck are we even talking about this? There are bigger problems in this world than Mr. Edwards cheating on his wife. Last I checked we were not married to him so it is not our problem. If we want our elected and non elected public servants to have perfect lives there would not be a lot of public servants left. Ex; John McCain left his first (disabled) wife for a younger blonde. Sound familiar? My point. If we start pointing fingers there will be a lot less people around. "

dakota wrote on Aug 29, 2008 8:58 PM:

" see, Bill Clinton and Edwards do have something in common...both messing around and they both don't KNOW how to tell the truth, even when caught red handed. "

dlj wrote on Aug 28, 2008 7:12 PM:

" John Edwards should be livid. Because of him doing the right thing and coming clean what did he get ? he got uninvited to speak at the Democratic Convention. Who was he replaced by ? Remember the quote with the finger waggle " I did not haave sexual relations with that woman". The man who lied to us on national TV, replaced the man who was trying to do the right thing and come clean. "

REX wrote on Aug 28, 2008 6:39 PM:

" mom-of-teens, yes. "

REX wrote on Aug 28, 2008 5:58 PM:

" Mamma Mia, Thanks for the mental jog. I guess I was having a PTSD response to this essay. So many people take the attitude that if it makes them happy, then it is all right. Confessions come only with revelation. Contritely at that. "

MamaMia wrote on Aug 27, 2008 9:08 PM:

" REX, my friend, I think, if I'm not mistaken, that Ron Shaw is some sort of religious person with some reputation in Bismarck, so I doubt that he is praising John Edwards. As a long time English teacher, I really believe, as Hillary does, that he tried, but failed to pull off irony and sarcasm. I don't think he came here to praise Edwards, but to bury him. (I'm sorry, I just couldn't help myself!) "

mom-of-teens wrote on Aug 27, 2008 5:07 PM:

" People with honor and integrity don't cheat on their spouses, they honor their marriage vows.......... "

MamaMia wrote on Aug 27, 2008 3:49 PM:

" Hillary: You are spot on. He tried, but failed to pull off sarcasm and irony. However, if the gossip mongers on this comment board had read it a little closer, perhaps they would have seen what you and I see. "

REX wrote on Aug 27, 2008 6:43 AM:

" The first sentence of this essay is completely contradictory, I read no further. Honesty and integrity for admitting an affair? An affair in itself is a betrayal and a lie. Would this man have ever admitted to his degredations without exposure? I doubt it. Ron Shaw, your thinking is a direct reflection of why the popular culture demeans the human character. You sir, are a victim of moral compromise. In the future if you wish to express an opinion, please don't. You insult me. "

LJK wrote on Aug 26, 2008 8:00 PM:

" Interesting article on CNN. His wife is now taking the heat for keeping quiet about HIS indiscretion. That's right, blame the woman who has terminal cancer for not wanting to spend her final years (or months) suffering public scrutiny and humiliation. "

Cindyloo wrote on Aug 26, 2008 9:19 AM:

" Well, I'll try again being my first post was either lost in cyberspace or I wrote something I shouldn't have.

When I first read that letter, all I could do was laugh. Honorable? He got caught and by a tabloid. And his wife is dying. "

Tommy wrote on Aug 26, 2008 1:37 AM:

" What choice did he have..... they have pictures.... he is nothing but an ambulance chasing lawyer.... he knows what he had to do... why respect it.... he was cornered. his wife is at home dying.... you respect this man?? wow. "

LJK wrote on Aug 26, 2008 12:22 AM:

" Ah. The statement I heard was out of context- Elizabeth had said his confession to her and the rest of the family was somehow made easier by her diagnosis (which came later in March of 2007). That would have been after her first round of treatment, so unfortunately he was diddling around after her initial diagnosis. I have to say that really does change my view of him, which 10 years ago was one of admiration. "

LJK wrote on Aug 25, 2008 8:32 PM:

" According to his wife, (during an interview on NPR) he told her about the affair prior to her cancer diagnosis, not during her recovery. She said the diagnosis blind-sided her while she was still contemplating the situation and decided to stay in the marriage during treatment. I'm guessing she is the most credible source as to when she learned of his behavior and would remember whether or it was before or after her cancer. And yes, I know that some North Dakotans don't care one ounce about what happens outside of the state, but many have lived elsewhere and life has to go on in another state of residence. "

wally wrote on Aug 25, 2008 6:24 PM:

" wow dew, it is hard to keep up with your republican self proclaimed high morals. Again, John Edwards is not currently in office and is not running for office. With that said, what do you want everyone to do about him? I will say it again that he is not an honorable man for what he did, and neither is Clinton in my opinion.
Garry Studds, before my time, but republicans get rid of those kinds of people don't they? Naughty, Naughty boy Larry Craig ring a bell?
You want the John Edwards story to go on and on, but you want everyone to just shut up about Mr. McCain, who is running for President of the United States.
I do have respect for Mr. McCain due to his service for our country and what he endured on behalf of our country. However, you can only use that as an excuse so many times. Most "heros" will never use that as an excuse for any shortcomings. "

Dew wrote on Aug 25, 2008 2:52 PM:

" LJK, I just don't agree with you on John Edwards. I don't know what kind of a job he did for NC and it doesn't matter to me living in ND. I do not think that he told his wife about the relationship with Ms. Hunter before she was diagnosed with cancer, he had the affair while she was in remission. He says the affair ended in 2006..... So, why is he visiting her and the 'baby' a month ago in the middle of the night in a hotel room? Was it time for her monthly payment? Did he want to see her child/His Child? He still has not come clean. He 'says' he would like a paternity test.... LOL....But, Ms. Hunter does not want one. Another LOL! How much is she getting paid to keep that 'little secret'? and how much is Edward's aid getting paid to 'claim' that baby as his? There is just too much that is just getting swept under the bed. And I know now that the DNC is going on in Denver, this will just go away, just like it always does when a Democrat is caught with his pants down, be it in one like this or like when Gerry Studds was found to be having affiars with male pages!
That would not be the case if it were a Republican!

What Ever.... YOU are right! If The Priesdent of the USA can do it...
anyone can do it! After all it is a consensual thing! "

Dew wrote on Aug 25, 2008 2:17 PM:

" Snap, no morality is not based on how much one suffers but, to be a POW is something most of us could never comprehend. We have no idea what he and others went through. I mean, how much pain can a person endure? McCain had broken legs and an arm and they still beat him. Isn't having limbs broken bad enough but then to be beaten while in that condition is beyond my imagination. I don't think a lot of us could have taken that kind of abuse. But, I guess that is not torture..... As the Democrats that think WE torture terrorists when we catch them on our soil trying to blow us up!

I just think that being in solitary confinment for years and being beaten all the time.... I bet a lot of the Dems on here will call it a lie....... are just things that change a person for a long time after that fact! I am not saying he was a good man for doing what he did, just that there were things in his life that effected how he felt about a lot of things, just as we all have.
Edwards apparently got caught up in something... maybe running away from the death of his son or his wife haveing cancer.... But, he did not come clean until after he was nailed to the door! There is the difference.
Snap, I am glad you gave me one more chance to nail John Edwards! "

What Ever wrote on Aug 25, 2008 12:53 PM:

" I don't know what everyones complaining about....We as a Nation lowered the bar when we let Clinton get away with what he did..Now we are offended??? Give me a break... "

LJK wrote on Aug 25, 2008 11:03 AM:

" I really like John Edwards, always have. He was a good senator for the state of North Carolina and I voted for him while living there; he proved to be popular and effective. It didn't hurt that he was a UNC Alumn, too, and the entire state felt for the family when their 16 year old son was killed in a car accident in 1996. That being said, I have no tolerance for infidelity and even less when someone denies it upon being confronted with the subject. Fortunately, he had already told his wife about the affair long before her cancer diagnosis and years before this became public knowledge. I only wish that a guy smart enough to have accomplished what he has, (he came from virtually nothing as a kid and created every success he has ever had through hard work -no entitled family, no trust-fund) would have realized that once he was confronted with this story it was no time to deny it. That only hurts credibility, since those stories will only gain momentum. I have no pity for him, but do feel sorry for his wife. She has lost a son. Had a husband commit adultery. And just when she needed to deal with that fact and make a decision as to what she should do with the marriage, she had to put it aside to struggle with breast cancer. Most people could get on with their lives without public scrutiny, but now she has that too. So, yes, I like him. But I'm also angry and disappointed. "

The way it is wrote on Aug 25, 2008 10:41 AM:

" You notice even Deb is not commenting. Lots of women think this guy is cute and are only offended that he was not hitting on them.
But I must be honest. If my generation saw Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen) as president or candidate, and the word was out that she was hitting on staff, we would be there. "

Independent Conservative wrote on Aug 25, 2008 9:10 AM:

" I like dante's suggestion. Facts are facts: both parties reek of this sort of trouble. "

Snap wrote on Aug 25, 2008 4:57 AM:

" Dew: so, moralaity is based upon how much a person has suffered? I don't follow you, please explain. "

Dew wrote on Aug 23, 2008 8:55 PM:

" Wally, I know that someone would bring John McCain into this, I just knew it. There is a big difference between McCain jus coming home from a war and a scum bag lawyer. McCain was held as a POW for 5 years, being beaten for not going home when they said he could go home and was kept in SC for 1 1/2 years. He had two broken legs and a broken arm when he crashed and they still beat him at the time! A person that goes through that kind of thing has a lot of scars that maybe never heal and they were still very fresh. He does take the blame for his divorce, and he does take care of her financially. Edwards is nothing but a spoiled lawyer, that feeds off people wanting to sue insurance companies so that you and I have to pay higher rates! "

Dew wrote on Aug 23, 2008 8:45 PM:

" Deb,.... Geee, it is always 'thier own business' when it is a Democrat, isn't it? Funny how you can twist things so that it is our fault for saying Edwards is a liar and a fake and a cheat and a dispicable man for cheating on his wife! Oh, her cancer was in remission, so it was OK, right? If Ron Shaw thinks he is an honerable man for telling the truth ( part iof the truth, anyway) after 2 years of denying it and still denying that he is the father of that baby, then I guess I have some lakefont property to sell him on my ranch in Stark Co! "

wally wrote on Aug 23, 2008 6:45 PM:

" Did I miss something, what "elected position" is John Edwards in right now? It was stated that "the people have to be able to trust you" and "have some morals".... didn't John McCain do the same thing at some point in his life?
Not that I will ever defend Edwards, or even Clinton, or anyone who cheats on their spouse. "

hillary wrote on Aug 23, 2008 6:12 PM:

" the letter writer is being trying to use irony to be funny. he just was not quite clever enough to pull it off. "

Geez wrote on Aug 23, 2008 5:53 PM:

" Enough already. Give the family some privacy. They are working it out, to protect their kids. The same kids that will be losing their mother in a couple years. Let the last few years with their mom be filled with happy memories- they will have lots of time when they are older to realize what a dog their dad was. Let them have their privacy for now. "

Dubbles wrote on Aug 23, 2008 3:57 PM:

" To Deb

When you are in a elected position, a position of trust, your life will be under the microscope constantly and for good reason. The people have to be able to trust you, many people expect these types of people to be law abiding and have some morals. "

dante wrote on Aug 23, 2008 2:46 PM:

" every year, both houses of congress and the white house should have a tropical shark hunting expedition. there's a lot of worthy bait in those fine institutions. successful hunt guaranteed. "

seven gone wrote on Aug 23, 2008 1:28 PM:

" are you kidding? another embarrassing example of the hypocrites within the "democratic" party - as warren buffett says, he should be sued in a class action lawsuit for the fraud he represented as he took money for campaigns and blatantly lied about his affairs. played the sympathetic husband card with his foolish wife by his side during the campaign - and excuse me, come clean? he spirited her out of the country on a private jet the day before "his confession", and he hasn't come clean whether he fathered the kid or not.

come clean? - like the rest of the democrats, "time for a change". "

Karen wrote on Aug 23, 2008 12:14 PM:

" Honorable? Are you Kidding? He is far from honorable. He does not have any respect for marriage and if he takes his vows before God so lightly, then I don't see how he could be trusted with anything else. It all comes down to integrity and I thought that he had some, but obviously I was wrong. It makes me sick that even though his wife is probably dying of cancer he has to now publicly humilate her in front of the world-what an low down piece of sh--. "

Deb wrote on Aug 23, 2008 12:02 PM:

" Why does anyone think this is any of their business? He's a private citizen. MYOB. "

Independent Conservative wrote on Aug 23, 2008 11:37 AM:

" Unsure he's come completely clean yet. Sounds like payoff shenanigans to his mistress (by close associates, of course, and not Edwards) are forthcoming. The whole things tragic but not surprising. "

Mandan wrote on Aug 23, 2008 10:26 AM:

" You have got to be kidding! There is no honor in what he did and the only reason he "came clean" was because he GOT CAUGHT! What a joke! "

Beesh wrote on Aug 23, 2008 10:04 AM:

" John Edwards is FAAAAR from honorable. Honorable would be standing by your marriage vows not apologizing because your got caught. It took the National Enquirer to bring him back to earth. His continual denials until the truth was too obvious to deny is just a democrat trying to revise history. "

BJB wrote on Aug 23, 2008 9:28 AM:

" Excuse me, but he was caught red-handed. Honorable???? Only if you are comparing this man to Willy Clinton. Even after he was caught and lied under oath, he still denied it. "

reader wrote on Aug 23, 2008 9:23 AM:

" Honorable??? you are kidding me!! better get the webster out and recheck the meaning! "

wakeup wrote on Aug 23, 2008 8:44 AM:

" He only came out with the story because he was afraid he would be caught. Far from honorable. "

dof wrote on Aug 23, 2008 7:05 AM:

" Oops.... Sorry, cheating on your wife isn't honorable. I think Mr. Edwards only came clean after he was caught. Kind of like Sen. Conrad with his beach house deal. "

wally wrote on Aug 23, 2008 6:42 AM:

" Are you serious, an honorable man. He had this little secret while he was running for the Dem nomination. His wife is fighting for her life. There is no honor in that. "

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