[My2Cents]

I'm not defending his behavior, which is disgusting. But I have to make the distinction: Tell me why his weakness for 14 year old girls affects his credibility over what he's been saying about Iraq? I think history will prove Scott Ritter wrong! wrong! wrong! on Saddam Hussein and Iraq, without this story.

[Smedley]

Tell me why his weakness for 14 year old girls affects his credibility over what he's been saying about Iraq?

Blackmail. Think that it can't be argued that Ritter is being blackmailed by a foreign power? Is it likely -- I have no idea, but its one of those explainations that well explains Ritters 180 turnabout on Iraq.

[InfraRed]

Tell me why his weakness for 14 year old girls affects his credibility...

Maybe his credibility takes a hit because of his problem with truth/reality/memory failure...

When contacted by the Gazette last Friday, Ritter denied any knowledge of the incidents.

"Sorry, you must have the wrong person," Ritter told the newspaper.

[AndyTheBear]

Sorry, but I gotta join the chorus of disagreement. I think we need to distinquish between sex scandals that are fair game, and those that should be left private. We should apply the same to all the public figures without regard to whether they are liberal or conservative. In Ritter's case we are talking about criminal activity. If this is not a case of mistaken idenity, then I think it is relevant to Mr Ritter's risdule authority from his former postition of public trust. The public at large is the Board of Directors of such, and we have the responsibility to not tolerate those that abuse the noterity we grant them.

[Bonaparte]

It all comes down to this -- character counts and now we know that Ritter has none.

The public is entitled to know the character of those they pay to undertake major responsibility and now it does. When confronted about his wrongdoing, Ritter lied.

(Yes, most of the weapons inspection work Ritter did for UNSCOM was funded by the US taxpayer.)

[Petronski]

But I have to make the distinction: Tell me why his weakness for 14 year old girls affects his credibility over what he's been saying about Iraq?

It demonstrates a vulnerability to blackmail (and blackmail is an excellent explanation for his abrupt volte face in 1999).

[Reactionary]

"Tell me why his weakness for 14 year old girls affects his credibility over what he's been saying about Iraq?"

Easy as pie. His "weakness" in this case has landed him in trouble with the law, and somewhat mysteriously the charges against him have been dismissed, the case sealed. And, strangely enough, his attitude toward Iraq has changed dramatically; it is now the exact opposite of what it was prior to those events.

His credibility is in question because the very real possibility of blackmail exists.

[The Great Satan]

Tell me why his weakness for 14 year old girls affects his credibility over what he's been saying about Iraq?

You're kidding, right?