Affairs of State

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June 2009
- For Now, Edwards 'Working Quietly' Against Poverty
  
  Washington Post | Jun 17, 09 3:30 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - John Edwards is spending a lot of time out of the spotlight these days, but that doesn’t mean he’s given up his trademark fight against poverty, he tells the Washington Post . “If I can help the most by working quietly, that’s what I’ll do,” the disgraced former presidential candidate said. “If as time goes by I can be more helpful with a public role, that’s what I will do.” More »
- Ensign Quits Senate GOP Leadership Post
  
  Associated Press | Jun 17, 09 12:20 PM CDT
  
  (AP) - Sen. John Ensign has stepped down from his leadership post a day after admitting an affair with a woman who was on his campaign staff. He conveyed his decision in a phone call with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said he had accepted the resignation. Ensign was chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, the fourth-ranking spot in the leadership. More »
- Why This Affair Won't Be the End of Ensign
  
  FiveThirtyEight | Jun 17, 09 10:01 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - News of his affair with a campaign staffer won't force Nevada's GOP Sen. John Ensign out of office, predicts Nate Silver in FiveThirtyEight.com, even though he has frequently preached about the ethical lapses of others. A resignation by Ensign would prompt a special election in 2010, and Ensign's party is still struggling to find a good Republican candidate to take on Harry Reid that year, even though the Senate majority leader is considered vulnerable. More »
- Blackmail Triggered Senator's Affair Confession: Aides
  
  Politico | Jun 17, 09 2:41 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Sen. John Ensign went public with the news of his extramarital affair after the woman's husband tried to blackmail him, insiders tell Politico. The Nevada Republican had the affair with a staffer while he was separated from his wife, according to current and former aides. He gave her a severance package after reconciling with his wife, and her husband later demanded money. More »
- Ensign Admits Affair; Nev. Senator Is Rising GOP Star
  
  Washington Post | Jun 16, 09 5:36 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - John Ensign, a Republican senator from Nevada said to be considering a presidential run in 2012, admitted today that he had an extramarital affair with a campaign staffer, reports Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post . "It's absolutely the worst thing I've ever done in my life," he said at a press conference. "I'm very sorry." His wife, Darlene, backed her husband and said their "marriage has become stronger" in a statement. More »
- Ex-Czech PM: Yep, I'm the Naked Guy in Berlusconi Pic
  
  Guardian (UK) | Jun 7, 09 4:41 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Ouch. Maybe the one guy who regrets the publication of private photos at Silvio Berlusconi's villa more than Berlusconi himself is former Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek. Faces were blurred in the photos, but Topolanek admits that he's the naked man pictured standing by the pool in one of the shots. He is also, in the delicate language of the Guardian , "in a state of arousal." More »
May 2009
- Levy Murder Suspect Pleads Not Guilty
  
  Associated Press | May 27, 09 10:21 AM CDT
  
  (AP) - The man accused of killing federal intern Chandra Levy has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other charges. Twenty-seven-year-old Ingmar Guandique was arraigned today in District of Columbia Superior Court on six counts, including murder, kidnapping, and attempted sexual abuse. He pleaded not guilty to all counts. A judge set a two-week jury trial for Jan. 27. More »
- Intern Who Had Affair With JFK to Pen Memoir
  
  New York Times | May 23, 09 1:17 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The former lover of John F. Kennedy exposed in 2003 has a deal with Random House to write a memoir, the New York Times reports. Mimi Beardsley worked as a White House intern and had an 18-month affair with the president from 1962 to 1963, starting when she was 19. Beardsley, who now carries the surname Alford, admitted in 2003 that she was “involved in a sexual relationship” with JFK. More »
- Edwards Staff Planned to Sabotage Him
  
  ABC News | May 10, 09 3:13 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Suspicious that John Edwards was having an affair, several of his campaign staffers drew up a “doomsday” plan to take him down if he seemed likely to win the Democratic nomination, George Stephanopoulos blogs for ABC News. Most staffers dismissed the rumors, but a few close advisers saw the light by early last year. Describing themselves as “Democrats first,” they agreed on a back-up plan to derail the campaign. More »
- Edwardses Candid in Oprah Interview
  
  Huffington Post | May 7, 09 3:20 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Oprah Winfrey’s interview with John and Elizabeth Edwards was intensely personal, reports the Huffington Post, particularly on their marital troubles. Referencing revelations in Elizabeth’s memoir, Resilience , Winfrey asked John if the book’s treatment of his affair made him uncomfortable. “I think that’s up to her, you know?” he responded. “That’s what this whole—this book is about, and it’s what’s inside her, what she feels. It’s what it should be.” More »
- Catholic Church Scolds Playboy Berlusconi
  
  Daily Telegraph (UK) | May 5, 09 2:40 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Silvio Berlusconi’s penchant for flirting isn’t just annoying his wife—it bothers the Vatican, too. In an editorial, church officials warned Italy’s prime minister to adopt a more “sober and somber” lifestyle, the Telegraph reports. The front-page piece in the church's official newspaper decried his “weakness for young, flowing actresses” as reflecting badly on the country and its leaders. Berlusconi was re-elected last year with wide support from Catholic voters. More »
- Edwards Admits Feds Probing Hush Cash
  
  Charlotte Observer | May 3, 09 3:15 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - John Edwards is being investigated by feds looking to see if he illegally used 2008 campaign funds to hush up mistress Rielle Hunter, the former candidate told the Charlotte Observer , confirming an earlier report in the Edwards-happy National Enquirer . Hunter, hired to film the candidate, was paid $114,000 by an Edwards-affiliated political action committee. “We appreciate the diligence and professionalism of those involved and look forward to a conclusion,” Edwards said in a statement. More »
April 2009
- Third Woman: Paraguay Prez Fathered My Kid
  
  McClatchy Newspapers | Apr 23, 09 9:14 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The paternity scandal surrounding Paraguay’s president, a former bishop, has reached new heights: A third woman says he fathered her child, McClatchy reports. Fernando Lugo recently acknowledged paternity of a 2-year-old; soon after, another woman said he was her 6-year-old’s dad. She filed an official paternity claim yesterday, the same day a third woman came forward with her 16-month-old. More »
- Paraguay's Bishop-Turned- Prez Admits Fathering Child
  
  Daily Telegraph (UK) | Apr 13, 09 1:02 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The president of Paraguay admitted today to fathering a child with a 26-year-old woman while he was still a Roman Catholic bishop, the Daily Telegraph reports. Fernando Lugo, 57, left the church to pursue political office in December 2006; a son was born five months later, according to the paternity suit filed last week that pressured Lugo into today’s admission. More »
March 2009
- Edwards Tells Elizabeth 'It's My Kid': Enquirer
  
  National Enquirer | Mar 4, 09 11:11 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - John Edwards has come clean to his wife about the baby he fathered with ex-mistress Rielle Hunter, reports the National Enquirer (the publication that broke the news of the affair). Hunter has been “edgy” over cancer-stricken Elizabeth Edwards’ upcoming book, and the tabloid says John’s confession is an attempt to stop Hunter from breaking the news herself. More »
February 2009
- Clinton Gives Obama High Marks, Blasts Bush
  
  ABC News | Feb 20, 09 9:00 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Bill Clinton knows a thing or two about dealing with recalcitrant Republicans, and he has some advice for President Obama: "It takes two to tango." The ex-president tells ABC News he gives Obama an “A” for his performance so far, along with a warning about appearances. “I just want the American people to know that he's confident that we are gonna get out of this and he feels good about the long run,” says No. 42. More »
- Clinton the Campaigner Moves to State—for Good or Ill
  
  New Republic | Feb 18, 09 7:47 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - As Hillary Clinton takes over the State Department, it's worth remembering that her train-wreck presidential campaign followed an "audacious 2000 run for Senate" and an excellent record as a legislator, Michael Crowley writes for the New Republic. "The question—not only for Hillary's legacy but for US foreign policy—is which of these models she will bring to" her new job, Crowley observes. More »
- Illinois Awash in Philandering Drunks: Blago
  
  Chicago Sun-Times | Feb 12, 09 7:19 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - The lawmakers who deposed Rod Blagojevich are “holier than thou” hypocrites, the ex-guv declared on a radio show this morning, saying that Springfield is full of anonymous lawmakers who drink too much and cheat on their wives. “This is how the system in Springfield works,” he said. “Nobody knows who they are. They’re away from their families. It’s a whole different world down there.” More »
- Elizabeth Edwards' Memoir to Discuss John's Affair
  
  Fox News | Feb 3, 09 5:30 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Elizabeth Edwards will publish a short memoir in May that will deal in part with her husband's campaign-killing affair, Fox News reports. The book, Resilience , will talk about John Edwards' dalliance, "and how she experienced it," says Elizabeth's publicist, who declined to reveal other specifics. The book also is expected to deal with Elizabeth's battle with incurable cancer. More »
January 2009
- Portland Mayor Will Stick With Job Despite Intern Affair
  
  Oregonian (Portland) | Jan 26, 09 3:46 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Portland Mayor Sam Adams has decided not to step down, pending state criminal investigations, after admitting he lied about an affair with a teenage legislative intern. "I know I've screwed up and let people down," the city's first openly gay mayor told the Oregonian . "But I still think I have a positive contribution to make." More »