McGreevey Steps down -- admits Gay affair

[Blackman]

Headline at NJ.com



McGrevey Reveals He's Gay, Resigns as of Nov. 15
Citing a lifelong "struggle with my own identity," New Jersey Governor James McGreevey admitted an extramarital affair with a man and resigned as governor as of Nov. 15, 2004.

In an empassioned statement delivered live on national TV, McGreevey, 47, said he resigned because his conduct left the governor's office vulnerable to political attacks. McGreevey's wife was at his side and family were in attendance.

"I am a gay American," was the statement that followed several minutes of McGreevey describing the soul-searching he said he has been doing since childhood.

The governor said the fact of his being gay should have no impact on his being governor, but he conceeded that the political realities of his office and his adultery left him open to attack, and that resigning was "the right thing to do."

The resignation occurs amid reports that a lawsuit

The effective date of the resignation, coming almost two weeks after the general election, precludes the need for a special election.



More to come...

 

[Blackman]

Apparently a former member of his cabinet -- the Head of Homeland Security for NJ, was his "lover" but is the person who is filing a sexual misconduct lawsuit against the Gov.

Looks like the lawsuit forced him to come out.

 

[DOGS THAT BARK]

The gay issue is not the cause of him stepping down---

Despite inheriting a $5 billion budget deficit, he steadfastly refused to boost income taxes for most New Jerseyans. He instead raised taxes on millionaires, casinos and cigarettes and provided millions of dollars worth of property tax rebates that have been showing up in residents' mailboxes in recent weeks.

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.

McGreevey also came under fire in 2002 for hiring a state police superintendent who had a criminal record. Earlier this month, the governor's commerce secretary quit amid reports he funneled money to businesses he owned with family members.

Among others caught up in recent scandals were McGreevey's 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.

New Jersey residents expressed disbelief at the news. "We thought it was a joke," said Jeanne Montana, who heard the announcement on her car radio on the way to Atlantic City.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sounds like dejavu from past

----and while on the topic of liberal politics---remembers Kerry's tear jerker at convention

Acceptance Anecdote
In his acceptance speech at the Democratic Convention last month, John Kerry told the story of Mary Ann Knowles, a New Hampshire woman with breast cancer who Kerry said, "had to keep working day after day right through her chemotherapy, no matter how sick she felt, because she was terrified of losing her family's health insurance."

But New Hampshire's Union Leader newspaper reports Knowles had 26 weeks of paid disability leave available, and was never in danger of losing her insurance.

---what about Pelosi

Changing Her Tune?
After President Bush (search) announced that he would nominate Republican Congressman and former CIA officer Porter Goss to be the new director of Central Intelligence, House minority leader Nancy Pelosi said, "a person should not be the director of central intelligence who's acted in a very political way when we're dealing with the safety of the American people."

But on June 5th, Pelosi told the Chattanooga Times Free Press that she would support Goss if he were nominated for the post, adding that as the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee he had shown the ability to stay above political pressure.

---The more Kerry speaks the deeper he digs-- when at Nevada he tells them I won't let them dispose of nuclear waste here---hmm they have to be disposed somewhere--I wonder why they didn't ask him which state he intends to use for this purpose???

 

[Turfgrass]

A shocking announcement, to be sure. Reason: He had an extramarital affair ... with a man. This brings to mind one of the best political quotes of all time -- Louisiana's Edwin Edwards telling the media that the only way he could lose an election was to be found in bed with a dead girl or a live boy.

McGreevey is married with two children. One can only imagine the pain this is causing his family. I was so impressed by his wife standing beside him during this announcement. I've heard pundits over the past day wondering how she could do that. Have you considered the possibility that she may love him, and that she wants to show that love and support during a tough time?

This is sure going to bring some of the "I hate homosexuals" crowd out of the closet. I'll just take this opportunity to remind you that scientific studies have shown that men who have no animosity toward or fear of homosexuals are more secure in their masculinity than are men who try to showcase their manhood with expressions of hatred toward gays.

McGreevey says he is resigning because his secret leaves the governor's office vulnerable. It may turn out that he was, in effect, being blackmailed by someone with whom he had had a sexual relationship. If that is the case, may that person suffer ten times the pain and anguish being suffered by James McGreevey. We may also learn that McGreevey handed over an important and sensitive government position to someone with whom he had or hoped to have a sexual relationship. If that's the case, then his resignation was the right thing to do.

Don't you just love politics mixed with sex?