New Jersey Governor resigns

[SecretMaster]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5686618/
Now this is sad. Senator James McGreevey resigned today, he was the NJ governor if any of you didn't know. Mainly, he admitted he was gay, and he didn't wanted to be criticized by public and such, or at least that is what I get out of it. It truly is a shame that in today's society, decent political figures have to drop out of office just because of a simple thing such as sexuality.

[Yorick]

That is a shame. But what did you expect after the Clinton scandal? Perhaps it's more the issue that he was hiding something. Pretending to be what he was not. Not great for trust. Like saying he was single when really he was married, or saying he was married when really he was single, or saying he was gay when really he was straight. Why was he not upfront about it before?

[SecretMaster]

True, but this was originally told because other people were speculating and creating false stories, so he decided to tell the truth. And you can't really be a politician and say your life's story without being ridiculed for it. I mean I'm sure if anyone were gay and in a political position, announcing it is political suicide because for the most part, you will be rejected by fellow politicians and everyday people simply because of your sexuality. I'd like to keep that fact under wraps because no one can be honest without getting the axe, and its a damn shame, especially with decent people.

[Djinn Raffo]

He was also closely linked to several corruption scandals which I believe was the real reason he resigned.

[Ronn_Bman]

Originally posted by Djinn Raffo: He was also closely linked to several corruption scandals which I believe was the real reason he resigned.

Exactly!

[Yorick]

Originally posted by SecretMaster: True, but this was originally told because other people were speculating and creating false stories, so he decided to tell the truth. And you can't really be a politician and say your life's story without being ridiculed for it. I mean I'm sure if anyone were gay and in a political position, announcing it is political suicide because for the most part, you will be rejected by fellow politicians and everyday people simply because of your sexuality. I'd like to keep that fact under wraps because no one can be honest without getting the axe, and its a damn shame, especially with decent people.

But why should he hide his sexuality? That is a problem. Voters have a right to know what they're getting. It reeks of populism and manipulation if you deliberately conceal aspects of who you are to garner votes. Does nothing for gay rights or public acceptance of it either. Why not stand as an openly gay man? Is gaining power more important than proclaiming to the world you are embarressed of your sexuality?

The more I think about it the wierder it gets. Like with Clinton. He should have just come clean and fessed up about the affair and it wouldn't have been a big deal. The issue was his lying, not his sexual issues. Surely.

[Yorick]

Originally posted by Djinn Raffo: He was also closely linked to several corruption scandals which I believe was the real reason he resigned.

Ah.

[Magness]

No, you've all got this wrong.

The person with whom he was having an affair worked in the state's Homeland Security office and the governor was about to get hit with a sexual harassment lawsuit by this person. It's all over the news.

There are also another rumor that I've heard, but I'll forego posting it as it hasn't been reported by any mainstream media outlets yet.


As for being able to serve as a publicly gay man, it's entirely possible. Barney Frank, is a House Rep from Massachusetts and has been openly gay for well over a decade and continues to be re-elected.

[Larry_OHF]

Magness is right. He resigned to prevent a bigger problem from the wrong choices he made...
from what I gather from reading the news.

“Shamefully, I engaged in adult consensual affairs with another man, which violates my bonds of matrimony,” said McGreevey, 47, the married father of two. “It was wrong. It was foolish. It was inexcusable.” McGreevey said his secret — both his sexuality and his affair — left the governor’s office vulnerable. “I am removing these threats by telling you about my sexuality,” he said. Specter of lawsuit WABC-TV of New York reported that McGreevey was expecting a lawsuit by a former aide accusing him of sexual harassment.

[ 08-12-2004, 11:24 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[Morgeruat]

*nods* I hadn't heard about the sexual harrassment, I had heard his former "very close" friend was trying to blackmail him, and he came out to kill any chance the guy had of succeeding in his blackmail, a nice stance for a politicion for a change if it's true.