The National Enquirer, or Enquirer, is not the best point of reference for breaking news or anything that, in most instances, vaguely resembles the truth. Stand at any checkout and read the headlines such as, ‘Foot Reflexology and Princess Diana’ or ‘CLINTON MISTRESS REVEALED’ appertaining to Bill Clinton having an affair in June 2008, but their most recent revelation has been viewed by most media outlets to be so sensitive that no one but Fox News have entertained mentioning it.

In July, the Enquirer ran an article on its website claiming to have caught former Democrat presidential hopeful John Edwards and running mate of John Kerry in the 2004 presidential elections, as visiting an alleged mistress, Rielle Hunter, and their alleged illegitimate child at a hotel in Los Angeles.

The web-based article, which certainly has legs on the Internet, did not include any corroborating photos. Fox News, however did later interview a security guard who claimed to have witnessed the confrontation between Edwards and the Enquirer, but no further details have yet been corroborated and no photos have yet been made public.

The story has been bubbling away for months, but as Edwards, 55, has been tipped for a prominent job in a Barack Obama administration, if not vice-president, the news which has been circulated on the internet by the Drudge Report has met with little interest in the mainstream media.

With Edwards spokesmen and defenders scurrying for cover behind a wall of “no comment”, the story would appear to have some credibility. When asked about the story all Edwards would say was: “I don’t talk about these tabloids. They’re tabloid trash and just full of lies.” Neither he, nor his spokesperson gave an explicit denial.

Some are asking the question, did the magazine pour resources into the love child story to scupper John Edwards’s chances of beating Hillary Clinton for the presidential nomination? Were the revelations timed to finish him off as a potential running mate?

A reporter for The Washington Post said yesterday: “To be quite honest, we’re waiting to see the pictures. That said, Edwards is no longer an elected official and he is not running for office now. Don’t expect wall-to-wall coverage.”

This all comes at a time when John’s wife, Elizabeth Edwards is battling incurable cancer.

ABB