John Edwards

Oprah Winfrey, Brad Pitt, Will.I.Am, and Star Jones were among the celebrities who attended Barack Obama's victory rally in Chicago's Grant Park last night. Ms. Winfrey called the win "the greatest experience of [her] lifetime." [US Weekly] 

An indignant Tim Robbins spent five hours attempting to vote yesterday after a registration mix-up that eventually required the attention of two police officers and the Board of Elections. [R&M]  read more »

The red and black dress Michelle Obama wore at last night's acceptance speech was from Narciso Rodriguez's Spring 2009 ready-to-wear collection. [Mrs. O via Racked] 

Determining when the 2008 presidential race actually began is an inexact science, but a strong case can be made for the early summer of 2004. John Kerry and George W. Bush were locked in a tight battle in that year’s election, but several developments back then set in place some of the fundamental dynamics that have defined the campaign that now, nearly four and a half years later, is finally coming to an end.

The first was Kerry’s effort to entice John McCain to run with him on the Democratic ticket. Today, it seems ludicrous that Kerry would have considered this, that McCain might have been interested, and that the Democratic Party would have gone along with it.  read more »

Volkswagen has provided the Jolie-Pitts with 20 vehicles for their stay in Berlin. That's 2.5 cars for every member of their family. [NYDN]

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen may be fighting about the possibility of getting matching breast implants. It seems that Ashley wants to "look more voluptuous" and told Mary-Kate "that she wanted her to get one at the same time so that it wouldn't be glaringly obvious that Ashley had work done." For her part, "horrified' Mary-Kate is "into that flat look and thinks clothes look better with less cleavage, so she'd rather be smaller and more stylish." [Star]

Graydon Carter modestly declined artist Edward Sorel's offer to paint him on the wall of the Waverly Inn alongside Cole Porter, George Gershwin, and Walt Whitman. [R&M, sixth item]  read more »

Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson bailed on the birthday celebration that Ms. Ronson celebrates every year with her twin sister Charlotte because of the lurking paparazzi at the Bowery Hotel. [P6]

Meanwhile, Ms. Lohan's reported ex and daughter of Yahoo CEO Terry Semel, Courtenay Semel, got arrested in Las Vegas on Tuesday for having an altercation with a security guard at Pure nightclub; she had been asked to leave because she was rather intoxicated. [P6]

John Edwards' lawyer pals reportedly helped Rielle Hunter escape to the Virgin Islands a day before his public confession on August 8.  read more »

Radar has posted an in-depth analysis of potential meaning behind Rielle Hunter’s soundtrack choice—the Dave Matthews Band’s “True Reflections”—for the “webisodes” she filmed for the John Edwards campaign. We appreciate the effort, but given what we now know about the relationship between this particular subject-artist pairing, we don’t think you need to dig any deeper than the dialogue for insights into the former presidential candidate's psyche—it really does seem to speak for itself!

In the above episode, entitled “Plane Truths,” Edwards lounges on his plane, bantering with his young aids (“If any of these guys aren’t nice to you, you tell me!” he instructs Hunter) about shoe-shopping before asking the camera: “Do you think most people have any idea what we’re doing when we’re not on the stage? All this, everything that we do … do you think most normal Americans have any idea what we do?”

Next, he claims to be having trouble with the casual nature of the videos, explaining: “We train to be careful, to close off if it feels sensitive, to close off if it feels personal.  read more »

Earlier this week, I wrote about the recent history of Democratic convention keynote speakers and how many had gone on to national prominence, and even – in the case of 2004 keynoter Barack Obama – to a future Democratic nomination. This track record is partly attributable to the actual speeches that were delivered (particularly in the cases of Obama and Mario Cuomo), but also to common sense: The keynote slot tends to go to promising leaders who are seen as representing the future of the party.

Not surprisingly, then, the man who is scheduled to deliver this year’s keynote address, former Virginia Governor Mark Warner, now finds himself  read more »

Nineteen-year-old British socialite Peaches Geldof (daughter of Live Aid impresario Bob Geldof) announced that she married 23-year-old Chester French frontman Max Drummey in Las Vegas last weekend. [P6]

In other Vegas news, Jay-Z is in talks to sell 50 percent of the Nevada branch of his 40/40 club for $44 million. [P6]

Sources are saying that Rielle Hunter's child looks like "John Edwards in a onesie." [NYDN]

Worldwide Entertainment Group is suing Paris Hilton for $74,000 over her prescient failure to promote her 2006 film National Lampoon's Pledge This! [TMZ]

Hamptons residents who paid up to $2,500 a plate to hang out with Gwyneth Paltrow at a benefit for the Amaryllis Farm Equine Rescue Organization at Steven Klein's Bridgehampton farm (read Daily Transom's account!) were upset when the actress refused to come out of the host's house for most of the evening. [NYDN]

Maybe she was just saving her energy? Ms. Paltrow later attended at party at Def Jam Chairman L.A. Reid's house celebrating Mariah Carey's recent marriage to Nick Cannon. Mary J. Blige, Kelly Ripa, Samuel L. Jackson and Star Jones were also there. [P6]  read more »

After months of sitting on the sideline, the mainstream media let loose over the past three days with coverage of former Senator John Edwards' admission that he had had an affair with filmmaker Rielle Hunter.

Some highlights from the coverage:

On ABC's web site, "The Blotter," Brian Ross and company posted a story today entitled "Is John Edwards Still Lying," which includes an exclusive interview with a friend of Ms. Hunter's named (apparently) Pidgeon, who suggests that he is, in fact, still lying.

In Broadcasting & Cable, Marisa Guthrie writes that according to multiple sources "Edwards was apoplectic that ABC News broke the story on its website and began promoting it early on Friday, giving the rest of the media a chance to play catch-up and cite ABC News' report.  read more »

Here’s Assemblyman Rory Lancman of Queens (he is everywhere!) discussing the John Edwards fiasco on Channel 11 this morning.

“I certainly don’t think it was over before it happened,” he said of Edwards' career. “What happens to him from here on out I guess depends on the next several months.”

Lancman goes on to say he doesn't thinks there will be a backlash against Democrats, and that the frenzy will probably die down once Obama picks a running mate.

In the three national campaigns he has run - two for the Democratic presidential nomination and one as the party's vice presidential nominee - John Edwards won a grand total of one contest as an active candidate*: the South Carolina primary in 2004. But amazingly, he managed to emerge from each losing effort with his political standing not only unharmed, but actually enhanced.

His 2004 primary bid, which peaked with his strong second-place showing in the lead-off Iowa caucuses, ended with wide agreement among activists and party leaders that his Southern roots, working-class appeal, and powerful communication skills would make him the ideal running mate for John Kerry, who finally gave in and offered Edwards his No.  read more »

Well, that didn't take long.

Earlier today, we reported that ABC News' chief investigative reporter Brian Ross was working on a story about John Edwards' alleged affair with filmmaker Rielle Hunter.

Now, you can strike "alleged" from the record.

Mr. Ross and producer Rhonda Schwartz just posted an article on ABC's "The Blotter," under the blockbuster headline, "Edwards Admits Sexual Affair; Lied as Presidential Candidate."

According to the post, Mr. Edwards made the admission in an interview with ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff, which will air tonight on Nightline. At the same time, Mr. Edwards denied to ABC that he was the father of Ms.  read more »

The Media Mob has learned that Brian Ross, chief investigative correspondent for ABC News, currently has his team of reporters looking into a story that few of his colleagues at major news organizations have been willing to investigate—namely, the so-called "love child" scandal, involving former U.S. Senator John Edwards.

For weeks, members of the media meta-sphere have been debating about whether the MSM should follow up on the numerous stories in The National Enquirer, alleging that Mr. Edwards has fathered an out-of-wedlock child with filmmaker Rielle Hunter.

"I think the mainstream media is right to be cautious with this story," Brent Cunningham, managing editor of The Columbia Journalism Review, recently  read more »

Paris Hilton has filmed a mock campaign ad responding to John McCain's references to her in his latest campaign ad. In it, she calls the Republican candidate "the oldest celebrity in the world. [NY Daily News]

Writer Jay McInerney says John Edwards's reported mistress, Rielle Hunter, is "a nice girl"; she was the inspiration for the character of Alison Poole in Mr. McInerney's 1988 novel Story of My Life. [P6]  read more »

John Edwards could have taken the Jim Webb route when NPR grilled him yesterday about his interest in reprising his role as the Democratic vice presidential nominee, but instead he said this: "I am prepared to seriously consider anything, anything he asks me to do for our country."

If Barack Obama were to choose Edwards, it would create an unusual situation in American politics. Very rarely does a losing vice presidential nominee land on someone else's ticket in a future election. Edwards would be the fourth person ever to do this, and the first since 1916.

The others:  read more »

John Edwards’ endorsement of Barack Obama matters because the media is treating it like it does. Twenty-four hours after Hillary Clinton celebrated a 41-point landslide victory in West Virginia, the press now has fresh reason to speculate about a final death blow to her campaign, creating a narrative that could unleash the decisive superdelegate flood the Obama campaign has been waiting for.

But, really, is this huge—or even surprising—news? Obama was going to win the nomination with or without Edwards’ backing.  read more »

I asked Joe Trippi, a former senior adviser to John Edwards, why the North Carolina senator decided to endorse Barack Obama today.

He said he didn't know the motivations. He wanted to talk impact.

"I don't know why, I just know it's big," he said. "I don't know what other endorsement you'd really want right now. He is Mr. Blue Collar. His whole life has been fighting for blue-collar people."  read more »

The news of John Edwards' endorsement of Barack Obama was reported as Hillary Clinton addressed her top donors in her Washington, D.C., home today.

"It actually broke during the meeting, and I was passing my BlackBerry around when NBC confirmed it," said one donor in the room. The reaction of the fund-raisers in the room was mixed, according to the bundler. "Some people said, 'Shit, now we have to deal with this?' Other people said, and I agree with this, 'Who cares? Maybe if he did it two months ago. But now who cares?'"

Someone in the room sought to inform Clinton of the news by declaring out loud "Edwards has just endorsed Obama," according to the donor.  read more »

Appearing on Sunday’s “Face the Nation” in a pre-taped interview, the latest stop in his reemergence tour, John Edwards explained his rationale for exiting the Democratic race in late January after finishing third in his native South Carolina.

“I had concluded I could stay in the race, keep getting significant numbers of votes, keep accumulating delegates,” he said. “But the overwhelming likelihood was I would not be the nominee.”  read more »

Edwards spokesman Matthew Nelson just sent over this response to a question I asked about the assertion in today's Times story suggesting that Elizabeth Edwards was pressuring John Edwards to endorse Hillary Clinton:

"Unless you're hearing from John or Elizabeth themselves, and not unnamed sources, I wouldn't put much stock in it. Information is currency in politics, and there is a lot of fake currency floating around out there.  read more »

The Obama campaign just announced, conspicuously, “the endorsement of 49 prominent supporters of John Edwards—including Ed Turlington, Edwards' former National General Chairman.”

But not Edwards himself.

It seems fair to ask whether the Obama campaign could have assembled this coalition without Edwards' tacit approval or at least knowledge, particularly when they likely did so with the upcoming North Carolina primary in mind.

 As Ralph Nader becomes the Harold Stassen of the 21st century and a running joke to everyone except Al Gore, we sometimes forget that a generation ago (When Stassen was our perennial candidate for President), Nader was a founder of the consumer and environmental movement. How does someone evolve from one of the most credible policy advocates in the country, to a punch line on late night television?

When you buckle your seatbelts and when your air bag deploys—saving your life—you should thank Ralph Nader. The Clean Air Act, the Federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act are at least partially due to Nader’s skill as an advocate in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.

I mention the history because Nader did not build his reputation as a consumer and environmental advocate by pushing symbolism at the expense of results. He must know that his popularity is trending down.  read more »

As devastating as it was to her party, it was—in purely political terms—good news for Hillary Clinton when John Kerry finished inches short of George W. Bush in the 2004 election.

Ms. Clinton had opted to sit out the '04 race, a decision that placed the fate of whatever White House ambition she harbored in Mr. Kerry's hands. A Kerry victory in '04 would have taken the Democratic nomination out of play until 2012, by which time other Democrats—like Vice President John Edwards, for instance—would likely have emerged and eclipsed her.  read more »

Democrats

Barack Obama:

At a minimum, Obama needs to keep the overall delegate count relatively close, so that even if he falls behind Hillary, he won’t be in a position where he needs to sweep the rest of the primaries and caucuses to catch up. Even though delegates are given out proportionally at the district level, Obama also needs to win multiple states in different regions to make a statement about his national viability.  read more »

Earlier today Michael Bloomberg praised Rudy Giuliani, who is widely expected to end his presidential campaign officially in a few hours:

“I said yesterday I respect Rudy for mounting an effort," the mayor said of his predecessor during a press conference at the Empire State Building. "I don’t know, whether he ends it today or continues, that’s his decision to make. But rather than sit around an complain, Rudy’s been out there and trying to tell people what he would do, what he thinks this country needs.”

Bloomberg, who was there to talk about a public awareness campaign to encourage paper recycling, went on, “When he was mayor of this city, he left it better than he found it. He gave us things to build on. Hopefully we will leave things for our successors to build on.

More after the jump.  read more »

John Edwards is suspending his candidacy, as opposed to officially dropping out, because it will allow him to hold onto the 26 pledged delegates he has accumulated—plus any other he might pick up with his name still on the ballot across the country.  read more »

Dave "Mudcat" Sanders, one of Edwards' consultants was just on MSNBC. Asked which of his opponents Edwards is most likely to endorse, he said:

"Being a southerner, being an American who has been devastated by the trade policies of the Clintons, I'm going to do everything in my power to see that he doesn't endorse her."

A few points on John Edwards' decision to drop out:

1) It's been clear since New Hampshire that Edwards had been reduced to playing -- at best -- kingmaker at the convention by collecting enough delegates to tip the scales to Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama in the event that neither of them collected a large enough majority during the primaries. But his awful showing in Nevada (four percent) and his demoralizing finish in his native state of South Carolina (19 percent), suggested that, in 2008, there is room for only two candidates on the Democratic side. Even cracking 15 percent -- the threshold to collect delegates in congressional districts -- was looking like an uphill climb for Edwards in the remaining states. He leaves the race with just 26 pledged delegates.

2) The most immediate consequence of his departure is that Democrats will finally see a one-on-one debate between Clinton and Obama, who will square off in Los Angeles tomorrow night. Edwards' presence, and his efforts to shame his opponents for criticizing each other, seemed to keep the two at bay during portions of the last Democratic debate. But tomorrow, the stage will be theirs alone.

More after the jump.   read more »

In theory, the idea of John Edwards as the kingmaker of the Democratic convention makes sense: Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama finish the primary season essentially tied for delegates, with Edwards running far back with 400 or so of his own. Then, with both front-runners short of the 2,026 delegates needed to win the nomination, Edwards could essentially pick the nominee, in exchange for some kind of concession--Attorney General, maybe?

But it’s unlikely to happen. Right now Edwards has only 26 pledged convention delegates (14 from Iowa, four from New Hampshire, and eight from South Carolina). He also has support from an estimated 32 super-delegates (elected leaders and party officials), but they can back out at anytime. Chances are that his total is not going to get much higher.

To add to his pledged delegates, Edwards needs to get at least 15 percent in every state yet to vote (not necessarily at the statewide level, though, since delegates are apportioned by district). But his failure to break through in the first four states is making him less relevant to the Democratic race every moment. He was always overshadowed by the Hillary vs. Barack storyline, but now he's utterly eclipsed by it.  read more »

A memo yesterday detailed the Edwards campaign's hopeful "new plan" of making the Democratic primary a race about delegates. Here's another, showing how that plan will be applied specifically to New York State.

It notes that in 2004 "John Edwards won at least 15 percent of the vote in 23 of New York’s 29 congressional districts" with a message that resonated "with blue-collar and rural voters."

Full memo:

TO: Interested Parties  read more »

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When Bill Clinton pointed out yesterday, while talking about Barack Obama's South Carolina victory, that Jesse Jackson won the state in 1984 and 1988, the former President got plenty of attention.

Clinton seemed to be encouraging the perception that Obama won because of support from black voters, and that his victory was more about racial allegiances than substance.

He was also misrepresenting history.

It's true that Jackson won South Carolina in '84 and '88. But Clinton failed to mention several key points. For one, the state held caucuses back in those days, not primaries, and they attracted only a fraction of the participation that yesterday's primary did. Also, Jackson is a native of Greenville, South Carolina, which gave him an extra advantage. Finally, and most importantly, no one campaigned against Jackson either time, and the contests had nowhere near the same significance to the race.  read more »

COLUMBIA, S.C.—John Edwards arrived on the small stage here at Jillian's eatery at 9:30 on the dot with his family. (I think he got a haircut! When did he have time for that?) "The three of us move on to February 5th," he said. Okay then! On the TV, which is playing him with a delay (what, is he going to suddenly start swearing?), it looks like he's in a big hall just like Barack Obama! But he's not!  read more »

COLUMBIA, S.C.—We've just been informed that John Edwards did not actually win the South Carolina Democratic Primary! Some other people (who are not at the Edwards not-victory party) may have heard about this by now from Wolf Blitzer. From the front of Jillian's restaurant, a plaintive wail went up: "Joe, please come to the host, your dining table is ready." This is a very sad moment here, for those who are not actually at the Edwards party but instead are here to celebrate birthdays or, you know, to just eat. Wait—we're just hearing that John Edwards will not place second either. Worse, John Edwards is not here—he is with his family, we hear, but campaign adviser (and internet visionary!) Joe Trippi is now with us in the dim press room. (Apparently he was not the Joe being seated for chicken wings.) Edwards himself will speak circa 9:30 p.m. EST.  read more »

COLUMBIA, S.C.—Yes, can you hear me? Hello? It's just BEDLAM here at John Edwards VICTORY PARTY HEADQUARTERS 2008, as a number of people casually dine on what look like chicken wings in Jillian's. We are in this large watering hole not far from downtown—and from the parking lot you can hear Barack Obama's fans yelling, awaiting his concession speech. (Right? I can't quite see the numbers under Wolf Blitzer on the T.V.!) Oddly enough—Curtis Mayfield's "Move On Up" is playing here inside Jillian's. That is the song that Barack Obama often plays after he has concluded a speech.  read more »

Columbia, S.C. -- A strong lack of excitement characterizes the downtown of South Carolina's capitol city. On the street near the statehouse, there are a few youngsters with signs, begging cars to honk. But that is about it.

Hillary Clinton will be leaving the state as the polls close: She will deliver her remarks from Tennessee tonight. The John Edwards party is at a downtown bar--all are welcome, no charge, begs his website. Barack Obama is having the party of the night, natch, in a big shindig at the convention center.  read more »

The John Edwards “surge” has been the Loch Ness Monster of this primary campaign. There have been unconfirmed sightings of this elusive creature in the closing days of Iowa, New Hampshire and even (to a small degree) in Nevada, where he actually ended up getting just four percent of the vote. Now, based on a couple of polls that show Edwards within striking distance of second place in South Carolina, some people are saying they see the surge for real. Today, the lead sentence of a story in The State, the daily newspaper in Columbia (regrettably the article is nowhere to be found online): “Watch John Edwards.”

This morning, Edwards cited the surge rumors at a rally held in a crammed convention center conference room in Columbia. He told his audience, mostly college students, that he saw an “opportunity for a surprise” tomorrow. Edwards was energetic and impressive, emphasizing issues that were of interest to his young audience—many of whom wore t-shirts emblazoned with slogans like “I Vote For Darfur”—while taking care to strike notes that were also palatable to social conservatives, whom he’s clearly hoping to court in this devoutly religious state. When one young woman asked about threats to Roe v. Wade, Edwards only fleetingly reiterated his support for a woman’s right to choose, before going into a long and eloquent speech about the “need to be very inclusive and respectful” of those who oppose abortion. “There are very good people who have a different view about this,” he said. “Nobody made me God.”

More after the jump.  read more »

GREENVILLE, S.C.—Sounding more like a general election candidate than a woman locked in an attritional battle for her party nomination, Hillary Clinton accused the Bush administration of having "delivered a foreclosure notice on the American dream" in an appearance that has just finished.

Clinton's economy-themed remarks here at Furman University, one of Greenville's two colleges—the other being Bob Jones University—included sharp attacks, as well as her characteristic wonkish level of detail.

At one point she asserted that progress would have to wait "until the two oilmen leave the White House."  read more »