People Magazine

Rielle Hunter, the classy lady who slept with another woman's husband -- a woman who had cancer and whose husband was a presidential contender, just can't seem to keep her mouth shut or her clothes on.

Problem is, Elizabeth Edwards -- the wronged wife -- hasn't told her friends and family to keep their mouths shut either.

Given her history in the political spotlight, Elizabeth Edwards knows better than to make comments to the media on a story like Hunter's GQ interview and photo spread. By now, her friends and family should know better too.

Of course it's painful for her to see her husband's mistress wearing nothing but a shirt, posing among the toys belonging to the child he fathered. Of course it's painful for her to read Hunter's views of the Edwardses now-crumbling marriage. Of course she wants to defend herself.

It's natural that she would have shared her personal reaction to the GQ piece with those close to her. But what she should have reminded them was that they shouldn't share her reaction -- or their own -- with the media. Defending the history of a marriage that's now in tatters makes no sense. Rielle Hunter may very well be delusional, as Edwards' sister commented to People magazine, but a simple "no comment" would have kept the glare of the spotlight off Edwards and on Hunter, with her thoughtless statements and ridiculous photos.

Instead, we're back to "she said" vs. "she said" and John Edwards is getting off scot-free.

Personally, I'd like to see him get back on the defensive. Rielle's no saint, and I'm sure Elizabeth's not perfect either, but John is the common factor on both sides of this mess. When is he going to muster up the courage to set the record straight?

As long as these two women and their respective allies are willing to volley back and forth, probably never.