Edwards Lie Cost Hillary the Nomination, Aide Says

Hillary Clinton’s former communications director is convinced that had the media outed John Edwards last year, Clinton would be the Democratic nominee. “We would have won Iowa,” Howard Wolfson tells ABC. “Our voters and Edwards’ voters were the same people. They were older, pro-union.” Obama won Iowa with 37.6% of the vote, followed by Edwards with 29.7% and Clinton with 29.5%.

Obama officials think Wolfson’s argument is dubious, noting that Obama won 11 straight contests immediately after Edwards dropped out of the race. But the charge could re-open primary wounds. Many Clinton supporters believe Obama won thanks to a sexist media, and Wolfson is blaming that same media for concealing Edwards’ affair. “I can't say I understand the rules of the media and I'm not sure they do either,” he said. (More John Edwards stories.)