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The recent resignation of New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer after
admitting that he was Client No. 9 of a $1,000-an-hour prostitute
has revived media frenzy in the US about the sexual escapades, or
preferences, of their politicians.
Prostitution is illegal in most American states,
but clients are rarely prosecuted. But because he allegedly paid for
the prostitute to travel to Washington, D.C., from New York, Spitzer
may also have violated the Mann Act that bans interstate transport
to engage in prostitution.
So far, no formal charges have been filed
against Spitzer and there are reports that his resigning from
office, which he made as an afterthought, could be part of a plea
bargaining agreement.
Seeing Spitzer on cable TV with his wife on his
side agonizing over his decision to resign reminded viewers around
the world of a similar incident a decade ago when Bill Clinton also
admitted momentary lapse of judgment although he insisted that he
“did not have sex with that woman,” referring to Monica Lewinsky.
In the list of 50 famous sex scandals involving
US politicians compiled by the Wikipedia Free Encylopedia, Clinton
was on top, followed by Gary Hart and New Jersey Gov. James
McGreevey.
The list was prepared before the Spitzer
scandal. An updated list would certainly put Spitzer in the fourth
place. By coincidence, all the four politicians are Democrats.
McCain not spared
It seems that in the US, the words “sex” and
“scandals” are invariably associated with politicians. In fact,
even assumptive Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain,
has not been spared reports of extra marital affairs.
In an article published in The New York Times,
McCain reportedly had sexual encounter with Vicki Iseman, a lobbyist
who works for a firm that deals with telecommunications. The rumors
of their supposed dangerous liaison began during McCain’s first
bid for the presidency eight years ago.
Both McCain and Iseman denied the rumors. McCain
had to go on live television to categorically deny the NYT report.
It died down but could be revived when the presidential campaign
starts.
Lewinsky stigma
Perhaps, Bill Clinton may not be able outlive
the stigma brought about by his indiscretion with Lewinsky, who by
now is a household name around the world. Although it has had no
impact on the campaign for the Democratic nomination by his wife,
Hilary, there is no assurance that this subject could not be
reopened during the campaign.
As 42nd US president, serving from 1993 to 2001,
Clinton presided over the longest period of economic expansion in
American history, which included a balanced budget and a surplus of
$559 billion at the end of his presidency. In his second term,
however, he was impeached by the US House of Representatives for
perjury and obstruction of justice as a result of the Lewinsky case.
But he was was subsequently acquitted by the US Senate and was able
to complete his term.
Probably because of his sterling achievements,
in polls taken during the impeachment trial, 70 percent of the
American electorate was against pursuing the allegations of sexual
misconduct against Clinton. Clinton left office with a 65 percent
approval rating, the highest end-of-presidency rating of any US
president after World War II.
Gary Hart
Having put up a surprisingly strong fight in
1984 against the eventual nominee, former Vice President Walter
Mondale, Sen. Gary Hart was perceived as the frontrunner for the
Democratic nomination in 1988. But rumors quickly began circulating
about Hart’s sexual liaision with Donna Rice. Hart challenged the
media to follow him around, saying that anybody who did so would
“be very bored.”
The day before that dare appeared in The New
York Times, two reporters of the Miami Herald caught Rice coming out
of Hart’s Washington, D.C., townhouse and published the story.
Hart continued to deny the relationship saying that the reporters
had no way of knowing when Rice arrived or what she was doing there.
Two days after the story broke, the Miami Herald
obtained photographs of Rice sitting on Hart’s lap aboard a yatch,
ironically called Monkey Business. The National Enquirer published
the photographs and five days later, Hart dropped out of the race.
Closet gay
But the downfal of James Edward McGreevey, the
52nd governor of New Jersey, is another story. On Aug. 12, 2004,
McGreevey admitted in public that he was a homosexual and had an
extramarital affair with a male subordinate.
On Nov. 15, 2004, also on national television
and with his second wife Dina on his side, McGreevey announced his
resignation. McGreevey became the first and, to date, the only
openly gay state governor in US history.
McGreevey and Dina, with whom he has a daughter,
have since separated.
malinaolito@yahoo.com
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