Posted on 07/29/2008 3:05:42 PM PDT by LdSentinal
"Does the Washington Post have any political reporters investigating the legitimacy of the Enquirer's stories about John Edwards?" the paper's national political reporter Jonathan Weisman was asked during an online chat on Friday. "Yes, and to be quite honest, we're waiting to see the pictures the Enquirer says it will publish this weekend," came his answer. Unfortunately, it's looking like Weisman and the rest of the mainstream media who still haven't touched the scandal will have to wait a little longer: the Enquirer's editor, David Perel tells Radar that while he is "definitely" in possession of photos from Edwards' bizarre early-morning tete-a-tete with Enquirer reporters at the Beverly Hilton last week, he won't be putting them in tabloid's next issue, or making them accessible online.
"It's a story that we're taking a long view of," Perel told Radar by phone. "We've got a big exclusive coming out this week, and we are on the trail of some stuff that's even hotter. But no one will dictate the time-table for when we release our unpublished material. We've been setting the agenda, and will continue doing so."
Perel declined to comment on the record about the nature of the unpublished material he is withholding, but did say that he "plans on releasing the photos when the time is right." He was similarly mum about what the Enquirer's "big exclusive" is. We've heard that the tabloid has established a financial link between Edwards and his rumored mistress, Rielle Hunter, though what that means—clandestine child support payments? Hush money?—is unclear. Perel refused to confirm this, saying only that "it's always a good idea to follow the money." We've also heard from multiple sources that a major TV network is currently in negotiations with Hunter to secure a primetime interview, which would be the first serious play the mainstream media has given the story. Perel refused to confirm this as well.
Big exclusive or not, the decision to keep the photos under wraps is a curious one. "A lot of people are holding off on passing judgment until they see evidence that Edwards was actually visiting Hunter at the hotel," says a political reporter at the Huffington Post. (Evidently, Fox News' independent corroboration of the account via an anonymous hotel security guard doesn't prove anything beyond all reasonable doubt.) "If they have them, what reason could they possibly have for not having released them by now?" Perel denied that releasing incriminating pics at this juncture would buttress his publication's story. "We spent seven months reporting this out, and ended up nailing him with a time and a date and everything," he says. "And then had someone else confirm it. There's a bigger story at play, and we think we'll be better off putting them out there later."
But you do have photos from the night in question, right? "Yes, definitely."
Stay tuned!
They’re daring Obama to pick Silky for VP.
Maybe he’s made it worth their while to not publish them.
Now that's a really dumb question, even for a HuffPo ho.
The obvious reason to hold off with the photos is to build the story in other ways while allowing many other media figures to go further out on a limb by ignoring or downplaying the story. Then, suddenly, in a time & manner of its own choosing, N.E. amps up the volume dramatically with an onslaught of photos. I think they know very well what they are doing, playing cat-and-mouse with the wounded Edwards and his media hacks.
They'll wait on the photos. That's the most sensational part. Why not build to a climax?
Inquiring minds...
Now what could that be? Are they on the trail of Barack Obama's fake birth certificate and that he holds duel citizenship, or wasn't even born in the states? There probably not.
Wow...maybe they’re going to release them during the Democratic National Convention...awesome...
maybe they got Obama smoking a huka filled with crack while ol’ larry Sinclair services him...
Of course when I finally saw one of the photos of Rielle I thought she was more of an anti-climax.......
But that’s ‘cause I get spoiled with all the FR photos of Catherine Zeta-Jones and figured a mega-millionaire Breck Girl like Edwards would find himself a fellow Breck Girl.....
Has anyone seen a photo of John McCain? I heard he was running for President but that ssems hard to believe since we never see or hear him in the media.
Yeah, I thought that was a stupid question, also. Of course the N. E. wants to build it up. Sheesh.
i think that they are letting edwards squirm, he really can’t answer questions without knowing what they have
Expect jury nullification.
I actually hurt for Elizabeth Edwards. It is difficult enough to die of cancer - but to know that your husband has already picked your replacement and is choosing his new family over his own wife and children would be almost too much to bear.
I pray that she will find peace and happiness at the feet of a loving God, and that her children will be raised by someone who truly loves them, rather than someone who would so publicly disgrace his own family.
He must be eating Valium (or today's equivalent) like popcorn.
It’s easy to imagine that the photos will not project a positive image of Edwards - or the reporters.
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