The Truth about the Truth

Well, there's certainly nothing like waking up to a juicy political scandal to distract you from your holiday woes. If you can't follow the link, and have actually somehow managed to not have heard, a woman named Rielle Hunter is alleged to be six months pregnant with John Edwards' baby. Or, excuse me, Love Child.

I don't guess anything like this, true or not, will ever break again but what I don't harken back to the old,

"I. Did not. Have. Sexual relations with that woman. Monica Lewinski."

Like Clinton, Edwards has denied having an affair with Hunter, a former worker in his campaign.

Unlike Clinton, Edwards may be telling the truth.

But if he isn't?

Whoa. If he isn't.

Here's the thing. If he isn't, he should. And now hear this all policitical candidates for important public office, especially president (because I know you're reading):

Tell. The truth. About. Affairs. When you. Get caught.

When are you caught? You are caught when your paramour starts telling all her friends about it, and the press gets wind of it, and they ask you about it. You are well and truly caught if someone besides your wife happens to be carrying your biological child. These days, you are very likely caught if you've ever left a sample of your DNA on your girlfriend's couch, bedspread, crotchless panties or, oh let's say, blue dress, for example.

You can refuse to dignify the question from the press with an answer at first (giving you time to 'fess up to your wife which is almost certainly going to be worse than confessing to the public by a factor of approximately ten) and, in this fashion, you can forestall the public situation for quite a while. Pray for a miracle. Say, another twin tower disaster to obliterate your personal indiscretion from the minds of the media for a while.

But if it persists? If it's true, and it won't go away, yes, the best option here is honesty. As crazy and counter intuitive as it sounds. Never, EVER deny an affair if it happened.

Granted, it's not fair. Agreed, it's nobodys business. It really isn't. But this is the world we live in now.

Remember here, the Clintons weathered the Gennifer Flowers story. The American public can forgive a guy for lying to and cheating on his wife. What they really don't like is your lying to them. What else will you lie about, they wonder.

Telling the truth will be painful and embarrassing and it could mean the end. But I don't really think so. Telling the truth immediately throws the question out of the public spotlight (after some flapping and finger-pointing) and back into the private arena where it belongs. Back over to your house where, at best, your wife is busy sharpening up her kitchen knives and, at worst, putting her lawyer on speed dial.

Telling the truth puts an end to the public scandal. Takes the wind out of the sails of endless speculation. And puts to rest whether or not you have the stones to tell the truth to the public in a difficult situation.

I like John Edwards and I think a lot of voters to do. But right now, John desperately needs to be one of two things: innocent or honest.

Those, in my opinion, are his only options.