« The Page: Democratic End Games | Main | Clintons Gets A Superdelegate!!! » The "I Would Be Remiss" Post18 Mar 2008 05:12 pm I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention: (a) it now seems as if New York Gov. David Paterson had more than one extramarital affair. Recently. As in, during the past few years. This is, to say the least, politically damaging to the governor, an enormous gift to political comedians, and could very well, depending on the press coverage, lead to Gov. Joseph Bruno. (b) John McCain, as has been amply documented, has flubbed the Iranian connection to Al Q at least once before. TrackBackTrackBack URL for this entry: Comments (23)
That way, everything is completely above board, and we know he doesn't have to break any laws / rules to do things like that. 
The Gov. Bruno thing is precisely the reason that Paterson is going nowhere.
I don't see the big deal about Paterson. Affairs may offend certain people's sensibilities, but this is New York. He didn't do anything illegal, and his wife did it too. What if a couple separates, dates other people, and gets their marriage back together? Would that be wrong too? It's sort of a non-issue, outside of the late night comedians.
Marc,
Ambinder, get a hold of yourself. Is there a single person who seriously thinks, or says out loud, that this is going to force Patterson out, or even that its going to be more than a one-day story? Unless you've got a source, what you wrote is amateurish speculation, of the sort that calls into question this being a "reported blog." I think more than anything it suggests that Patterson is not going to approach each and every news cycle as a war, the way Spitzer sometimes did. I think it shows he's willing to make an investment in being candid precisely so that he's less likely to get tripped up later when it really matters.
Uh, you're the only cite for Paterson sleeping with someone who worked FOR him (as opposed to just also on the state payroll). Care to offer a link? Or a retraction?
Gov. Bruno? Come on. First of all, Paterson will get a free pass because this happened early in his term, and because he handled this proactively and honestly. Second of all, this is wholly unlike the Spitzer affair in that Paterson's conduct was neither criminal nor deeply hypocritical.
What's the deal here? Can't any of the pols in NY keep their pants up?
Roger Stone predicted this.
And McCain is the POTUS candidate with foreign policy "experience"? What a goof... http://www.political-buzz.com/
You are remiss in not underlining the fact that Paterson is apparently as STUPID as he is BLIND. Legally blind gets you a lot of extra consideration in this world, LEGALLY STUPID gets you none. Where do they dig up these morons, anyway? Obviously Devious Dave has no need for a SEEING EYE DOG. He is GUIDED BY HIS DICK.
Flub? (http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2008/03/mccain_was_right_iran_works_wi.asp "The 9-11 Commission found extensive evidence of collaboration between Iran and al Qaeda. ... the Commission concluded (p. 61): "The relationship between al Qaeda and Iran demonstrated that Sunni-Shia divisions did not necessarily pose an insurmountable barrier to cooperation in terrorist operations." The Clinton administration recognized the relationship between al Qaeda, Iran, and Iran’s terrorist proxy, Hezbollah. ...the Clinton administration charged in its indictment of al Qaeda following the August 1998 embassy bombings: "USAMA BIN LADEN, the defendant, and al Qaeda also forged alliances with the National Islamic Front in the Sudan and with representatives of the government of Iran, and its associated terrorist group Hizballah, for the purpose of working together against their perceived common enemies in the West, particularly the United States." The mainstream media, including the Washington Post itself, has reported on Iran’s ties to al Qaeda. (see "New Links Between Iran, Al Qaeda" Cited at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A4191-2004Jul21.html) and "9/11 Panel Links Al Qaeda, Iran" at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6581-2004Jun25.html.
Elephants are VERY BIG. Motor cars go quickly.
You only have to look at McCain to know he is doddering and borderline incontinent. But for all the armchair quarterbacks tapping away, Stateside, to pompously assume they know all the details and inner workings of Iranian underground politics, Al Quada, and the Middle East in general, is even more laughable.
Paterson compensates for loss of vision by letting LITTLE ONE EYED DAVEY guide him around. Mind you, LITTLE ONE EYED DAVEY probably has more brains in his HEAD.
@sbj BWAHAAHHAHAHA McCane said its "common knowledge and has been reported in the media that al-Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran, that’s well known. And it’s unfortunate." That's the same as "there's no insurmountable barrier to Iran and al Qaeda cooperating"... LOL B-B-B-B-But Clinton did it too!!!1one!
So long as no laws were broken, Paterson isn't going anywhere. (A willing state employee won't do it, whatever the workplace romance guidelines.) If Spitzer had just had an affair....well, his next 9 months in office would such and he'd get little done, waiting for his D majority next session, but that's pretty much what was happening anyway. Spitzer would have done the press con of shame and moved on. Since Paterson's wife knew before the press, this isn't such a big deal.
It wasn't the sex that did Spitzer in; it was the money.
What's next, Dupre on the cover of the Atlantic? It's not illegal to have an affair. Spitzer was forced out for two reasons: he probably committed a felony by violating the Mann Act. And: he had no friends. Worse, he sent e-mails from a state account, and therefore compromised the position of his public office to a criminal syndicate. An affair between consenting adults is completely irrelevant. How he and his wife have dealt with it is their business. But I can tell the nymphomaniacs in the media are already getting hard-ons for this. They'll be able to spend another week reporting the inane instead of actually doing their jobs.
Two African- Americans, Paterson and Obama, are bringing candor and honesty to the American political conversation. How refreshing.
Obama is as big a hyporcrite as Spitzer. After months and months of hearing vague innuendo from the campaign about how Hillary Clinton was not to be trusted to tell the truth, Obama gets CAUGHT IN A SERIES OF BALD FACED LIES. Deliberate, cynical, calculated lies. "No one from the campaign said anything about NAFTA...categorically. It's ALL MADE UP..." "Oh, uh, things were said, but we didn't approve them..." "All $50,000 that this Rezko guy (whom I hardly knew) contributed to my campaign has been donated...". "All the $150,000 that my former acquaintance Tony Rezko contributed has been donated.." "Yes, Rezko was a close family friend and it appears he raised at least $250,000......"...blah, blah, blah, to be continued. "I never heard any of these controversial remarks from my mentor and trusted confidante Jeremiah Wright in all the 20 years I've known him...." "Have I heard controversial remarks from Rev. Wright, yes, but I don't necessarily agree with them. He is a 'crazy' uncle. blah, blah, blah..".
Actually, robert, it would be BUSINESS AS USUAL AND A CONTINUATION OF CURRENT POLICY IF SUCH A CHRONICLLY DOCUMENTED LIAR AND HYPOCRITE were given a position of trust in the nation.
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Give me a break. Since when is it illegal to have an affair? He did nothing illegal as Spitzer did or ethicially wrong as Clinton and Kilpatrick did. Leave the man alone and let him get to work.
Posted by Mike | March 18, 2008 5:26 PM