Thomas Galvin has the DEFINITIVE run-down on the McGreevey scandals.
I really wish idiots like Atrios and Kos would quit pretending this is about homosexuality. This is about corruption- plain and simple. The message from those two is:
“America is such an awful bigoted place because someone had to leave office because he was gay.”
Which is absurd. Not only is this not the case, but it is the exact opposite. America is so much less bigoted that no one other than the race-baiters/gay-baiters/professionally-oppressed even care that McGreevey is/was gay. This is about corruption.
*** Update ***
Much, much more here.
Will
Unfortunately, there are far too many people who can’t see the forest for the trees. More unfortunate still is that these same people regularly open their mouths.
RW
What?
They’re saying that a blue state with two donk senators would force a gay from office?
Tell them I said thanks for the slow fastball.
OF Jay
McGreevey himself is using his homosexuality as a smoke screen by parading his extramarital affair so that he can divert attention from his corruption scandal, which is deplorable since the way the media would treat this, it would make GOPers look like gay-bashing with hunters, when altogether McGreevey himself is the biggest gay-basher in this situation.
Terry
“Atrios” has up a particularly ignorant and silly post on the McGreevey affair, virtually discounting all the slimey and corrupt actions attributed to the McGreevey administration. Best of all was this absurd comment, “..we have a politician who resigned because he was forced to publicly reveal his previously hidden sexual orientation. That’s something which should never happen again.” And mind you, this lame brain comment is coming from a complete fool who has on numerous previous occasions praised the work of Michael Signorille, who made his rather slim reputation by “outing” previously closeted gays!
M. Scott Eiland
Typical Duncan MacClown drivel–a crook makes a big production out of being gay, so now he’s a martyr. Boo-hoo. Why doesn’t McGreevey put a sock in it and reimburse the New Jersey taxpayers for the time he kept his himbo on the state payroll?
shark
I don’t care about gay. I care about an unqualified non-citizen being put in charge of NJ homeland security.
Dems don’t take the WoT seriously. And if they did, they would be be disgusted by this. All they’re disgusted by now is the fact Bush will take NJ.
McGreey stays and pisses off the voters- Bush wins. McGreevy leaves and they have the Gov. election on the ballot- Bush wins.
Yep, that should disgust Democrats…
Al Maviva
Ahh, give Atrios and Kos a break, John.
They have been handed their talking points – especially Duncan – and they will get shitcanned / cut off if they don’t get the talking points written in to their blogs.
And besides, the supposed improprieties – hiring an unqualified boyfriend to run the state’s homeland security shop – are irrelevant. It’s not like terrorists would ever attack any targets in the New Jersey area anyhow… Ahem.
Scott
“..we have a politician who resigned because he was forced to publicly reveal his previously hidden sexual orientation. That’s something which should never happen again.”
I don’t understand.
Given that NJ is a Dem majority state, and all bigots and homophobes are always Republicans- why wasn’t he ‘out’ before this? Surely he would have received the same number of votes in his election because Democratic voters would never take his sexuality into account.
The Lonewacko Blog
Just between we VRWC members, I’d be worried if Duncan B. Black and Dross abandonded McGreevey. Let them support him all the way. Then, when all the bad news comes out…
Giladani
Surely you recognize the tactic when a prominent Democrat is accused of corruption. You take the least of their indescretions or the most unreasonable interpretation possible of the cause of their woes and emphasize it whilst crying “Witch hunt! Witch Hunt!”. It worked for Clinton, if you just scream “Blowjob! Blowjob!” you can hope people magically forget sexual harassment, perjury, and obstruction of justice. If you scream out “Gay man being hounded!” it magically makes sexual harassment and corruption charges go away.
sparky
Matter of time before the DNC floats the meme, “Cipel: he’s kinda nutty, kinda slutty.” Matter of time. Take it to the bank.
russ
Hmmm, its apparent that the trouser trout troller McGreevey was using taxpayer money to finance his boy toy but this little detail seems to elude most of the dim-witted Dems…
Justin Ogren
McGreevey himself is using his homosexuality as a smoke screen by parading his extramarital affair so that he can divert attention from his corruption scandal
-OF Jay
I already knew this was how America would take it, I mean, it’s not because of any scandal, I bet you the mole on Cindy Crawford’s face that the scandal would have been absolved just like any other scandal would it not be for him saying he was gay. I mean him saying he was gay actually, wouldn’t smoke screen it, it would make it alot worse! Now he could be facing a review from the FBI, and dig up things if possible from him, now his ass is really being watched.
I really do believe alot of people like him are closed off from the world with the way they prefer people sexually, and are afraid to express any amount of it. I mean I live in California where I rarely see two guys kiss, for some reason the public doesn’t really mind when two lesbians go at it of course, but when it’s two guys, that’s ultimately rare. Gay people are pretty much more abundant than most states, but they hide their affection, they are afraid to show in public, because of ridicule,constant never ending hate and ridicule, and it’s all over from alot of homophobes, sometimes you know they ask themselves how much it’s worth, and the ones who have came out of the closet know it’s better to be true about your identity than let one create it. It’s extremely hard for people to open that closet.
Steve B
Hi John,
I’ve enjoyed “Balloon Juice” for a long time. Thanks for linking beck to DOUBLE TOOTHPICKS on this important issue.