Update, 12:50 p.m.: Ben Smith, author of the item offers an apology to readers. 

“We have no intention of cowering in the corner,” John Edwards just said during the sad, sad announcement that Elizabeth Edwards’ cancer has returned and cannot be cured.

Politico had posted this wrong headline this morning: “Edwards to Suspend Campaign” with the following wrong, wrong, wrong details:

John Edwards is suspending his campaign for President, and may drop out completely, because his wife has suffered a recurrence of the cancer that sickened her in 2004, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, an Edwards friend told The Politico.

“At a minimum he’s going to suspend” the campaign, the source said. “Nobody knows precisely how serious her recurrence is. It’ll be another couple of days before there’s complete clarity.”

“For him right now he has one priority which is her health and the security of the two young children,” said the friend.

As for the campaign, “You don’t shut this machine off completely, but everything will go on hold.”