August 9, 2008
Union Leader
Disappointment, anger in NH after Edwards’ admission of extramarital affair
State Sen. Peter Burling no longer has his well-worn “John Edwards for President” bumper-sticker on his vehicle.
The Cornish Democrat told the New Hampshire Union Leader yesterday that he removed it as soon as he heard the news that Edwards had admitted to an extramarital affair in 2006 and then lied about it last year while his wife was battling cancer.
“I’m miserable,” Burling said. “When this news first fluttered across the screen a few months back, I thought, ‘Those bastards. It’s just the National Enquirer,'” which broke the story several months ago.
But when it began appearing in more mainstream news media, “I thought, ‘oh-oh,'” Burling said.
For another friend of the Edwards family, state Sen. Lou D’Allesandro, D-Manchester, the news was equally devastating. He had not heard about Edwards’ admission until informed by the Union Leader.
“Oh, my God,” was his initial reaction.
Edwards admits to affair
National Enquirer: Edwards caught with mistress in Beverly Hills hotel (Editor’s note: Edwards denies this story’s allegation that he fathered a child during the affair)
John Edwards had disappointing finishes of fourth and third in the 2004 and 2008 New Hampshire primaries, respectively. Still, he had built a large following here. He had become a familiar face in the Granite State.
“It’s very disappointing,” said state Rep. Sharon Nordgren, D-Hanover, who only recently switched her allegiance to Barack Obama.
“I’ve known him since 2003, and, no, I never suspected anything like this,” she said. “I did not put much stock in the National Enquirer. But it’s obviously very sad and disheartening.”
Their thoughts immediately turned to Elizabeth Edwards.
“I love Elizabeth Edwards,” D’Allesandro said. “She is one of the most fascinating women I’ve ever met in my life and her dedication to her husband was beyond anything.
“Here is a woman who is given a death sentence and she tells him to continue on with the campaign,” said D’Allesandro. “I have the greatest respect for her.”
D’Allesandro chaired Edwards’ New Hampshire campaign during the 2004 New Hampshire primary campaign, but he switched his allegiance to Hillary Clinton in the 2008 cycle.
But he said he had no idea that something was amiss in the Edwards’ personal lives.
His switch “had nothing whatsoever to do with” Edwards infidelity. “Honestly,” he said.
“Our point of disagreement was that we just had a parting of the ways over how he was planning to run his campaign. I had no inkling of this,” he said.
“I thought he was a good guy and I thought he was a good husband and it had appeared that he was faithful to her, as she is to him,” D’Allesandro said.
In 2004, Burling backed Edwards after his first choice in that presidential cycle, Richard Gephardt, dropped out of the race a week before the New Hampshire primary.
In the most recent cycle, Burling backed Edwards until he dropped out several months ago, and, like Edwards, backed Obama.
“During the course of my involvement with the Edwards family,” said Burling, “I had no inkling of this, and like everyone in that campaign, we were in love with Elizabeth, and how could you not be?
State Sen. Joe Foster, D-Nashua, also backed Edwards in both campaigns “because of the ideas he believes in,” he said yesterday. “I still admire his ideas and the goals and the things he fought for.
“My heart goes out heart goes out to his family. When circumstances like this come up, it’s never easy and it’s certainly got to be a lot more difficult having it play out in the public arena,” Foster said.
“It’s devastating, it’s tragic,” added Burling. “It’s heart-breaking to think of what it does to the Edwards family and to John.”
State Sen. David Gottesman, D-Nashua, and Colin Van Ostern, Edwards’ 2004 state press secretary, were clearly saddened but would not comment.
Nor would two Edwards campaign communications staffers who hold key positions in state politics today. Kate Bedingfield, Edwards’ state press secretary, is now communications director for the Jeanne Shaheen U.S. Senate campaign, while former Edwards press assistant Alex Reese is press secretary for the New Hampshire Democratic Party.
Both said they would have “nothing to say” about the Edwards admission.
“I have very deep sympathy for Elizabeth,” said D’Allesandro. “This is a terrible moment for her and for the family. It’s just a terrible situation. We’re all human, but I’m bitterly disappointed.”
###
It takes a lot to get into our ‘Wall of Shame’ but Senator Edwards, cheating on your dying wife is well, just too awful a deed for words.