I just saw it on CNN. He held a press cofnerence and said that he had been having an affair with a man outside of his marriage. He said he was going to resign. I dont know what there is to discuss, but I figured I would let everyone know big news.
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
It's still Breaking News with no story on www.cnn.com.
[ August 12, 2004, 04:41 PM: Message edited by: Dagonee ]
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Yeah, none of the wire services seem to be reporting it yet.
Posted by dabbler (Member # 6443) on :
Looks like it was on TV and a few blogs have started commenting, but nothing written up yet.
Posted by dabbler (Member # 6443) on :
Checking out news.google.com and searching for McGreevey will bring it up. first article so far I've seen
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
Wacky...
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
His poor family. Posted by Beren One Hand (Member # 3403) on :
Sounds like a red herring from a politician dodging responsibility.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
New Jersey politics is almost as entertaining as Louisiana.
*remembers legislaters fleeing to OK and NM* And Texas, I suppose.
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
QE does the Govenor's Mansion in Jersey?
Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :
quote:"My truth is that I am a gay American," he said
I find it funny how in politics you have to add "American" to everything... you just can't say "I'm gay," you have to say "I'm a gay American" or "I'm an American jello eater" or "I'm an American Volvo driver"...
Posted by Irami Osei-Frimpong (Member # 2229) on :
This is too bad. I hope everything works out for him and his family.
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
I don't fault him for tacking on American - if no other reason as there are enough people who wouldn't extend that consideration to a homosexual.
As to dodging responsibility, I think he's embracing (forgive the pun) responsibility. He's removing the one bit of blackmail that could compromise his position and his office.
And quite frankly, I'm told it's usually a traumatic experience to "come out of the closet." I can't imagine doing it on national television.
-Trevor
Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :
Trevor -- I agree... while I do find it funny, I also find it sad that a gay politician does have to say that he's a gay American in order to have a better chance of being seen as a human being...
Posted by Beren One Hand (Member # 3403) on :
Coming out removes the possibility of blackmail. Why does he have to resign?
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
I'd have to look, but he's admitted to an affair outside of his marriage.
Which doesn't qualify as a technical violation of his office insofar as I am aware, but I suspect there are enough voters who would object to the affair, never mind the homosexual element, that the governor is moving preemptively.
Better to go out on a high note rather than waiting for the rabid infighting and political maneuvering sure to take place by his opponents and within his own party.
This way he might even have a chance at still functioning effectively in his role as governor.
-Trevor
Posted by beverly (Member # 6246) on :
quote: As to dodging responsibility, I think he's embracing (forgive the pun) responsibility. He's removing the one bit of blackmail that could compromise his position and his office.
I must say, I have a lot of respect for those who are willing to resign from their positions. I think it shows a lot of humility on their part. I don't look at it as a sign of "weakness" or "giving up".
Posted by Beren One Hand (Member # 3403) on :
If he resigned because he didn't want to drag his family through a media circus, I could respect that.
I question McGreevey’s motive for resigning because he is expecting a sexual harassment suit.
quote:McGreevey’s decision comes ahead of expected sex-harassment lawsuit....
WABC-TV of New York reported that McGreevey was expecting a lawsuit by a former aide accusing him of sexual harassment. The station identified the former aide as Golan Cipel, who resigned as McGreevey’s security adviser in 2002 after months of questioning about his credentials and job qualifications. Source: MSNBC
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
To be fair, his resignation will not spare him a sexual harassment suit.
It will, however, minimize the damage done to the office.
Which is still a respectable decision, in my humble opinion.
Looks like he was moving pre-emptively to try and minimize damage from having made several bad decisions.
-Trevor
Posted by Beren One Hand (Member # 3403) on :
It looks like McGreevey put his lover on the state's payroll for a job he was unqualified for--homeland security adviser.
This is not aboug being gay, this is about misappropriation of tax payer's funds.
From Trevor's link:
quote:Two sources close to McGreevey, both speaking on condition of anonymity, said the man involved in the affair was Golan Cipel, an Israeli poet who worked briefly for the governor as a homeland security adviser despite having no security experience.
One source, a senior McGreevey political adviser, said Cipel threatened McGreevey several weeks ago that unless he was paid "millions of dollars," Cipel would file a lawsuit against the governor charging him with sexual harassment.
But scandal marred McGreevey's tenure following questions over a series of questionable appointments, including the naming of Cipel to the newly created post of homeland security adviser. Cipel was named to the job without any background check or official announcement....
Reporters soon questioned what Cipel did to earn his $110,000 salary and in March 2002, he was reassigned to a "special counsel" job. A few months later, Cipel left his state government position.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
This guy had the same qualifications as Lizzie Grubman. What on earth was the governor thinking? That no one would notice?
![[Frown]](frown.gif)