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Is it my imagination, or is it the case that when a Democrat goes astray, it’s a personal failing, 
and when a Republican splashes into the tabloid section, it’s a larger lesson? I just about spewed the morning coffee when I read the lede of Cal Thomas’ column excusing Mark Sanford’s fall, because “it could happen to any of us.” It could happen? A sunny day could happen, or you could run over a nail and happen to get a flat tire, but in order to fall into temptation and start an affair with someone in another country, I think one has to take some specific actions to initiate matters/Tom Von Alten/Fort Boise. More here.
Question: Do you agree/disagree with Cal Thomas’ contention that something like the affair that encircles Gov. Mark Sanford, R-SC, could happen to any of us?
D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.
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Sisyphus on June 29 at 11:10 a.m.
Ah yes, Cal Thomas leading the brigade of 'hypocrites are us'. From an editorial in 1998 on the Clinton impeachment:
Democrats are in danger of becoming known as the party of adultery, kinky sex and moral relativity. Instead of cutting their losses and rebuilding their party on a foundation of integrity, Democrats risk going down with the ship and suffering titanic losses because of a debauched captain. It may take them a generation to recoup.
From the Spitzer resignation:
This was a clear case where private morality and public lawbreaking intertwined. Spitzer is alleged to have broken laws he swore to uphold. His hypocrisy was further multiplied by the fact that he had gone after prostitution rings as state Attorney General apparently at the same time he was using one. And his stupidity was revealed when he used telephones to “book” the hookers and his calls were tapped by the authorities, something he had done as Attorney General of New York. Unless he had a secret political death wish, his behavior is hard to explain.
As I said in a column I wrote, he should have reached out for the Gideon Bible in the hotel room drawer instead of reaching out for prostitutes. In that Book he would have found warnings of what happens when people use prostitutes. He would have also encountered this verse: “Be sure your sin will find you out.” (Numbers 32:23)
Adultery is illegal in South Carolina yet no resignation calls from Cal. He's such a tool.
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misc on June 29 at 11:18 a.m.
Christians like Cal are what give Christians a bad name.
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scootermom on June 29 at 11:28 a.m.
Lots of things could happen. I could become a heroin addict. I could become a lesbian. I could join the Church of Scientology. I suppose I could even become a Republican.
All of those things are about as likely as me being unfaithful to my spouse. Sure, I am not immune to the attraction of the opposite sex, but I don't act on those feelings. I control my impulses and contemplate what I would be doing. It's called maturity.
Thomas thinks that because we all have a weakness or two we recognize, we should all be able to put ourselves in Stanford's place and understand that he just did what the rest of us think about doing.
Thomas is offering a lame excuse.
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Charles_Dixon on June 29 at 11:59 a.m.
After having read Thomas's piece I didn't see anywhere in there where he is excusing what Sanford did. I don't even see the piece as a call for empathy. Seems to me he is saying that adultery can happen in a marriage if the spouses don't take their commitment seriously, and that spouses should take that commitment seriously and not take those steps that lead down the path to cheating. No, he didn't call for Sanford's resignation or level any real personal criticism on him, but the piece certainly wasn't an attempt to say it was OK.
Sanford's adultery is no more or less immoral than any other person's.
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spokelooneh on June 29 at 12:05 p.m.
Cal Thomas has written some stupid columns over the years, but I think this takes the cake.
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spokelooneh on June 29 at 12:51 p.m.
“The less you make, the more you pay/Randy Stapilus”
Randy references an article in the Statesman whereby the state of Idaho has decided to make part time (State) employees pay a much greater portion towards their health insurance premium.
The article gives the example of a 23 year old PT employee, who currently pays $30 a month for his health insurance, and under the new plan by the state, will be paying $302.50 a month, which the article says, is calculated at 40% of the full premium.
That would mean the full premium is a staggering $756 a month, or $9,072 per year. For ONE person, young, and presumably in good health.
The average yearly premium in the US for a single person is about $5000.
Why is this ALMOST double for state of Idaho employees?
The final irony in this is that the person in the example works at the Idaho State Emergency Medical Service Communications Center in Meridian. And he's going to drop the insurance, he can't afford it, so if he gets sick, as Randy points out, he'll end up in the ER getting the MOST expensive care possible.
Still think the health care system isn't BADLY broken?
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jreighley on June 29 at 1:46 p.m.
I think it could happen to any of us.
It probably is most likely to happen to those who think that it couldn't happen to them..
The whole idea probably sounds preposterous to people that don't believe that there is an enemy. I have seen some pretty preposterous failures though (She let him sleep with her??? No way)…
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Cis on June 29 at 1:57 p.m.
I just don't get it… people are talking about the adultery,heck every one is zeroing in on that…
What about the fact the guy…Governor of the State of SC. walked on to a plane to go not only out of state, but out of the country… left his state, telling no one where he is going, leaving no one in charge for a WEEK. And nothing is hardly mention about that. The people of SC should be upset…He should be gone just for that alone
Maybe having a Governor isn't important in the south. Not needed… only a part time job?
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Phaedrus on June 29 at 2:32 p.m.
I believe Cis is 100% correct, but proving that politics is a strange brew, here is another take on the entire situation:
South Carolina Politics Looks Past Affair to Its Effects on Governor Race
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/29/us/…
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lew2nl on June 29 at 2:46 p.m.
Spokelooneh, did the article referenced in the Statesman mention that the State of Idaho Public Employees Retirement System is kicking all retired state employees off the state Blue Cross medical plan even though we're paying over $600 a month for that supplemental coverage in addition to Medicare payments? The current state plan covers 20% of what Medicare approves but doesn't pay. At the end of the year the retired employees who were promised they could continue with their state coverage will need to find another insurance company that will be comparable. Rather like a kick in the teeth.
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Cis on June 29 at 4:28 p.m.
$600 a month for a supplement plan to add to your Medicare coverage? That might be a blessing in disguese… unless it also covers prescriptions. I have minus prescription and it cost me less than $100 thru Banker's Fid. It pays everything that Medicare doesn't. There are ones out there with prescription for a little more. But not $600. There are about 10 such plans out there…maybe the retired employees should do some research before it happens.
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spokelooneh on June 29 at 7:32 p.m.
BTW, Sanfraud's wife, who knew about the affair months ago, specifically forbid him from going to Argentina to see his paramour Marie. I can't for the life of me see how she can forgive him for that, and while it's true she didn't know where he was at the time, you can bet she sure expected he may very have have gone to Argentina to see her, and so she had to spend days, and Father's day thinking about that.
What a cad Sanfraud is.
lew, you story is just another in the millions of ridiculous, idiotic, health care nightmares.
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