GMA 'Forgiveness' Segment Features Sanford and Vitter, Ignores Edwards, Clinton

August 22nd, 2009 9:49 PM

Only one recently-wronged political wife—Elizabeth Edwards—has written a book discussing her ordeal.  But in its segment today on "forgiveness," Good Morning America ignored John Edwards and his wandering ways.  When it came to polyamorous politicans, ABC focused exclusively—surprise!—on two Republicans: Mark Sanford and David Vitter.

The release of the Libyan Lockerbie murderer, the Manson murders anniversary and the re-entry into the NFL of Michael Vick were the jumping-off points for the segment. But when politics popped up, the only examples bore the GOP label . . .

BILL WIER: We want to take a look now at a topic that has come up a lot in recent weeks: forgiveness.  From the release of the Pan Am bomber to the anniversary of the Manson murders, the return of Michael Vick, people have been talking quite a bit about how and when it is OK to forgive.

. . .

RON CLAIBORNE: To forgive or not is one of life's most difficult decisions. A drama usually played out in private, but sometimes publicly, and controversially.

Cut to clip of Mark Sanford saying he let his family down.

CLAIBORNE: This summer South Carolina governor Mark Sanford admitted to having an affair with an Argentinian women. His wife Jenny eventually moved out, with the couple's children. The wife of Louisiana senator David Vitter, caught dallying with a prostitute, chose to forgive.

So what did Claiborne say about John Edwards' incipient admission of paternity of the child born to his lover, and his wife's book discussing the subject? And how did ABC portray Hillary's handling of the ultimate philanderer-in-chief?  Surely you jest.