Babydaddy

Recently there have been hints and allegations of John Edwards' supposed improprieties, initiated by the National Enquirer and propagated by Slate's resident unibrow homunculus (and porter of Ann Coulter's bag of oats) Mickey Kaus. No doubt much "did he or didn't he" and "is it our business" handwringing has gone on in other circles. Not here, mind you; while photographs of Edwards entering the woman's apartment have been alleged, none have been produced, which tends to damage one's credibility (unless again you're Mickey Kaus, in which case you should probably wax your back and make some new friends).

And this is the same font of journalism that alleges that Bush has been drinking (which would explain a great deal), so we have to decide what and whom we believe. Still, apparently no father is listed on the birth certificate, and no one seems to be in much of a rush to do a DNA test to simply confirm that Edwards aide Andrew Young is, as the woman claims, the father of the child, thus vindicating Edwards and getting this over with.

As for the moral implications and whether it's "our" business, it seems like a no-brainer -- I think 99 out of 100 random people would agree that a person who would cheat on a cancer-stricken spouse, much less have an accidental family with them, is an indecent person. And no, it's not our business except where such a person would be in the public eye, especially talking about policy issues and political endorsements, which would be Edwards. Like it or not, credibility is undermined, and Edwards is in an impossible spot. If he speaks out, he lends credence to the willingly gullible; if he refuses to engage it because it's beneath him, he looks like he's hiding something.

Which is no doubt the real point of this "story", which I do not believe but think that at some point, either Edwards or Young will end up having to take public steps to absolve Edwards. It's muddied the waters, it's put a person who, next to the Clintons, would have been the most powerful advocate for Obama in the fall, on the sideline for the duration. This is a politically motivated smear job, obviously. It prospectively takes Edwards out of the endorsement/veep/cabinet sweepstakes, and robs Obama of an important ally.

The most interesting question about this whole story is not whether or not it's true, but whose fingerprints are on it. Maybe it's Karl Rove's audition for a role in a McCain administration.