SOUNDBITES — “It just seemed too awful for me to believe. I mean his wife, whom I took to be a very decent person, had terminal cancer. Although adultery is extremely common – especially among people disturbed enough to seek political office – I dismissed it too easily. I mean his wife was confronting death on a daily basis. I just couldn’t believe a husband could do that to his wife then. I also felt protective toward Elizabeth, feeling that investigating this would be deeply hurtful to a woman faced with mortality. Maybe my own brushes with mortality affected me in this as well. In all this, of course, I was wrong. It really was that bad, and if Game Change is to be believed (and I think it broadly is), it was even worse. My mistake as a journalist was in making an assumption of a baseline of decency in public officials that it is not my job to make. My job is to assume nothing and to trust nothing until verified. One doesn’t have to pry; but when rumors emerge, we should not be deferent with public officials. We should ask questions.” —Andrew Sullivan, offering a mea maxima culpa for not going after John Edwards’ sex scandal story as enthusiastically as he went after Sarah Palin (via)
romeo
Looks like Andrew could use some Restylane. Let’s get our priorities in order here. Now what was this story about?
James UK
Well he has apologised, showing himself to be less than perfect, so of course he must be stoned to death, immediately. Unless of course he can apologise again, tearfully, on some shitty talkshow. Before the book tour, naturally. Modern celebrity, isn’t it wonderful?
Actually, I don’t think Sullivan has anything to apologise for. John Edwards was never going to be the Democrats presidential nominee. He might have been the VP nominee. But sex scandal nothwithstanding, that wasn’t ever very likely either. And once out of that race, he’s unimportant and not likely to be a contender again in 2012.
It’s ok not to go after every sex scandal. Whilst sex scandal headlines make time pass more quickly when standing in line at the grocery checkout, essentially, what people do in their private lives is their own business. If he spouted family values, then he had exposure coming.
But what’s more important, journalistically? Exposing Sarah Palin as the dangerous, lying fuckwit she is, when she is still being touted as a possible 2012 contender?
Or exposing John Edwards for being the moral retard of a husband that he has clearly become, when he’s already history?
Isn’t muckraking for the sheer enjoyment of it the preserve of the Enquirer?
John Edwards is bad for Elizabeth Edwards and I hope that she gets her hands on as much of his money as she can.
Sarah Palin is bad for America. And for the Republicans too. Like many of her ilk, I can’t understand what she is doing in the GOP. Isn’t she really a Confederate?
James UK
Now if Sullivan really has something to apologise for its the facial hair in the absence of any hair on his head. That really is unbalanced.
Qjersey
poor Sully, having a brush with death impaired his judgment. Welcome to someone “pulling the HIV card.”
Perhaps you were stoned a little too often Sully.
christopher di spirito
Fuck Andrew Sullivan.
What he should be apologizing for is writing that HIV/AIDS is no more serious a disease than diabetes.
First, he ain’t no doctor and shouldn’t be giving medical advice.
Second, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Imagine men and women who might read his ignorant words and then engage in unprotected sex with a stranger?
Why is he even in this country? Go back to Britain and take tea at 4PM with the Queen or the queens.
TommyOC
Andrew Sullivan is a journalist?
Columnist? Yeah. Overall smart-guy? Certainly.
A guy from whom I’d demand journalistic integrity? Not at all.
missanthrope79
“But what’s more important, journalistically? Exposing Sarah Palin as the dangerous, lying fuckwit she is, when she is still being touted as a possible 2012 contender?”
Yeah, but Sullivan went off the deep end with birther-like conspiracy theories speculating that her kid was daughter’s out-of-wedlock child. Which was just as funny and strange as it is dubious in going after a politician’s family.
There’s a thousand ways you could go after Palin because she’s such a weak candidate without going into crazy conspiracy theory land.
David Ehrenstein
He should apologize for barebacking — but of course never will.
http://dir.salon.com/news/feature/2001/06/02/sullivan/index.html
David Ehrenstein
http://www.ehrensteinland.com/htmls/library/l_sullivans_travails.html
barry
This is what happens when people have personal affections towards politicians. John Edwards never really appealed to me beause I saw through the crap. Andrew sullivan is tedious.
chango
Hey Andrew, Dancing with the Stars called, and they decided to go with Oliver North.
Good luck trying to remain relevant.
alan brickman
total douchebag……
Jeremy Stevens
Anyone who writes about his beard, “Aaron (his partner) thinks it’s hot and so do the twinks,” after swooning without critique over his new messiah, Obama, and obsessing positively over Levi Johnston and negatively over Sarah Palin ought to drop the ” independent journalist ” charade and stick to producing coffee table books that feature other people’s cool pictures of the world outside their windows. Give it up, Girl!
CountMeOut
What a loser this guy is! Go back to England and see if you can get work there in some S & M dungeon you freak.
glennmcgahee
Britain doesn’t want the guy. Thats why we still got him. My question is why anybody is repeating anything he has to say/write/think at all. I don’t even want to ever see or hear from that sick fuck again. Poor thing, he’s got HIV. Wonder how many he gave it to while bragging about barebacking, etc. I don’t claim him as part of my gay community.
Robert, NYC
Why is it when someone doesn’t like another’s politics, in this case Sullivan who happens to be a foreign-born U.S. citizen with dual nationality, why should he have to return to the UK, he pays taxes here like any other citizen? Some in here are beginning to sound like right wing racists. Nobody told John McCain to to back to Panama, his birth place albeit on a U.S. military base just because they didn’t like him or what his politics are.
Patrick
This douche who backed Reagan, trashed ActUp and now does mea cupa? Fuck you douche bag. My favorite memory of you is my friend Michael chasing you out of Atlantic House in Province Town. You have no place in our world, too bad only the good die young, we are left with the lot of you.
Lukas P.
“He’s so wrong!”
Sullivan, although having worked in journalism, has never hewed to the professional ethics that responsible journalists do. As such, he is a political and social “commentator.” Many actual journalists missed the real Edwards story, which is disappointing.
Edwards’ career in politics is oooover, and Mrs E. has flown the coop. She should get an Oscar for the acting she did during the campaign!
I resent when str8 people assume that just because Andrew and I share a sexual orientation that I automatically agree with him. He doesn’t speak for me. To my mind, it’s been awhile since he’s said anything meaningful, relevant or insightful from atop his high horse, with his odd and changing half-British and half-American accent.
He tries to pass himself off too often as representing “gay America,” which is cringe-worthy AND upsets my digestion.
onCloud9
he looks like a pervert.
tc in nyc
this feud you guys have with andrew is getting tedious. you should try something new. 🙂