Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Isn't it tiring to hear some neocons, conservatives, dittoheads and right-wing Christians bleat on about their monopoly on morality? Don't they realize that 50% of America is Democrat? Why do they think half their fellow citizens are not loyal, loving, family oriented people who have spiritual lives and love their country? Is it because they have myopic, self-serving world views? Serious insecurities? Is it the innate human need for an US and THEM even within a society?

I dedicate this post to Chad. Feel free to add any of your own. And yes, I know there are plenty of progressive, secular and liberal people who commit these same transgressions. The difference is that they don't base their identity on their "moral superiority" exposed daily as hypocrisy.

Rudy Giuliani - Divorced his first wife. Had an affair with Christyne Latigano while married to his second wife. Broke off the affair, appointed her to head NYC and company (the NY Tourist Board). Then stared another affair with Judith Nathan while still married to his second wife. Divorced 2nd wife Donna Hanover and married Judith Nathan.

Newt Gingrich - Gingrich has been married three times. In 1962, Gingrich married his first wife, Jackie Battley, resulting in the birth of two daughters. He left his wife in the spring of 1980; moreover, he finalized the divorce details while she was in the hospital recovering from cancer surgery in the Fall of 1980. Gingrich married his second wife, Marianne Ginther, in the fall of 1981. They divorced in 1999 amid rumors Gingrich was having an affair. A year later, he married the alleged subject of his affair, a House aide 23 years his junior named Callista Bisek.

Jim Bakker - Top "televangelist" of the 80s. Had an affair with his secretary Jessica Hahn. On March 19, 1987, following threats of the revelation of the payoff to former secretary Jessica Hahn, whom Bakker's staff members had paid $265,000 to keep secret her allegation that he had raped her, Bakker resigned from PTL. Jerry Falwell called Bakker a liar, an embezzler, a sexual deviant, and "the greatest scab and cancer on the face of Christianity in 2,000 years of church history."

Jimmy Swaggert - In 1988 Swaggart resigned from his ministry after pictures were taken of him with prostitute Debra Murphree. He issued a lengthy on-air apology for his actions.
The photographs had been taken as a result of a rivalry with fellow TV Evangelist Martin Gorman, who had been defrocked shortly after being accused of "immoral dalliances" by Swaggart. In 1991 he faced controversy again when it was alleged that he was stopped by police in a car with prostitute Rosemary Garcia.

Rush Limbaugh - Advocated jail and worse for those with substance abuse problems. Addicted to Oxycontin. Used "Doctor Shopping" and other illegal means to obtain the drug to maintain his habit. Detained at Dominican Republic airport for 3 hours becaus he had a bottle of Viagra that was not prescribed to him. He was traveling alone.

Mark Foley - Resigned from Congress after exchanging sexually charged Instant Messages with House Pages.

Ted Haggard - On November 3, 2006, Ted Haggard, who actually was regarded as a pastor rather than as a televangelist, resigned his leadership of the National Association of Evangelicals and temporarily stepped aside as pastor of his church because of allegations by former prostitute and masseur Mike Jones that Haggard engaged in sex with him for three years and used methamphetamine. Haggard at first claimed he did not know his accuser. He later admitted receiving a massage from Jones but denied having sex with him. He also admitted buying methamphetamine but asserted he never kept it and denied ever using it. On November 4th he was dismissed by the church for "sexually immoral conduct."

Jack Abrmaoff, Rep (R) Bob Ney - In prison. The Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal is a United States political scandal relating to the work performed by political lobbyists Jack Abramoff, Ralph E. Reed, Jr., Grover Norquist and Michael Scanlon on behalf of Indian casino gambling interests for an estimated $85 million in fees. Abramoff and Scanlon grossly overbilled their clients, secretly splitting the multimillion-dollar profits. In one case, they secretly orchestrated lobbying against their own clients in order to force them to pay for lobbying services.

In the course of the scheme, the lobbyists are accused of illegally giving gifts and making campaign donations to legislators in return for votes or support of legislation. Representative Bob Ney (R-OH) and two aides to Tom DeLay (R-TX) have been directly implicated; other politicians, mostly Republican lawmakers, with connections to Indian affairs have various ties.

Richard Nixon - 'Nuff said.

Rep. (R-CA) Randy "Duke" Cunningham - Now serving an 8 year prison for corruption and bribery scandals exposed in 2005.