the tabloid election

[updated to add missing text]

Mark Johnson, writing for the Charlotte Observer (distributed by McClatchy), not only puts the Edwards love child story on the MSM map, he also make clear the political stakes for Edwards[e.a.]:

With two weeks to go before their national convention, a number of Democrats are saying that Edwards needs to publicly address National Enquirer stories that have alleged he had an affair with a campaign worker and fathered her baby.

If Edwards fails to clear up the story in short order, he risks party officials deciding not to have him speak or, if they do, creating a distraction from a week focused on Barack Obama accepting the nomination.

“If there is not an explanation that’s satisfactory, acceptable and meets high moral standards, the answer is ‘no,’ he would not be a prime candidate to make a major address to the convention,” said Don Fowler, a former Democratic National Committee chair.

Oh no! You mean Edwards may fail the “high moral standards” test?!?

Despite the obvious concerns about the effect of this story on the Democratic Party and its candidate for president—who went after the Edwards endorsement vigorously, and won it—Johnson is spinning this as a problem for Edwards rather than as a problem for Obama.

Of course Clinton, had she won, would have been in the same boat. I don’t envy Obama right about now.

This is why I hate politicians—all of them. Even the rare ones who start out with ideals become corrupted by the process.

Edwards, however, is simply a dishonorable human being, a hypocrite and a liar.

In hindsight, Breck Girl seems like too kind a nickname.