American Values Alliance | Practical voice for progressive values
Just as the people of New York were set to move on after the bombshell revelations of sexual infidelity, trafficking in prostitution and money monkey business were laid at the feet of former Wonder Boy, Eliot Spitzer, we have another man at a podium looking sincere and another woman standing beside him looking aggrieved.
This from the New York Times:
The day after he was sworn in to replace a governor who left office in disgrace because of a prostitution scandal, Gov. David A. Paterson admitted that he had had relationships with women other than his wife, including one who is on the state payroll.
Yipes! Newly minted Governor David Patterson, barely one day in office, has now joined a sordid crew of philanders that includes former President Bill Clinton; rising conservative star Louisiana Sen. David Vitter (who was connected with the ("D.C. Madame"), Senator Larry Craig (who tapped out some proto-gay Morse code in a bathroom stall and then tried to bully his way out of a charge of...well, I'm not sure what they were trying to charge him with to this day), and former Governor Jim McGreevy who just days after his wife wrote a scathing article in the New York Times decrying the pressure for women to "stand by their men" may have participated in at least one threesome with her former husband and a male paramour. To Paterson's credit, he and his wife both strayed, taking their woes to counseling:
“I betrayed a commitment to my wife several years ago,” Mr. Paterson said with his wife at his side. “And I do not feel I’ve betrayed my commitment to the citizens of New York State. I haven’t broken any laws. I don’t think I’ve violated my oath of office. I saw this as a private matter. But both of us committed acts of infidelity.”
Why, then if it was all in the past, did he admit to several acts of infidelity? "I didn't want to be blackmailed," Governor Paterson commented. Doesn't explain why he chucked his wife under the bus, outing her as well.
Now, jump over to Detroit where embattled mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick, who has been denying allegations of sexual impropriety (meaning, they were banging each other) with his chief of staff may have run afoul of whistleblower protections in a lawsuit that's already cost the beleaguered city over $9 million. Their smoky text messages have been released and are fodder for Penthouse Letters (not, um, like I read that kind of stuff...). He's essentially said to the city council (after a 7-1 no confidence vote) "You're going to have to drag my ass out of here" quickly rejecting their admonitions for him to resign.
Some tips for pols and aspiring pols seem to be in order (by the by, here's where my brother's just called to ask "What the farging hell is going on out there?!" and to suggest that Paterson may set another record as the mayor more quickly removed from office):
This is the kind of day where anything can happen...and is. Hell, we're still burning daylight so there's plenty of room for more shenanigans.
Lalita Amos's blog | login or register to post comments
For Governor Patterson I think the concept would best be described as starting out with a clean slate. Obviously, there is quite a bit of pruient interest in seeing people like Eliot Spitzer get caught with his pants down. After listening to his vitriol and self-righteousness for a couple of years, I'm sure that few tears were shed besides those of Eliot and Silda Spitzer.
I currently believe that former Governor McGreevy is manuevering in a divorce suit, hence the salacious accusations against his soon-to-be ex-wife. I really don't credit that as having any truth, just yet. For the rest, what was that guy thinking? I don't know.
For Mayor Kilpatrick, as I can hardly credit that the Mayor believes that anyone doesn't believe the accusations against him, but an effort to remove him from office isn't a slamdunk. Malfeasance is just one of those more fuzzy concepts that likely will get muddied up in the media.
Hard to tell what anyone in particular is going to do while they're in office. Some, seem to be able to serve out their life of public service without untoward incident, some can't. I'm not sure that it is endemic to politics, in and of itself, but rather from some personal behavior pattern that lies dormant until circumstances present themselves.
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