Monday, August 18, 2008

The Real John Edwards   [Byron York]

John Drescher is the executive editor of the News and Observer paper in North Carolina.  Yesterday, he published a column about his paper's coverage of the John Edwards matter.  It contains a previously unknown bit of news about Edwards that some might find breathtaking, even knowing about Edwards' coverup of his affair with Rielle Hunter.

It was last October, after the National Enquirer had published an item claiming that Edwards had had an affair.  Edwards was asked about it on the campaign trail, and he denied it.  Drescher and the paper's staff debated whether to run Edwards' denial.  They decided against it.  At about that moment, Edwards called Drescher.  Drescher didn't tell Edwards what the paper had decided to do; he wanted to hear what Edwards had to say, and the paper still had the option to change course and report the story.  This is what Drescher says went on in the conversation:

Edwards told me that the allegations were not true.

He said The N&O was the paper that arrived on his doorstep every day, the one read by friends of him and his wife, Elizabeth.

He said he'd never called before to complain or state his case. Given Elizabeth's health — she has cancer — he said it was especially important to him that the story not run in The N&O.

He was calling from an airport, and we spoke only a few minutes.

I made no promises.

Edwards' comments were off the record. Because he has acknowledged he lied, I feel free to report them.

08/18 11:37 AMShare