Burnt Orange Report

Byron,

With all due respect, your comment that had Gov. McGeevey been involved in a heterosexual extramarital affair, he would not have resigned, is misfounded. We have a recent historical example, when Governor Patton of Kentucky was caught in a heterosexual extramarital affair - he resigned in disgrace. For all the talk about the gay angle, the real issue is that the Governor had an extramarital affair. It is a shame, because he was a good governor, but he betrayed his wife and he betrayed the people of NJ when he put his paramour on the State payroll.

For his sake, I hope he gets along in his life and ultimately makes peace with himself.

Not right. Patton did not resign. It did scuttle his plans to run for US Senate this year, but he did not resign....

I do agree with the latter part of your comments, but under your logic, then Clinton should have resigned for having an affair with Monica - who was on White House payroll - surely you don't believe that....

He stepped down because he is about to get hammered by a sexual harassment lawsuit and possible indictment on corruption charges. I wish he was something the gay/progressive community could be proud of, but I really don't think he is. I think he is using coming out as a way to mask why he is really resigning. It's true that his homosexuality is tied into why he is resigning (the affair and subsequent harassment suit and possible nepotism charges), but it's not the reason he's resigning.

I made a snap judgement when I first heard this that we should probably not be so focused on the gay issue. But I've had time to digest it and I wrote in my own blog that I'm basically agreeing with the NY Times editorial this morning. He was a decent gov., bad judgement, this outing was politically timed because of a lawsuit.

I thought Gov. Patton (KY) did resign. I could be mistaken. If he did not, it happened near the end of his term and he just fizzled out over the next few months (which is not unlike McGeevey who is resigning in 3 months). Under the circumstances I do not see a major diffence.

There is however a key distinction with Clinton on the "on the government payroll issue" - Yes, Monica was on the Goverment payroll, but Clinton did not hire her and give her a cushy government job as a quid pro quo for sexual favors / to further the romantic interlude. He met her as she was already a government employee. It nowhere appears that he misused government funds or ever let the incident affect his Presidential decisions.

We do not yet know all the facts in NJ, but it appears that he put his paramour in a six figure salary job in Homeland Security (in the wake of 9-11) for which he was grossly unqualified, (from which he had to resign due to lack of ability) and then was transfered to another government six figure salary job as a "consultant" with no real job duties. Thus, with McGeevey, the incident affected his decisions that he made in his capacity as governor (appointments, use of government funds, etc.).

I am not out to tar and feather the guy, because I think he was a good governor, and an "up and comer." You certainly cannot judge people by their worst moment. People are more complex than that. I just hope that for the State of NJ, there is a smooth transition, and for McGeevey, that he makes peace with his family and himself.

Thanks for the post, Byron...as a gay man living in the Garden State, I'm glad someone's thinking deeply about this. McGreevey's record of support of gay issues is spotty; he supported domestic partnership legislation, but was publicly opposed to gay marriage. His record on funding for AIDS, social rights and the arts was shabby (none of which are gay issues per se). I think McGreevey was a good man trapped in an awful situation...but one ultimately of his own devising. The closet is not a tool of personal privacy, but a manifestation of the conservative Right, who use shame and secrecy to force a selective morality on the populace at large. It's a real shame.

Can you clarify for us your thoughts on the entire "Governor Perry is gay" controversy? As I recall, you guys "broke" this, and I find the logic of your second paragraph indefensible. Is says, basically, "the only people who have a right to privacy are those who agree with me."

And that, my otherwise thoughtful friend, is just wrong.

I thought it was Gov. Rick Perry that was supposed to have a gay affair with one of his aides. What ever happened with that?

Let's get something straight - this blog didn't break anything about the unfounded Perry rumor. That rumor was well know by many people in the Capitol for more than a year before the kids at this blog finally heard about it from some adults.

Enough already with trying to take credit for breaking "news" when all you're doing is spreading very old gossip.

The key to McGreevey's resignation is what was NOT said at his news conference. He's not resigning because he's gay. He's not even resigning because he's an adulterer, though that's a major strike-against. He's resigning because he's a corrupt politician who's caught-up in overlapping scandals that bring disrepute to the Governor's office, and this "gay revalation" is part of one scandal that may cost the taxpayers of New Jersey millions of dollars.

Golan Cipel's suit over sexual harassment may cost the NJ taxpayers since he was McGreevey's direct report as a NJ State employee. Plus there's apparently possible perjury charges related to statements McGreevey's made in support of Cipel when he installed his boyfriend as NJ's Homeland Security director's office despite his lack of qualifications in the field. McGreevey's further installation of Cipel with friends and lobbyists may also open McGreevey to corruption charges and abuse of authority. What favors were granted or promised to the Lobbyists and Contributors involved in return for safe haven for Cipel?

If McGreevey had been having the affair with some cute doctor in private practice from Princeton, he might have ridden this out with my blessings. And I'm a gay Republican. But his use of public funds and corrupt political/governmental ties to support and hide his boyfriend made him too vulnerable both politically, financially.

And there's the additional question of what else has he been up to?

To Carrie,

I don't appreciate the four of us, all at diffent levels of university (some older and wiser than others) being called "Kids." Granted Rick Perry may like to use that language but he's a Republican with good hair. Granted this blog didn't 'break' the story. But it was the one that finally reported the story when no one else wanted to when the rumors hit peak activity last spring. Perry didn't go to the Statesman to respond to year old rumors, it was to respond to them coming to a forefront, in part because of BOR doing some Mat Drudge-like 'reporting'.

Thanks.

Local NJ politics blogs have pulled up other under-qualified, potentially-gay political appointments made by McGreevey.

This ain't over yet...and trying to turn this into some referendum on gay tolerance is NOT a good tactical nor strategic move.

It's been well known "in the circle" since prior to Good Hair becoming Govenor that Ricky had a fascination with the boys. Burnt Orange did nothing more than post a story that was "coming out" all over the place.

The difference in Texas and NJ is that the Texas Republican's had the money to keep the appropriate mouths shut.

Local NJ politics blogs have pulled up other under-qualified, potentially-gay political appointments made by McGreevey.

This ain't over yet...and trying to turn this into some referendum on gay tolerance is NOT a good tactical nor strategic move.

Byron,

The fundamental fallacy in the post is that McGreevey resigned because of a gay affair. He resigned to beat the rush that was about to swamp him for his ethics-less reign of office. Remember ... this is New Jersey we're talking about. The admission to the affair is a sideshow meant to head it off at the pass ... and to change the subject. I've got no sympathy for any politician who can't play by the rule of law. Sorry, he deserves everything being thrown at him.

Re: the California situation ... let's try some consistency on this issue. Courts are not the place to settle social issues ... lest you forget how pleasantly abortion was "settled" by the SCOTUS. The issue will have to be resolved legislatively and any end-runs around this will always be beaten back. Longer term solutions will always be more likely from the legislative realm than the judicial realm. This is not a sad day for the gay community ... it is a wakeup call.

last test :)