[Volokh] Jim Lindgren: Edwards now suggests that he was "99% honest" when he lied

[notify at powerblogs.com]

Posted by Jim Lindgren:
Edwards now suggests that he was "99% honest" when he lied
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2008_08_03-2008_08_09.shtml#1218234858


   The New York Times, Washington Post, and all the others have lifted
   the news blackout on John Edwards. It's worth noting that Edwards has
   the nerve to suggest that he was being "99% honest" when he lied about
   his affair.

   Politico has Edwards [1]public statement
   :

     STATEMENT OF SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

     August 8, 2008

     Chapel Hill, North Carolina

     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 â 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.

   Though Edwards implies that he was being "99% honest" when he was
   lying, and that "I used the fact that the story contained many
   falsities to deny it," he didn't just deny that the story was true. He
   said it was "[2]completely false."

   I have a hard time believing that Edwards is being 51% honest even
   now, let alone 99% or 100% honest.

   I certainly don't see much reason for believing Edwards over the
   National Enquirer on this story. When his word is worth less than that
   of a supermarket tabloid, it's an indication of how far he has fallen.

   In the original National Enquirer stories, they claimed to have
   Hunter's [3]emails to her [4]friends disclosing the affair, including
   gushing about a recent rendezvous. Further, according to the Enquirer,
   Hunter told friends that she and Edwards met at hotels where the
   campaign was staying. I wonder if these emails match up with the
   restricted dates that Edwards now claims for the affair. In other
   words, even when John Edwards claims that he has stopped lying, I
   wonder whether he is a decent enough human being to be believed.

   I'll bet the Republicans are hoping that the Democrats are foolish
   enough to give Edwards a prime speaking spot at the convention.

   I think Barack Obama is too smart for that.

References

   1. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12405.html
   2. http://www.nationalenquirer.com/john_edwards_admits_affair/celebrity/65278
   3. http://www.nationalenquirer.com/john_edwards_cheating_scandal/celebrity/64271
   4. http://www.nationalenquirer.com/john_edwards_love_child/celebrity/64426