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August 12, 2004 McGreevey Resigns New Jersey's governor, Jim McGreevey has resigned. In a stunning declaration, Gov. James E. McGreevey announced his resignation Thursday and acknowledged that he had an extramarital affair with another man. "My truth is that I am a gay American," he said. "I am a gay American"? Get over yourself, Governor. In any event, he was apparently having a gay affair with a state government employee, who then wanted "an exorbitant sum of money to make it go away." McGreevey has led quite an interesting administration in Trenton. Among those caught up in recent scandals were his first chief of staff and former counsel; a top Democratic fund-raiser and former high school classmate; and real estate developer Charles Kushner, McGreevey's biggest campaign contributor, who was charged with trying to thwart a federal campaign-finance investigation by luring a grand jury witness — his own brother-in-law — into a compromising position with a prostitute and sending video and photos to the man's wife. Government in the Garden State must just be a hoot. That's two governors down in less than two months, since Connecticut's GOP Governor John "I am not a crook" Rowland shortcircuited his own impeachment for corruption by resigning.
However, that is not all. Not by a long shot. As Dale has mentioned, there are previous scandalettes attached to Governor McGreevey, but this particular story involves an indiscretion that seems to require his immediate removal from office.... ...Mr. McGreevey, 47, is facing a sexual harassment suit by Golan Cipel, an Israeli national and poet who was hired by the governor as his homeland security adviser in 2002 despite Mr. Cipel’s ineligibility for a federal security clearance. Mr. Cipel was kicked off the payroll months later.Golan Cipel is a poet (though, there seems to be some dispute about that), served for 2 years in the Israeli Navy (with no apparent distinctive training), and is ineligible for a federal security clearance. And Governor Mcgreevey hired him for the freaking Homeland Security Director of New Jersey position!?!?! But that's not all McGreevey did for Cipel. After he was forced out of the Homeland Security job... The long-time friend and former campaign aide to McGreevey was kept on in the governor's office until August 2002, when he resigned after officials refused to say what his duties were.And, to top it off, Cipel is directly connected to one Charles Kushner, who is a major contributor....and a player in many of the other scandals surrounding the Mcgreevey administration. So, while the marital infidelity is a personal failure, and the homosexuality is an unusual twist on the commonplace story of politicians who cheat, the real story here is neither of those. The real story is that a politician whored out the State--and the security of New Jersey--for a sexual relationship. So, of course, Democrats are blaming society for being intolerant. This is a shame. Fuck the people who force people like McGreevey to hide in a closet.Hint: in the phrase "corrupt gay Governor", the problem is with "corrupt"....not "gay". (and the allegation of sexual harrassment--just an allegation at this point--may have had somethign to do with it, too) NOTE: Check John Cole for more hereand here. This lines was particularly good....
The logic here elludes me: He did something that was sufficiently bad that he must resign the governorship--but not bad enough that he can't wait three months plus? Apparently, he's a gay Democrat before he's a gay American. UPDATE III: Ok, the latest angle I'm seeing is a comparison [in the comments, not by Ezra] between the McGreevey scandal and the Clinton/Lewinksy scandal. Don't be an idiot. If Clinton had appointed Monica Lewinsky to the office of CIA Director, then there would be some equivalency. Since he didn't, the comparison stops at the orgasm. |
Dale, you seem to have forgotten that McGreevey also convinced the residents of New Jersey to accept a "Millionare Tax" on all household income over $500,000. Now, if we could get the Governor Mark "oops, where did that $300 MM surplus come from" Warner down here in Virginia to screw up that badly we'd be set.
Posted by: Curt Mitchell at August 12, 2004 05:50 PM
Interesting.
He's a homosexual so he gets a pass on everything else.
Almost as good as having served in Vietnam, huh?
Posted by: Bithead at August 12, 2004 06:00 PM
The homosexuality is an unimportant data point, irrelevant to politics or the story. The fact that he had an affair is just a personal failure, and I would admire the act of stepping aside to spare his family the pain of dealing with this more publicly. (think: Livingston leaving the House)
Apparently, though, the man with whom he had the affair had been put up for job after job by McGreevey, including the NJ Homeland Security Director position.....despite the fact that he had no apparent relevant experience beyond a couple years in the Israeli Navy. (and nothing notable about that)
While the rest is just a personal failure, it's apparent that McGreevey was finding Government jobs for his companion, without regard to his qualifications.
That's a pretty irresponsible, perhaps criminal, act.
Posted by: Jon Henke at August 12, 2004 06:32 PM
Then why does he make it a point to bring it up, Jon? It's almost as if he expects waving the pink flag to help his problems to go away.
Posted by: Bithead at August 12, 2004 07:49 PM
I hardly see how Mcgreevey could avoid bringing it up. It's not him I have the problem with. (well, other than the corruption)
It's the people who claim he's being run out of office because he's gay, rather than because he was hiring his sexual partners on the sly, that I have a problem with.
Sure, the gay angle will have some prurient interest in the media, but that's not the real story.
Posted by: Jon Henke at August 12, 2004 08:38 PM
Joon;
That's the point; It IS about the corruption.
That corruption is an issue that's being avoided. The man is trying to make all of this a homosexual rights issue. And I notice the press is following alohng to some degree.
I don't know if you can pick up the NYC talkers where you are... but at about 350 miles out, I can... It's amazing how everyone, including the callers managed to dance around that issue... and the oens coming to his defense were almost invarably confused as to 'why this poor gay man was being harrassed'.
Do you honestly think this wasn't part of the plan?
Posted by: Bithead at August 12, 2004 10:38 PM
Imagine what his wife is thinking: "You put that thing in me after sticking in that guy's ass?"
Posted by: Paul at August 12, 2004 11:17 PM
Let me see if I get this. The governor is caught in his corrupt actions and is forced to resign. He pushes his time for three months while constantly playing the "poor gay victim" card. Meanwhile, the press eats it up and regurgitates it back to the people. I have a problem with his corruption and with his political ploy. It's a good thing this jerk is on his way out. I say good riddence to bad liberals (or any liberals).
Posted by: el Seco at August 13, 2004 12:27 AM
Again, other than acknowledging the elephant in the room, I don't see how McGreevey is playing a "poor gay victim" card. And--due to the fact that he was married and apparently straight--the gay angle really is an unavoidable topic.
He's addressed it. How is he playing the victim?
Posted by: Jon Henke at August 13, 2004 05:15 AM
Jon,
He may not be trying to play the victim, but the press, by emphasizing homosexuality over political corruption is doing it for him. I don't think they're the same thing but the result is the same. People (us for example) focus in on his sexual practices as opposed to his relevant failures.
Posted by: Curt Mitchell at August 13, 2004 06:33 AM
Yeah, they can't seem to resist the prurient angle, so far. I'm hoping that, after the initial surprise wears off, they will turn to the real story.
Bear in mind, the Cipel story has been covered before in NJ news, but the relationship was not known for certain, so this adds the nail in that coffin.
Posted by: Jon Henke at August 13, 2004 07:07 AM
And I can't help but thank that part of the issue here has to be the Democrat party as a whole, particualrly in light of Joyner's points about the three month delay.I can't help but think all this was planned... he Govenor and the party looked at the situation, and wondered how they could save their butts... and this is what they came up with. resign, but delay it so as to thart a special election which the Democrats wuld almost certainly lose... and start waving the pink flag now, so that any criminal charges can be responded to with a charge of "You BIGOT, you're only after me because I'm a homosexual"
Posted by: Bithead at August 13, 2004 08:06 AM
Impeach the bastard before September 15 and the people of NJ get to pick their next governor. The Democrat party is going to squash it but every close election out there for state legislator has the potential to be affected by it.
Posted by: TM Lutas at August 13, 2004 08:11 AM
Imagine what his wife is thinking: "You put that thing in me ......
More like, drop kids at baby sitter, go to gym, get nails done, stop at attorney's office,
Posted by: Jack Tanner at August 13, 2004 11:24 AM
Fellow commenter Paul abundantly makes Jon's point about people focusing on the prurient aspects of the sex rather than the corruption.
Posted by: Wacky Hermit at August 13, 2004 12:05 PM