[The Great Satan]

Again, there is less to the "coverup" angle of the story than meets the eye. This seems to be a pretty routine plea-bargain-type arrangement such as might be given a first-time violator for a -- let's face it -- not particularly earthshaking sex offense (the guy offered to show his wiener to a 16-year old temptress in an internet chat room). This event also happened some time after Scotty's big role reversal, from a thorn in the side of Saddam to the dictator's biggest shill -- a reversal which was augured by his Saddam Hussein frontman-financed movie deal in 2000, with the included all-expenses-paid trip to hobnob with the Tariq Aziz in Baghdad.

And, that is the real story here. Seems that Scotty's little head sometimes leads his big head astray. But I'm sure a fine upstanding gentleman like Saddam Hussein would never think of taking advantage of that fact. Or would he?

[over3Owithabrain]

not particularly earthshaking sex offense (the guy offered to show his wiener to a 16-year old temptress in an internet chat room).

Downplay it all you want - that's pedophilia.

[Miss Marple]

I find it quite offensive that you think this is not a big deal. As the parent of a daughter (now 24) I find it QUITE a big deal.

In most communities this is a big deal...that is why people who do this are ARRESTED. Tell me how happy you would be to have YOUR 16 year old daughter lured to watch a man over twice her age masturbate in front of her? You think this is no big deal?

AND, the concealment of this arrest IS a big deal. You seem to be quite interested in telling us that it isn't. It is almost like you are afraid we will connect the dots to whoever engineered the coverup.

I am out of patience with this "no big deal" attitude. If that is what you think, you need help.

[SarahW]

But that's not what they do - the request to the girl is a ruse. If she shows, she can be abducted and raped or worse, and is unlikely to tell anyone because she'll get in trouble.

Young girls have met their *doom* by following up on meetings like Scotts BK tryst.

He's probably met girls like that before. He may even have hurt some of them.

[SarahW]

But say my #35 hadn't happened yet - I'm d*n glad he got caught before he DID meet some underage girl.

[justshe]

"... let's face it -- not particularly earthshaking sex offense (the guy offered to show his wiener to a 16-year old temptress in an internet chat room).

You are speaking from experience re: this not being earthshaking?

Any man who has to troll chatrooms to meet some underage girl, arrange to meet her, and then, in YOUR vernacular, "show her his wiener", is one sick pervert. Your defense of him makes me wonder if you have personal experience with this type of behavior.

[piasa]

True...

According to Ritter, (and the WSJ), Ritter had considered quitting the Marines on the eve of the Gulf War deployments. He then said he thought "I can't leave the others go and not go myself" or something to that effect. If this is true- and it's hard to tell where Ritter is concerned since he might just be saying that to court the antiwar left - then he had some serious issues as early as 1990.

Which again, points to his "conversion" either being a reflection of dissatisfactions he had always had, or to a real conversion between 1988 and 1990, when he met his Russian translator gal while was in Russia doing arms inspections there. Speculation, of course.

This current hubbub is over what amounts to a mere crack in an already flawed facade.

[FreeReign]

(the guy offered to show his wiener to a 16-year old temptress in an internet chat room)

Where did you get the information that the baiter portrayed herself as a 16-year old?