National Enquirer Wants Pulitzer for Edwards Story

Now that John Edwards has admitted to being the father of Rielle Hunter's baby, the National Enquirer would like some recognition—preferably in the form of a Pulitzer. "It's clear we should be a contender for this," executive editor Barry Levine tells Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post. "There is vindication, finally. Mr. Edwards kept the story alive much longer than it needed to be kept alive with his denials. He has only himself to blame."

The Enquirer scooped the mainstream media on both the news of Edwards' affair with Hunter and the fact that he had fathered a girl by her. Edwards admitted to the affair in 2008 but dismissed the paternity claims as something "published in a supermarket tabloid"—until today. Still, a Pulitzer is probably a long shot, notes Kurtz. The award will honor journalism from 2009, and the Enquirer's major reports came in 2007 and 2008.
(More John Edwards lovechild stories.)