Patterson is sworn in, admits affairs

Not what I'm saying at all. As far as we know, he didn't break the law in the process of cheating on his wife. Spitzer did.

But to say this isn't a story at all? That's just ridiculous.

 

Um, I don't see where I was denigrating your point of view. You disagree with me, I disagree with you. Nothing personal, it's just business.

You feel that this is an issue of trust and integrity. To me, trust and integrity are two of those slogans that get tossed around and twisted by people trying to gain a political advantage and distract voters from the real problems this country is facing.

What I said was that no politician is perfect. We are all human, and we make mistakes. You say that it is a story because it boils down to integrity. The thing is, anything can boil down to integrity, whether it's stretching the truth to go to war on another country, or to drive 57 miles an hour in a 55 zone. It's a matter of perspective. I'd rather have a politician who cheats on his wife, but is working so that every kid has a full stomach than a pol who is faithful to his wife, but ignores the hungry kids.

That, to me, is what this boils down to. Patterson knew that his enemies would dig in his past,then try to use it to undermine him, so he gave them the premptive strike. Now, they can rant all they want about how immoral a person he is, and he can make himself look above the fray by working hard to govern the state. What I'd wish for, is that people start telling their pols, "Stop it with the sex stuff, what are you going to do to fix this country?"

 

When you try to pass off my interest what I and others have to say as some frivilous crap like the coverage Britney Spears, I do think that denegrates my point of view just a bit.

I can't even believe that I have to argue that this is newsworth on a site for journalists. Hell, he made it news. He came forward. And it wasn't some great need to be honest with the people. He said he didn't want it hanging over his head. He said he didn't want to be compromised by keeping secrets. And I'm sure he felt it was the right thing to do politically at this point as well.

Again, I like Paterson. I'm not for a second suggesting that he resign. But this does tell us something about the new governor. Just because some of us assume everybody does bad things doesn't mean it stops being news when a person in the public eye does something bad. It is news, if for no other reason than because he chose to make it news.

 

Yes, he came forward.
Yes, it was news.
Yesterday.
It has no bearing on his fitness for office. None.

 

I believe that's "proveaby" in the JDV stylebook.

 

I'm not saying it's not news. What I am saying is that it shouldn't be news in this day and age. Unfortunatly, there are still plenty of people who, rather than examining the issues and beliefs of each politician, focuses on whether or not a candidate wears a flag pin on his suit, whether or not they made a poorly thought-out joke, or how faithful he is to his wife.

 

That is my problem with your argument. You keep lumping this in with fashion choices, bad lines in speeches or the fascination with the pop star of the moment. It's different. He made a promise and he broke it.

We absolutely should focus a good bit of our attention on issues and actual decisions while in office when we evaluate a politician. And that is really what we are talking about here, our evaluation of this man. But we can't just do that. We don't even know all of the issues that could come up while he is in office.

So we do have to consider character, an overall opinion of the person, as well as their stance on the issues. And that is where things like this come in. He didn't just wear an ugly tie or say something that made him sound bad. He made a vow and broke it. Maybe that is in his past. Maybe we all break so many promises it doesn't matter. But it's definitely more relevant than whether or not Britney shaved her head again.

Again, the governor of New York was forced to resign due to a sex scandal, and rightfully so because in Spitzer's case he was breaking the law. It doesn't matter whether or not it is a stupid law. I happen to think it is a stupid law. But we don't get to choose which laws we obey and which we don't. We can either live by them, get them changed or pay the price.

In the wake of something like that, having Spitzer's replacement come out and announce his own marital infidelities is a story. And it should be.

 

I wonder if Obama's pastor will accuse him of "ridin' dirty!!!!"

 

Hey, never underestimate a blind man's ability to get himself some strange - look at Ray Charles.
I had a blind uncle who had quite an extramarital way with the ladies, too.

 

Hey, once you go blind you never go back.

Wait, that didn't come out right...

 

I don't mind blind dudes getting plenty of action, I just think it's wrong of them to hog all the good-lookin' women.

What do they care? That's just selfish.