Media could no longer ignore Edwards affair

As reported here weeks ago, and throughout the blogosphere, former Democratic senator and presidential candidate John Edwards had an extra-marital affair with a lady several years his junior in California. He has now admitted it. It happened before his latest presidential bid, which meant he was lying about it in the campaign, and fighting hard to keep it hidden so it wouldn't jettison his already-slim chances.

What great moral character, with his wife dying of breast cancer in North Carolina. What a solid foundation to build a presidency on. At least he had the excellent example of Bill Clinton to follow. Frankly, Edwards always has come off as a little too eager to please, and too much of the bootlicking trial lawyer--the type who shines his shoes on the back of his pants legs, claps his hands, and says "Oh gee whiz, have I got a deal for you!"

As bad as Edwards' behavior is, the behavior of the national press is even more despicable. The Washington Post has used the fig leaf that Edwards is a private citizen, so was entitled to privacy for his personal behavior. If he weren't running for President, that might be a marginally acceptable excuse--but we were supposed to be vetting a potential president, and the media wasn't bringing us all the relevent facts. Edwards is usually identified as a former senator, not a Democrat.

This is very two-faced, because the slightist foible by a conservative or Republican, the party label is the first thing reported. Witness Idaho Sen. Larry Craig, Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Rep. Mark Foley, Rep. Bob Livingston, evangelists Ted Haggard and Jimmy Swaggart, and the others.

It is probably too much to ask, to have fair and even-handed treatment of philandering politicians of both parties. Dream on.