At Wingnut Media Central, this “report”:
Ann Coulter did her best to drop a bomb on the October 10 episode of “Tucker” on MSNBC. At the conclusion of her interview, Ann Coulter announced that the National Enquirer was just reporting that John Edwards had an 18-month affair while on the campaign trail. You can read the story here.
Before going any further, this allegation must be met with a healthy degree of skepticism. First of all, the story is originating from the National Enquirer, which in and of itself, raises questions as to the story’s reliability. Secondly, Coulter had a notorious run-in earlier this year with Elizabeth Edwards on an MSNBC episode of “Harball.” Coulter would have every motivation to repeat a salacious tabloid sex allegation about John Edwards.
***With that said, though, you would think that the mere allegation would be worthy of a media frenzy based upon its recent behavior. The media have extensively covered the “bathroom sex” case of Senator Larry Craig. Before that, the media happily reported when Sentator David Vitter’s phone number showed up in the records of the “DC Madam.” Even before that, the Mark Foley story lingered for a month during a crucial point in the 2006 campaign.
***So now we have a tabloid allegation of marital infidelity by a presidential candidate. And the allegation has been repeated by Ann Coulter on MSNBC – so it’s not as if it can be completely ignored at this point.
But there are big differences between this story and the others mentioned. The sex scandals listed above all involved Republican politicians. And there is less possibility to frame Ann Coulter in a negative light here.
It is not unprecedented for the press to cover a sex scandal involving a Democratic candidate for presdient. Going way back in time, Senator Gary Hart ruined his presidential chances with an extramarital affair, which received plenty of press coverage at the time.
In this case, though, the question has to be asked: will the mainstream media pursue this allegation at all? If the media is to be consistent in its energized pursuit of sex scandals involving politicians, then it will be beating down doors to either confirm of refute this allegation. But will they? The first thought is that the media would be inclined to ignore the allegation, but the potential boost to the Clinton campaign might give the mainstream media a reason for following this storyline. Time will tell.
Let’s put aside the fact that the truth detectors at Newsbusters are comfortable regurgitating the National Enquirer. Let’s put aside their willingness to do Ann Coulter’s work of helping throw this story into circulation. Let’s put aside the fact that the chief difference between all the other “sex” stories and this one is that the others ACTUALLY happened. Let’s put aside all the questions and other comments and focus on the sheer devious nature of the evil liberal media.
Because, as the author clearly points out, if they cover the gossip, they are biased and trying to help Hillary. If they don’t, they are biased and trying to cover for Democrats.
In case you didn’t know, btw, Ann Coulter has a book to sell, so who knows what other bile she will belch into the body politic the next few weeks. One thing is sure, we can count on the citizen journalists at Newsbusters to give it wide play.
capelza
Elizabeth Edwards should walk up tp Ann Coulter and literally bitch slap her on national television.
I don’t condone violence, but if there was ever anyone deserving, it is that fucking pitiful excuse of a human being, Ann Coulter.
Maybe she’s jealous of all the attention Malkin is getting.
relfaux
“Before going any further, this allegation must be met with a healthy degree of skepticism. First of all, the story is originating from the National Enquirer, which in and of itself, raises questions as to the story’s reliability. Secondly, Coulter had a notorious run-in earlier this year with Elizabeth Edwards on an MSNBC episode of “Harball.” Coulter would have every motivation to repeat a salacious tabloid sex allegation about John Edwards.”
Doesn’t seem like “comfortable relying” by newsbusters(why did you leave this part out?), and how do you know which sex scandals are ACTUALLY true?
jake
As if her mere presence wasn’t enough of a bomb.
.
Joke’s over “wing nuts.”
Getting your panties in a wad because no one paid any attention when Trans Ann quoted a National fucking Enquirer story about Edwards having a year and a half long affair with a woman after Ann called him a f^ggot is an amazing SpoofTacular but there’s no place to go from here. Weekly World News is out of print so Rush will never get a chance to do a bit on the Hilary Clinton/Bat Boy love nest. Er, cave.
You had me going for a while but now it’s time to take a bow. [Applause]
John Cole
I didn’t want to clip their whole post, but you are right. It does make it look like I have cut it to make them seem worse (that was not my intent, and they don’t need my help looking like jackals). I have added the paragraph and changed relying to regurgitating. Intentional or not, that was unfair editing on my part.
John Cole
As to how I know they are true, Vitter admitted to them, Craig is convicted for it, and Foley is out of the House because of them.
relfaux
And do you know that this story about Edwards isn’t true?
Chris Johnson
MSNBC episode of “Harbl”???
That is about exactly as surrealistic as the rest of this post. Yikes, this is news?
KCinDC
Do we know relfaux isn’t an Islamofascist child molester?
Mr Furious
There’s no way that story is true. Edwards has everything to lose if he did something like that, I don’t think he’s that stupid. Plus, I think he actually loves his wife.
John Cole
I think that is a naive position to have. Have the past twenty years worth of sex scandals not alerted you to the notion that these folks engage in risky behavior?
That being said, I don’t give a shit if he cheated on his wife.
Incertus (Brian)
And do you know that this story about Edwards isn’t true?
I don’t have any reason to believe it is, seeing as it’s based on a less than credible tabloid.
But there was actual evidence for Craig (cop’s testimony, guilty plea), Vitter (phone number in prostitute’s black book) and Foley (computer records of emails, etc.). Which of these things is not like the other?
And I second the thought above that Elizabeth Edwards ought to slap the hell out of Coulter on national tv, just for general principles.
Llelldorin
Did anyone actually read the NE story? (I know–and I feel dirty for doing it.) The entire thing is single-sourced to a “friend” of the unnamed alleged mistress. The “explosive” evidence is a set of purported email messages (about the easiest evidence to fake on earth).
Anyone want to bet that Ms. Coulter called the NE herself? It’d be about her speed.
I suppose we ought to be glad that the Weekly World News isn’t in print anymore, or Coulter would be excitedly covering reports of Edwards’s alien love child.
Frankly I have no idea if Mr. Edwards has had an affair. Nor, frankly, do I care. (Seriously, what’s the headline here? “Edwards in affair, still trails Giuliani?”) The idea of chiding the media for not picking up a half-assed scandal from Ann Coulter and the National Enquirer, though, is hilarious.
jake
It might be, if after going through the obligatory ass covering (reminiscent of Malkin’s concession that the estimates of the value of the Frost’s home that she “heard,” were “high”), they didn’t follow with this:
Which makes them look even bigger hacks. Once you admit that the NE is a PoS, once you have to use Ann Coulter as a secondary source, you either must admit that the story isn’t worth the paper its printed on and StFu, or admit that you’re a stupid fuck.
But no, the concerned critterzens at NewsMaxxx want a real reporter to follow up on a story from a gossip rag. Or put another way, the flakes at NM want a real reporter to get fired because that’s what would happen if a reporter went to his editor and said “Hey, I want you to pay me to check a story in NE.”
Furthermore, I’m going to go waaaay out on a limb and guess NewsMax didn’t wring its paws because reporters failed to follow up on the NE’s stories about Laura walking out on George because he was fooling around.
TruthMeister Coulter called him a f^ggot. You’re not calling Trann a liar, are you?
grumpy realist
Actually, I thought the National Enquirer was pretty careful about what they state–back when they were sloppier they got hit with several multi-million dollar libel judgements, if I remember correctly.
Not to say that this looks to be that good a source. Heck, a half-wit CS major could generate similar “data” proving, oh, that Ms. Coulter was in cahoots with a Satanic sex ring. (And probably be more widely believed, as well.)
The Other Steve
Ok, I go to the Enquirer gossip article, and…
Just a wild guess, but I’d say not being able to substantiate a story probably hurts the ability to report on it. It sounds as though, what they got was a friend of hers saying she heard she was doing this.
I’ll agree with John. The history of sex scandals, ok, sure it’s a possibility. But by God you better have something to substantiate this before going live with it.
Vitter, Craig, Foley… they had let’s see… confession of a prostitute, a conviction of lewd conduct, and emails and IM message chains.
The Other Steve
They are actually fairly credible. But this article is purely Gossip and labeled as such, and also notes that they looked into it and could not verify it.
libarbarian
I don’t know. People are people.
John Edwards is a good looking, charismatic, power and successful politician with gobs of cash. Everywhere he goes this guy meets plenty of women who actively want to screw him – and he spends a lot of time away from home.
Incertus (Brian)
That kind of sourcing wouldn’t have gotten into the school paper where I was an undergrad, even hedging with the gossip tag.
Jogger
I thought Coulter said Edwards was gay? This is all so confusing.
D-Chance.
Something bigger is going on. Call it conspiracy lunacy, but there’s too much coincidence.
First, the Petraeus/Betrayus flap a month ago. The Republicans get the Dems to cave and vote on record to condemn MoveOn.
Now, we have Limbaugh (phony soldiers), Freepers/Malkin (Frost family) and Coulter (perfected Jews, Edwards affair), all in rapid succession? All seemingly independent events; yet all coming about the same time, and in short order right after the Democrats caved? As if to taunt, flout, or otherwise test the waters to see if they get any resistence at all to the attacks and propaganda?
These are not four isolated incidents. They can’t be. The whole thing smells of being orchestrated.
Or maybe I’m the one going batshit crazy here…
canuckistani
I think my reaction to an Edwards sex scandal would be the same as my reaction to the Clinton BJ scandal.
“Alright, dawg! Way to score!”
whippoorwill
That’s because she was beamed up to the mother ship for her daily dose of Zirconolite juice she needs to stay in human form.
jcricket
I think it’s the grand unified wingnut conspiracy theory all rolling together. Something about the gravity of the wingnut blackhole that is talk radio/right-wing-lower-blogistan that’s causing them all to collectively lose their mine.
Or perhaps Jung was right about the whole collective unconciousness thing.
Or, more realistically, Richard Mellon Scaife upped their daily “feed” from the Republican welfare trough so they got an endorphin rush akin to drinking a case of Red Bull and went off the deep end.
Does anyone love the “irony” in Republicans taking hundreds of millions in welfare from the likes of Scaife and Rev. Moon to fund their “news” outlets, while simultaneously railing about a hardworking family of 4 getting a couple hundred per month to buy private health insurance to take care of their brain-damaged children?
To say nothing of how they keep using Soros and his money as some kind of bogey-man.
John Cole
In other news, Malkin wimped out.
Jim
At the risk of sounding crude and boorish, Ann and Michele are examples of why the “C” word was invented, although I must say I really think Coulter’s behavior may be more of a pathetic way of getting attention and selling books, while Malkin is just simply a mean nasty ugly hateful person.
whipporwill
John
Can we have a thread on “hateful orgies”. I never heard of these and would to know more. Maybe some respectable liberal blogger could sneak around Malkin’s house and take pictures through her window and we could have fun with Youtube.
Dennis-SGMM
This is a good thing. The Republicans like philanderers so much that one is their leading candidate. Maybe just the rumors will get Edwards some crossover votes.
Ted
Wow. That post of hers was absolutely frothing. The only left-wing blogger on the radar I can think of who approaches that level of spittle is Rude Pundit, but his is a schtick.
TenguPhule
Of course, if Atrios sources are to be trusted, Ann the Man Coulter has been snogging a liberal Democrat on the side.
Does it really want to go there with looking into bedrooms?
TenguPhule
And how the fuck do you disprove a negative?
No evidence, no shit.
Lesley
I don’t give a shit if he cheated on his wife.
Amen. And it seems to me that Republicans have it all over the Democrats when it comes to egregious sexcapades. What did we have this week…oh yeah, two Republican fundie pastors – one a child molester and the other found dead in two wet suits hog tied, with a dildo up his ass.
George Bush may be monogamous – who would have him? – but he’s an incompetent boob.
I’d take Edwards cheating on his wife over Bush any day of the week.
Anyway, I already know it’s bullshit because Coulter started the rumour. She’s a lying hag who will say and do anything to get air time and her favourite pervy Republicans re-elected.
Mike
Maybe Edwards planted the Enquirer story to hide the fact that he’s gay.
Lupin
And maybe Ms Edwards is understandably not in the mood and has an arrangement with her husband? Who the hell cares.
Nancy Irving
What Craig and Vitter did was illegal, though Vitter escaped prosecution via one of the famous “technicalities” that conservatives are always whining about, specifically, statute of limitations had run out.
Any criminal case against Foley is still, er, up in the air, though the former congressman, an expert on the law of sex with children, appears to have been very careful not to violate the letter of the law–courting underage pages, but waiting until their eighteenth birthdays to actually have sex with them.
Comparing these cases to a consensual adult affair shows how the conservatives have to stretch. There is not even a hypocrisy angle here, as Edwards is not one of those who loudly proclaim their chastity and damn others for lacking same.
Nancy Irving
…and IF it is even true, as JC notes.
ninerdave
I guess Newsbusters forgot about the whole Clinton-Lewinsky thing. Really if anything shows the compartmental minds of authoritarians that might be it.
Wow…shocking! Actually reading the comments of “You go Michelle! Way to show Ezra!” was quite amusing.
Brendan
It is not unprecedented for the press to cover a sex scandal involving a Democratic candidate for presdient. Going way back in time, Senator Gary Hart …
And nothing further?
Musta forgot about that brief interlude between 1991 and five seconds ago, where the supposed librul media was all about Bill’s dick, all the time.
But really, back to the main point. Ann Coulter, sourcing the National Enquirer, on Tucker’s little show? I challenge anyone to name a less credible three-way..
Anne Laurie
I agree that Mrs. Edwards should bitch-slap Coulter on national television. And if the woman Edwards had an affair with actually exists, she should get “sloppy seconds” on Coulter’s raddled mug. Yeah, I know that violence doesn’t solve anything, but given the ocean of ugly Coulter’s unleashed, it’s beginning to seem like the only logical response.
Cain
Hey, at least it’s a woman, not a man. The right wing should be happy about that if it’s true. Because Republicans only like to attempt affairs with other men. So to see a guy shag a woman the old fashioned way is a good change of pace from what we’ve been seeing in the news of late as it comes to sex scandals.
cain
Chuck Butcher
John, I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciate that “I Read These Morons So You Don’t Have To” since I followed the ‘Michelle wimps’ link. I think this may be the second time I’ve read her junk. Damn.
Nylund
the National Enquirer has in the past also claimed that President Bush is having an affair with Condi Rice. (I can’t remember, but it might have been the Globe, but the Globe, National Enquirer, and Star are all owned by the same company, “American Media” so it doesn’t really matter which one said it, its all the same company).
Bubblegum Tate
This was probably my favorite part. “If Ann Coulter repeats a tabloid allegation on TV, then it’s gotta be respectable!” Because tabloids never print rumors of politicians boinking people who aren’t their spouses, and Ann Coulter adds respectability to whatever she says. Ah, Bizarro World.
Meanwhile, back in the real world, Michelle Malkin does her best Brave Sir Robin impersonation. Good to see some things never change.
Chuck Butcher
I had thought that sometimes I played pretty rough, these people make me look like Mother Theresa. What I have to wonder is if they run their daily lives in the same manner? A lot of people I know would hurt you for that. Our judges wouldn’t approve, but the sentence might not be too bad, either. Peeping in the windows around here would not be a good idea. Really, peeping?
The right wing advocates peeping? aahahahahahah
rachel
Nooooo! Must… Bleach…Brain…
laneman
Let me reiterate what chuck said, I really appreciate you reading that vile woman so I don’t feel the diseased need to look a the train wreck. And her sycophants to.
The Stranger
Well, there are the emails.
It looks like John Cole is going to go out once again on a limb…and hang himself.
I gotta give Cole credit for one thing, he doesn’t let humiliation keep him from making himself look stupid again and again.
Just wondering…has he commented on the fact that TNR has re-interviewed Buauchamp and decided to forego publishing it?
D. Mason
Link?
John S.
Shorter The Stranger:
We’re right about everything (even when we’re wrong)!
Anyway, I’m glad to see Ann is not only sticking to the plan, but eliminating any unnecessary steps:
Option 2: Wingnutosphere Journalism
1. Show up at the Edwards’ house unannounced and spy on them.2. Guess as to what the Edwards’ situation is based on some gossip, a few purported emails and some Google searches.3. Talk to neighbors and co-workers to get the inside dirt on the Edwards’ (is John really gay?).4. Go on national television stating your opinion as fact and invite further scrutiny from the general public based on misinformation.
Nothing like cutting to the chase.
RSA
Will the Claude Rains wing of the Republican party never die out? People have affairs; I’d venture to say that it’s not uncommon. Whether Edwards did or did not, merely having an affair is not a public scandal. (A few exceptions: if your affair is with under-age pages, or if you get arrested by the police, or if you lie to everyone about it in the newspapers and get caught–then it’s a scandal.)
jnfr
Make sure those emails include the full headers. Simple text is awfully easy to fake, you know? Headers can be faked but at least you’d have something to investigate.
Pug
And do you know that this story about Edwards isn’t true?
No, we don’t know that it isn’t true. Perhaps Michelle Malkin could kick into “investigative” mode and get on the case. Think of the endless stalking possibilities. She could find a woman and publish her address and phone number on the Internet. Probably none of it is true, but that really doesn’t matter, does it?
Zifnab
Front page news! Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani having illicit affair! Caught humping in the back of a campaign bus! One or both may have horrible STDs! Campaigns come to a screeching halt!
Prove me wrong.
Uncle Kvetch
Ann Coulter did her best to drop a bomb on the October 10 episode of “Tucker” on MSNBC.
Well, of course she did! Can you blame her? “That Malkin bitch has been sucking up all the oxygen for a week now, and I’ve got a new book to flog! HEY! OVER HERE! I’m about to say something OUTRAGEOUS! Can you believe how OUTRAGEOUS I am? What will I say next? What WON’T I say next–because I’m THAT OUTRAGEOUS!”
Meanwhile, I have it on good authority that Ms. Coulter was recently discovered masturbating to pictures of dead Iraqi children in a men’s room stall at the American Enterprise Institute. How do you know this is isn’t true?
Uncle Kvetch
Zifnab, we should try to combine our hypotheticals. A Romney-Giuliani-Coulter threeway in the campaign bus bathroom?
Um, or maybe not. I need to go find the Pepto-Bismol now.
Pb
Sweet; if NewsBusters is reporting it, it must be false!
Zifnab
Throw in Larry Craig, and it might actually have happened.
laneman
Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
g
As long as we’re going to use tabloid stories to fuel mainstream news, why doesn’t Ann talk about the stories that George Bush is drinking again, sleeping with Condi, and Laura is divorcing him?
It’s all ridiculous, but, hey, if you’re going to go there, let’s go there all the way.
jcricket
What about Ann’s recent “jews must be perfected… you must obey” stuff on Donny Deutsch. Can you imagine the outrage if someone on the left said something even remotely similar?
In fact, I can. Kathy Griffin makes some jokes about how everyone thanks Jesus during their acceptance speeches and it’s bleeped out due to “controversy”.
THE ONLY SOLUTION TO THIS IS TO STOP GIVING COULTER AIR TIME.
The next time I see her on the Today show with Matt Lauer saying “the always controversial Ann…” I’m going to fucking puke. Frankly, If everyone stopped giving Coulter air alone it would be fine by me too.
J. A. Baker
Having worked as a cashier at a local grocery chain within the last year, I can confirm that it was the Globe. The NE may have published an occasional story, but the Globe was really flogging the “Bush is boinking Condi” line (and still is, as far as I can tell).
jcricket
How can Bush be boinking Condi if she’s really a lesbian, as discovered by the fact that she bought a house with another woman?
Speaking of that, whatever happened to Jeff Gannon or Drudge? Why isn’t the right hiring them to “investigate” these vicious Frost people.
Dreggas
John,
You forget to the right the Nat’l Enquirer is ZOMG REAL NEWS! I mean shit they have their own “NEWS” Channel called Fox for Chrissakes. The Nat’l Enquirer stays in business and is purchased by more wingers than any other “News” rag. Why? Because they believe this shit. Of course let’s not mention that for the past several months there have been “exclusives” on Bush and Laura being on the outs, Bush gettin his freak on with Condi and the secret divorce etc.
tBone
Powerful women in the political sphere can simultaneously be man-hating lesbians while carrying on torrid heterosexual affairs (that often end in murder). See: Clinton, Hillary; Foster, Vince.
Cinderella Ferret
Good to see Ms. Coulter is not letting the disaster in Iraq, abrogation of the 4th Amendment, and utter mismanagement of government get in the way of discussing more important issues!
Cue up the theme music to Twilight Zone. Hold on its gonna be a Hell of a Ride!
capelza
Thank you….how does she get away with this crap? You’re right. If someone even remotely to the left of her had said that…they’d be..why they’d get a condemnation in the Senate!
Uncle Kvetch
As long as we’re going to use tabloid stories to fuel mainstream news, why doesn’t Ann talk about the stories that George Bush is drinking again, sleeping with Condi, and Laura is divorcing him?
Oh please…the American people are far too smart to buy the notion that a Republican office-holder could have such vanilla scandals. Where’s the underage rent boys? The sex tour in Thailand? The dead hooker floating in the hot tub? The rubber diapers? “Guy cheating on his wife!” just doesn’t ring true when we’re talking about a Republican, sorry.
Jason Savonarola
Er, has anybody else noticed the eerie overlap between the Enquirer piece and Sam Stein’s 10-10 post on Edwards in HuffPo? Both allude to a meeting in a bar.
Coulter almost always shoots blanks, if smelly ones. But be careful about playing into her hands if this turns out to be an unprecedented exception.
Dreggas
I wonder when the ADL will come out and condemn coulter for what could be clearly seen as an anti-semitic remark given the fact that Hitler also wanted to “perfect the jews”.
jcricket
Rubber diapers aren’t even enough anymore. Now you need more than two sets of rubber (or other S&M clothing) to phase people.
At this point for a scandal on the Republican side to merit a scandal they apparently to be caught driving the wrong way (in reverse) down a one-way street while also smoking a joint, holding a bottle of grain alcohol in their left hand, driving with your knees, and getting a BJ from a transsexual multiracial hooker.
Oh, and if it wasn’t on film, it didn’t happen. Well, even if it’s on film, the film was edited, bbecause film industry is run by liberal jews, so anything film is biased against conservatives and/or christians.
Plus, just ask jesus/your constituents for forgiveness and declare you are going to pray about the issue, and it goes away.
LITBMueller
Hey, I’m flipping through that Enquirer right now. Does the Edwards article come after the bat-boy article, or before the Brad Pitt in Gay Sex Triangle expose’? Just wonderin’…
Julie
Julie
Oh shoot. Tried to embed this video in the post above.
lysias
I thought Coulter thought John Edwards was a fag.
Zuzu
I’m pretty sure I remember the mainstream media covering the possibility of a sexual affair by a Democratic candidate … or does Gennifer Flowers not ring a bell?
Zuzu
Ah yes, I just remembered the tempest in a teapot about the supposed affair John Kerry had with an aide. Even though it turned out to be a complete fabrication, it still got coverage.