It seems, these days, we can’t go an election cycle without some sort of sex scandal involving a public official gracing our newspaper headlines. Whether it’s John Edwards cheating on his wife or Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick sending illicit text messages to his “lover,” sex and politics seem to go hand in hand since Thomas Jefferson had an “extended family.”  Sorry we’re not going to cover FDR, JFK only the new new affairs.

Here’s a list of some of the more noteworthy extramarital transgressions involving our public officials in recent history.    

Rep. Mel Reynolds, an Illinois Democrat, was involved in a sex scandal with a teenage girl. Yeah that’s what you want out of your elected Representative.

Republican Sen. Bob Packwood of Oregon couldn’t keep his hands off women.  Bad sure, but you’ll read much worse, if you don’t know it already.

Senator David Vitter Louisiana Republican has always denied his connections and use of New Orleans prostitutes.  However the good Senator did come clean about his number showing up on a DC madam’s phone list as well as a few other “issues” he has cleared up with his wife and our lord and savior.

We all remember Senator Larry Craig who inadvertently has made airport men’s bathrooms an uncomfortable place to be. Senator Craig has taken the Clinton approach of denial.  But don’t worry he’s not gay.  

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer resigned after news becomes public that he paid for the services of a high end call girl.  Ironic since Spitzer came into office, “as a fierce enforcer of ethics in public life.” 

“The Whore”

New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey took a different approach to sex scandals when he came out of the closet as a gay man and resigned as Governor of New Jersey. Unexpected for a Republican.  

The Governor, the former (maybe current) lover, and his poor wife.

Detroit Mayor Democrat Kwame Kilpatrick who is undergoing a fight for his political career. As hard as he tries he can’t seem to stay out of jail for parole violations.  However parole violations aren’t a major concern for the married Mayor who was busted by text.  Text messages the Mayor sent in 2002 and 2003 indicated he had a sexual affair with his chief of staff (who is pictured below).

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom committed a cardinal sin by having an affair with his campaign managers wife.  Having worked a brief stint in local and national politics I can tell you what a total, colossal violation of trust this is. Especially given the nature of this relationship. Newsom trusted his political future to his campaign manager the least he could do is not f*&k his wife.

The one time aid and wife to the campaign manager.

Republican Presidential candidate and Arizona Senator John McCain had a little known affair with his current wife when he was married to his ex-wife.  This past affair hasn’t made much headlines for McCain and really goes to show that sex and politics don’t have to mean the end to a political career.  It just means you’re just not a good person. That’s all.  She’s the winner!

John Edwards recent marital infidelities have left his personal life splattered like a bug across the windshield of American politics. Of course we delight to learn that Senator Edwards has faults, is human, isn’t a cyborg, unlike his old running mate - Senator John Kerry (who is now rumored to be a potential VP choice for Obama).  However John’s affair really takes the cake.  Not only did he cheat on his wife which is an unconscionable offense in and of itself but the icing on the cake was the fact that his wife was in remission from cancer at this time of the affair.  Well done Senator you’re the biggest son of a bitch I know.

The Senator and the “other” woman

My point here is that these are our leaders.  The people we elect to represent our interests.  Now no one is perfect but come on get it together.  What pisses me off the most is that these representatives spend most of their time screwing us, the taxpayer, with higher taxes, less services and in many cases can’t even pass a budget on time leaving many families out in the wind and costing us millions more in interest payments because they can’t do their jobs.  Given all these significant deficiencies how do they possibly have the time to f*&k all these people and us at the same time?

The BBC has done a great piece on how both major party candidates, McCain and Obama, have changed their stances on issues or flip flopped.  We all remember John Kerry’s classic line from the 2004 Presidential Election, “I was for it, before I was against it.”

The article breaks down 5 areas where both candidates have switched or “augmented” their already carefully crafted responses to the issues.

McCain is hammered on: Immigration, Christian Right, Interrogation rules, Guantanamo, Oil Drilling

Obama is held to the fire on: Campaign Finance, Surveillance program, Gun Control, Iraq, Free Trade. 

So the question is no longer who is actually “flip flopping” but which candidates flip flop will hurt them the most come November?

McCain’s flip on his issues isn’t as potentially acidic as Obama’s.  None of the issues outside of Immigration are very polarizing for voters.  However Obama has been campaigning since the beginning of this election cycle on the premise that he has been against the Iraq War the entire time and would immediately start bringing home troops if he became President. “Obama’s Iraq plan calls for an immediate, gradual redeployment of troops that would leave only a small number in the country to conduct counterterrorism operations and protect diplomats.”

If his stance on Iraq were to change this could be very damaging for his credibility especially when put in concert with the other “flip flops.” 

But whatever it’s all BS.

Hillary Clinton campaigned today in Unity, New Hampshire for Barack Obama.  Following the many, many months of bitter fighting and posturing between the two campaigns this was a step in the right direction for the Democrats. 

Obama and Clinton fought over anything and everything even though they shared basically the same positions on the issues.  Accusing each other of deliberately distorting records was a everyday occurrence.  Can they change? Will people buy this “Unity?” Does it matter?  To early to tell and way too early to count out the underdog McCain.

Then                                                                   Now

The question remains will the public buy Clinton’s sincerity and will Clinton’s donors come along for the ride? Barack will need both to defeat an underrated McCain in November.

It has to be hard for both sides to come together after being so bitterly opposed.  Will the public see through this transparent facade of political unity? 

Then                                                                        Now

The Gallup Poll just came out with new results for June showing a virtual tie between Obama and McCain.  It’s still early but it’s exciting!

“Hey Barack do you have any gum?

Obama comes bouncing out of the gate with a 15 point lead over presumptive Republican Nominee John McCain.  It’s still very very very early in this process and neither of these men are incumbents, which changes the way polls are evaluated, but a lead of this magnitude will grab significant media attention. 

The Obamedia for the most part is already on the Senators bandwagon.  Let’s see what he does from here.  Can he hold this lead from the comeback kid? 

Will he get a bigger bounce from the nomination convention in Denver? What will McCain do?  This should be fun!

Yeah they’re back!

Wait what’s going on? We’re attacking Pakistan?  Cool. 

Hogan’s former wife a 48 year old is dating a teen.  Poor kid.

Carville recommends Obama chose Gore as VP.  How much fun would that be?

ALF vs O’Reilly

Really odd pictures of Alienesque being born from a cow.

Anybody else notice the striking resemblance between Carville and Cassell?

In the good news file suicide recruits down in Iraq.

Cloud making machine.  Looks like foam.

World’s most dangerous destinations. 

15 futuristic architectural designs

I don’t know if anybody notice but the mid west is getting tore up.  Tornado’s, floods, etc.

Crappy children’s art work

Speaking of here’s some cool tornado footage.

NBA not doing much to convince the public that Donaghy is lying.  Stern needs to say more then this is a rouge official that acted on his own and is now trying to save his butt.

Illegal drag racing.

Bush Senior knows the “pound”

The Media is already manipulating the tone and language of McCain’s quotes.  Saying he doesn’t think it’s important when the troops come home.  When in fact what he was comparing his stance on Iraq to that of Obama’s who would like to immediately implement a troop with drawl.

Apparently it’s a big deal that McCain can’t use a computer.  It’s not so much a big deal as he doesn’t need to use one to be President that’s what his staff is there for but what’s interesting is how the media is trying to play up a difference in cultures a clash between young and old.  They push this too far it will bite them in the ass.

Obama should know his staff better.  Mistakes happen and you aren’t going to know everything about everybody but if something like this pops up again after Rezko then this starts to look less and less like “Hope” and “Change and more like Washington politics.

Book your getaway now before the Ocean evaporates.

It must have been make up sex.

Fun tormenting a telemarketer.

Classic Wooderson clip from Dazed and Confused.  Need to start a new line of shirts “WWWD?”

Surprise, surprise Harden already on 15 day DL. Told you not to draft him.  Go pick up Lowry.

In Sales?  Hilarious 5 tips for all non-sales people.  Short excerpt: “If you are an engineer, unless you are working on a product that I’m going to deliver as part of the big deal, there is “nothing you can do.” Thank you; please keep up the good work. But we don’t log in and peer over your shoulder in between World of Warcraft sessions while you code- so back to your hole.”

For all you whiners out there

Ever wonder what happens to some athletes that do really well in college but kind of fall off the map?  Like the O’Bannon brothers from UCLA.  Take a look at this list of Final Four Most Outstanding Players.

Your tax dollars at work or actually in this case at school.

I need a job where I get to sign or at least see memo’s like this.

They never taught us this loop hole in college.  It’s quite simple actually.  Claim to be a small struggling business, of course you need to be supplying arms in war time, then sit back and collect over $300 million worth of government contracts.  Oh yeah and sell sub par weapons and ammunition.

Finished your taxes yet?

Not just a hat rack people.  Bear in mind everything he’s doing now the “others” are not.  He appeals to more people then the media would have you believe.

Mr. T’s chart topper: Treat Your Mother Right