Like many Americans, I was both shocked and disappointed to hear about the John Edwards sex scandal. I had just met Edwards in 2005 and admired his efforts to address some of our nation's most urgent concerns, particularly poverty and the broken healthcare system. As I was watching the CNN headlines on Edwards, I experienced a momentary déjà vu, recalling my sentiments a couple years back when Clinton also admitted to having extramarital affairs. I also had and continue to have deep respect for the former president.

While there is certainly no excuse for infidelity, in both the Edwards and Clinton cases, I did have to ask myself, why does this matter to me?

Had Edwards not publicly confessed to cheating on his wife (knowing she was diagnosed with breast cancer), would I still agree with his healthcare policy, and even support the idea of having his as Obama's VP? I continue to speculate the reasons behind Edwards deciding to come forward now, just weeks before the DNC convention and Obama announcing his VP choice. Perhaps he figured it was time to come clean now before someone else i.e. GOP, thus, hurting the DNC/Obama campaign.

The strongest case I can make for why a politician's infidelity becomes our (the constituents') business is the consequent loss of trust. I want a transparent, honest, and faithful government. If a politician is able to cheat on his/her significant other, then I am led to wonder if his personal practices also speak to his professional decisions. The corollary would be that just because a politician doesn't cheat on his/her significant other, doesn't guarantee he/she won't mislead his/her constituents, as we've already witnessed.