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Tuesday, March 18, 2008

For Crying Out Loud

posted by on March 18 at 9:27 AM

New York Gov. David Paterson, who took over the state’s top job Monday after Eliot Spitzer resigned amid a prostitution scandal, has admitted he and his wife Michelle had affairs during a rough patch in their marriage several years ago, a newspaper reported.

Paterson told the Daily News that he maintained a relationship with another woman from 1999 until 2001. He and his wife eventually sought counseling and repaired their relationship.

The couple agreed to speak publicly about their marriage in response to rumors about Paterson’s personal life that have been swirling in Albany, New York, since Spitzer resigned, the Daily News reported Monday on its Web site.

RSS icon Comments

1

yeah, and he is blind. This dude has some balls.

Posted by Mike in MO | March 18, 2008 9:36 AM
2

People's lives are messy. That's just how it is. He did the right thing mentioning it before FAUX News got ahold of it.

Posted by pox | March 18, 2008 9:38 AM
3

We're a nation of swingers.

Posted by Valerie Cherish | March 18, 2008 9:38 AM
4

In 1986 Tip O'Neil was asked to bring impeachment charges against Ronnie Raygun. "No," he said, "it would be too destructive to the United States." Ten years later, Rs nailed WJC to the wall over a blowjob.

And we continue to reap what those fucktards sowed. In many, many ways. Not the least of which this nonsense.

Posted by Big Sven | March 18, 2008 9:38 AM
5


Snicker.

Well, maybe this is a good thing. It will be widely reported, but no one's about to impeach or demand he leave office. Maybe we can start getting over our collective moral hypocricy on sex.

Posted by bohica | March 18, 2008 9:38 AM
6

Maybe it's my cynicism born of years of working in hotels, but lots of people cheat on their spouses. That's why hotels stopped asking for marriage licenses for couples checking in. If they still did, they'd seriously lose business.

We're tramps. Get over it.

Posted by catalina vel-duray | March 18, 2008 9:42 AM
7

What the fuck. Do these straight idiots realize how desperately we gays -- some of us honest, monogamous, and committed -- want to get in on the whole marriage thing? And THIS is how they treat their precious "institution"?

It's as if they're throwing out perfectly good food while in plain view of hungry orphans.

Posted by mattymatt | March 18, 2008 9:48 AM
8

WHO CARES?!

Posted by hunh? | March 18, 2008 9:48 AM
9

@1 Fer serious? Did you not see Ray? The man was a pimp!

Posted by UNPAID BLOGGER | March 18, 2008 9:55 AM
10

Unless someone runs their campaign on a pledge of monogamy or the solemnity of marriage, we really don't need to know.

Posted by mrobvious | March 18, 2008 9:58 AM
11

that is a little different from committing a felony while in office.

Posted by infrequent | March 18, 2008 10:08 AM
12

Catalina, the only woman I've ever checked into a hotel with is my wife, and haven't seen my wedding license since the day I got married. Who carries it around?

I've said it before: our leaders must be chemically castrated and bolted into four-point restraints before being permitted to serve. When we finally achieve the ability to keep decapitated heads alive we will finally have Good Government, the government we deserve, government by the antiseptically pure.

Posted by Fnarf | March 18, 2008 10:13 AM
13

As far as I can tell, at least in NYC, this is not hurting Paterson at all; if anything, it makes him seems more like a real person than a phony placard like Spitzer and other "crusaders." Btw, if you get a chance to check out his swearing-in speech from yesterday, it's amazing--very inspirational in the best way. I was 100 percent convinced that this guy is right for the job (and the disclosure of his marital problems has not changed that at all!)

Posted by thegayrecluse | March 18, 2008 10:44 AM
14

I thought Spitzer's fight against corruption was righteous and I don't care who he fucks.

Posted by elenchos | March 18, 2008 10:47 AM
15

Only the MSM cares.

Posted by Will in Seattle | March 18, 2008 10:52 AM
16

This is going to date me, but...

...they used to ask for marriage licenses? Seriously? No one had a problem with this? I mean...I'm married, but we don't carry around the damned piece of paper...

Posted by Kat | March 18, 2008 11:04 AM
17

O NOEZ! A couple of adults, having marital difficulties, separated and slept with other consenting adults while they were separated! Call out the dogs, quick!

But seriously, folks, why is this news? This is like finding out he wasn't a virgin on his wedding night or something. They were separated. They had relationships with others. No laws were broken, no children were involved, no one tried to pick up cops in the restroom. Why is this anyone else's business at all?

Posted by Geni | March 18, 2008 11:05 AM
18

I'm with @16. How long ago did they stop doing this? Hopefully the 50s?

Like Fnarf, I haven't seen my marriage license since our wedding. It is somewhere in the ridiculous piles of unfiled paper in our second bedroom.

Posted by Julie | March 18, 2008 11:13 AM
19

Dang... now it's up to several affairs, including one with a state employee.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110ap_ny_governor.html


Posted by leek | March 18, 2008 11:26 AM
20

A. It's always smart to be in front of a story than behind it.

B. I don't care who politicians fuck as long as it's not me.

C. WJC lied under oath. Had he admitted face fucking Monica from the beginning it wouldn't have gone as far.

Posted by monkey | March 18, 2008 11:39 AM
21

Yes my dears, they used to ask for marriage licenses, or other proof of marriage, if a couple looked fishy to the desk clerk. I think this policy fell out of favor in the 1950's, but I'm sure they were still doing it in places like the south well into the 60's.

Even back in my day, housekeeping would call the front desk and report if it looked like two people were sharing a room where only one person was registered. Mostly just so you could charge them for a double. Nowadays, everything is based on double occupancy, so it's probably not even an issue anymore.

There are still times when a legal spouse will show up and demand a key to a room where their husband/wife is staying with a person they're having an affair with. That gets really ugly really quick, but there's nothing the hotel can do, especially if the room is on a joint credit card.

Posted by catalina vel-duray | March 18, 2008 12:45 PM
22

Lord, they're utterly average in their marriage. Most families go through adultery. Most of them survive it. It's not a big deal. Plus, he wasn't a huge hypocrite about it, so I don't care.

Posted by Gitai | March 18, 2008 2:38 PM
23

As recently as 15 years ago my brother and then girlfriend were turned away at a hotel in the south because they were not married. And they had several landlords refuse to rent to them in Charlottesville, VA. I still reflexively refer to my girlfriend as my wife when checking into most hotels.

Posted by gnossos | March 18, 2008 6:45 PM

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