The National Enquirer reporters who broke the John Edwards mistress-and-love-child rendevous story now have filed a criminal complaint against hotel security staff who shooed them away from the Democratic ex-senator. Fox News follows up by interviewing the security guard:

The guard said he escorted Edwards, who was not a registered guest at the hotel, out of the building after 2 a.m.

Just a meeting with an esteemed associate. In a hotel room. At 2 a.m. Happens all the time, right? Business as usual. Nothing to see here. These are not the droids you’re looking for. Move along.

UPDATE: The Los Angeles Times reportedly has banned its bloggers from discussing the National Enquirer story about Edwards because, an editor says, the newspaper has “decided not to cover the rumors or salacious speculations.” However, as Greg Pollowitz of National Review notes, this aversion to “salacious speculations” has not stopped the LA Times from passing along gossip that accuses Sarah Jessica Parker’s husband, Matthew Broderick, of having an affair with a 25-year-year-old redhead. The rule seems to be that tabloid trash is only legitimate if it involves movie stars, not Democratic politicians. One of these days, when some Democratic politician has an affair with a movie star, the LA Times will face an ethical dilemma trying to decide which gossip standard applies.