It's not the extramarital sex or even the fact that it happened while Elizabeth was having a recurrence of the cancer-- for all we know, she knew of the affair and maybe even condoned it. (I've certainly heard of that happening before-- and it winds up being something that saves marriages ultimately.)

It's the sheer foolishness of the timing that I can't get over. It's like "Dude, use your head! The one between your shoulders!"

Eh, corproate execs defrauding the pensions of people I don't know and will never meet isn't any of my business either, strictly speaking. Doesn't prevent me from regarding them as scum when the news breaks.

I'm with Barb--it's the stupidity that burns. When the Lewinsky thing blew up on Bill Clinton, I was more pissed that he couldn't keep it zipped for eight years than I was he had the affair (fling/blow job/whatever) at all. Show a little intelligence, man!

Tamara, I agree with the anti-puritanism and yet...

He was having the affair or doing the cheating, and stopped. And there were tons of rumors out there about it - meaning it would have been exposed eventually. And you lie about it and run anyway? What if he'd won the nomination and then it came out? President McCain ...

That is not a trivial risk. And Edwards was not just risking himself. President McCain would mean a significantly worse U.S. and a significantly worse world. That is a risk he had no right to take.

What if he'd won the nomination and then it came out? President McCain ...

That's where I get pissed off. PRIORITIES, dammit.

Typo Boy, I agree with you on the stupid. He was stupid for lying about it and continuing to run. But, the reason we would have to worry about a President McCain in that case is because Americans are irrationally concerned and judgmental about who is sleeping with who. As a society we somehow feel betrayed by a man sleeping around. Why do we feel betrayed? He didn't cheat on us.

And Matt, your Enron example is our business because it defrauds the public at large since that affected energy prices and the stock market. The CEO sleeping with his admin is none of our business.

That is a risk he had no right to take.

???

Holy absolutism, Batman. No, I think he has the right to mess up his marriage just the same as the rest of us.

Stands in the ita corner, and also in the "she may have condoned it" corner, where I bet Dan Savage is standing.

IsportsN, Cubs win! Cubs win! Took them 11 innings, but they finally beat the Cardinals. If they can at least win this series (sweeping it would be best!), they have put significant space between them and the third-place Cards in the standings. I'm still leery about hoping they'll get to the playoffs (been burned too many times), but I have more expectations now than I did a month ago.

Holy absolutism, Batman. No, I think he has the right to mess up his marriage just the same as the rest of us.

And the right to risk President McCain? I mean he could have disclosed before running. But to run with something out there that can be found and used against him? How is that absolutism. In case like that you disclose so you take your hit or get past it before trying for the nomination.