edwards coming clean

[Azazello1313]

I don't much care if a politician cheats on their spouse, especially since it's obviously par for the course. it gets a little more tawdry, in edwards case, with his babymomma getting hush money, along with the guy who bravely stepped in to be the "real father". but even that is probably par for the course, not really worth getting worked up over for a guy who is no longer running for anything. mostly I'm just glad we don't have to listen to the populist ambulance-chasing dbag spout his two americas nonsense at the convention.

[CaP'N GRuNGe]

proof? admission? link?

 

He cheated on his first wife with Cindy.

[whomper]

Choosing who to vote for is like trying to pick up a turd by the clean end.

 

 

Polk, Did you make that up ? Thats friggin awesome.

[dmarc117]

He cheated on his first wife with Cindy.

 

 

that was love.

[I Like Soup]

Choosing who to vote for is like trying to pick up a turd by the clean end.

 

F'n classic.

 

Can I use that?

[yo mama]

does el diablo sound better?

Only if you're secretly Bumble Bee Man.

[Savage Beatings]

It's Friday at the Huddle, you could have at least used the letter "u" in the thread title.

[Ursa Majoris]

that was love.

True, same as Newt cheating on his dying wife. That was love too.

[Double Agent]

He cheated on his first wife with Cindy.

 

When you're a war hero you don't cheat...you occupy.

[Jimmy Neutron]

Cheating on a spouse is bad enough, but when she's battling cancer? What a low-life. Kinda puts all of those lovey-dovey interviews with the Edwards' about her 2nd bout with cancer into perspective.

[Pope Flick]

proof? admission? link?

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/na...61.story?page=1

In his 2002 memoir, "Worth the Fighting For," McCain wrote that he had separated from Carol before he began dating Hensley.

 

"I spent as much time with Cindy in Washington and Arizona as our jobs would allow," McCain wrote. "I was separated from Carol, but our divorce would not become final until February of 1980."

 

An examination of court documents tells a different story. McCain did not sue his wife for divorce until Feb. 19, 1980, and he wrote in his court petition that he and his wife had "cohabited" until Jan. 7 of that year -- or for the first nine months of his relationship with Hensley.

 

Although McCain suggested in his autobiography that months passed between his divorce and remarriage, the divorce was granted April 2, 1980, and he wed Hensley in a private ceremony five weeks later. McCain obtained an Arizona marriage license on March 6, 1980, while still legally married to his first wife.

[CaP'N GRuNGe]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/na...61.story?page=1

 

He had to move quickly to lock down that beer inheritance money.

[Bill Swerski]

Cheating on a spouse is bad enough, but when she's battling cancer? What a low-life. Kinda puts all of those lovey-dovey interviews with the Edwards' about her 2nd bout with cancer into perspective.

 

It's easy to adopt this attitude, but the truth is that marriages are complicated and marital stress (like, say, cancer) can lead to bad decisions. I'm sure that being held captive and tortured in a POW camp for 5/12 years put a crapload of stress on McCain's first marriage, and it was likely compounded by his first wife being seriously injured in an auto accident during this time as well. Unless I see a pattern of serial cheating (e.g., Clinton), I have a difficult time characterizing somebody as a scumbag.

 

That said, I also have to disagree with attitudes like this...

 

They also have women climbing to get after them all the time. They aren't running for monk. It's irrelevant where they put their dick.

 

I don't much care if a politician cheats on their spouse, especially since it's obviously par for the course.

 

While we obviously want high-ranking politicians to be technically-effective, character matters. Competence without character = Nixon. Sadly, the majority of the people seeking high office in this country tend to be the type who think that they're above the rules. And I'm not going to lower the bar because of it.

[Ursa Majoris]

While we obviously want high-ranking politicians to be technically-effective, character matters. Competence without character = Nixon. Sadly, the majority of the people seeking high office in this country tend to be the type who think that they're above the rules. And I'm not going to lower the bar because of it.

There's a long list of presidents and other high ranking politicos that have had extra marital affairs. Doesn't make them Nixon (who, as far as I know, DIDN'T have extra-marital affairs).

[I Like Soup]

While we obviously want high-ranking politicians to be technically-effective, character matters. Competence without character = Nixon.

I believe Nixon's foreign policy/policies were considered a strength of his and he was one of the better presidents in that regard.

[Bill Swerski]

There's a long list of presidents and other high ranking politicos that have had extra marital affairs. Doesn't make them Nixon (who, as far as I know, DIDN'T have extra-marital affairs).

 

You're missing my point. The politician (or person, in general) who makes a mistake and has ONE affair isn't a bad person in my mind. I know a couple of people of generally high character who've had an affair. The person who acts like a scumbag repeatedly (which is not limited to having an affair) is the bad person.

[godtomsatan]

I believe Nixon's foreign policy/policies were considered a strength of his and he was one of the better presidents in that regard.

 

Beyond China and Russia, I'm not so sure of that, but I get what the Rock is cooking right there.

[yo mama]

While we obviously want high-ranking politicians to be technically-effective, character matters. Competence without character = Nixon. Sadly, the majority of the people seeking high office in this country tend to be the type who think that they're above the rules. And I'm not going to lower the bar because of it.

I generally agree with you. The problem is that human beings are inherently flawed. We all have weaknesses in our character and to expect anyone - including politicians - to rise to the level of near perfection is simply unrealistic. The issue then becomes, which flaws are tolerable and which aren't. Unfortunately, our country is not of one mind in that regard. There is no universal ranking system for which character flaws are worse then others. Plus, we have a media and sizable portion of the citizenry that is unwilling to forgive a candidate for PAST indiscretions even if they are honest about it. Given that environment, is it really a surprise that would-be public officials lie about this stuff?

[Savage Beatings]

Character doesn't matter when the guy in question is fighting for the causes that you support, but character is the be-all and end-all of someone who is considered a political opponent. We pick and choose our moral indignation based upon common ideology... that's just about as disgusting as cheating on your dying wife.

[dmarc117]

question for the dems........

 

if he had won the nomination, would you want to step down now? and if so would it be just becasue he might lose the election or because of the nature of his mistake?

[yo mama]

question for the dems........

 

if he had won the nomination, would you want to step down now? and if so would it be just becasue he might lose the election or because of the nature of his mistake?

No, I wouldn't want him to step down because he had an affair, especially if he were honest about it, and especially if it was a past affair. Now, if he'd lied about a *current* affair then I'd have a different opinion.

[Azazello1313]

While we obviously want high-ranking politicians to be technically-effective, character matters. Competence without character = Nixon. Sadly, the majority of the people seeking high office in this country tend to be the type who think that they're above the rules. And I'm not going to lower the bar because of it.

 

it's not that I don't think it matters, and in many circumstances I think does reveal a basic lack of character. each circumstance is different, you never know what's going on between two people and it isn't always our place to judge, but yeah, usually when someone cheats they are not someone I have much regard for. but personally, chit I'd be happy if if they'd just stop the bald-faced lying about it, paying out hush money, using their influence to cover things up, etc. when people find out, just sack up and own your mistake without any lies and I, for one, am probably not going to hold it against you too much.

[Bill Swerski]

The problem is that human beings are inherently flawed. We all have weaknesses in our character and to expect anyone - including politicians - to rise to the level of near perfection is simply unrealistic.

 

Seriously, look at the vast corruption in Washington and the general lack of character in the people that we elect (I'm not talking about marital infidelity here). It's not about expecting a "level of near perfection." It's about expecting politicians to not lie and cheat their way to the top, and then take kickbacks when they get there. A large fraction of those people don't even measure up to my next-door neighbor. I don't know about you, but I expect a little more than technical competence from a Congressman, Senator, or the Leader of the Free World.

[polksalet]

Polk, Did you make that up ? Thats friggin awesome.

 

I modified the clean end turd thing from something I heard years ago but I guess it is kind of original.

[polksalet]

F'n classic.

 

Can I use that?

 

sho