Jack Ryan scandal is Clinton's fault

[Cocoa]

as predicted here at DU!

"The legacy of lasciviousness"

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/dianawest/dw20040628.shtml

<snip>

The political unraveling of Jack Ryan, a once-promising GOP candidate for the U.S. Senate from Illinois, offers an example of this dubious legacy. When Ryan's child custody court records -- which contain his former wife's ultra-sordid allegations that Ryan tried to compel her to participate at "explicit sex clubs" in New Orleans, New York and Paris -- were unsealed this week, the candidate found himself trying to throw a political blanket over unsavory, now-exposed appetites he had hoped would remain hidden.

Should they have remained private? Yes, but so should have Ryan. And would have, I think, had he described to his GOP boosters the exact nature of the skeletons that his ex-wife, fairly or not, had hung in his closet. Ryan says he didn't break the law, his marriage vows or the Ten Commandments. This appears to be true, but his private life as a husband has nonetheless sorely undermined his public character as a potential Republican senator.

He disagrees. "I think if that's the worst people can say about me ... I think it speaks very well about my character," he says. I'm not sure Ryan should be touting "character" now that his GOP boosters in Illinois -- which include former governors and state officials -- have been stung. It may not be the Clinton cabinet in the rain exactly, but it's little wonder some of his supporters are feeling all wet.

Bill Clinton -- publicly disgraced by the tatty climax to a seemingly endless string of notorious "bimbo eruptions" and assorted abuses of power and position -- taught us that if you could stay in the ring, you should. Ryan, tarred by his ex-wife's charges, has learned not to consider whether he should stay in the ring (or whether he should have ventured forth in the first place), only whether he'll be able to remain. Voters deserve better, or should. If only they could find it in themselves to demand it.

[mark0rama]

1. I don't see the excerpt posted as blaming Clinton.

(quoting here)
Bill Clinton -- publicly disgraced by the tatty climax to a seemingly endless string of notorious "bimbo eruptions" and assorted abuses of power and position -- taught us that if you could stay in the ring, you should.
(done)

Granted, I didn't read the whole column (I'd rather not give that site the traffic), but the above reads as being somewhat complimentary - in an extremely backhanded way, to be sure. Take out the gratuitous aside within the sentence and all you have is, "Bill Clinton taught us that if you could stay in the ring, you should."

[coloradodem2005]

2. Clinton did not make Ryan do shit.

Ryan made Ryan do what he did. Just another way for the GOP not to take responsibility for one of it's own.

At least Clinton took responsibility for what he did.

[Divernan]

3. This babe subtly blames Ryan's WIFE more than Ryan

Referring to "his former wife's ultra-sordid allegations" and "the skeletons that his ex-wife, fairly or not, hung in his closet."

The wife's allegations were undisputed by Ryan. It was Ryan's actions that were sordid, not his wife's disclosure to the family court of reasons (which the court agreed with) that Ryan should not have custody of their young son.

This columnist also writes as though the ex-wife was the source of (hung)skeletons in Ryan's closet. Those skeletons were Ryan's repeated sexual actions within their marriage; NOT the wife's presenting the actions to the court for the court's decision as to whether these actions were significant in a custody decision.
(I was in Illinois over the weekend and heard that the court allowed the dad visitation only if there was an approved female monitor present. He is not allowed to be alone with his son.)

And more generally, this columnist posits that Clinton' s brief dalliance with his intern was an action unprecedented in the nation's capitol by an elected official. Historically, his behavior was as nothing compared to Bush senior, with his Georgetown mistress, or Gingrich's abandonment of his cancer-stricken wife and their children. Until the attacks on Clinton, the press took a don't ask, don't tell approach to sexual dalliances by elected officials.

Look at the great photo of Bill, Hillary and Chelsea on the back cover of his new book. These three people, standing with their arms around each other, are a great family who clearly love each other enough to survive the pain and stress Bill caused with his foolish behavior. I have never seen a picture like this of George and Laura and their kids

[gmoney]

4. The Obama videotaping should have been enough...

Anyone who stoops that low in an election deserves to get thrown out of politics for life. But since that didn't happen, I'm so glad that this sex scandal cropped up to discredit this evil fuck. I'm only sorry that it's probably going to hurt Jeri Ryan's career... Ryan knew what was in those files. If he'd dropped out to save everyone the embarrassment, it would have been the noble thing to do. But then again, he IS a republican.