Enquirer paid $50,000 for Edwards story?

Great job N&O.

I do so very much regret having to demolish almost every single point of your response.....however, this stuff just writes itself.

Six degrees from Kevin Bacon, (as it were).

From the N&O:

CHAPEL HILL - Vincent Anania Sr., the father-in-law of onetime Democratic presidential contender and former Sen. John Edwards, died Saturday at the age of 87.Anania died in Chapel Hill of heart failure, the senator's wife, Elizabeth Edwards, said in a statement.Anania, a native of Marianna, Pa., was the first in his family to be born in the United States, Elizabeth Edwards said. He was raised in Brownsville, Pa., and attended the University of Pittsburgh. He later attended the U.S. Naval Academy, where he played football and was selected as an All-American in LACROSSE, she said.

One must wonder where "Cranky Old Guy" was during the Duke Lacrosse Hoax a few years ago.

Wanted posters.....bogus and contrived perp walk which was nothing more than glaring racism on the front pages.....endless columns and op-eds written by the waddling race hustler Timothy Tyson and the stuck-inside-antebellum-blues Allan Gurganus.

About the only truth and reality to any of this mindless titillation was that it provided Gurganus another opportunity to fantasize about the muscular bodies of young men.

For months it was a feeding frenzy at the expense of truthful and investigative reporting.

They even went along with the sham of a story about Crystal Mangum's life as her criminal history and false rape charges against three men a decade earlier were swept under the rug.

All for the phony meta-narrative.

Regarding Edwards, of course his political career is over.

And of course he was no longer a candidate when this story was finally uncovered; however......

.......the issue is the long cover-up and continued lies while he was still clawing for the nomination.

This is a significant story for readers.

John and Elizabeth have used the N&O as a springboard into national politics since the late 1990's.

They were coddled and covered as the next political Ozzie and Harriet.

I strongly disagree with another commenter that Mrs. Edwards does not bear some responsibility.

My G/d, she often wore the pants and openly took on issues as she traveled around the country with her self-righteousness......attacking others (especially women) who criticized her husband.

She put herself out there and she has benefited in countless ways by playing the "professional woman who chose family first".....unlike Hillary Clinton, she always reminded everyone.

LOL!!!

The things she said about the relationship between Lynn Cheney and her gay daughter....(giving advice like some meddlesome loon), made me cringe.

This woman has been allowed to preach to others ad nauseum, all the while expecting a free pass and getting it, because of her illness.

It had become an insufferable sideshow.

If John or Elizabeth Edwards really had "service to their country" in mind they would have brought his living a secret life while wanting to be president to a screeching halt.

To this day, Elizabeth Edwards is on the cover of People talking about herself and how she is determined to "keep her family together".

As if anyone----no doubt including their loyal supporters---gives a flying fig.

Readers might recall the shocking encounter John Kerry said he had with Edwards when he met with him while considering him for VP.

Edwards pulled Kerry aside and in an emotional voice said he wanted to tell him something that he had never talked about with anyone before.

Kerry was braced for a revelation of some kind.

Then John Edwards proceeded to tell him what he had done when he saw his son's body---(his son was killed in an auto accident years ago)---as if it were the only time he had discussed such a personally emotional topic.

Only thing wrong was that he had told John Kerry the very same story two years before......using the exact same heart-tugging preface.

Kerry was among the first to witness first-hand the depths of Edwards' artificiality and cynicism.

And Elizabeth Edwards wonders why some people were accusing them of using their son's death as a political tool?

Even when they donate money or set up a program somewhere it's always with their name on it and publicized galore.

There is a story here and I would argue that the sanity of both the Edwards is in question.

Let's keep a little perspective here. IF John Edwards had become the democratic nominee, his dalliances would have been a big story worthy of investigative reporters Pat Stith's and Joe Neff's finest efforts.
BUT HE WASN'T!
He was just one more failed politician who was fading fast from the scene. VP? Not a chance since he didn't even carry NC for Kerry. Besides, his ego would not have let him take that humiliating role again. Attorney General, SCOTUS? Not likely after one less than stellar Senate term.
Edwards was a flash in the pan, the pretty face d' jour, who was already on that long, slow slide to becoming a trivia question. His personal life is not only his own business, but inconsequential locally or nationally.
The N&O handled it just right. I'm perfectly happy to have some rag like the National Enquirer wade in the muck while The N&O spends its precious resources on keeping North Carolina from being further trashed by the incompetent Mike Easley and his administration. They just let a man die in Cherry Hospital! That is a far more important story than who keeps John Edwards feet warm at night.
Jeez, people, you've got one of the finest mid-sized papers in the country doing battle for you every day. That they choose not to compete with trash is in their favor, not a fault.
Hat's off to the Drescher, et al., and thanks. Keep fighting for what's important, not what titillates.
Cranky Old Guy

N&O is now put in a position to excuse its lack of interest in the Edwards' affair story by whining "they paid for their information and we are so positive it was $50K we will quote a non-verifiable source". As much as you try almost daily to explain your actions on this story, you are admitting you are guilty by association with the lie lived by the Edwards' campaign since 2006 whether you hide it in the Triangle & State section of the paper or seek credibility with a blog listing. "When you lay down with a dog with fleas, you will have fleas when the dog leaves"

The best investigative agencies in the world (the FBI ect. ) pay for information. You do have to verify the information.