ALSO: UK Daily Mail Says “Scandal Hurting Barack Obama”

Thursday Evening Speculation Time:

Is Fred Baron, a wealthy trial lawyer from Dallas, TX and finance chair of John Edwards’ 2008 presidential campaign, the “hush money” man the National Enquirer says “funneled payments to mistress, Rielle Hunter, and former worker, Andrew Young?

The Enquirer left a trail of clues in its latest print edition to its on-line story [THE PHOTOS EVERYONE'S BEEN WAITING FOR!, to the ID of the "hush money" man.

Could it be Fred Baron, like John Edwards, a wealthy trial attorney?

ALSO at DBKP: Click on banner to access over 60 DBKP stories and videos on the John Edwards scandal.

Radar has already started the speculation:How about Fred Baron, retired millionaire Dallas personal injury lawyer?

Radar has also speculated that it might be retired Dallas Mavericks coach, Don Nelson.

[W]hat about Denver Mavericks Coach Don Nelson as Edwards’ money man?

His wife and Elizabeth Edwards are both cancer survivors.

One guess: Barron seems much more likely.

(AS Doug Ross [Rumors Run Wild: Is Fred Baron the Wallet for John Edwards Scandal] points out,

How close is Baron to Edwards? In January, CreativeYouth speculated that indictments could be in the cards:

Bundler Fred Baron, a prominent attorney and friend, has provided Edwards with the use of his private private plane, a Raytheon Hawker 800. Does this in-kind donation exceed campaign finance limits?

That would be a convenient way transport a mistress and secret love child from coast to coast (would one be so inclined).

Doug has also compiled a “Quick Study” look at Fred Baron in his piece.

According to the Wall St. Journal: Have You Registered to Sue? The Floridification of American politics.

Democrats are certain to outgun the Republicans in the legal arms race. One reason they were able to deploy 10,000 lawyers is the tight connection they enjoy with the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. This year, ATLA became the largest single contributor to federal candidates, almost exclusively to Democrats. Fred Baron, a recent ATLA president, told a seminar in July that he objected to an editorial in this paper claiming that “the plaintiffs bar is all but running the Senate.” He pointed to the editorial and said, “Now I really, strongly disagree with that. Particularly the ‘all but.’”

In last week’s edition of the story, the Enquirer also left a few clues: [EDWARDS' HU$H MONEY TO MISTRESS]

“A super-rich pal – who was closely involved with the campaign finances – is helping John. It’s likely this man doesn’t know all the dirty details of John’s extramarital affair, but is acting out of loyalty and is not asking a lot of questions – only writing the checks,” revealed a source very close to the situation.

Is Fred Baron the John Edwards’ “hush money” man? We will flatly state that we don’t know–yet.

We’re sure further clues will be released to whet the interest of anyone in the media wishing to investigate the scandal–something that has so far proved hard to do.

Another guess: this won’t be the end of the speculation.

NOTE:
Doug Ross has an interesting proposition for the Vegas-minded: “My over-under date for Edwards to come clean is August 24.”

Interesting…but isn’t that right before the Denver convention?

Won’t the Democrats put incredible pressure on Edwards before then?

NOTE #2:
You know the story’s getting some traction when the nightly comics are hammering it.
Jay Leno: “It’s been rumored that John Edwards is paying his mistress $15,000 a month.
$15,000 a month!

No word on how much the Mainstream Media is getting”

The U.K. Daily Mail is already speculating that the John Edwards love child rumours threaten the Barack Obama presidential campaign.

The paper quotes, “Party organisers are furious that Mr Edwards – a major Democrat figure – has refused to deny that he is the father of Rielle Hunter’s daughter Frances.”

Barack Obama’s supporters yesterday tried to distance him from a potentially damaging sex scandal.

His possible running mate John Edwards faced renewed suggestions that he had a love child.

Mr Edwards was ordered to come clean on rumours of an affair with a campaign aide or stay away from the party.

The stakes are getting higher for John Edwards–and now, the Democrat party.

by Mondoreb