Remember that story yesterday which suggested that high level Edwards staffers knew about his affair and would sabotage the campaign if it looked like he was winning.

Well, via Twitter, former campaign manager Joe Trippi had this to say…

Complete BS — fantasyland – not true.

Here’s the thing…I want to believe Trippi, but what else would you say in this position? “Yeah, I knew, but I hung around to collect a pay check.”

Listen, it’s not that I think he’s lying, but this is the same guy who knew that Howard Dean never wanted his presidential campaign to go as far as it did. And yet they kept soldiering on despite that. Yeah, the times make the man, but if Dean wasn’t ready…they should’ve pulled back.

Either way, those who associated themselves with Edwards are winding up with egg on their faces. Unfortunate, but nobody said politics wasn’t messy.

This is the stuff I love to hear because it means that one person’s bad decisions couldn’t bring down an entire movement.

From ABC:

I’ve talked to a lot of former Edwards staffers about this. Up until December of 2007, most on Edwards’ staff didn’t believe rumors about the affair.

But by late December, early January of last year, several people in his inner circle began to think the rumors were true.

Several of them had gotten together and devised a “doomsday” strategy of sorts.

Basically, if it looked like Edwards was going to win the Democratic Party nomination, they were going to sabotage his campaign, several former Edwards’ staffers have told me.

They said they were Democrats first, and if it looked like Edwards was going to become the nominee, they were going to bring down the campaign.

My only question…why didn’t they just sabotage it from the beginning and leave? Because a mass exodus would have been plenty to stop Edwards cold. Sure, I get that they wanted to collect that paycheck, but they were actively involved in selling a lie.

Something tells me that the reason Edwards staffers hung on is they wanted Obama to win the nomination and if they had cut Edwards off, he wouldn’t have siphoned the votes from Hillary and Obama would have placed second.

What do you think?

Did you ever think he’d really go away?

Apparently he’ll be speaking at Indiana University about the results of the election.

My question: why?

I mean, does anybody really care what John Edwards’ thinks about the Democrats winning? Especially Democrats? All he’s doing is giving the right wing more cannon fodder.

One bit of good news from the article: Elizabeth is hanging in there…

She said last month that her health is “no worse” than 18 months ago, when she and her husband announced in March 2007 that her cancer had returned in an incurable form. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, but declared cancer-free after treatment.

I’m sure I’ll cover what he says, because that’s what I do, but I wish this guy would just disappear for a while.

I’m not going to have time to wade through all of them, but Ambinder has taken a look and shares some of what’s contained within this treasure trove…

** The battle for strategic supremacy and chaos in the campaign

** Mark Penn and the rest of the staff debating gender, politics, Obama’s significance, timing, the media’s bias and more.

** Leaking and leaker hunts;

** Penn’s view of humanizing candidates and the billionaire who convinced him that being human is overrated; and why Clinton was like Margaret Thatcher;

** A key Clinton insider who just about had it with the rest of the campaign.

** Strategy memos about caucuses and delegates that were not heeded;

I can’t remember the last time there’s ever been such a wide open inside glance into a failed primary campaign, so if you’re a student of political history you’ll definitely want to dive in.

Man, those Clinton supporters are bitter, aren’t they? Obama put up a lot of wins after Edwards dropped out, so I think it’s odd that Wolfson would think Edwards voters would have naturally gravitated to Clinton rather than to Obama. Without Edwards in the race, Obama would have likely still won Iowa.

Additionally, given that Clinton’s husband ran for the presidency while lying about his affair with Gennifer Flowers, I don’t think anyone in the Clinton camp should get too high-and-mighty about Edwards’ affair and his decision to keep the matter private.

John McCain must be loving the continued whining coming from Clinton supporters.

Edwards had cast himself in his political career as an exemplar of a moral life and a good marriage, and he was a harsh critic of former President Bill Clinton for his Oval Office affair.

“I think this president has shown a remarkable disrespect for his office, for the moral dimensions of leadership, for his friends, for his wife, for his precious daughter,” Edwards said in 1999. “It is breathtaking to me the level to which that disrespect has risen.”

Judge not…

In any event, I think it’s curtains for his political career.

In 2006, I made a serious error in judgment and conducted myself in a way that was disloyal to my family and to my core beliefs. I recognized my mistake and I told my wife that I had a liaison with another woman, and I asked for her forgiveness. Although I was honest in every painful detail with my family, I did not tell the public. When a supermarket tabloid told a version of the story, I used the fact that the story contained many falsities to deny it. But being 99% honest is no longer enough.

I was and am ashamed of my conduct and choices, and I had hoped that it would never become public. With my family, I took responsibility for my actions in 2006 and today I take full responsibility publicly. But that misconduct took place for a short period in 2006. It ended then. I am and have been willing to take any test necessary to establish the fact that I am not the father of any baby, and I am truly hopeful that a test will be done so this fact can be definitively established. I only know that the apparent father has said publicly that he is the father of the baby. I also have not been engaged in any activity of any description that requested, agreed to or supported payments of any kind to the woman or to the apparent father of the baby.

It is inadequate to say to the people who believed in me that I am sorry, as it is inadequate to say to the people who love me that I am sorry. In the course of several campaigns, I started to believe that I was special and became increasingly egocentric and narcissistic. If you want to beat me up – feel free. You cannot beat me up more than I have already beaten up myself. I have been stripped bare and will now work with everything I have to help my family and others who need my help.

I have given a complete interview on this matter and having done so, will have nothing more to say.

Well John, good luck with not trying to talk about it anymore. Because it’ll be what everybody wants to talk about from here on out.

I don’t even want to think about what this would mean if he had been the candidate.

From ABC:

In an interview for broadcast tonight on Nightline, Edwards told ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff he did have an affair with 44-year old Rielle Hunter, but said that he did not love her.

Edwards also denied he was the father of Hunter’s baby girl, Frances Quinn, although the one-time Democratic Presidential candidate said he has not taken a paternity test.

Edwards said he knew he was not the father based on timing of the baby’s birth on February 27, 2008. He said his affair ended too soon for him to have been the father.

A former campaign aide, Andrew Young, has said he was the father of the child.

Edwards is done.

The Beverly Hilton Hotel guard said he encountered a shaken and ashen-faced Edwards — whom he did not immediately recognize — in a hotel men’s room early Tuesday morning in a literal tug-of-war with reporters on the other side of the door.

“What are they saying about me?” the guard said Edwards asked.

“His face just went totally white,” the guard said, when Edwards was told the reporters were shouting out questions about Edwards and Rielle Hunter, a woman the National Enquirer says is the mother of his child.

The guard said he escorted Edwards, who was not a registered guest at the hotel, out of the building after 2 a.m. Edwards did not say anything while he was escorted out, said the guard, adding that at times the reporters on the scene were “rough on him,” sticking a camera in his face and shouting questions.

Frankly, I wasn’t inclined to trust The Enquirer when they reported about this last year or earlier in the week, but since this guard has confirmed that Edwards was indeed at the hotel this has gone beyond mere trashy tabloid journalism.

So yes, I will follow it because if the allegations about Edwards are true, it’s a big story and everybody knows it. Obviously I don’t think infidelity disqualifies somebody from public service, but we’re talking about the former Democratic VP candidate and a guy who’s being considered for the current VP slot or at least a cabinet position.

More as it develops…

It’s all about Florida and Michigan for her, and MSNBC has the details about how she’s using this narrative to spin, spin, spin…

“There were some folks who didn’t want Kentucky to vote,” she said. “There are some folks, you can see them on TV every night, who wanted it to be over for me after Iowa. And every time they say it, something funny happens. The voters don’t agree.”

She said these talking heads are “talking at us instead of with us,” and that they don’t have as much at stake in the election.

“I would bet every single one of those folks, they’ve got a job; we can see that. They’ve got good health care; we know that. They can pay whatever the charge is at the gas pump most likely. They can send their child to college. I’m not running to represent them, I’m running to fight for you and to be your champion.”

Yes, it’s Hillary against the pundits. Because, you know, the pundits want this thing to be over…they don’t enjoy a longer campaign…no, not at all…

And about the popular vote…

Clinton also repeated that she is “leading in the popular vote” — although that claim is based only on when you add the votes she gained from the contests in Florida and Michigan, and Obama’s name wasn’t even on the ballot in the latter race.

That’s right. She’s leading in the popular vote if you count ZERO votes for Obama in Michigan. But if you split the votes for “Uncommitted”, you’d get about 120,000 votes for Obama…which would put him in the lead in the popular vote. And my guess is that more voted “Uncommitted” for Obama than they did Edwards, so he’d probably lead by even more.

I am really, really looking forward to the middle of June.

Today, on TODAY, he puts those rumors to rest…

But Attorney General?

Well, that’s another story…

They are…

1. Daniel Boan, South Carolina
2. Christine Brennan-Bond, South Carolina
3. Robert Groce, South Carolina
4. Susan Smith, South Carolina
5. Mike Evatt, South Carolina
6. Lauren Bilton, South Carolina
7. Machelle Crum, Iowa

This has the net effect of him winning South Carolina by another 12% (Edwards won 17.57%), which would mean he took 67% in the state to Hillary’s 26%. If Edwards 2 remaining pledged delegates switch to Obama, he would win the entire 17.57% and thus have 72.57%.

And it looks like Edwards himself is asking these folks to switch…

One Edwards delegate from Iowa, Machelle Crum, came out for Obama on Thursday morning, [...]. Crum made the decision after receiving a phone call from Edwards supporters encouraging her to make the switch.

By my count, Obama now only needs 125.5 delegates to clinch the nomination.

More as it develops…

PORTSMOUTH, N.H.—A New Hampshire Democratic Party delegate who had supported John Edwards says he will support Barack Obama, now that Edwards has endorsed his former political rival for the party’s presidential nominee.

Joshua Denton of Portsmouth, 26, an Iraq war veteran, says he thinks that both Obama and Hillary Clinton would be a better president than Republican nominee John McCain. He thinks that Obama is the change the country needs, along with having the best chance of beating McCain in the general election.

This means that Obama would need 132.5 more delegates to clinch the nomination.

Hopefully we’ll have the whole endorsement later.

I called this a couple days ago after a very strong hint by the former North Carolina senator.

From ABC:

ABC News’ Kate Snow, Raelyn Johnson, Sunlen Miller, and Rick Klein Report: Former Sen. John Edwards is endorsing Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy Wednesday evening, in a dramatic attempt by the Obama campaign to answer concerns regarding Obama’s appeal to working-class voters, several senior Democratic sources tell ABC News.

The Obama campaign confirms Edwards will endorse Obama at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan Wednesday. The event was originally scheduled to start at 7pmET, but was moved up to 6:20pmET, presumably to have the announcement make the evening news.

And this after he said he wasn’t going to endorse? Looks like he wants this thing to be over, and soon.

UPDATE:
Here’s a little video…

More as it develops…

I think that’s pretty obvious.

Of note, this is the first I’ve heard of HalfInTen.org, a new organization Edwards is backing with the goal of cutting the poverty rate in half in ten years. Definitely a noble goal.

And now he’s snagged possibly the biggest one of all. Well, except for Joe Trippi.

From ABC:

Bonior, a former Michigan congressman, was once the second highest ranking Democrat in the House, and is influential with labor unions.

Tuesday night’s results were said to be key to Bonior’s decision — specifically the fact that Obama’s lead over Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, appears insurmountable.

Bonior is also said to like Obama’s general positive tone, as well as Obama’s message of change and stance against taking money from federal lobbyists.

Coincidentally, Trippi asks “Should Hillary be on the ticket as VP?”

Hop on over and give him your opinion.

It’s official. They like and dislike things about both candidates, so they can’t decide.

First Elizabeth…

“I like Hillary’s health care plan.”

What doesn’t she like [...]? “The lobbyist money,” she adds.

On Obama [...]: “The fact that he has motivated so many young people to be involved, I think is fantastic.”

But, she adds: “I don’t like his health care plan or his advertising on health care, which I think is misleading.”

Now John…

On Clinton: “I like something different about Hillary. I think her tenacity shows a real strength that’s inside her.”

What doesn’t he like [...]? “Um, still a lot of the old politics,” John Edwards said.

As for Obama [...]: “Sometimes I want to see more substance under the rhetoric.”

But he cited two things he likes about the charismatic young senator from Illinois: “One is, I think he really does want to bring about serious change and a different way of doing things. And secondly, I think it’s a great symbolic thing to have an African-American who could be president.”

And there it is folks. Completely understandable and probably for the best anyway.

Source: People

No doubt this will do a lot to solidify a win for Obama in North Carolina.

From NY Times:

[...] nearly 50 of his most prominent backers lined up behind Senator Barack Obama today, in a gesture designed to give Mr. Obama a heavy boost of support less than two weeks before the North Carolina primary on May 6.

The group includes Ed Turlington, Mr. Edwards’s former national general campaign chairman; three North Carolina members of Congress; and 46 local activists, philanthropists and business leaders, among others. (Not surprisingly, given Mr. Edwards’s background, the list holds the names of 20 lawyers.)

Mr. Turlington, speaking from his law office in Raleigh, said that he had not expected to endorse a candidate after Mr. Edwards dropped out of the race on Jan. 30.

“I thought I was going to be on the sidelines,” Mr. Turlington said, adding that he made the decision about 10 days ago, after speaking to Mr. Obama. “I think his candidacy is doing a lot of important things that are similar to themes that John Edwards ran on.”

Now, those supporters are quick to say that they have no idea whose side Edwards will ultimately come down on, but if he doesn’t back Hillary, these endorsements give the appearance of giving Obama an unofficial thumbs up from the man himself.

More as it develops…