Dear John Edwards…

I am trying to figure out why this infidelity has struck me so.  I defended Bill Clinton's presidency and have always felt that a person's private life should be treated as just that--private.  Perhaps the level of my disgust is really a measure of my own need for heroes and heroins in a world basically gone mad with corruption and misplaced values.  But each figurehead that falls makes a bigger splash in the pool of life.  And the rings stretch to farther shores and touch more and more people.

I will continue to hold on to Elizabeth as my heroine.  Even if she has an affair--which, frankly, I hope she has!!!  You go girl!!!  Here's to life, again!

Barbara Lee

Thank you!  I wish I'd had your words when my husband cheated on me as I was recovering from my cancer.

John Edwards personal life has been made public as we all know.  So, it's been said that he was faithful to his wife for 31 years, and that this is his first indiscretion.  If that's true, I wonder if perhaps, when his wife became ill with breast cancer, he cheated as a way of escape from the fear of being left alone.  This is not to make an excuse for him, however I wonder if perhaps he was just terrifeid of losing Elizabeth, and being a male had no way to express it.  He admits to having a big ego.  Maybe this was his way of running away from the truth which is he loves his wife and not the mistress.   I know, I know.... that's no way to express love, but after being married to someone as devoted and loving as Elizabeth, I don't think this new woman stands a snow ball's chance in hell of keeping him whether or not John's wife survives cancer or not.  Apparently, she is his best friend and the love of his life.  The mistress is living here in the same town as I which is Santa Barbara.  Montecito is part of SB.  It would creep me out to come face to face with her.  I also note that she became pregnant about the same time that she would have known that John Edwards was to be "Father of the year" in some award ceremony.... makes me wonder if she did this motherhood thing on purpose.  She sounds and looks perfectly horrible, but that just me, I guess. 

Over the years I have made the observation, that with a few exceptions, Democrat scandals are about sexual impropriety and Republican scandals have to do with bribes, fraud, influence peddling, and other ethics violations that have to do with money and greed.

What kind of sicko whore would sleep with another woman's husband?  What sad excuse of a man would stoop so low as to sleep with this lowly snake?  Elizabeth, you deserve better that this man.  If he cheated many times with this hoe, he'll do it again and why should you have to live with this uncertainty?!?!?!?!?!

Of course it was wrong.  But I think that the news media ought to respect the privacy of people in the public.  It has only been in the last few years that nothing is off limits.  Years ago, most of the Presidents had affairs and it wasn't paraded out for all to know.  I feel so badly for Elizabeth.  She is such a strong woman.  But to leave him and be out on her own with all of her problems would be very hard.  If she chooses to stay with him, that is her decision.  I have lost a lot of respect for John.  But as long as she can forgive him, it's none of my business.  As far as his career is concerned, I think he has ruined his chances for much in the future. 

Dear PJ,  It isn't from knowing the pain and agony of cancer, that I write to you.  My aunt some 50 years ago died of breast cancer after 5 years.  I know some of what she went through.  I write because you put into words just my own feelings about John and his admission of the affair.  You put into words, the ache of knowing that he was lying and that such a wonderful family was betrayed as where many of us in the electorate and well in general.  

Thank You, for saying what I was thinking.  Peace and Joy, be yours

Fran Kremlick

Kalamazoo, MI

Edwards, in the tradition of Bill Clinton, you have continued to undermine faith in the political process by your hipocrisy and lies.  You have a gem of a wife who stood beside you in spite of her own illness so you could persue political ambitions.  Along the way, you found someone who gave you sexual gratification that, possibly, your wife could not give you because of her illness.  I can read your mind, scum bag--you wanted this bimbo waiting in the wings so that when your wife passes, she can come in and take her place.

Along with all this of course, are your illegal finanacial manipulations.  Hopefully, they will send you to prison where you will have all the sex you can handle.

I think everyone who thought you were a genuine family values candidate feels incredibly betrayed.  God bless Elizabeth.  She needs all our love, prayers and support at this time. I guess all you need is Rielle, someone who is younger, healthier and as shallow as a kiddy wading pool.  

Ladies:

Get over Edwards cheating ... 3/4^th of guys cheat, and nowadays 50% of the women cheat. Men cheat even more when their wives are pregnant, or have a long-term illness. I don't hold it against him for cheating - I hold it against him for being a slime-ball Attorney. Most attorneys are low-rent, slime-balls. Not all are - just most. I hold it against him for being a slime-ball politician. Most politicians are slime-balls. Not all are - just most.

So there you have it - Edwards was both an attorney and a politician - he is/was a double slime-ball. End of story.

I have always supported John, but now I feel he has let his family down, his county down by lieing, I am still wondering if we have gotten the entire truth regarding the child he claims is not his.  My heart is breaking for his wife who has endured so very much, and to have this hit her at such a trying time in her life..I know politicians have huge ego's however, John has always preached family values, perhaps his ego got the best of him.

The man who cheats and lies while pretending to be a moral family man is a disgrace to his spouse and his children.  What a slap in the face for them at this stage of their lives. And women who borrow other women's husbands (while messing around with other men at the same time) are beneath contempt.  Both of these people are despicable.

I sit here, 4 years and 9 weeks post diagnosis of my wife's breast cancer journey and can only tell you that you missed out on something.  Breast cancer is a family journey with pain enough to go around for all but like a tootsie pop there is a chocolate center - but you missed that.  After 34 years of marriage I am more in awe of my wife now than ever before.  This is hard stuff for a husband to comprehend or talk about, but out of all this "stuff" I have learned so much about the meaning of our life together on a level that I doubt I would have otherwise.  

I am sorry for you, I am sure you found this to be really hard and the thought of a healthy, fun, attractive woman to be really hard to ignore.  I can't condemn you because as a man any of us could find ourselves in the same boat.  

Actually I am not the least interested in John Edward's sex life.  That is between him and his wife and none of my or anyone else's business.

I want to comment on the reference to Mrs Edwards as a poor cancer patient.  I am woman, I have had cancer twice, cervical in 1988 and colon in 2000.  I survived them both because I followed my doctors orders and did what I needed to do.  I am sick and tired of people telling me that I am some kind of a hero because I survived cancer.  I quit counseling cancer patients because I couldn't stand them looking at me as though I was an Olympic Gold medal winner or something.  When I went into nursing in 1958 cancer was a death sentence.  That is no longer so.  Most people who die of cancer in this day and age do so because they either didn't care enough about their health that they neglected to have the available screenings (mammagrams, pap smears, stool blood, self exams of breasts and testes et al)) or they ignore the physical warning signs when they do appear either from a misplaced fear of the disease generated in part by all the negativity surrounding it and by treating survivors as some sort of winners in a macabe lottery.  We need to look at cancer for what it is, a disease, treatable and cureable and act accordingly. Admittedly there are some cancers such as ovarian which are difficult to diagnose but intelligent precautions are a big help and ongoing medical care is primary.

Uh Oh caught!  Videos I have seen on news programs show him for who he really is.  The ones she filmed were flirty and so unprofessional.  Bet his supporters paid for his affair!  glad I am not one of them.  Should be a man of moral character like Huckabee running. 

Frankly, I don't know what to say. I am in shock. We know it happens. But let's not forget to put 1/2 of the blame on this Rielle Hunter. It is bad enough to sleep with another woman's husband, but also to do it, knowing what hell Elizabeth has been through. I myself, lost my 16 year old son to a car accident 3 and a half years ago and was diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast cancer in October 2006. So I can say I know what it feels like to lose a child and have cancer. In my book Elizabeth is one of the bravest women I know. And then to find out your husband, a very public figure, has had an affair. How devastating. And she still has the strength to forgive him. Shame, shame on both of them for doing this to Elizabeth. My prayers go out to her every day.

Ok, so John Edwards sinned. We now know that he like all of us is human and not the divine. There is no one that hasn't got skeletons in their closet that they are ashamed of. Even Jesus said, Let those free from sin throw the first rock. The difference is celebreties and the famous have the press looking for the next story and they have their personal lives and dirty laundry aired because the press has no respect for who they hurt in selling it. Doesn't it make you glad that you are a nobody to them? That affair is personal and between his wife and him and yes it has hurt her enough so can't we move on to the important issues that this country is facing that is being neglected instead of kepping it in her face and show the family mercy? She forgave him for his weakness and he has nothing to prove to anyone else but her. I think our energy is better spent on the accountability of our elected officials and what they are personally doing to the credibility of  not only our country but it's people and believe me folks, their personal affairs with women aren't our problems. It's their personal affairs, being in bed  with the lobbiests that buy them their seat to the white house, congress, senate etc. that screw this countrys for it's their business that they do and not, we the peoples. If you must get angry, get angry about this affair and not distracted about something that effects your personal lives in any way. Put your energy where it is needed instead of others personal business.

It is a disgrace to think that a woman is ill and her husband is cheating, etc.  It isn't very fair. Men should go thru a menopause, as we women do.  Men should experience all the emotional and physical problems that women encounter.  Their sperm production should cease, as well as their sexual ability, in their mid 50's.  But of course there are medications specifically designed to keep them sexually active in the 70's, etc.   We would have a lot less problems.

John,

I'm appalled by the response of our "Holier than thou citizens" who somehow believe they have the right to judge you in your private life actions. It's these same hipocrites that creat on thir income taxes, look down on the poor and down and out (feel they're somehow better), don't believe that we should be helping the poor,  and of couse they backed President Bush in his criminal war in Iraq responsible for the maming and killing more than a million innocent people....but these same hipocrites can tell you how you should be living your life.

I'm sorry that our population is so disgustingly Hollier than Thou".

Len

Edwards,

you're a con man, a huckster and a shyster.

Oh, and you are a pig.

End of story.

End of career.

John Edwards, you are a cad and a hypocrite!  Why are so many men so thoughtless and cruel?  Is there ever an excuse for such behavior?  I think not.  "Men" are still little boys.  It would be nice if they would ever grow up.  And when Elizabeth needs you at the most devastating time of her life, you're not there.  It would serve you right if you lost your whole family.

I remember some time ago listening to Elizabeth Edwards speak of her deceased son, Wade.  She said he was her soulmate.  I am sure that's what she said.  At the time, I recall wondering what her husband thought of that comment. 

Regardless, their relationship is just that...THEIRS alone to work through, heal through.  I don't care if he was running for office of King of the World.  All too often, the spouse, the family, the kin, the close friend of those of us experiencing cancer, are expected to be super human.  That's my opinion, anyway.  I have decided that it can't always be about me.  It just can't.  I may be experiencing the symptoms, the side effects and the what if's but if we're very lucky, we have someone sharing the ride with us.  They have needs, fears, illness, panic, pain as well. 

I am so sick of the constant finger pointing and moralizing that's nauseatingly prevalent these days...expecting perfect behavior from imperfect beings.  Are the rest of us so sanctified and upstanding, never once having an error in judgment - big or small?  I read somewhere that we all make a mistake every single day that could result in serious bodily harm or deep emotional wounding to another human being if not for the grace that sometimes rescues us  -- we just don't know it. 

Unless you have never made a mistake, perhaps we should first seek to understand and clean up our own lives as best we can.