Oh, apparently the wingnutosphere is in a tizzy because the traditional media won't cover the latest tripe from the National Enquirer. On that front, Richard Blair makes a good point:

if the legacy media heathers decide that they must titter and squeal about the veracity of the claims of in the Enquirer, then they are also duty bound to get to the bottom of the following tabloid stories:

Bush Booze Crisis, National Enquirer, 2/21/2005

Claw Marks, Globe Magazine, 1/8/2008:

Google Bush divorce tabloid and see what you come up with (hint: more than 175,000 hits)

Yeah! Why won't the "MSM" cover these stories? Coverup!

Seriously, I can't believe this is even subject to debate, but for the crazies, no source is too disreputable if it validates their warped world view. Although in a perverse sense, the more energy they spend on b.s. like this (and Obama's supposedly forged birth certificate), the less energy they're spending on smearing Obama.

Sorry about the long delay. In my last diary I made the argument that rather than just announcing his choice Vice Presidential candidate, Obama should also announce the three most influential cabinet members: the Secretaries of State and Defense and the Attorney General.  I then went on to explain why former Senator Bill Bradley would be the best choice for Vice President.

In this post I will expand on the benefits of announcing the cabinet members and present my choice for Attorney General...

Welcome back for more speculation! Today we'll continue the final elimination series of possibilities for Obama's v.p.

This series began with the bottom 14 names, and eliminates the bottom vote-getter(s) and replaces them with new name(s) from just up the list, reaveraging as we go (so each thread's bottom vote-getter[s] may not be the ones cut--who's cut will be determined by the new averages generated from this series's votes only). I hope that'll be complicated enough to dissatisfy and confuse everyone equally. I'm hoping we'll have five or six candidates left when Obama picks and see if the DKos wisdom of crowds is. It should take about 14 threads to get all of the top candidates in the poll again, out of the 28 or so total threads. Fmr. Sen. Max Cleland (GA) and Rep. Chet Edwards (TX) were eliminated in the previous round, and Sen. Russ Feingold (WI) and Fmr. Sen. Sam Nunn (GA) rotated in to replace them this time.

Please discuss any v.p. candidates in the comments. The most correct format would be to simply state their name, unless you have further comments. "Oh my God, where's Jane/Johnny Politician?!" would be a bit alarmist, don't you think? I'm sure they're fine. I'm happy to hear all ideas, and of course I'm no official gatekeeper, so play nice.

(continued below the fold)

As if you needed a reason to avoid Slate altogether:

I've been following a John Edwards story for awhile now; it's a story that appears to be gaining traction in the wingnutosphere (not surprising), but now Slate's getting into the action?  Slate editor-at-large Jack Schafer begins his take on the story with with a hand wringing plea:

Q: Why the Press Is Ignoring the Edwards "Love Child" Story?

My answer after the flip.

   The swirl of current events eddies ever more quickly, the pace of reporting of the important and the newsworthy is quickening, the gravity of opinion on matters that matter is scaling new heights of profound insight - yes - there are those in the national news scene reporting, with a straight face, what appears in the National Enquirer.

 Meanwhile, apparently, not worthy of the collective attention of the very wise and anointed, former Presidential candidate John Edwards made a visit to my fair city yesterday.   I have always wondered why anyone would voluntarily come to Houston in July - with temperatures and humidity levels competing to see which will first break the centrury barrier.  (Yes, I know that one cannot get over 100% humidity - it just feels that way in Houston in July).  But, it turns out, Sen. Edwards came here for a reason - part of a national tour that is getting little attention - more below - (with video).

Just when you think they cannot possibly sink any lower, the right-wing media plumbs even darker depths.

Very Serious Person Byron York heaves himself face-first out the window of his ivory tower and lands in moat filled with standing Limbaugh:

There's been a lot of talk lately that former Sen. John Edwards (N.C.) will have some sort of role in the Obama administration, if there is one.

But now there's another reason to watch: an extensive story in the National Enquirer providing new evidence that Edwards, in the midst of his presidential campaign, had an extramarital affair that has, perhaps, resulted in a child.

"I bet this gets even more galactically stupid," you just thought, correctly.

If there is any truth at all to the Enquirer "Edwards story", and I hope with all my heart there isn't. We need to know. The stakes are too high for any distractions at all.
Many here, me included, thought Edwards would be the perfect choice for V.P. He is the one person who wants change as much as Obama. As a team, we could all feel confident the status quo would, at the very least, be challenged.
I have my personal feelings about the veracity of the story, and many conspiracy theories about why it appeared when it did, feelings I will not go into at this time. In the past, it has been my biggest fault to speak too soon before any facts are in. So for now, I will keep my feelings to myself.

  There will be a lot of chatter about today's hike in the minimum wage. We should be happy for the people who will get another seventy cents an hour in their gross pay. But, we should keep in mind that, at the grand new sum of $6.55 an hour, the minimum wage is a disgrace and a sad commentary about the state of our social safety net, the economy and our political system.

This is just a simple observation, but I've seen two diaries posted in the past few days that attack John Edwards for infidelity, based on some right-wing smear. The first diary I saw stated that Edwards was wearing a "blue dress" as he tried to enter the hotel secretly. The second diary, entitled "I am STUNNED" referred to John Edwards as "Jon Edward" in one sentence. Both were based on a recent article in "The National Enquirer," which as everyone knows is factually based and a trusted source of political information. Both reported having previously been fans of John Edwards, but because of the article they had lost faith in Edwards, and simply wanted to point out to us all what a douchebag Edwards truly is.

What can I say.  I'm completely (thoroughly!) disgusted!  I want to scream.  

I have supported John Edwards since 2003.  I have volunteered for this man, gone door to door for him, carried his water when he got his $400 haircut.  I did it because I was convinced that he was the only candidate that had what it took to be a great president, to be the president that we need.  But no more.  This is unforgivable.  You don't do that to a great woman like Elizabeth.  

Welcome back for more speculation! Today we'll continue the final elimination thread of possibilities for Obama's v.p.

This elimination series began with the bottom 14 names, and eliminates the bottom vote-getter(s) and replaces them with new name(s) from just up the list, reaveraging as we go (so each thread's bottom vote-getter[s] may not be the ones cut--who's cut will be determined by the new averages generated from this series's votes only). I hope that'll be complicated enough to dissatisfy and confuse everyone equally. I'm hoping we'll have five or six candidates left when Obama picks and see if the DKos wisdom of crowds is. It should take about 14 threads to get all of the top candidates in the poll again, out of the 28 or so total threads. Fmr. Sen. Bob Graham (FL) was eliminated in the previous round, and Sen. Claire McCaskill (MO) rotated in to replace him this time.

Please discuss any v.p. candidates in the comments. The most correct format would be to simply state their name, unless you have further comments, in which case please include them. "Oh my God, where's Jane/Johnny Politician?!" would be a bit alarmist, don't you think? I'm sure they're fine. I'm happy to hear all ideas, and of course I'm no official gatekeeper, so play nice.

(continued below the fold)

What has happened to our country?  What has happened to the very values that we claim to espouse?  Have we become so depraved of our moral center that we would so carelessly and with ease attack a person because someone else claims to have an expose on them?  Have we no decency?

The National Enquirer may be a rag, but it looks like they nailed John Edwards hard. In a nutshell, they stalked Edwards while he attempted a covert late-night rendezvous with a mistress at a Los Angeles hotel.

Now that it has made Drudge, this should be all the talk tommorrow...

Personally, I'm no Edwards fan, and will be glad to see him finally disappear from the national stage, if this gains any traction.

Vice Presidential candidate Sen. John Edwards was caught visiting his mistress and secret love child at 2:40 this morning in a Los Angeles hotel by the NATIONAL ENQUIRER.

The married ex-senator from North Carolina - whose wife Elizabeth continues to battle cancer -- met with his mistress, blonde divorcée Rielle Hunter, at the Beverly Hilton on Monday night, July 21 - and the NATIONAL ENQUIRER was there! He didn't leave until early the next morning.

Rielle had driven to Los Angeles from Santa Barbara with a male friend for the rendezvous with Edwards. The former senator attended a press event Monday afternoon with L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on the topic of how to combat homelessness.

IF this is true....John Edwards is a piece of shit.

How big of douche bag does one have to be to have an affair while your wife is publicly fighting for her life with cancer?

more......

[Content removed for copyright violation and user banned. BarbinMD]

According to the National Enquirer, ex-Senator John Edwards was caught meeting his mistress and their love child at 2:40 a.m. at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

[Content removed for copyright violation and user banned. BarbinMD]

Welcome back for more speculation! Today we'll continue the final elimination thread of possibilities for Obama's v.p.

This elimination series began with the bottom 14 names, and eliminates the bottom vote-getter(s) and replaces them with new name(s) from just up the list, reaveraging as we go (so each thread's bottom vote-getter[s] may not be the ones cut--who's cut will be determined by the new averages generated from this series's votes only). I hope that'll be complicated enough to dissatisfy and confuse everyone equally. I'm hoping we'll have five or six candidates left when Obama picks and see if the DKos wisdom of crowds is. It should take about 14 threads to get all of the top candidates in the poll again, out of the 28 or so total threads. Sen. Jeff Bingaman (NM) was eliminated in the previous round, and Fmr. Sen. Bob Graham (FL) rotated in to replace him this time.

Please discuss any v.p. candidates in the comments. The most correct format would be to simply state their name, unless you have further comments, in which case please include them. "Oh my God, where's Jane/Johnny Politician?!" would be a bit alarmist, don't you think? I'm sure they're fine. I'm happy to hear all ideas, and of course I'm no official gatekeeper, so play nice.

(continued below the fold)