The Discerning Texan

I've read the comments. I know what some of you think. Yawn. It's not a story. He's not a candidate. He confessed. Who cares? Let's just recap the what The Deceiver calls 'the non-story' so far.

A former Senator and vice-presidential candidate misused campaign contributions and money pledged to fight poverty so he could bring his mistress on the campaign trail with him during the presidential campaign where he was constantly making appearances with his widely admired cancer stricken wife then fathered the mistress's child sometime around the time he was getting a Father Of The Year Award and then asked his loyal aid who already has a wife and kids to falsely claim paternity while the fake dad and the mistress were funneled money so they could move to be near the mistress's psychic healer friend while the former candidate continued to meet the mistress and baby until he was caught by tabloid reporters and hid in the bathroom and then confessed on national TV a couple of weeks later but both he and his wife continued to lie during that interview and in subsequent statements.

And the press is supposed to yawn that story off?

As we head into the the Democratic convention, the Edwards scandal isn't over. It's really just beginning. Don't blame the media, blame John Edwards.

The story isn't over because the revelations and twists in the story aren't over. If John Edwards was more interested in helping the Democratic party then continuing the futility of his deception he could come out tomorrow, do a number of no holds barred interviews, tell the whole truth, allow Andrew Young and Rielle Hunter to come out of hiding and repay contributors from his considerable personal fortune. Everyone would appear on Larry King and Oprah and we might be really done with this some time in September.

Then John Edwards could go to work chopping wood and carrying water for a couple of years to reflect on his mistakes. Building houses full time with Habitat For Humanity would be a great start for his redemption. No speeches, no suits. Just let your hair get messy and hammer nails all day, John and then go home tired and be a good father at night.

That's a dream, of course. The reality is that we're heading into fresh territory and allegations in the next few weeks and John Edwards is unlikely to tell the truth until there's simply no other option. So instead of a responsible and swift end to this mess we'll get the Edwards Water Torture that reduces all politicians (especially idealistic ones) to same lying bastards that cynics always believed they are.

Cynicism is exactly what Republicans want when their opponent's message is 'hope'.