An Affair To Regret (would Kerry nominate gay Gov's lover to terrorism job?)

NEWSWEEK ^ | Aug. 23 issue | Michael Isikoff And Evan Thomas

[Liz]

He wanted to clean up politics in the Jersey capital. It didn't work out that way. A series of scandals, and a gay secret life, cut James McGreevey's career short. 'I am a gay American': Damage control or personal integrity?

New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey had stayed a step ahead of the rumors for years. In down-and-dirty New Jersey politics, Republican opponents had tried to hint at his double life, sometimes none too subtly.

One Republican opponent in a local election sent out a mass mailing with photographs of McGreevey's car getting late-night parking tickets in a particularly seedy area near New York City's Times Square. McGreevey was nervous about exposure. When his opponent in the 2001 governor's race, Bret Schundler, hired "oppo men" who tried to get into McGreevey's sealed divorce papers (McGreevey married for a second time and has children by both wives), McGreevey countered in classic New Jersey fashion: he sent an emissary to tell Schundler's operatives that he, too, knew some embarrassing secrets about his opponent. In a "gentleman's agreement," both sides backed off. advertisement But the suspicions never went away.

Shortly after he was elected governor, McGreevey fell and badly broke his leg in Cape May, N.J. He claimed that he had fallen off the boardwalk on a late-night walk with his wife. But his wife had been nowhere nearby; it turned out that McGreevey had dismissed his security detail. The word around the statehouse was that he had gone for a walk with his aide, Golan Cipel, whose good looks, high salary ($110,000 a year) and underemployment had long been muttered about by reporters and state employees.

--SNIP--

[Liz]

Kerry is making his potential as a strong president a campaign issue. We should ask Kerry....would he hire Cipel, a man who was once a poet, a sailor, and a PR man for an obscure town in a foreign country to handle US national security?

[jocon307]

Pretty good article, and you can vote on whether McG. should leave now, or stay the 3 months. Leave now is currently winning with about 60% of the vote. For those who are curious, there is also a picture of the future ex-gov with his former wife.

[AmericanChef]

I'm more worried about the use of the term "gay American" than anything else. A NJ politician's scandals aren't worth notice, being so common.

[ken5050]

Tomorrow's McGreevey news conference hi-lite......"My friends, I am a ..Republican.."

[NYCVirago]

What do you make of this?

One Republican opponent in a local election sent out a mass mailing with photographs of McGreevey's car getting late-night parking tickets in a particularly seedy area near New York City's Times Square. McGreevey was nervous about exposure. When his opponent in the 2001 governor's race, Bret Schundler, hired "oppo men" who tried to get into McGreevey's sealed divorce papers (McGreevey married for a second time and has children by both wives), McGreevey countered in classic New Jersey fashion: he sent an emissary to tell Schundler's operatives that he, too, knew some embarrassing secrets about his opponent. In a "gentleman's agreement," both sides backed off. advertisement But the suspicions never went away.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

...would Kerry nominate gay Gov's lover to terrorism job?

Is there professional courtesy amongst gold diggers?

[anniegetyourgun]

"Huddled around a conference table inside Drumthwacket, some advisers urged McGreevey not to resign, to fight it out against Cipel, to tough it out like President Bill Clinton did."

The entire DEM party is Clintonized. Translation: Whatever we can get away with.

[jocon307]

I think that's pretty well a slam on Schundler, but I have no idea if it is true. I did hear Brett say that McG's proclivities were well known to those in the know, but it was never seen fit to raise them. That race with the flyers must have been when he was running for Mayor or something, I never heard about it before this article. I did hear McG was gay, and evidently it was widely known amoungst pols and I'm sure the press. As to what there could be damaging in Schundler's backround, it's probably either that he is rich, or religious, or that the party powers don't like him. I'm pretty sure if there was anything really bad the Hudson Co. machine would have brought it out long before he ever ran for gov.

[Liz]

There have been romors about an extramarital affair.....but with a woman I hasyen to add. Don't know if they are true.

[Liz]

LOL........that sucker tries that, he's got big---or should I say bigger--- problems than he has now

[Liz]

Heh........Dim corruption runs deep.

[Blue Jays]

Good Morning All-

Posted by Liz:
"...There have been romors about an extramarital affair...but with a woman I hasyen to add..."

Some new FReeperisms are born! These vey new terms should be hughly successful. It's a fantastic idea, and I must admit I was stuned when I first saw it.

~ Blue Jays ~

[Elsie]

Shirley:

You CAN'T be series!

[Blue Jays]

Good Morning Elsie-

I'm vey series! A friend paged me on my beeber when the news about these new terms first broke this morning. There is going to be lots of excitement on FR about this topic.

Regards,

~ Blue Jays ~

[Coleus]

Funny, the article really doesn't address the issue of his ultra-liberal democrat policies as Governor and all his lies!

When he ran for governor, candidate McGreevey chastised the republican establishment on these issues.

1.  EZ-Pass, a $500 billion no-bid contract, when he's Governor, what does he do?  He signs a 10-yr. contract with EZ-pass! 
2. Parsons, another $500 billion no-bid contract, when he becomes Governor, what does he do?  He awards  Parson's Technologies with a contract to do MV Inspections.
3. Taxes: He stated that he would not raise taxes, and what does he do when he becomes Governor?  He raises taxes and fees, so much so, I can't remember how many times!  Corporate taxes, taxes on high-income earners, tires, elective surgery, real estate taxes, taxes raised more in NJ than in any other state, hotel taxes, telephone taxes, (when will Pres. Bush eliminate the Gore tax?),  increased the budget by $4 billion and borrowed $2 billion to pay for it, 40 tax and fee increases.
4. Parkway Tolls, Schundler wanted to eliminate the tolls within 9 months in office, McGreevey countered and stated that he would adopt a 7-year plan to eliminate tolls.  What does Governor McGreevey do?  He signs a 10-yr. contract with EZ-Pass sealing the fate of the tolls for another 10 years!  Just another lie from the Sleaze.
5. Catholic Values:  Preached moral, Irish Catholic Values, nurse mother, drill Sergeant Marine Corps father, Catholic Schools, alter boy, marched in most St. Patrick's Day Parade.  While a candidate he had a Catholic Priest assaulted and thrown down the stairs at a Campaign Event as St. Patrick's Pro-Cathedral School, Newark, after the Parade.  This Priest wanted to give McGreevey a pamphlet written by the USCCB on the Subject of Abortion.  We knew EVIL prevailed even before he was elected Governor.  Abortion: Here's a Catholic extolling his religious values and did everything in his power to support the culture of death, was 100% pro abortion, signed embryonic stem cell laws, used taxpayer money in the budget to fund a stem-cell institute and for seed money for state colleges for research, he passed laws expediting the application process for pharmaceutical companies for this research, he was against parental notification and against abstinence education. And now we know the rest of the story on his values.

[Coleus]

Are there skeletons in Schundler's closet?

If there are, he better come clean now before the Dims and RINO's come out with an October surprise.

[Liz]

A flip-flopper for sure.

And what about all the corruption by appointees and donors.

[Focault's Pendulum]

Ever since this thing came out....I'm still trying to figure out how we get our state's security alert downgraded from Lavender.

[Liz]

LOL.....cute.

[Focault's Pendulum]

I'm hoping we at least get downgraded to a light mauve with seafoam teal undertones.