Edwards Must Address Love Child Issue Former Aide Says

A North Carolina political strategist who successfully ran John Edwards 1998 Senate campaign says he must address the lingering question of whether he fathered a love child as alleged by the National Enquirer. The tabloid first made the allegation that the presidential candidate had an affair with a campaign associate which resulted in her pregnancy. The associate has since given birth to the child. The National Enquirer has produced photos and reported on an encounter its reporters had with Edwards recently at the Beverly Hilton, where he allegedly met up with mother and child. Gary Pearce tells the Charlotte Observer:

“He absolutely does have to [resolve it]. If it’s not true, he has to issue a stronger denial,” said Gary Pearce, the Democratic strategist who ran Edwards’ 1998 Senate race. “It’s a very damaging thing. ... The big media has tried to be responsible and handle this with kid gloves, but it’s clearly getting ready to bust out. If it’s not true, he’s got to stand up and say, ‘This is not true. That is not my child and I’m going to take legal action against the people who are spreading these lies.’ It’s not enough to say, ‘That’s tabloid trash.’ ”

Edwards has come no closer to answering questions about the allegations than to call the story in the National Enquirer "tabloid trash." The mainstream media has completely ignored the story despite the substantial evidence produced in the Enquirer's reporting. Earlier this year, the New York Times ran a front page story alleging that Sen. John McCain had an affair with a D.C. lobbyist based only upon anonymous sources who had no first hand knowledge of the supposed sexual relationship. This entire Edwards ordeal points up just how unfair the news media is when it comes to reporting these matters. If it's a Republican, it will be reported on ad hominem until he is driven from office. When it's a Democrat, the mainstream news media pretends the story doesn't even exist.