North Carolina Paper Publishes Birth Certificate of John Edwards' Alleged Love Child

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

Drawing a Blank

The Charlotte Observer has obtained the birth certificate of Frances Quinn Hunter, who the National Enquirer says is the love child of former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards and his alleged mistress Rielle Hunter. But, the certificate does not identify a father — even though the baby was born more than two months after former Edwards campaign Finance Director Andrew Young claimed that he was the father.

The National Enquirer reported last week that Edwards visited Hunter — and the child — at a hotel in California on July 21. The Enquirer says Edwards was cornered by reporters that night as he was trying to leave the hotel. He then hid in a restroom and FOX News confirmed that Edwards later escaped with the help of a security guard.

Economical with the Truth?

Part of Barack Obama's platform is to fight lobbyists and forgo their contributions. But Roll Call reports that Senate and House records indicate more than 40 lobbyists have donated nearly $15,000 to Obama's campaign this year.

The Obama camp says it has not changed its stance on such contributions. Spokesman Tommy Vietor told Roll Call that contributors are asked to indicate whether they are federally registered lobbyists. He says, "When these voluntary measures fail, we also check contributions against a database and decline or return all contributions from federally registered lobbyists."

Despite those measures, Roll Call says only two of the 42 registered lobbyists who donated to Obama have had their donations returned. And others say that since their initial donation, requests have been made for additional funds.

Fat Chance

Is Barack Obama too skinny to be president? The Wall Street Journal reports that in a country where 66 percent of the electorate is overweight and 32 percent is obese, his thin frame could be a liability.

Diana Koenig, who says she voted for Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary, told The Journal, "He needs to put some meat on his bones." And another Clinton supporter wrote on an online political message board, "I won't vote for a beanpole guy."

The Journal lists Obama at 6 feet 1 ½ inches and weighing between 170 and 180 pounds — a little less than the 190 average for his height. John McCain is listed at 5 feet 7 inches and 165 pounds — slightly above average.

The Journal says the last seriously overweight president was 335-pound William Taft, who was elected in 1908.

Code of Conduct

China's Capital Spiritual Civilization Construction Commission has released a booklet instructing Beijing residents how to behave during the upcoming Olympic Games. The Scotsman newspaper reports the booklet was sent to four million households.

In it, citizens are told not to quiz tourists on religion or politics and not to wear more than three colors at a time. Handshakes should last no longer than three seconds. And pajamas should not be worn in public -- it is common for elderly Beijing residents to wear pajamas when visiting neighbors.

The guide also recommends dark socks and says that white socks should never be worn with black shoes. And when standing, one's feet should be in a V-shape.

— FOX News Channel's Zachary Kenworthy contributed to this report.