Bad News Numero Uno
Threatened with impeachment, Connecticut's Republican Governor resigns in disgrace:
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Gov. John G. Rowland announced his resignation Monday amid a months-long cascade of graft allegations, a federal investigation and a rapidly gathering drive to impeach him for accepting gifts from friends and businessmen.Rowland, a third-term Republican who was once one of the GOP's rising young stars, became engulfed in scandal in December when he admitted accepting renovations at his lakeside cottage - including a hot tub and new heating system - and lying about it. Other gifts and favors soon came to light.
"I acknowledge that my poor judgment has brought us here," Rowland said, standing on the back lawn of the governor's mansion, his wife Patty by his side.
Rowland, 47, becomes the first U.S. governor in seven years to resign under pressure. His resignation is effective July 1.
This just confirms what I've always believed: You can't trust those liberal Republicans from the Northeast. (Jim Jeffords, anyone?)
Bad News Numero Dos
The GOP's Senate candidate for 2004 in Illinois is a weirdo sex pervert:
CHICAGO (AP) Republican Senate candidate Jack Ryan pressured his wife, actress Jeri Lynn Ryan, to have sex in clubs while others watched, she charged in divorce documents released Monday.
Jack Ryan? Isn't he the protagonist from all those Tom Clancy novels? What's he doing trying to get his rocks off in public? He's supposed to be defending us from those insidious Red Chinese!
The ``Boston Public'' and ``Star Trek: Voyager'' actress said she angered Ryan by refusing. She did acknowledge infidelity on her part, which she said took place after their marriage was irretrievably broken.In the documents Ryan denied the allegations, saying he had been ``faithful and loyal'' to his wife.
In a news conference held after the documents were released, Ryan repeatedly refused to comment on the allegations, saying his response in the court papers spoke for itself and that he would not discuss them again.
``It's not helpful for my son or for she or me to reopen this allegations,'' Ryan said. ``I am sticking by the exact things I said five years ago.''
While Ryan has spent time in recent days attempting to shore up support among the party leadership, one Republican member of the Illinois delegation called for Ryan to withdraw as a candidate.
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Article comments
1 - Natalie Davis
Independent Sen. Jeffords is a former Republican, proving there is hope for everyone inflicted with the awful GOP Disease.
2 - Ms. Tek
Woot... another seat for a democrat from Illinois in Senate. Obama seems squeaky clean plus Jack Ryan has allowed borderline harassment on Obama in this recent race.
Obama also seems just like a good guy even if he is a bit too cookie-cutter for me. Thats why his wife married him and not me.
3 - Mac Diva
I've been waiting for this to break, Ms. Tek. Wrote about Ryan in regard to the Obama campaign here. Trying to protect his kid. . . . Right.
4 - Al Barger
Thanks RJ. There's not much in my closet that I wouldn't be perfectly happy to answer for publicly. Frankly, I'd be more embarrassed for people to know how LITTLE debauchery I could be credited with.
Let me speak up here in defense of Jack Ryan, though. This seems like a bunch of crap that should be ignored, or if anything generate him sympathy.
In the first place, this all comes from an obviously malicious ex. Why would you just assume it was true? It could be true, but I'd find it just as easy to believe that she made this stuff up to ruin him.
Even if it WERE true, SO FRICKIN' WHAT? What he's accused of is private, personal behavior. It does not involve any abuse of the public trust, or sexual harassment. He wasn't lying under oath, obstructing justice, or doing anything illegal.
In short, if Mr. Ryan wanted to engage in some wife-swapping or some such, it's nobody else's goddam business.
I don't mean that as any endorsement of his candidacy. I don't know much about him, and I hope that the Libertarians have someone in the race. There are probably plenty of good reasons to oppose him, but this is not one of them.
Lastly, I will be particularly unimpressed with any hypocritical liberal Democrat jackass who piles on here.
5 - RJ Elliott
Al:
I'm curious. What all are you doing to boost your campaign's public profile? Press releases? Letters to the Editor? Direct mail? Meet-and-greet stuff? Flyers? Speeches?
Lemme know. I'm sincerely interested in the developments of your campaign (it may be of help to me in the future...). ;-)
Also, have you added a donation link to your site yet?
6 - Mac Diva
Ms. Tek, can you clue me in on the Illinois Leader? It does not seem to be at all objective about Ryan.
Ryan thinks he is rich enough to buy himself anything he wants, including a Senate seat. Perhaps not.
I believe spousal abuse is a character issue to most people, including many conservatives. Anyone who does not see that is pretty blind to moral concerns. Furthermore, I've seen no evidence Jeri Ryan is malicious. She apparently let Jack Ryan manipulate her into opposing the release of the court records, after first not objecting. Hardly malicious behavior.
7 - Al Barger
RJ- It's still early in the campaign, so we'll see what all I can get into.
For starters, I'm on the ballot. That's a done deal.
I also have an official campaign blog.
I'm still jumping through the hoops of setting up a bank account and PayPal links. I hope to have that in place within the week. I'm sure you'll be hearing about it as soon as it's available. :)
There are lots of routine bits of exposure that I'll be getting, such as printed questionnaires from newspapers for their voter guides.
There will also be some interviews, radio talk shows and such. I got some of that previously just as a candidate for the state legislature, so I expect considerably more as a candidate for US Senate.
I'll be ALL ABOUT press releases. I'm waiting for a few more days before I hit that, as I'm putting a few things in place. I've got a freshly updated Indiana media email list in the several hundreds.
I'll certainly be out and about talking to people. Some of our local LP county chairs are already working on plans for various kinds of rallies.
If I do any good with fund raising, I hope to have at least a modest radio ad campaign.
Plus, we'll see what else I can get into. As Fats Waller was fond of saying, "One never knows, do one?"
8 - Bob A. Booey
Apparently, RJ's a slightly better researcher than Mac is. He only caught it 5 hours after the story broke :) Go RJ, I guess.
That is all.
9 - Ms. Tek
Illinois Leader? Never heard of it.
I don't think Dick Cheney will be coming back to chicago to support Rayan again. If he did, it would be way too funny!
10 - JR
Ms. Tek: Obama also seems just like a good guy even if he is a bit too cookie-cutter for me. Thats why his wife married him and not me.
Forget the politics, I want to hear about how you almost married this guy's future wife. Sounds like quite a soap opera.
11 - Ms. Tek
LOL!!!
You know exactly what I meant there you rascal!
12 - jack e. jett
i think the jack and jerri ryan show sounds fantastic. it really restores my faith in republicans. i might even vote for him if i could see the show.
they are a cute couple. i hope some video shows up.
jack e. jett
13 - Mac Diva
I dunno, Ms. Tek. Jack and Dick could have an excellent adventure.
BTW, I have a substantive entry about former Connecticut guv Rip'em Off Rowland up here.
14 - Ms. Tek
Well the problem is that you can do anything you want when it comes to politics...
until it involves sex. Then you get in trouble. Getting caught with your pants down literally is the worse you can do. I don't understand why the American public is so purile as this.
I looked at the paper headlines today and it was "SEX SCANDAL" not "abuse" mind you... "SEX SCANDAL".
If Ryan wanted to go to a kinky sex club, I don't care... so what. To force his wife and then bring it up again after she said no... that is abuse.
But hey... sex sells... or not.
15 - Dick Gozinia
When something happens outside of the office, that is purely personal business, it should not be dragged through the press. It was wrong when the press did it to President Clinton and the loyal opposition piled on, and it is wrong that the press is doing it to Ryan and the opposition is piling on.
16 - Ms. Tek
Actually, the opposition ISN'T piling it on. Obama said today that he didn't even want to comment on it but he would rather talk about what he (obama) would do as Senator.
Thats class.
17 - Bob A. Booey
All these comments are like a great parody of bad political dialogue.
"You were gonna marry his wife? Wild!"
"Got caught with your pants down, but hey ... sex sells."
"It's not about what you do outside the office -- look what they did to Clinton!"
Either you folks are the biggest satirical geniuses ever or yeah ....
The word is PUERILE, by the way. I think the word YOU were looking for was PRURIENT, though. Go get your favorite dictionary.
I do find it interesting that some right-wingers who normally lecture about morality when it comes to people like Clinton are giving Ryan a total pass, though:
'State Rep. Paul Froehlich (R-Schaumburg), who was an early supporter of Ryan, said he felt the revelations would not hurt.
"After personally reviewing the documents released, the flap over Jack Ryan's divorce file is much ado about almost nothing," he said.
State Sen. Steve Rauschenberger (R-Elgin), one of the candidates who lost to Ryan in the primary, said Ryan might have handled it better but didn't think the revelations were too serious. "Racy bars in three different cities, that's it?" asked Rauschenberger. "I just think he would have been better off coming out with this information earlier. But I don't think it's a big deal."'
Racy bars? Give me a break. Those were friggin freaknik sex clubs that are probably borderline illegal. It's especially stupid considering that Rauschenberger was one of Ryan's primary rivals and likely one of the lead candidates to succeed him should he drop out. YOu'd think he'd either shut up or create some distance the way LaHood did. Ryan himself was on record saying that people kept coming up to him and saying, "Is that it?! We thought it was something really bad." Dumb-ass. This is probably the filthiest scandal involving sex we've had in this state and Ryan's so blinded by his ambition that he doesn't realize he's unelectable.
For what it's worth, I don't think he should HAVE to leave the race because of his private life or particularly condemn him for being a kinky weirdo. I do think we deserve to know about it and I do think that it'll hurt his prospects with people who actually have principles and aren't fuhrrrrreaks like Jack, me and most of you reading this.
In order to make you folks feel more comfortable, I'm gonna end with an empty-headed cliche of my own, but at least mine will be funny.
Ain't nothin wrong with a lil bump and grind, Jack Ryan ... ya feel me?
That is all.
18 - RJ Elliott
Looks like there will finally be another black person elected to the US Senate. (Let's hope he's not a corrupt crackpot like the last black Senator from Illinois...)
Ryan is toast, but doesn't seem to realize this yet. Illinois has rather suddenly become one of the most Democratic states in the country, along with Massachusetts.