I think what they're aiming for is that Virgie is not just the grandparent, but the next of kin. Should Birkhead prove not to be the father and Virgie had not positioned herself for guardianship, the default would be Stern, or so he would hope, at least for the time being.
On that note, let's break it down and see what's happened thus far that brings them to where they are:
Stern has certainly been instrumental in getting the taint on Virgie early on, even if it came from a distraught, doped up daughter in front of a biased ET camera. Emotional sympathizers won't see past the tears of Anna Nicole and convict Virgie right there on the spot. That prejudice was done and did the intended damage. What ET, TMZ and Stern won't show you are the spot on reviews that depict quite a different Anna Nicole Smith that any mother would certainly have something to say about, such as
these. And what people haven't seen, they don't make judgments about.
That left Birkhead to deal with. Ignorant to the ways of legal wrangling, it has been said that Birkead was answering calls from Stern much to the chagrin of Opri and a tilted-brow O'Quinn watching by. So much so, it was Opri who made that revelation known to the media. It was O'Quinn who then
announced:
GRACE: You know what? Hold on a moment. I want to talk to John O`Quinn. He is representing Anna Nicole Smith`s mother, Virgie Arthur, who has reappeared on the scene wanting guardianship. What exactly does she want, John?
JOHN O`QUINN, ATTORNEY FOR VIRGIE ARTHUR: I want the grandmother to have involvement in raising this child, custody or joint custody, with whoever the father is.
When the relationship between Birkhead and Opri fell apart, and Birkhead went off in search of new counsel, Stern seemed to have set his focus on achieving public pity and that's where it remains right now. Everything his lawyers, family and payrolled mouthpieces can do to portray him as the victim through every victory and defeat, they will. What else have they said that is not going in that direction? They certainly don't speak to the best interests of the child with the legal rights she holds to her kin and paternal biology, that's for sure.
But I think Stern's worst nightmare is going to be in John O'Quinn. Even though TMZ refers to O'Quinn as "the larger-than-life, big-mouthed attorney", (Did John piss in your cornflakes or something Harvey or aren't you in knee-deep enough as it is?) he's been relatively quiet when you consider Krista Barth, Debra Opri, Sanchez, Wecht, etc. But when O'Quinn does say something, it speaks to the investigative nature he's been taking behind the scenes that can only come out later and probably has Stern a "little" concerned, especially when you're talking about homicidal investigations. Best to turn it around and say you've hired your own bully and that's the saga we're being fed now.
Consider interviews like this which are questionably cut short and not by O'Quinn either:
O`QUINN: Because Stern is trying to control all evidence, because he knows he faces prosecution for many crimes.
GRACE: Now, what`s your basis of Stern being prosecuted for "many crimes"?
O`QUINN: Look, Stern refused to give a blood test. What is his motivation? A, does he know he`s not the father and the test will prove he`s not the father and he no longer has custody? Is it b, he doesn`t want his blood tested in any way, shape or form, so that his DNA could be traced about where they were at and when they were at certain places?
By the way, the yacht that they went over -- he used Anna Nicole`s money to buy a yacht. Find out whose name that yacht is in presently. It`s a fascinating answer.
GRACE: I take it the answer is Howard K. Stern?
O`QUINN: The company he owns.
And as you good people here know already, Hot Smoochie Lips, Inc. had been reactivated. The yacht has been moved to the Bahamas the day after Anna Nicole's death while Stern supposedly was shivering in bed under the covers according to his sister, Bonnie.
I encourage everyone to read from the reality show review website (listed above). Even copy it before that goes south soon along with the rest of the disappearing acts. Written well before anyone anticipated deaths occurring, the reviews give pertinent insights into the mindsets of these characters, including some interesting observations of Stern and comments made by him regarding the Marshall estate, etc.
HAPPY EASTER!