Say it ain't so, John...

Oh no, another one who couldn't keep his fly zipped up:

"John Edwards, the Democrats’ 2004 vice-presidential candidate, admitted last night that he cheated on his wife during his latest bid for the White House – a bombshell revelation forced out of him by reports that he had fathered a love child.

Mr Edwards, whose wife Elizabeth suffers from incurable cancer, said that he had repeartedly lied to the public about the affair with Rielle Hunter, 44, a film maker who travelled with him for much of 2006. He said that he had never loved Ms Hunter, and denied he was the father of her child."

Of all the presidential candidates, Edwards was my favourite. I liked him from the time I saw him debate Darth Cheney in the 2004 Presidential election campaign (Dennis the Menace takes on Mr. Wilson). I liked the way he refused to fire the bloggers that were eventually bullied out of their jobs with his campaign by Catholic League mouthpiece Bill Donohue. I was impressed with his earnestness and honesty. And while he never had the "Presidential presence" of Obama or Hillary, he had that rare "Bill Clintonesque" quality -- the ability to bridge the north/south, Jesusland/Latteland divide that's often such an obstacle to Democratic electoral victory. I thought he could win, and take back the White House from the vile scumbags that commandeered it 8 years ago.

It just goes to show that my judgement in men is as bad as ever.

"IT'S-NOT-ABOUT-THE-SEX" UPDATE: Most of us on this side of the political spectrum couldn't care less about politicians' sex lives (unless it's to ridicule their hypocrisy, as with the "morals-and-values-and-meth-and-gay-hookers" gang). This is bad because of what it could have done to the Democrats in a crucial election year. Chet explains.

Yes he can

It looks like Barack Obama is a mere 10 delegates away from winning the Democratic nomination.

Finally:

"Sen. Barack Obama inched closer to the Democratic nomination Tuesday as endorsements from superdelegates trickled in. Thirty one delegates are at stake in the final contests under way in South Dakota and Montana. Obama is now 10 delegates short of the 2,118 needed to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination, according to CNN's count.

Obama would become the first African-American to lead a U.S. major-party ticket.

His remaining rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton, does not plan to concede the race Tuesday night, campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe told CNN -- but one of her leading supporters said "a moment of truth" was at hand." [...]

"Two New York lawmakers told CNN on Tuesday that Clinton expressed willingness during a conference call to serve as Obama's running mate in November."

I was initially inclined to support Hillary, but all along I thought either nominee had good points. Obama does have the ability to instill the sense of hope that the USA needs so badly, after having all their optimism drained away by the half-bright hillbillies currently in the white house. Most importantly, he can win the election. One of Clinton's biggest negatives was that she's so universally loathed by the right that her nomination would have mobilized the Republican base in a way that nothing else could.

Now the Democrats can get on with the job of taking back the country from the shriekers, howlers, war-mongering thieves and fundamentalist freaks that commandeered it 8 years ago.

Another one bites the dust

Hey hey!

"Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson quit the Republican presidential race on Tuesday, after a string of poor finishes in early primary and caucus states." [...]

In the statement, Thompson did not say whether he would endorse any of his former rivals. He was one of a handful of members of Congress who supported Arizona Sen. John McCain in 2000 in his unsuccessful race against George W. Bush for the party nomination."

All I can say is "What took ya?" I called this to happen before Christmas.

Oh no

Not again:

"Consumer advocate Ralph Nader said on Monday he will decide soon on whether to make a another bid for the White House in 2008, eight years after playing a key role as a third party presidential candidate." [...]

"Nader, who made his name as a consumer crusader during decades of battling corporations on matters from car to food safety, ran for president as an independent in 2004 and as the Green Party candidate in 2000.

Critics say he siphoned away enough votes from then Democratic Vice President Al Gore in the 2000 campaign -- especially in Florida -- to help Republican George W. Bush to win the White House."

And now that it looks like the Republican disaster of the last 8 years might finally be coming to an end, he's thinking about running again? Is this guy on the GOP payroll or what?