Slog - Comments on Mommas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Marry Politicians

Comment by thehim

thehim — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:27:09 -0800

You forgot Vitter...

Comment by infrequent

infrequent — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:27:45 -0800

great post.

Comment by Bellevue Ave

Bellevue Ave — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:27:56 -0800

The thing that is hard for me to understand is the decision making of people that are elected to do things that they know will hurt their careers. Do they just think they wont get caught?

Comment by leek

leek — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:29:10 -0800

Yeah, I know the reasons behind those press conferences and even why the wives agree to do them... but ugh. It's such a display of subservience in some ways.

Comment by bohica

bohica — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:29:34 -0800

And what's up with the need to hire, or give kushy state jobs, for sex? I'd have done two out of three for free.

Comment by Ariel

Ariel — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:31:12 -0800

And if your babies do grow up to marry politicians, make sure they have a nice light-blue outfit in their wardrobe.

Comment by Mr. Poe

Mr. Poe — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:34:49 -0800

I would DRAIN Mc. I mean, come on. Growl.

His "wife" can watch.

Comment by correction

correction — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:35:47 -0800

Don't let your daughters marry politicians. Sons can marry politicians and not worry about a thing.

Comment by bma

bma — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:39:37 -0800

No female politicians announcing their roles in sex scandals with their husbands standing dutifully, quietly behind them like a prop?

Comment by kyleen

kyleen — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:44:47 -0800

I love the look on Spitzer's wife's face though. The I-wonder-how-much-half-his-estate-is-worth face.

Comment by arduous

arduous — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:49:07 -0800

Seriously, why don't they freaking legalize prostitution already? It would certainly benefit them, since they all seem to frequent prostitutes so much....

Comment by observer

observer — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:56:18 -0800

all the women are wearing baby blue jackets in those pics.

Comment by tsm

tsm — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:58:44 -0800

@3 - I'd guess that people inclined to the political sphere would be more generally inclined to risk-taking.

Besides, I suspect many of them don't get caught. You think we here about every public official who hires a prostitute or has an affair?

Comment by tsm

tsm — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:59:29 -0800

"here" --> "hear"

Comment by Fnarf

Fnarf — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:00:31 -0800

That sucks. Spitzer was going to be a damn good president someday. I'll bet he was set up by that asshole in the state state senate, Bruno.

Comment by UNPAID BLOGGER

UNPAID BLOGGER — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:01:22 -0800

Damn, Spitzer's wife is a fOX! She's got that cougar aged-to-perfection sexy written all over her.

Only problem is her name- "Silda"? Seriously?

I think this could have all been avoided if she'd had a name like "Lexus" or "Jasmin"... something a little more whorish.

Comment by Colton

Colton — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:05:39 -0800

You missed the McCain one with the carefully calculated placement of his wife giving him the evil eye in dark makeup.

Comment by Bellevue Ave

Bellevue Ave — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:09:11 -0800

tsm, it is taking a risk that isn't necessary and has a potential downside that is huge. it seems like the first class every politician should take is some kind of rudimentary sexual self exploration so that they dont feel compelled to fuck hookers at the peril to everything theyve worked for.

Comment by McG

McG — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:10:07 -0800

Blue for the ladies and red with white striped ties for guys 'cept Larry.

Comment by Mike in MO

Mike in MO — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:10:42 -0800

Do they just think they wont get caught?

Uh, no one does illicit shit thinking they will get caught.

Comment by David Wright

David Wright — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:11:04 -0800

Why no picure of Bill "I have sinned" Clinton and his stand-by-your-man wife?

Comment by arduous

arduous — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:14:45 -0800

@21, my guess is because Bill didn't PAY Monica....

Comment by tsm

tsm — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:17:13 -0800

@18 - well, obviously, but you might as well ask why people can't resist gambling when the odds always favor the house. Some people are just wired that way.

Comment by michael strangeways

michael strangeways — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:28:36 -0800

story of my life: the only one of these guys that I find even remotely attractive, is the straight one...

Comment by SeMe

SeMe — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:30:20 -0800

Maybe FNARF, maybe he would have made a great president, but I find him to be a hypocrite, not because he was "banging cocktail waitressess two at a time", thats of course his business, but because his career is built on of breaking up organized crime rings. i wonder how many organized crime madams got a pass? he is just as bad as wide stance in hypocrisy.

isnt he a super HRC delegate?

Comment by Andy Niable

Andy Niable — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:33:26 -0800

I admire your restraint, Dan, for not including a photo of Hillary holding hands with Bill during the Gennifer-Flowers-Mea-Culpa on 60 Miutes back in '92.

Comment by Fifty-Two-Eighty

Fifty-Two-Eighty — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:42:22 -0800

Hey, at least Bill didn't pay for it . . . that I'm aware of.

Comment by Mahtli69

Mahtli69 — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:49:23 -0800

Baby blue is the new black.

Comment by Bub

Bub — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:56:58 -0800

That Spitzer, he ugly.

Comment by GS

GS — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:03:55 -0800

"why do people in these positions take such risks?"

People in powerful positions also tend to not be aware that their behaviors are noticed by others. These people really do think they won't get caught, or that even if there's evidence out there, it will never be connected to them.

Comment by Bellevue Ave

Bellevue Ave — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:11:09 -0800

so basically it is like playing russian roulette with your career over having sex because you are too arrogant to believe it will bite you in the ass.

Comment by infrequent

infrequent — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:27:09 -0800

there are probably different reasons for this sort of risk-taking behavior. the risk factor might be enjoyable to some -- the greater the risk the greater the reward. maybe he's just always done it, and didn't/couldn't stop as his position in politics improved. maybe he's in an open relationship.

we often criticize the church for placing impossible standards on their congregations. when the faithful cannot live up to the standard, they become more deviant, and more secretive.

well, the public treats politicians like the clergy treats the layperson. we expect them to hold a higher standard, and to resign if caught. we make them take a vow of celibacy and are strangely surprised when they don't keep the oath we couldn't either.

not that all of us are having affairs with prostitutes while battling organized crime.

Comment by GS

GS — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:34:02 -0800

Infrequent-
I agree, and people shouldn't be surprised that politicians have sex with prostitutes, they're just as human as anyone else.

I think in these cases it's the hypocrisy that people are truly upset with. Spitzer, for example, was very "holier than thou" about crime and now it's come right back to him. We should at least hold him to his OWN high standards.

Comment by Dan Savage

Dan Savage — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:44:04 -0800

Whoops -- Vitter added.

Comment by Mahtli69

Mahtli69 — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:48:24 -0800

People in powerful positions go to prostitutes because their high profile prevents them from having normal affairs like everyone else. Could a Governor go out on a secret dinner date with a mistress? No.

Comment by w7ngman

w7ngman — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:51:18 -0800

Who was that guy that tried to get his wife to have sex with a stranger in a strip club?

Comment by elrider

elrider — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:05:14 -0800

@36

That would be Jack Ryan, Senate candidate from Illinois and husband of Jeri Ryan (7 of 9). He would have faced Obama if he hadn't dropped out of the race.

Dan, how about our own Richard Curtis?

Comment by kk

kk — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:08:02 -0800

Oh, w7ngman, how soon you forget! How did you think Obama had such a cakewalk to the Senate in the first place?

Comment by w7ngman

w7ngman — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:14:49 -0800

@38, affirmative action?

Ok, I got it wrong, he just wanted other people to watch them.

Dude is crazy though, if 7 of 9 were my wife I'd keep her all to myself.

Comment by Dan Savage

Dan Savage — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:19:31 -0800

Richard Curtis didn't hold a presser with his wife. Neither did Florida's Bob Allen -- or Bill Clinton. Hillary wasn't by his side for that "I did not have sex with that woman" presser. She was off in the East Wing, baking cookies and hosting teas, I think.

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:22:00 -0800

Cookies. Yeah, I forgot about that - is she counting that as "diplomatic experience"?

I wonder if I can claim all those childhood years making dinner for the family as "diplomatic experience" ... then I'd be more qualified than Hils ...

Comment by Bellevue Ave

Bellevue Ave — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:29:57 -0800

it isnt even that infrequent. I am always amazed that anyone in the celebrity limelight, with so much to lose from stupid behavior, that seems well within their control, does something that they have to know will impact their career negatively. all because they dont think they will get caught doing it.

i ask again; how hard is it to not do something that will end your career?

Comment by Bellevue Ave

Bellevue Ave — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:39:37 -0800

like michael vick. how hard is it not to run a dog fighting ring?

Comment by michael strangeways

michael strangeways — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:46:32 -0800

dan, hillary made it quite clear that she's not the cookie baking type of political wife back in 92 when she said she wasn't a Tammy Wynette "Stand by your Man" type of wife on 60 Minutes, which then pissed the hell out of Tammy Wynette...

Comment by GS

GS — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:51:00 -0800

Bellevue Ave - how hard is it for people to not do something that will end up with a life-long prison sentence or death sentence? But it happens all too often.
It may be that celebrities or politicians are very, very careful the first few times they do something career-destroying, but if it works, they get relaxed and comfortable and don't take the same precautions? I mean, Larry Craig probably had tons of sex with other men, probably even cruised the public restrooms for it, before he got too comfortable and ended up soliciting a cop.

Comment by w7ngman

w7ngman — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:53:10 -0800

I love how the guys in the first and fourth pictures have basically the exact same expression on their face.

Comment by JR

JR — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:54:17 -0800

One more from Detroit:

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080130/NEWS01/80130060

"Speaking at length about the text-message scandal for the first time publicly Wednesday night, as he held hands with his wife Carlita, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick apologized repeatedly to residents, supporters, opponents, his wife and his sons for what he called "the embarrassment and disappointment" of the past few days."

- Kwame Kilpatrick: A mayor in crisis

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=999980124052&template=theme&theme=kilpatrick012008

Comment by onseconthought

onseconthought — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:47:17 -0800

I'm actually more than a little repulsed by the media attention this non-story is getting. And Dan Savage jumping on the bandwagon? Cone on Dan - you throwing stones at this man's glass house?

Near as I can tell, what the guy did *wrong* was that he didn't just decide to pay for sex, he didn't just decide to do it via a call-girl, no. He had the bad judgment to do it with a vastly over-priced call girl so as to actually draw attention to it.

I hope that girl could suck the batteries out of a flashlight, squirt G spot ejaculate in an 7' arc across the room with a flex of her Kegals and rimmed like she had a Ph.D in rimmology with a tongue that could reach his prostate.

$5500?? There is no hooker worth that kind of money. And, as is demonstrable, no sex experience worth this level of humiliation.

What is it with Americans that would seize upon this to ruin a man over this? Why? Why the hell would that be good journalism - good law enforcement and a decent use of the taxpayer's dollar or the public's time?

Seriously. There's just something wrong with you people.

Comment by Mahtli69

Mahtli69 — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:58:48 -0800

From the "one of these things is not like the other" department ...

All of those guys look like they just ate a shit sandwich, except for Larry Craig. You've got to give him credit for maintaining his cool through the whole ordeal. He's got plausible deniability down to an art form. And, he unresigned. The balls!

Comment by ellarosa

ellarosa — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 22:21:03 -0800

48, it's the hypocrisy of it all. remember, he made a big deal of cracking down on prostitution?

Comment by Larkin

Larkin — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 22:43:19 -0800

news only for the jaded and bored

legal or illegal- viva whores and johns

viva sex - hey Dan, what happened here, why would any sex healthy and rational person give a hoot about adventures with a sex worker?? Sensationalizing is still just that.

Legalize, tax, open many brothels across the land, live longer with less tension via more good sex.

And I am glad I know now why it cost so much - long tongue reaching the prostate for half hour or so just might be worth 5,000. Just a few minutes of that in fucking is a trip to heaven, for those of you who guard your butts with misguided puritan vigor.

By the way, Idaho likes Obama, and most likely Larry Craig broke down a lot of barriers in that state. I wish he would change parties and stay in office.

Comment by Chris

Chris — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 22:17:20 -0800

Where's the photo of Bill and Hilary?

Comment by Matt Sanchez

Matt Sanchez — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 23:18:34 -0800

Gay agenda tactic:

"See, marriage isn't so sacred or even viable, therefore we should be able to do it too."

Comment by hal

hal — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:48:11 -0800

At least Bill had the brains to go for it without paying. No paper trail. And no wiretaps. Call someone up to your hotel room, drop your pants, and see if she bites, or sucks as is the case.

Seriously, hasn't he heard of craigslist? dumbass.