The other day I asked what happened to the $800,000 that Andrew Baron’s father (and Rielle Hunter’s benefactor) Fred Baron had invested in Andrew’s videoblog Rocketboom. You certainly can’t see the money on the screen, so where did it all go? You can read that post here, and my previous posts on the John Edwards/Rocketboom link are here and here.
Now Andrew has replied. Here it is, in full:
I appreciate that we live in a world with checks and balances but it seems like the author of this blog is either on crack or working for Republican extremists.
As if they’re mutually exclusive!
Take it away, Loren Feldman:
It’s not for me to say whether Loren’s right or wrong, of course. Just collecting preliminary data.
In other John Edwards news: He won’t be holding public office again anytime soon, but you don’t have to worry about him becoming part of the America that can’t afford its mortgage payments. According to WBBM in Chicago:
The [University of Illinois] Illini Student Union booked the former senator this spring to speak Oct. 14 on “The American Dream.” Even though the speech will be free and open to the public, the signed contract calls for a $65,000 fee.
They may have gotten a bargain.
University spokesperson Robin Kaler told WBBM that after Edwards admitted to having an extramarital affair with Rielle Hunter, a documentary producer hired by his political action committee, the student union offered the former senator a chance to back out.
Instead, Kaler said, “We were told by the former senator’s agent that he was in fact booking more speaking engagements and had increased his price.”
Can you blame him? $65,000 will only pay for one private-jet trip to St. Croix for Rielle and the baby, with just enough left over for 37 haircuts. What’s he supposed to do the month after that?
Oh wait, Andrew’s dad pays for all that stuff. Never mind.
(Hat tip: Peachtree Pam)
Andrew, do you or your father have any relationship to North Carolina Governor candidate Beverly Perdue’s campaign?
there are many authors working this blog. I wouldn’t mind smoking crack with some of them!
I just returned from Rocketboom.com. That’s a lot cheesiness for $800,000.00! It looks it was produced on an Apple IIe or a Commodore 64.
Here is a picture that all you folks at deceiver will love:
http://www.collegeotr.com/northwestern_university/edwards_using_affair_to_make_more_money__11004
I just love “Deceiver”. I has become the first site I check everytime I go online. Thank you.
Oh crap, the university of illinois is in my town, I’m an alumnus who never left. So glad that my alma mater is using the money I gave them to book that shining example to speak. Mail me tomatoes and I’ll throw ‘em for ya.
Phoenix: I’d send you the ones infected with E.coli that are rotting here in California except that post office probably wouldn’t let me send biohazards through the mail, and I doubt the FedEx will ship them.
Sorry. Here’s a lug of infected cyber-tomatoes for you.
I can tell by all of the pictures that none of that 800,000 went for hair styles.
Ah ha, so both it is.
John Edwards coming out of hiding.
By this time next month, we can expect Edwards to say:
“Hey, I’ve done nothing wrong”.
Edwards’ 3 Month Stragegy:
I’m guessing John admits he was a sex addict, He told Elizabeth the baby was his and she left him, he was in rehab for a month, he’s all better now, Elizabeth’s cancer was rediagnosed even more terrible than before and seh took him back, and he’s ready to assume public office again.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D92S5UVG0&show_article=1
Edwards is repped by the Harry Walker agency, the same group that rehabbed Bill Clinton.
http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=13790
Edwards mess just spreads it’s ooze further and further. A day without Deceiver is like a day without sunshine - a glaring,harsh light right John? Andrew? Fred? Rielle?
Ummm, how about we MOVE ON from this and post something relevant and newsworthy? Can we bash the right, for a change? Like McCain and his transparent (and pitiful) attempt to woo disgruntled female Hilary supporters by choosing an inexperienced running mate. Edwards is a douche; we get it. The message is starting to become stale, however.
Looks like the NY Post reads Deceiver.com too:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08302008/news/nationalnews/scandal_pays_for_john_126726.htm
Well, that’s been all over the news.
Ummmm, opinion noted!
If you’re hungry for right-bashing, here you go. I’m sure we haven’t fulfilled our quota, but hey, E for effort.
Yeah, Wonkette is saying that Palin’s hubby has a “John Edwards” problem…
I think I’ll wait for “Little R. Hen” to come up with some specifics first…
Rather an inexperienced vice president, than an inexperienced president no? At least Palin has been in charge of something, like the biggest state in the union. Obama has been a senator for a grand total of about three years, two of which he’s spent running for president. He is a senator from my state and I can’t tell you what he’s done. I betcha Obama says zero about the inexperience thing.
I think a lot of Obamabots are just miffed that McCain’s pick sucked the wind out of yet another Earth shattering speech by their Messiah.
Wonder if this speaking engagement will be the debut of Druck and JE together as a couple. I’m sure he’ll want to use her expert videographer services to document his return to public life post-confession. Will the university provide overnight accommodations and transportation? Will they pony-up for a double room with crib?
ss - I can’t speak for the writers of Deceiver but it is my impression that Deceiver is all about calling out those who say one thing and do another…
Now that I think about it McCains pick is sort of a Deceiver move…
Experience? Here’s a little side by side comparison. Palin vs. Obama. I know, I know, I wish it wasn’t from a site called “redstate” but I’m lazy and didn’t feel like looking anymore.
http://www.redstate.com/diaries/redstate/2008/aug/30/tale-of-the-tape-sarah-palin-vs-barack-obam/
Right. Real objective. Your post was dismissed as soon as I laid eyes on the words “red state”. This is a desperate move on mccain’s part. Not to mention wreckless. And yes, she’s in charge of the biggest state of our union, but how important is size when the caribou population outnumbers the human one? (Heard that one on NPR *zing*:)I mean, really, is that the best you can do when speaking of her qualifications? Please, for the sake of your credibility (which is inversely proportional to your amount of posts), please try again. Alaska, with it’s 3 electoral college votes, a real challenge to govern. If anything, I would have had more respect for mccain had he chosen Ridge. At least he would have secured a previously blue state (Penn) and have chosen someone with EXPERIENCE. Oh, and guess what? If he dies in office (which he just might, seeing that he’s older than dirt), this is who we’ll have to lead us. Pretty scary.
The only thing that gives me some hope is the debates. Biden will KILL her in the debates, and hopefully, the American people will be smart enough to see who the better candidate is. Although, Kerry tore Bush a new one in the 2004 debates, and look who the American people voted in. It looks like we’re gonna have to create more apology signs for our brethren around the world. SORRY IN ADVANCE WORLD!
The more I think about McCain choosing Palin, I’m more insulted. I’m a woman and I wouldn’t vote her simply because she has a uterus.
Looks like Deceiver will have to start investigating Sarah Palin. I’ll look forward to seeing what information you find.
Who is the mother of Palin’s baby? And who is the father?
No woman in her right mind would get on an eight-hour flight if she was leaking amniotic fluid.
But Palin says she did that. If so, that was a reckless, reckless thing to do and shows horrible judgment.
Will she still be on the ticket seven days from now? You can bet there’s a lot of discussion going on in GOP ranks now about what to do. Maybe we will see Palin graciously remove herself from the ticket. That would be the best scenario for the GOP.
I’m looking into it. Here’s what we’ve got so far:
Sarah Palin dressed well when she was pregnant, and her oldest daughter is a bit chubby.
More breaking news as it develops.
P.S. Just as a reminder, I didn’t jump on the Edwards story until a full week after the Enquirer reported it. They’d been working on the whole thing for something like a year, and they had the Beverly Hilton story locked, down to the date, time, and hotel room number. I started looking into it because there was nothing in the “real” news about it.
Whereas it’s now been a little over 72 hours since Palin was announced, and she’s the top story everywhere. A ton of reporters are going up there to dig into her dirt. There hasn’t been a northward migration like this since the Klondike Gold Rush. So I think if there’s any truth to this rumor, we’ll be seeing more solid proof soon.
If you ever get over your Edwards obsession–remember, he is a private citizen–maybe you could pay just a little attention to the very fishy story about the republican VP candidate: a pregnancy no one notices, she flies from TX to AK via WA during labor in a high risk pregnancy, and a teenage daughter absent from school in the longest case of mono since the last century.
Please explain.
I didn’t realize nobody noticed her pregnancy. Then again, nobody noticed anything about her until Friday morning. But if that’s true, it’s worth looking into. Link?
Get those signs ready ss. And I always listen to NPR for the zingers. It’s always a laugh-a-minute over there.
I guess the McCain people think they are going to get female votes with Palin. HOW DUMB DO THEY THINK WE ARE? Most progressive females that would have voted for Hillary don’t like “perky”. Watch out Cindy, your husband may have just picked his 3rd wife. Maybe she doesn’t know anything about making videos so he had to make her his VP choice so she could travel with him. I don’t know that I believe he has only met her once. Seems to me one politican has alredy tried to con us re: the time line of meeting his mistress.
It is a curious pick considering she has an ethics investigation on going. Trying to fire her ex-brother/law. She reminds me of that woman in Texas that tried to kill the mother of her daughter’s cheerleading rival. They apparently also tried to recall her when she was mayor. She was firing people that didn’t support her enough. It appears she’s a little vindictive.
Alaska may be the largest state land wise in the union, but it’s population is around 800,000. There are more people in Oklahoma City than that.
The story about her labor is suspicious. I read her water broke and she waited until she gave a speech and then left Texas to return home. She also didn’t tell the flight attendents she was having problems. Women with high risk pregnancies don’t fly 1 month before delivery. They don’t ususally get that far away from their Dr’s or hospital. Just traveling, particularly flying, this close to delivery is suspicious. Curious.
Yeah, the Palin pregnancy story is strange, at best it shows horrible judgement….but this was the talk of Alaska way back in the spring…
Honest to goodness, in my own pregnancy, I was wearing old navy size Small at 6 and seven months-and my son was Exactly on target for his growth! It’s a great thing about Alaskan women- we’re too busy to put on tons of weight while pregnant! You’ll really have to dig up a bit more than that.
First, a child with Down’s syndrome is not atypical of an over-40%2
Females under the age of around 19 have many of the same risks during conception and development as a woman over 40. This is due to an immature reproductive system as opposed to an aging reproductive system.
ss wrote: Alaska, with it’s 3 electoral college votes, a real challenge to govern.
Hey, … I’ll give you 3 guesses as to how many electoral college votes are in Joe Biden’s State. !
Chris
[Let's play nice. -- MGMT.]
EdithAnn, there is no increased risk of Down’s syndrome for women under 19.
In fact, the opposite is true.
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000815/825.html
I’ve been reading this site for a few weeks, especially when the Edwards story broke, and felt like sharing what I have found out about this bizarre rumor.
Sue Williams left a comment on MudFlats (http://mudflats.wordpress.com/2008/08/30/off-to-the-land-of-palin/#comments) about the scandal. She lives in Alaska and knows the Palins and said in a comment that Trig is indeed Sarah and Todd’s son. However, she also said that Bristol is currently pregnant and had a shotgun wedding, which may be true since Bristol was sporting a wedding ring at the rally on Thursday and has Trig’s blanket covering her stomach (http://members.aol.com/gregindel/palinfamily1.jpg). Either way, I find it incredibly reckless that this woman got on a plane while she was leaking amniotic fluid. Was she hoping that the baby would get an infection and die?
I didn’t say increased risk of Down’s. I said, there were increased risks due to immature reproductive systems. I’ve worked in hospitals. I’ve seen them and had them explained to me by OBGYN staff. Could be a simple as the uterine wall not being able to sustain a pregnancy or not being able to sustain the hormone levels needed to prevent miscarriage or early delivery. Hormones are as erradic when you first start out as they are during menopause. Trust me, I’ve seen both ends of the story.
ADD: There is always a risk of Down’s. The risk is low in younger women. I have seen parents who are very young and have Down’s babies. Check out your local Special Needs classes in the schools around you. I know one women 20-21, who had twins. One was Down’s and the other wasn’t. There are always risks, they are just lower in some age groups than others. Never say never.
Sarah Palin gave birth to Trig! This story is ridiculous. However, there is a separate rumor that Bristol is pregnant, so maybe that is what gave rise to the crazy rumer that Bristol is Trig’s mother. One note - Sarah was pregnant probably with her oldest child when she got married. She was married on August 29, 1988, and gave birth to Track in April, 1989. None of this should matter. Give her a break.
She was in constant communication with her doctor while in Dallas. If Palin knew she was leaking amniotic fluid, her doctor most likely would have told her to get to the hospital. It sounds like they only later realized she had been leaking fluid (as someone who did leak fluid, it can be very small amounts and not much different than other discharge one can have in pregnancy). And both Palin’s doctor and Palin have said she was NOT in active labor when flying back to Alaska. She was a month early … how did she know it wasn’t just a false alarm? Even when she landed in Alaska, they still had to induce her and her son was born 7 hours later. This is such a non-story. I HATE that I even have to know how she chose to have her son. Oh, and my pregnancy with my daughter was also considered high-risk and I was given doctor’s approval to fly in the 8th month. Move on to discussing issues that matter to this country.
ahh… crap. Okay, I’m a sexist pig.
Having more than 3 kids should disqualify you from becoming president, regardless of whether you are a mother or a father.
We need to get off of her family. She has done enough all by herself to disquailfy her from the VP slot. She reminds me of Harriet Meyers. I wonder when John Mccain will have to cry uncle and replace her. All the arguments being makde by the typical talking heads don’t hold water. They know it. We know it. The ethics investigation alone may bring her down. You don’t use your power as Governer to fire relatives you don’t like or people who disagree with you. That is unless your George Bush. This is so wrong on it’s face that we don’t need to drag a teenager into this. This ticket is more scary than Barry Goldwater. If you don’t remember or are too young, Goldwater promised to drop the bomb. Stated he had no problems with it. Goldwater lost the election. He was a moderate compared to these people. Four years of McCain/Palin or any time with Palin as president and we will be worse off in the country and in the world by at least x4. They will bring the America I’ve been privledged to live my life in totally down. People taxes aren’t the reason we are going down. Our loss of sense of “we” and community is what is dragging us down. Leaders who only represent “their kind” are bringing us down. We need to get back to the center and start repairing our democracy. There is nothing wrong with being educated or thinking before you act. We all teach our children to do this and then critize adult’s who do. Crazy. We had better deal with our infrastructure now, because when it goes down, there won’t be enough money to save us.
You really think Goldwater was moderate compared to McCain? You’re delusional.
Since Palin’s whole political goal is to ensure that her family’s values govern our public school curriculum and government policies, events in her family that mirror social problems of the US do NOT get a free pass.
She wants abstinence-only education in schools. That didn’t even work in her own home. So, what is her new plan to lower pregnancy rates among teenagers (which everyone wants, demo/repub/libert)?
I don’t think the teenager needs to be personally named or vilified; but if it were a Democrat’s daughter, the wolves of the airwaves would have already attacked her mercilessly without stopping to have compassion for her age or situation. She would be painted as the end result of the liberal education system, Hollywood, and separation of church and state. Somehow, when the person being talked about is part of our own family, we become much more compassionate, thoughtful, and forgiving of human nature.
All of you poor, sad, old people who have such a driving need to define yourself by your political party are just plain pitiful. Bless your hearts.
I might vote for McCain just to nullify the vote of Edith Ann, who evidently thinks if you’re “perky” you’re Barry Goldwater, and, like Biden, that McCain chose Palin because she’s cute. Yep, you’re a “progressive female.” Sure.
To get back to the original thread, any clues as to what the Enquirer will report on Sept. 8?
I get it your allowed to call people names but you edit the responses. All I said was: Name calling. Nice. I didn’t cuss, I was just sarcastic. Can’t take it can you.
Cmonster, I AM A PROUD PROGRESSIVE FEMALE. Women fought and were tortured and people died for my right to be treated equal and so I could have a good education and be able to vote. I have a defining need to keep my freedom of speech and choice, although I’m not going to be personally effected by the latter anymore. As a woman, I have the right to life, liberty and the persuit of happiness just like you do. I had the added gift of being able to give live and I value that gift. I don’t believe in abortion. I believe that women have a right to life and when they get into medical trouble in a pregancy the have a right to choose to live. If they don’t, then this ideaology is just using women to produce children and the discarding them when they are no longer useful. Much like we do to our soldiers. Before you go there, at least be willing to sign up and relieve one of the soldiers. If you have, Thank you and the rest of this doesn’t apply to you. I won’t listen to the old “I have better things to do” argument as you slap a sticker on the back of your car. These men and women and their families need real relief. Those who have been at war for 3-4 tours have served their country. Where is their Calvery?
By all means go vote. But vote with your conscience and not to get even with someone you don’t even know. Keep in mind, as Barry Goldwater aged he mellowed and apologized for much of what he did and believed as a younger man.
Also keep in mind, I told you people to get off of this woman’s back re: her pregancy and her daughter. Now stay off of this young girls back. I’ve seen her boyfriend on the net. He’s a real piece of work and may not be there for her. He will miss out if he isn’t there for the mother of his child or the baby.
“this ideaology is just using women to produce children and the discarding them when they are no longer useful. Much like we do to our soldiers.”
As an ex-Marine with 8 years of service and multiple tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq - don’t presume to speak about how we’re treated. And PLEASE don’t start in on that tired argument that anyone who supports the war should sign up to ‘relieve’ us.
Hon, we all served or continue to serve in an entirely VOLUNTEER military. This is not Vietnam. I feel the need to repeat that: this is NOT Vietnam. These soldiers signed up because they wanted to. Many of them signed up after we were involved in one or both of the current wars we’re engaged in - knowing full well what to expect. You may not understand it, but you’re insulting us by insinuating that we need to somehow be ’saved’ by you. We’re soldiers, this is what we were trained to do, and frankly, we’re doing a pretty damn good job at it.
I didn’t sign up to be saved, I signed up to do the saving. I have absolutely no problem fighting for someone who wishes to support the war while working behind a desk at a law firm every day any more than it bothers me fighting for people who say we still napalm villages. That’s the job description: protecting the citizens so they can go about their daily lives in peace. It defeats the purpose if you demand that those citizens join the fight - because then we’re not keeping them out of harms way anymore, are we?
Scott F., I can’t tell you how glad I was to see an ex-marine say that.
I don’t envy the job, there are problems in the military, I don’t agree with a lot of it but that’s a separate issue. But as someone very pro-choice, I’m just not sure how the idea of a woman’s right to choose an abortion to save her own life got equated to “saving” soldiers. A woman and a man both have the right to do with their body what they want to, in my book, whether it’s getting an abortion for *whatever* reason or joining up. Why would thinking a woman get’s to decide about her own body mean that I’m supposed to save soldiers?
A woman can choose to live, a soldier can choose to enlist. Pro-choice at it’s best
Huh?
Scott F. Sorry, from now on I’ll just speak for the Army and Navy members of my family and the friends I have who have been in the military in both Iraqi wars and have informed my views by telling me thier stories. Again, I’m sorry and I will be more specific next time.
Simon: I wrote a short post responding to a tacky comment. It didn’t appear to have been posted, but given my inability to work most of these blogs I could have deleated it.
Edith Ann, I too am a “proud progressive female.” I just don’t get it with the proud progressive females who “work” so loudly for women’s rights yet unleash the poison pen {or keyboard?) against any woman who actually makes progress. Disagreeing with her politics is one thing, but accusing her of faking a pregnancy while holding public office is entirely another. I don’t see much progress there.
Anyway, just getting into the spirit of the site! I don’t know where the rest of the stuff about car stickers and Bristol’s boyfriend came from, but I wish you luck with all of that!
Scott F: It’s good to see you here, man!
In following the Palin story, people seem to be mostly on the “conspiracy” side of this; even if one doesn’t believe there IS a cover-up, it must at least be acknowledged that something odd is going on. There are too many discrepancies in all of the accounts for there NOT to be an alternate explanation. I’d say McCain, by choosing Palin, has just assured himself a loss.
So, you Deceiver guys are republicans…
Because who else could possibly have a problem with any of this, right?
CMONSTER, I’m the one who said get off of her children. There are too many legitimate issues to deal with. I did however read that she cut programs for teen pregnancy in AK. I don’t get the attitude of “prolife” and then they throw the baby and mom under the bus if they don’t have resources. It’s almost like these girls have to be punished. Scarlet A. sort of thing. If we don’t watch it these girls will be thrown out of school again. That will force them into poverty and their children as well. Funny how the males don’t seem to suffer so much. With DNA they can be tagged now. That is until some state legislature passes a law that states boys don’t have to submit to DNA tests. Right to privacy and all.
I keep on reading about Palin “leaking amniotic fluid.” When I was pregnant with my first child, I thought my water might have broken (a high break allows for just a leaking of fluid instead of a low break which is a gush). I had to go to my doctor to have a swab taken & then the swab looked at under a microscope to determine if it was amniotic fluid! There is no way to look at the fluid and tell it is amniotic. It is preposterous to say that someone is leaking amniotic fluid without examining the fluid under a microscope.
Edith Ann, I think in this thread you have established that you are not an obstetrician, a soldier, a pundit, a historian, a competent Web-user, or a person with a command of standard English spelling and grammar, but (with all this talk of “progressive” females amid archaic, female-bashing stereotypes) you do seem to be a hypocrite. You might be confused, but Deceiver is ABOUT hypocrites, not FOR them. Is AOL still around? You might get the hang of that…
I’ve gotta agree with Fortunate Son on this one…
“Edwards’ 3 Month Stragegy:
I’m guessing John admits he was a sex addict, He told Elizabeth the baby was his and she left him, he was in rehab for a month, he’s all better now, Elizabeth’s cancer was rediagnosed even more terrible than before and seh took him back, and he’s ready to assume public office again.”
Ah, I just discovered this site yesterday, and I wanna thank you all for your insight… and the humor… it’s fantastic!
UPDATE: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=awNnIkEpJrVo
Baron Receives Biogen Drug After Clinton Appeals (Update1)
By Laurence Viele Davidson and Bob Van Voris
Oct. 16 (Bloomberg) — Fred Baron, the former finance chairman of John Edwards’s presidential campaign, received a Biogen Idec Inc. drug to treat his blood cancer after pleas by former President Bill Clinton and athlete Lance Armstrong.
Biogen had refused to give Tysabri to Baron, saying it wanted to avoid jeopardizing other patients’ access to the drug. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration worked with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where Baron is being treated, to seek a solution, FDA spokeswoman Karen Riley said earlier today.
“Thanks to the persistence and hard work of so many friends, Fred has received Tysabri,” Baron’s wife, Lisa Blue, said in an e-mailed statement. “The Mayo Clinic working with the FDA found a legal basis for this use. We have every expectation of a positive result.”