Every day provides possibilities for new insights. So what have we learned today?
South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford apparently forgot who Wilbur Mills was. Now his career is floating face down in the Rio de la Plata. Better to know this about Gov. Sanford now, before he ran for President. At a minimum, I don't think it's too much to expect a governor to be able to govern his zipper. I don't know if Sanford's Argentine mistress was as, shall we say, flamboyant as Fanne Foxe (pictured here), but I'm guessing we'll find out soon enough. Good riddance.
I think we already knew this, but John Kerry is one of the worst joke-tellers on the planet. And he's a nasty piece of work, too. Try this one-liner from Sen. Shecky, discussing l'affaire Sanford:
“Too bad,’’ Kerry said, “if a governor had to go missing it couldn’t have been the governor of Alaska. You know, Sarah Palin.’’
The Democratic-centric crowd laughed.
Comedy gold, no? For a guy who is supposedly more nuanced than his opponent in 2004, this guy seems to be lacking a little bit of what's the word, discretion? Common sense? Je ne sais quoi? But the good news is that this probably gets ol' Dave Letterman off the hook.
What is worse? Inviting a bunch of thugs to a barbecue, or rescinding the invitation even though the thugs planned to blow you off anyway? Well, perhaps President Obama can invite a different thug to dinner. Well, maybe we should wait for independent confirmation on that last link, considering it's from Al Jazeera. Oh, wait: here it is. Maybe Chavez can put in a good word with the mullahs on Obama's behalf.
(h/t: Allahpundit)
6 comments:
Sanford's affair shouldn't preclude him from being president, in fact in some circles, it qualifies him to be president. Slick Willie didn't resign did he?
What's up with affairs of prominent republicans being outed lately? It can't be defended and they have no one to blame but themselves, but you can't tell me that there are democrats out there doing the same? Perhaps it's a coindidence....
Nope, it can't be defended. It is beyond the pale and makes me sick.
On the other hand, if some liberal (like the letter writer to the Star Tribune this morning) starts making generalizations about hypocritical Republicans, then I feel it entirely within my rights to inquire as to where they got their lobotomy and how it feels to be smarter than their friends.
"....you know, Sarah Palin."
As Letterman can tell Kerry, if you have to explain a joke it's just not funny.
I am a recovering addict who has done some pretty horrible things in my day that I am not proud of, and am pretty certain I am going to have to atone for some day. So I try really hard not to indulge shadenfreud in situations involving innocents (family members), because I hate to think how bad life would be for me if I ever got what I deserved. So I have nothing but compassion and empathy for the Sanford family. They are going through something I wouldn't wish on anyone.
And, while I am not defending the jackasses who are ganging up on Sanford right now, you have to acknowledge that the reason so many Conservatives get called out on this kind of thing is the same reason that Liberals get called out when they violate the core principles of their political leanings. Sanford and Ensign getting picked on by Libs really isn't much different than you all calling Al Gore to task for flying around the country in a Private Jet and living in a home with the largest carbon footprint in central Tennessee while lecturing people about global warming; It's called hypocrisy. People hate hypocrites.
So when you have publicly lambasted other adulterers (Vitter, Sanford, Ensign, Haggard vis-a-vis Clinton), made a very public showing of your piety by being a Promise Keeper, sucking up to values voters, and demonizing gays. When you have prosecuted johns and/or made your name on the backs of other folks illegal activities while committing many yourself (Spitzer), or cheated on your wife while running for President, while she is fighting a very public battle with Cancer, the blowback when you get caught is going to be fierce. It doesn't matter which side of the aisle you are on. This is especially true if you actually committ an illegal act in the process.
Lastly, Vitter is still in office, Larry Craig wasn't forced out or prosecuted, Mark Foley left of his own volition, and Newt Gingrich left his position as Speaker, but was not forced out of Congress. But Hart, Spitzer, Edwards and McGreevey all left their jobs, and are pretty much done in elective office. So I really don't see a double standard, and I think you guys are spending too much time in your echo chamber. This stuff is like the Sword of Damocles. It cuts both ways. And it is all settled real-time, and depends on how good your handlers are, the public mood, and many other intangibles.
My 2 cents.
Rich
That wasn't two cents, Rich. That was a quarter.
I understand your argument and don't dispute any of it. Doesn't have a lot to do with the post I put up, but that's okay, because some of the other commenters brought the topics up.
Frankly, I have no interest in keeping score of the number of sinners on either side of the aisle -- it's pretty much axiomatic that we all are sinners, in one form or another. All I'd say is that we learned something useful about Mark Sanford yesterday and I intend to put that knowledge to use.
Well, to be fair, part of the first two comments didn't have anything to do with the post either. Sometimes comments are just in reference to previous comments, although I will try to specify for my own part. Anyway, I think it's a mark of a quality post if the ideas make one's thoughts wander - thus, "thought-provoking."
But actually I mostly came here to say: Rich, I really liked what you wrote above. I think it is very well said.
That is all!
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