John Edwards’ political career began after the death of his first child. Will it end after the birth of another child?

A once-strong Edwards supporter posed that question the other day. She, like other supporters, is nervous about the “love child” story.

Edwards said it’s “tabloid trash.” That’s not enough. If the story is not true, Edwards must make a stronger statement: “The story is not true. The child is not mine. I will take legal action unless the Enquirer withdraws the allegation and apologizes.”

The lack of a strong denial feeds suspicions. It can’t go on. Soon the media will stake out his house.

The N&O and Charlotte Observer dipped their toes in the water last week. They ran stories about Edwards avoiding comment and about the baby’s birth certificate not naming a father. Then both the N&O and the Observer ran pieces explaining why they have not featured the story.

The question of how to treat the matter soon will be academic. The story – which has been ricocheting around the blogs – is about to explode into the Big Media.

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