It's hard to believe, we know, but it's out there so we can't ignore it: Is it possible that a lobbyist and a politician found themselves in bed together, even once?

The lobbyist in question is claiming drinks were involved (when you see him, you'll understand why that probably was essential).

The politician? South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley, who is the frontrunner in the Republican primary. The married candidate already is fighting allegations that she slept with a conservative blogger. Now well-known lobbyist and political consultant Larry Merchant is claiming he got a piece of that, too. But only once, after a night of drinking.

Haley is running to succeed Mark ('I wanted to do something exotic") Sanford, who you may recall has had some sexcapade problems of his own.

Next?

        

As a federal grand jury investigates whether John Edwards committed crimes in connection with his affair with Rielle Hunter, the former Democratic presidential candidate reportedly is thinking about fessing up to fathering Hunter's 19-month-old father.

We'll have the video when it becomes available.

        

After a week of cover ups, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford confessed Wednesday that he hasn't really been away hiking the Appalachian Trail as his staff had told reporters. Instead, he admitted in a nationally televised press conference, he was shacked up in South America with his Argentinian paramour.

Sanford earlier had told a reporter for the State newspaper of Columbia, S.C., that he'd planned to go hiking but then changed his mind and decided to go to Argentina because "I wanted to do something exotic."

In the press conference he admitted he was "doing" a woman with whom he's been having an affair for the past year.

Sanford, who is married, had been considered a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2012.

        

 

 

 

 

 

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You would expect the chief justice of the United States Supreme Court to know how to swear in a new President — the words of the oath are written into the Constitution, after all. But Chief Justice John Roberts slipped up a bit.

First, Barack Obama, who technically became President a few minutes earlier — the transfer of power happened automatically at noon — jumped the gun a bit, starting to recite the first line before Roberts had finished saying it. Then Roberts slightly mangled a bit of the speech, referring to "the office of President to the United States." He also misplaced the word "faithfully."

Obama started to recite the words then stopped, casting a look at Roberts that essentially said: "Wanna try that again?" Then they got it right.

The video above captures the moment.

Here is a transcript of the swearing in.

        

After performing the traditional Thanksgiving ceremonial function of sparing a turkey's life, Sarah Palin cheerfully chews the fat with reporters as a blood-splattered worker slaughters turkeys right behind her.

Sweet.

        

Combine the 24-hour news cycle with unprecedented competitive pressures and shrinking newroom staffs and what do you get?

You get MSNBC's David Shuster naming a fictitious source for all the recent high-profile Sarah-Palin-is-an-ignorant-diva stories and then interviewing real political campaign strategists about the revelation.

Shuster aired the report based on an entry found on a blog that, according to the New York Times, was created by Hollywood writers to pitch a TV show.

Now both Shuster's report and the Times' reporting about the hoax have become grist for the hoaxer's blog. This TV show is getting plenty of free pre-publicity.





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John Edwards admits his affair on ABC's Nightline but denies fathering a love child in an apparently well-rehearsed presentation in which he frames his affair the way he wants it to be seen.

        

A breaking news report about John Edwards admitting he cheated on his wife after lying about it for months.

        

Apparently, John Edwards misspoke when he dismissed National Enquirer reports as "full of lies." He did it right after telling a reporter he'd be happy to serve his country in whatever capacity Barack Obama wants, whether in the campaign or in the administration.