John McCain had a well-documented series of affairs on his first wife after he came back from the war. She had been severely injured in a car accident and after cheating on her several times with several different women, John McCain eventually left her for a much younger, much richer woman.
Now, it seems like I am condemning John McCain for his actions, but actually I'm not. I wasn't in his situation and no one really knows what happens inside someone else's marriage. I think the personal lives of politicians are absolutely irrelevant, especially their sex lives.
So, I say this not to rub this in John McCain's face, but to defend John Edwards. Now that Edwards has admitted to an extramarital affair, everyone will now condemn him and say he has no political career left. I want to ask all of those people, how is Edwards' affair any different John McCain's? If Edwards is disqualified from running for office because of this, isn't McCain as well?
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How is John Edwards' Affair Any Different than John McCain's?
Posted Aug 8th 2008 4:57PM by Cenk Uygur
Filed under: Scandal, Young Turks, John McCain, John Edwards
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Mo Rocca appears on a bunch of shows, including CBS News Sunday Morning (with the indescribably wonderful Charles Osgood), The Tonight Show on NBC, and NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! He's a sometime judge on Iron Chef and was featured on Telemundo's Amore Descarado. Last year he starred on Broadway in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. His expose "All the President's Pets" was published by Crown in 2004.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 17)
1. How is this story relevant to anything whatsoever? You really are the bottom of the barrel aren't ya?
James at 5:29PM on Aug 8th 2008
2. Not quite the same. McCain married Cindy and that was years and years ago. McCain's infidelity was not recent and he been a good and faithful husband for what? 40 years. People mature and grow. Just as I pray that Barak and Michelle grow out of their hateful, racist feelings and mature into something more spiritual with no racial antipathy for ANY group. Maybe then, they will be fit to lead.
Kathy at 11:51PM on Aug 18th 2008
3. You must be very proud of your ability to shape events of the past to your present use. Just another example of the liberal bias, liberal spin and liberal nonsense.
Becky at 11:21AM on Aug 9th 2008
4.
Its all about timing.
moghopper at 5:52PM on Aug 8th 2008
5. What? No sound bite commentary from you Cenk? Is it the fact that you'd have extreme difficulty maintaining eye contact with the camera while spewing your half-baked comparisons? You were exceptionally flat on this one.
Lizard at 5:57PM on Aug 8th 2008
6. Kathy, Typical for McCain supportors - okay for your guy - not ok for anyone else. I've never read more obvious hypocritical comments and what the heck does Obama have to do with any of this? Suddenly, you just launch into a smear campaign against the Obamas. Fear and smear - that's all you have to offer.
Dawn at 6:04PM on Aug 8th 2008
7. John Edwards had no political career left before he was caught having an affair. He lose his Senate seat. He couldn't carry his own state for Kerry. I don't care if he has affairs. I don't care anything about him.
Mel at 6:16PM on Aug 8th 2008
8. Well I wondered how this was going to be spun and now I guess we know. Make it about McCain.
If Edward's wants to run for some office (assuming he doesn't get the nod for VP) nothing is stopping him from doing so.
I guess it's up to the voters in both cases, Cenk.
As it should be.
bob at 6:31PM on Aug 8th 2008
9. 2. Not quite the same. McCain married Cindy and that was years and years ago. McCain's infidelity was not recent and he been a good and faithful husband for what? 40 years. People mature and grow. Just as I pray that Barak and Michelle grow out of their hateful, racist feelings and mature into something more spiritual with no racial antipathy for ANY group. Maybe then, they will be fit to lead.
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Cheating is cheating sorry, John MCCain doesn't get a pass cause it was long ago.
Nice try though!!!
Jennifer at 6:38PM on Aug 8th 2008
10. Well, first off, John Edwards is NOT an elected official. He is a private citizen. That said, I am disapponted in him. But let the conservatives have their moment here - it won't last long. Because at the end of the day, there are two GOP senators still serving with the full blessing of the Republican party - Larry Craig and his public men's room antics, and David Vitter, the married GOP senator on the D.C. Madam's list who was banging hookers. As to McCain, there isn't really a difference, except that McCain's was decades ago. Both parties have their share of bums. My grandfather used to say if he had $5 for every hypocrite in Washington, he could have retired filthy rich. I think he was correct.
David S. at 6:43PM on Aug 8th 2008
11. Typical radical lunatic liberal looney bin word and fact twister.This guy writing this b.s.is likely a socialist embedded agitater spy.It's high time this vile type of discusting rhetoric is recognized for what it is - radicalistic assault on the American culture and this guy should be branded for what he is! A pathetic excuse for a writer,edeitorialist,propagandist soviet style socialist piece of scum that should be barred from publication for his felonious assaults on my country and countryman.Go back to the hole you came from commy boy.!
jozeppian at 6:55PM on Aug 8th 2008
12. I'm not the original poster but I can gaurantee the original poster wasn't asking for your f**g permission.
Vote for Senator McCain or vote for that loser Obummer for all I care. It's a personal decision.
It's not the end of the world for John Edwards. This is America, there is opportunity at every corner and Americans are a very forgiving lot (except when it comes to that freaking loser Obummer).
What is the difference, probably nothing at all except that when John McCain did it, it was way before he started out on political path. Edwards is knee deep in it, with the exception he is a private citizen for the time being.
The former Mrs. McCain even said she would vote for John McCain. I wonder if Mrs. Edwards would do the same.
---------------------------------------------------
Cheating is cheating sorry, John MCCain doesn't get a pass cause it was long ago.
Nice try though!!!
Mad Dog at 7:02PM on Aug 8th 2008
13. Oh please! I'm an Obama supporter, but I feel there is a huge difference. McCain didn't lie about his affairs. That's the difference between a man and a sleaze. The problem with Edwards and with Clinton, is that they denied what they had done, and then they lied. They only came clean when they got caught. What makes Edwards' situation far worse is that his wife was battling cancer . . . couldn't he behaved while she so ill. Men who present themselves one way and are truly rotten to the core are seriously mentally ill. It's scary to think that Edwards could've been vice president.
SusanWales1 at 7:11PM on Aug 8th 2008
14. Quick question Cenk Uygur, do you, David Knowles, and the rest of the AOL "reporters" get a hard on for Obummer whenever you see his picture or hear his voice?
This is some of the worst pandering for that freaking loser Obummer I read. You butt sniffers aren't even good at being subtle about it. As a matter of fact you guys suck at trying to play "impartial."
It is so obvious you just want that freaking loser Obummer to win so you try and throw John McCain under the bus any time and every time you get a chance.
Listen, go work on your journalistic skills for a few hundred years. Go and do something you might be good at. Reporting or whatever it is you call it, well in this case I would advise you to quite your day job.
Mad Dog at 7:15PM on Aug 8th 2008
15. There is no difference, that is why I laughed, when they went after Bill Clinton. Most of them were hypocrites. Newt, DeLay, Chenoweth, some old guy, who said it was his Youth. Although, he was 41 at the time of his cheating... Anyway, most of the Family Values People are Republicans anyway. Most of the things, McCain did were far more horrible. I guess Carol was no longer the beautiful, sexy, bathing suit model, he left. Lost about 2 inches in height even. He tramped around with some sluts, before he latched on to Cindy, the drug addict, thief. Now, he is 71 and it doesn't matter? It matters, he wasn't a child, when he did all of his mischief... Unlike Morgan Freeman, he is trying to get to the White House.
Carolyn Bond at 7:24PM on Aug 8th 2008