Wikipedians are grappling with the story of John Edwards and his "love child." The usual arguments of "liberal bias" are floating around, but it seems reasonable to question a story that is only being reported by two media outlets: The National Enquirer and Fox News.

The issue at hand seems to be "verifiability." What constitutes a "verifiable" fact? This is Wikipedia's threshold for what can be included in an article. If it can be cited, it can (in most cases) be included in the article. But what about a story that is just simmering below the surface? A story that is only being reported by two sources, one of which is a tabloid and another which seems to have a very distinct political agenda?

Currently, the John Edwards article references the scandal this way:

On June 15, 2008, Edwards stepped back from his initial outright denial of interest in the position of the Vice President, saying, ”I’d take anything he asks me to think about seriously, but obviously this is something that I’ve done and it’s not a job I’m seeking." On June 20, 2008, The Associated Press reported that according to a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, the names of Edwards and Sam Nunn are on Obama's vice presidential shortlist. In July 2008, several news media outlets speculated that Edwards' chances for the vice presidency were harmed by allegations published in The National Enquirer that he had fathered a child outside his marriage, and that he had recently visited the child's mother at the Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. When questioned, Edwards stated "I've responded, consistently, to these tabloid allegations by saying I don't respond to these lies and you know that."

This seems to be a legitimate reference of the alleged scandal. If the scandal has become part of the discussion of Edwards' VP chances, then its inclusion in the article makes sense. Still, it could also be that such a mention of the story is a backdoor way for opponents to smear Edwards. The three publications that have speculated that this scandal is affecting Edwards Veep chances are all UK publications. It's important to note that the dividing line between "tabloid" and "newspaper" is much different in the U.S. than it is in the UK (though, that line is blurring here in the U.S. every day.)

This is a story that I'll keep an eye on - if the scandal blows up, this short mention of Edwards' alleged affair will expand considerably.