Santa Barbara County, unfortunately, isn't inexperienced with the national media coming here to dig into a scandal or other controversy. But who could have predicted that the local hospital and county records office would become part of the story line in the downfall of a former North Carolina senator with past dreams of becoming president?
By now, you know the story: John Edwards lied to the media about his affair with Rielle Hunter, only later to admit to it amid charges that he fathered a baby with her. Ms. Hunter gave birth to a daughter at the end of February at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara.
We understand that at least one internal Cottage memo told certain employees not to speak to the media about "John Edwards' child." Perhaps that was just a slip.
The birth certificate doesn't list a father. But one of Mr. Edwards' closest and most loyal assistants, Andrew Young, has said the baby is his child. There have been reports of Mr. Young living on the South Coast - with sheriff's deputies chasing away reporters from his house - and showing up at the Coral Casino. ...
Representatives of Mr. Edwards deny the one-time presidential hopeful is funneling money to either Ms. Hunter or Mr. Young to live in Santa Barbara or anywhere else.
Perhaps more than enough already has been said about Mr. Edwards' behavior while his wife at the time was recovering from cancer.
But it's also beyond comprehension that Mr. Edwards was doing so while he was in the middle of preparing to run for president. He also seemed to care little about what his conduct, if discovered, could do to his party's chances to win the White House.
Regardless of one's party affiliation, you must feel for the Democrats and others who were taken in by Mr. Edwards.
But the disappointment doesn't end with Mr. Edwards. The Edwards story had been in the tabloids and on the Internet for months, but the mainstream media ignored it. The News-Press published a story once the local connection was revealed.
As for Mr. Edwards, he told ABC News his political career "fed a self-focus, an egotism, a narcissism that leads you to believe that you can do whatever you want, you're invincible and there will be no consequences."
This editorial first appeared in the Santa Barbara News-Press last week.
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