Hiding the Scumbag
So, John Edwards had a brief affair with a woman who is over forty, and it's a scandal. Elizabeth Edwards was ill at the time, and so John is especially naughty for being so callous, and yes I gave money to his campaign, but then, I never thought adultery was a big deal in the abstract, because, as we all know, I am a liberal, and I think denying people healthcare, swindling the taxpayer, starting an unnecessary war by forging documents and lying, and stealing the oil belonging to other nations is a lot worse than adultery. If every working person in America were to be free to join a union and if we had mastered that global warming thing, then I could start worrying about adultery, and be glad of it.
So, John McCain had a lengthy affair with a young rich woman, left his wife for her when she was crippled from a car accident, and went on to live off the new wife, for decades, and it's not a scandal. Why is that? Why is a misstep, followed by anger and reconciliation, a scandal, while actual bona fide betrayal followed by abandonment (and, let's say, a parasitic lifestyle) is just one of those things?
It is said that the first Mrs. McCain has forgiven her former husband. It is said Elizabeth Edwards has forgiven her current husband.
I know, I know, the National Enquirer never went after McCain. Why is that? When there seemed to be a bit of a smoking gun about John McCain and a lobbyist earlier this year, The National Enquirer didn't touch it. The lobbyist was disappeared, the New York Times dropped the story, and shhh. NO scandal. Why is that? Wouldn't I, as a citizen, rather my president slept with a filmmaker than a lobbyist?
Is it just that John Edwards is cuter than John McCain? Is it just that the idea of McCain getting it on makes the press squirm, and so they don't touch that story? Or do they really have a pro-Republican bias that shows up over and over and over? The press seems to be saying, go ahead, Republicans, trash the country, bankrupt the country, drive the country into a economic, moral, ethical, and military abyss. We don't care. We aren't going to hold you responsible for anything, including marital abandonment and cruelty.
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Where is VICKI ISEMAN ??
Is she still working at Alcalde & Fay ?
Or has she gone on vacation until; November?
Anybody know anything?
She still works there.
The press is doing more then that.
The media, ...the press.....
Maybe they...the press...do
I suggest, they...the press....s
I would say the press does not merely or sort of "seem" to be saying that, they say that most definitely, and say it over and over and over. We are sunk if they attain their goal of elevating McCain to the Whitehouse.
"The press seems to be saying, go ahead, Republicans, trash the country, bankrupt the country, drive the country into a economic, moral, ethical, and military abyss. We don't care. We aren't going to hold you responsible for anything, including marital abandonment and cruelty."
Couldn't have said it better.
Dear Ms. Smilley,
It's been awhile since I've dropped in on ya, hope you are well. As I see it we have two social issues here, 1) Is a matter of personal judgement, 2) Is a matter of priorities both personal and cultural. It is sad that most don't have the ability to know the difference.
Anyway, seems you and I are in the same stream of consciousness on this one. Agape.
If John McCain were running as a Democrat, this would be more than fair game -- just as Swift Boat service was in the 1960's. In fact, John McCain would be incredibly vulnerable if he ran against the Republican attack machine.
Is this why he has hired the best of the Republican hit squads and adopted their best practices?
What John Edwards and John McCain did: commit adultery behind the back of a faithful wife facing an uphill climb while recovering from a life-threatening illness -- is very similar. In addition, each man lied over and over again.
In John McCain's case, he has a pattern of lies. It's more noticable nowadays, as he has been caught on tape denying that he said things which were recorded on tape. He lied about the timing of his adultery, about the Keating 5, and he has an even greater pattern of misrepresenting himself.
This adds up to a pattern of deceipt in a country still recovering from a President and Cabinet steeped in deceipt and manipulation of facts to Congress and country.
How cute. RadicalConservative reminds us Bill Clinton was impeached for lying under oath, not getting blown in office. Tell us, RadCon, why hasn't your current "president" been impeached for lying under oath and having our troops and Iraqi civilians blown to bits?
heh...that would be because neither Bush nor his minions will take an oath and testify...
Thanks for your post Jane Smiley.
How come this lobbyist that Sen Mc C allegedly had a recent affair with can not be found?? She has to be somewhere!!
I think that is a story that someone here would want to scoup out....and report in full. I wonder how much she is being paid. By whom?
Doesn't anyone know how to use Google? She still works at her old firm in DC. Honestly, what's the big mystery here?
And theaffair wasn't recent, if it even happened. there's no evidence that it happened, but if it did, it was 9 years ago.
R-rated, PG-rated movies more often than not get those ratings because of sex and/or nudity....
Ms Smiley.
I completely agree with your assessments.
Thank you,
How can you not mention the opposite for a little context?
How did the media treat Bill Clinton regarding his personal life?
The Enquirer hasn't touched the McCain story because--and I'd have thought this wasn't so obvious as to go without saying--IT'S NOT NEWS! Yes, he was and probably still is a heel. However, it's a 25+ year old story.
I suspect that the Enquirer did 5 minutes of investigation (which the NYT was loathe or incapable of doing) and discovered that the whole thing was B.S!!
BS? McCain himself has admitted multiple affairs in the past. So the press should just dismiss such strong indications of impropriety - and with a LOBBYIST - out of hand?
She was clearly referring to the Vicki Iseman story which was hurriedly buried just a few months ago.......
But what about that blonde lobbyist?
Just like Whitewater was an old story? The media was all over that, wasn't it?
The double standard reeks! McCain has had several affairs with married women and/or while married. The latest may be very recent and with someone lobbying him!! He should be forced to resign, but instead...
Further, it seems the McCain Lobbyist "affair" was DURING and after the 2000 Election -- when he was running for and/or preparing to run -- post the Bush Presidency. The SAME as John Edwards.
Finally, both Elizabeth Edwards and Cindy McCain have put fused AMBITION before our Nation -- and participated in, covered up for...DECE
Business interests, the home of our "news" and Press -- via Bush/Clinton deregulated MEDIA -- drive the news agenda. McCain is the first choice. Clinton is the second.
They do NOT want Barack Obama -- and the scrutiny he/Michelle have endured -- is legion compared to what the MSM is covering up for Bill Clinton (unvetted spouse who amassed $1bil in 7years and possible personal indiscretions via Vanity Fair, Cindy McCain - more of the same and drug use, fused lobbyist/bus interests -- John Edwards's girlfriend).
The PROPAGANDISTS in The White House and on "Mad Men" Madison Avenue -- are working overtime on Barack and Michelle Obama...jo
THE NYT endorsed Clinton and McCain -- w/out vetting them, their conflicts-sources of fortunes or spouses -- at all. I rest my case.
Do you have some evidence that McCain actually had an affair with that lobbyist? If you do, please provide it, because no one else has any evidence at all.
There is no evidence that McCain slept with the lobbyist. But then, a little thing called the facts never stops a liberal, right?
So why did the lady disappear? Let's hear the facts from the source.
The absence of evidence could mean one of two things. Either there was no affair, or the evidence has been buried. The fact that the press dropped this story overnight, and never once interviewed the lobbyist, is very suspicious. Her silence and virtual disappearance are also suspicious. Imagine the howls from the right wing bloviators if Monica Lewinski would have similarly fallen off the face of the earth. But even if McCain never slept with this lobbyist, his very close ties with her professionally reek to high heaven. This was also never pursued by the 'liberal' media.
You sound jealous . . ?
As to a "double standard" - oh absolutely the MSM continues to show favoritism towards Republicans. It is just non-stop! "Forced to resign"? Based on what. Are you still harping about him getting a sweetheart deal on a loan for his house? Oh, wait a minute - that was ol BO that got that from a guy now in prison! Maybe someone should be resigning!
Nobama - Keep the change!
How about if ALL politicians at all levels of all persuasions quit pretending to take the moral high ground vis-a-vis anything sexual. And how about if they ALL quit blowing smoke up our collective bums about how "close they are with their family"?
By definition, they are not family oriented. They have chosen a path that takes them away from their families constantly, probably after years of selling their hearts and souls into other high powered careers that demand the lion's share of their time.
And why don't we all grow up and quit pretending to care? How "close" are most of the highly financially successful
Does your doctor cheat? Do you care? Not if he can save your life. Does your kid's geometry teacher cheat? Do you care if she does? Not if she can prod your kid into a passing grade (and does not talk about her personal life in the classroom.
I can't believe this surprises anyone. I'm with Jane. I want a progressive candidate. I'll put up with his/her sex life if he/she puts up with mine -- and if we can all agree not to talk about it.
where is she.has no one thought it suspect that she has disappeared?
Frankly, I could care less aboutr Edwards' social life. Unfortunately, someone - either the media or the public - has made it impossible for a person to run for office here in America unless you have those particular 'qualities": you have to project the image of "purity" and "truth" to win,and anything that mars that image makes the person unelectable.
If this had come out when he was a candidate - even if he had NOT lied about it - he would have been done.No matter that his wife already knew and forgiven him - he would have been toast.
You have to be "a family man/woman".
You have to believe in God - and "God God" not some other god.
You can't have done any drugs , like Bill "I Didn't Inhale" Clinton and George "I'm Not Going To Talk About Anything I Did Before 1974" Bush (Obama is the exception to the rule).
Now they're talking about how Edwards' political career is finished. See what I mean?
The issue is not whether the media is liberal or conservative. The relevant question is what interest(s)
does the media serve.
In this election the media represents military-i
John McCain is the candidate of this dominant faction that is responsible for our involvement in Iraq.
If McCain is elected, that interest is assured that the Pentagon will receive whatever it deems necessary in futherance of currrent policy.
Infratructure and social programs may receive scraps left over after military needs are met.
The wink-wink to the American public is that the best (only?) way to put off a collapse of the economy is too try to shoot our way out of our economic problems.
Should American voters choose to elect McCain, it will mark the end of the American Experiment in Democracy, the moment when we chose to turn over our fate ti military imperialists.
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