Edwards Returns to Public Stage, Stays Mum on Affair

John Edwards didn't have to dodge tough questions from an Indiana University audience tonight as he returned to the public stage three months after admitting to an affair. He addressed politics, poverty, and his hopes for America, but a subsequent question-and-answer session—featuring questions vetted in advance—did not raise the subject of his dalliance with Rielle Hunter.

In response to questions from the audience, he praised Hillary Rodham Clinton's leadership and said his favorite superhero is Superman. Edwards also said the intense and exhausting primary season helped Obama. "That long, drawn-out, tough process played a role in making him a better candidate," said Edwards, who pledged to spend his life working on behalf of poor people. (More John Edwards stories.)