Well, we did not report on this story here because it was originally sourced by the National Enquirer.  Now it has been confirmed by the former Senator of South Carolina himself.  There may even be some legal issues with respect to use of campaign funds.  What a continuued difficult time for Elizabeth Edwards and the Edwards family.  So sad.  This does beg the question of why he would run for president knowing this was in his background?  See story below.

John Edwards repeatedly lied during his Presidential campaign about an extramarital affair with a novice filmmaker, the former Senator admitted to ABC News today.

In an interview for broadcast tonight on Nightline, Edwards told ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff he did have an affair with 44-year old Rielle Hunter, but said that he did not love her.

Edwards also denied he was the father of Hunter’s baby girl, Frances Quinn, although the one-time Democratic Presidential candidate said he has not taken a paternity test.

Edwards said he knew he was not the father based on timing of the baby’s birth on February 27, 2008. He said his affair ended too soon for him to have been the father.

A former campaign aide, Andrew Young, has said he was the father of the child.  Read remainder of story

Edwards releases statement:

“In 2006, I made a serious error in judgment and conducted myself in a way that was disloyal to my family and to my core beliefs. I recognized my mistake and I told my wife that I had a liaison with another woman, and I asked for her forgiveness. Although I was honest in every painful detail with my family, I did not tell the public. When a supermarket tabloid told a version of the story, I used the fact that the story contained many falsities to deny it. But being 99% honest is no longer enough.

“I was and am ashamed of my conduct and choices, and I had hoped that it would never become public. With my family, I took responsibility for my actions in 2006 and today I take full responsibility publicly. But that misconduct took place for a short period in 2006. It ended then. I am and have been willing to take any test necessary to establish the fact that I am not the father of any baby, and I am truly hopeful that a test will be done so this fact can be definitively established. I only know that the apparent father has said publicly that he is the father of the baby. I also have not been engaged in any activity of any description that requested, agreed to or supported payments of any kind to the woman or to the apparent father of the baby.

“It is inadequate to say to the people who believed in me that I am sorry, as it is inadequate to say to the people who love me that I am sorry. In the course of several campaigns, I started to believe that I was special and became increasingly egocentric and narcissistic. If you want to beat me up - feel free. You cannot beat me up more than I have already beaten up myself. I have been stripped bare and will now work with everything I have to help my family and others who need my help.

“I have given a complete interview on this matter and having done so, will have nothing more to say.”

After John Edwards endorsed Barack Obama last night, one of his delegates did not wast any time in rallying behind the Illinois senator.  Joshua Denton,  a New Hampshire Democratic Party delegate and Iraq war veteran said that he will support Barack Obama now that Edwards has endorsed Obama.  See his statement below.

A New Hampshire Democratic Party delegate who had supported John Edwards says he will support Barack Obama, now that Edwards has endorsed his former political rival for the party’s presidential nominee.
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Joshua Denton of Portsmouth, 26, an Iraq war veteran, says he thinks that both Obama and Hillary Clinton would be a better president than Republican nominee John McCain. He thinks that Obama is the change the country needs, along with having the best chance of beating McCain in the general election.

“My fear with Hillary was just because she is who she is — for better or worse — she would sink, not just lose the presidency,” but Democrats in Congress, Denton said Wednesday. - Boston Globe

The rumor mill is a buzz with a rumor that former presidential candidate John Edwards will endorse Barack Obama this evening at a rally in Michigan.  Rumor confirmed.  AP is reporting that Edwards has endorsed Barack Obama.  The Obama campaign also announced that there will be a “major national endorsement” tonight at 7pm.  Further, Edwards said a couple of days ago that he would be endorsing the person that he voted for in his North Carolina primary very soon.  Edwards has also been dropping other hints in the last few days by criticising Clinton for her comments about the “white vote.”  Edwards also said that he cannot figure out how Clinton could ever win.  I guess now would be as good a time as any seeing that Obama is about to clinch the nomination next week.  My question is will Edwards ask his his pledge delegates to vote for Obama at the convention?  I believe that he may still have between 8 and 13 pledged delegates.  Edwards actually won 18 pledged delegates some of which have already been reallocated.  Edwards can strongly urge his pledged delegates to support Obama but the delegates can now vote for whomever they please.

ABC News has learned that David Bonior, the campaign manager for the 2008 presidential race of Sen. John Edwards, D-NC, will endorse Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, today.Bonior, a former Michigan congressman, was once the second highest ranking Democrat in the House, and is influential with labor unions.

Tuesday night’s results were said to be key to Bonior’s decision — specifically the fact that Obama’s lead over Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, appears insurmountable.

Bonior is also said to like Obama’s general positive tone, as well as Obama’s message of change and stance against taking money from federal lobbyists.

John Edwards is expected to announce that he is pulling out of the 2008 presidential race.  The candidate will not immediately endorse either Clinton or Obama.  Edwards plans to make the announcement from New Orleans, the same place that he announced his candidacy.  The soon to be former candidate is also expected to say that he will be “suspending” his campaign so that he can continue to pay his hard working staff.  Edwards did place a call to Obama and Clinton informing them of his decision.  The next question is which of the the remaining candidates benefit?  Depends on who you ask.  There is a whole new block of democratic voters in play.  Many speculate that Edwards campaign message is more akin to Obama’s message than Clintons.’ David Mudcat Sanders, Edwards campaign advisor, said that “he will do everything in his power to make sure that Edwards does not endorse Senator Clinton.” Apparently Mr. Sanders is not a fan of the Clintons.

Hillary Clinton has won the beauty contest in Florida.  Unfortunately for the Clinton campaign, Florida has been stripped of all its delegates.  After Obama’s momentous win in South Carolina, the Clinton campaign decided that Florida is hugely important. Most report that the sudden interest in Florida by the Clinton campaign is an attempt to eclipse or break Obama’s momentum going into Super Tuesday.  Because we recognize the obviousness of this campaign strategy, I ask…can you be a bit less obvious?  News flash to the candidates…we are a pretty bright electorate once we decide to engage.   This Clinton win has been reported as based purely on name recognition.  All of the democratic candidates, including Clinton, signed a pledge to boycott the Florida primary after Florida moved up its primary date in violation of Democratic National Committee rules.  However, the Clintons have been in national politics for twenty years.  Therefore, and by default, when voters go to the polls and they have not had a chance to get to know the two other candidates, they are more likely to choose what is familiar, i.e., Hillary Clinton.  Therefore, because the Clintons have a built-in advantage in that they are more famous and have been on the national political scene a lot longer than the other two candidates, any win in Florida does not represent a true decision or endorsement by Floridians.  All the candidates agreed not to campaign in Florida, and Edwards and Obama specifically, were prohibited from familiarizing Florida voters with their policy agenda.  Because none of the candidates were able to explain why each would be the best candidate to represent Floridian interests in the general election, the Clinton win is disingenuous and hallow and does not represent a true victory in an informed voter or substantive sense.  Note:  The majority of voters who voted a month ago, and before Iowa or South Carolina, overwhelmingly voted for Hillary.  However, the majority of voters who voted after Iowa and South Carolina went overwhelmingly for Obama.

The Clinton campaign continues to take shots at the Obama campaign.  There are a number of accusations being made by each of the primary opponents about his/her praise of Republican ideas.  However, according to Annenberg Political Fact Check, Obama did not praise the ideas of Republicans but praised the political prowess of Ronald Reagan.  Both candidates have praised Reagan’s political skills.  Hillary in Tom Brokaw’s book, and Obama to the Reno Newspaper editorial board.  However, Obama never said that the Republican party is the party of good ideas as reported by the Clinton campaign.  As for the personal barbs that were being traded back and forth on debate night, according to Annenberg Political Fact Check;  Hillary was a board member of Walmart and was paid $18,000 a year for six years, $1500 a meeting and left with $100,000 worth of Walmart stock.  Obama did do some work for a law firm that represented a community housing group, not for Rezko directly,  that was going to partner with Rezco in order to build low income housing on the south side of Chicago. Later Rezco became a big campaign contributor and the Obama campaign states that he returned all of that money.  As for the third candidate in the race, and the one that has been reported as the one who probably benefited most from the Clinton Obama dogfight,  Edwards stated that the last CNN poll that all three candidates were pitted against John McCain showed him being the only one that could beat John McCain in the general election.  However, the poll that Edwards is referring to was taken in early December.  The latest poll taken about three weeks ago did not list Edwards at all and showed both Obama and Clinton beating John McCain.