Sexual Peccadillos in Washington, D.C.

Power is quite an aphrodisiac. Coupled with a sense of entitlement and arrogance possessed by some Congressmen and Senators, it can lead to great abuses of power. Some succumb to graft. Others to alcohol or drugs.

Congressman Todd Akin’s incredibly offensive and grossly stupid comments on rape give rise to reflection on Washington sex scandals.

I do not mean to imply in any way that all or most members of Congress engage in peccadillos, but the temptation proves irresistible to some. This blog will only list those members of Congress whose misdeeds made it into the public.

I will also not detail the conduct of former Senators running for higher office, in which Gary Hart and John Edwards shine. Nor will we mention state and local officials such as Governor Schwarzenegger of California, Mayor Villaragosa of Los Angeles, and then Mayor of San Francisco, now Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom of California. Governors Mark Sanford of South Carolina and Eliot Spitzer of New York also made headlines and destroyed their political careers.

Special mention should be made though of Minnesota State Representative, Kerry Gauthier, who announced earlier today that he will not seek reelection.  He was caught having sex in a rest stop with a 17 year old boy.

Congressional aides and staffers and administrative agency personnel are also excluded.

We should recognize the memorable  words of Jesse Unruh, Big Daddy Jesse Unruh, who as the great Speaker of the California Assembly from 1961-1969, said of lobbyists: ”If you can’t eat their food, drink their booze, screw their women, and then vote against them, you have no business being up here.”

The traditional scandals involved sexual harassment, adultery, and lewd and lascivious activity. The lurid details of many an escapade captured the public attention.

                 New technology brings emails and sexting into the mixture.

Congressman Mark Foley (R. Fl.) was run out of office in 2006 when a series of explicit solicitations to underaged male pages were released. Apparently no contacts resulted and he was not charged with any crimes.

Ironically, his Democratic successor, Tim Mahoney, who ran on a platform of clean government, was voted out of office two years later when it was revealed that he had placed his mistress on the House payroll.

Two Congressmen from New York resigned in 2011 because of sexting. Christopher Lee, a married Republican, texted a shirtless photo of himself to a woman he found on Craigslist. He used his real name and House email account, which was stupid.

Congressman Anthony Weiner, a Democrat from the City, sexted his penis to a young woman. He was apparently a recidivist sexter, which is even dumber.

                                              Adultery: Senators

John Ensign (R. Nev) resigned in 2011

Larry Vitter (R. La.) His phone number was found in the “Black Book” of the D.C. Madam. He won reelection in 2010

Senator Bob Packwood (R. Ore) was reelected when a newspaper sat on an article detailing a long history of sexual harassment in earlier years. He was a throwback to the era when Senators, such as JFK and LBJ, routinely hit on single women in Washington. Ted Kennedy, sometimes rumored with Chris Dodd, carried on his brother and dad’s serial adultery. Senator Packwood claimed he was an alcoholic at the time, but he was sufficiently sober to keep a record of his “sexual conquests.”

Senator Ted Kennedy saw his White House dreams drown at Chappaquiddick.

Senator Brock Adams (D Wash) career ended when his teenage baby sitter accused him of sexual assault, followed by other victim coming forth.

Senator Chuck Robb (D Va) claimed his relationship with the former Miss Virginia, Tai Collins, only involved a massage, but she said different and took it all off in Playboy.

An honorable mention goes to Strom Thurmond (D-R S Car) for acknowledging his illegitimate African-American daughter.

                                     House of Representatives

Two Democratic Congressmen made the news for sexual indiscretions when the media tried to ignore reporting such misdeeds.

Wilbur Mills, the esteemed and powerful Chair of the Armed Services Committee, was pulled over for DWI after an accident on October 9, 1974 near the Jefferson Memorial. His companion, an Argentine stripper known as Fannie Fox or the Argentine Firecracker, jumped into the Tidal Basin to attempt an escape.

Wayne Hays from Ohio was the powerful, but despised Chair of the House Administration Committee. Elizabeth Ray, the Committee’s Secretary, revealed in 1975 : “I can’t type. I can’t file. I can’t even answer the phone,” but for $14,000 a year her job was to have sex with him.

Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich

Jim Bates (D Cal) defeated by Randy “Duke” Cunningham, a decorated pilot, who was subsequently guilty of corruption while in  Congress

Allen Howe (D Utah) solicited two undercover police women in 1976.

Ernie Konnyu (R Cal) sexual harassment

John Young (D Tex)

Donald Lukens (R Ohio) teenager

Congressman John Pickering (R Miss)

Bob Livingston (R La) The adultery was revealed as Congressman Livingston was elected by the Republicans to succeed Newt Gingrich.

Henry Hyde (R Ill) It was a “youthful indiscretion” at age 41

Mel Reynolds (D Ill) convicted on August 22, 1995 of sexual assault, obstruction of justice, and solicitation of childhood porn. Congressman Reynolds succeeded in office Congressman Gus Savage who fondled a Peace Corps Volunteer.

Congressman Gary Condit (D Cal) was a Congressman for life in California's Central Valley until his mistress, the Congressional intern Chandra Levy disappeared under suspicious circumstances in May 2001. His serial adultery was revealed and he was suspected in his disappearance. Her body was found a year later and an illegam immigrant was convicted in November 2010 of her death.

                         “Straight” Men Caught in Gay Incidents

Senator Larry Craig (R Id) Minneapolis Airport restroom

Congressman Bob Bauman (R Md) (teenage boy in 1980)

Congressman Fred Richmond (D NY) (16 year old boy)

Congressman John Hinson (R Miss)

                                                   Gay

Congressman Barney Frank (D Mass) His gay lover ran an escort service our of his apartment

                                  Too “Close” to Lobbyists

Congressman Arlan Stangeland (R Minn)

Congressman Tom Evans (R Del)

                              Sex With House Interns

Congressmen Dan Crane (R Ill) (female) and Gerry Studds (D Mass) (male)were censured for sex with interns.

                               Presidents

President Kennedy sets the mark. Neither President Johnson nor Clinton apparently came close to JFK’s numbers.

President Nixon can rightfully be accused of many transgressions in office, but sexual misdeeds are not on the list. President Carter in a Playboy interview before his inauguration volunteered to looking on women with lust and that he had “committed adultery in my heart many times.” Virtual adultery doesn’t count.

The fates of these elected figures varied. Some resigned or decided not to stand for reelection. Many were defeated for reelection while some continued in office.

What is clear is that Republicans have less tolerance for sexual misdeeds in office than Democrats.

The First Day of Class - Now Entering the Fifth Decade

I walked into class at 10:15 this morning, nervous as usual on the first day. It was beautiful. The palm trees were softly swaying outside in a breeze. The beaches are 10 miles away. The air conditioning cooled the room. I was well prepared, having taught the class dozens of times.

Did I say it was a beautiful day?

Today was very different from early September 1972 for this is the first day of my fifth decade of teaching law.

I walked into the non-air conditioned Brown 105 on the Ohio Northern campus 40 years ago on one of those miserable, hot and humid summer days in the Midwest. I was really nervous and barely prepared. I thought classes started a week later.

What was I doing in Ada, Ohio, a town of 3,200 permanent residents, surrounded by wheat, corn and soybeans on the flatlands of Liberty Township, Hardin, County, Ohio? I graduated from law school in San Francisco two years earlier. How did I get from San Francisco to Ada?

Through Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Of course, a graduate of Lowell High School in 1964 had Berkeley, then ranked the number one university in the world, as the safety school. Finances, or the lack thereof, dictated college and law school at the University of San Francisco, and graduate school at Michigan. Ann Arbor, the University of Michigan, and the state of Michigan are magnificent.

The lesson for young students. Follow your life, follow your career where it takes you. Life is a wonderful ride. Take it where it leads you.

I thank President Samuel L. Meyer, Dean Gene Hanson, Associate Dean Dan Guy, and ONU’s faculty for giving me the chance to enter the Academy and complete my dissertation at Michigan.

What do I think of Ada?

Of all the places I have lived, Ada was the most insightful. I learned the values of the Heartland of America, the qualities of the Midwest, the salt of the earth, and the farm belt: trust, loyalty, friendship, assistance. The people would give you the shirt off their backs if you needed it. I recognize the Midwest is not “flyover country.” If you think it is, then you do not understand America.

We headed to the big city, Lima, 15 miles away for shopping and services.. Who would have thought 40 years later that Lima, Ohio would be the situs of Glee?

Ohio, Puget Sound, Western Massachusetts, Orange County, it’s been quite a ride – a wide swath of America, a witness to the grandeur of America.

As for the students – so many incredible students over the years. I still remember a few from the first class. Whether you go to Harvard Law School or Ohio Northern, the top students will be the top students anywhere else. Students with the lawyering skills, personality, and drive to succeed will succeed in life. Every school has diamonds in the rough.

What do they think of me? Some think I can walk on water while others want me to slip off the rocks and drown.

I stopped teaching out of Paper Chase within five years. Any law professor who teaches that way today will probably be run out of the school.

The student body is now about 50-50 male/female versus about 95% male then.

They are still on the first day of class the same young, enthusiastic, radiant students as 40 years ago. It remains a pleasure to give back, to edificate them. The law I teach today is very different from 40 years ago, but the students are the same.

They remain young; I remain young. Retirement is not in the cards. Teaching law would be the greatest job in the world, except it is not a job when you love what you're doing.

Senator McCaskill Is the Big Loser in Congressman Todd Akin's Implosion

Claire McCaskill is the Big Loser in  the Todd Akin self-immolation.

We all know by now that Congressman Akin committed political suicide yesterday in his senate race against Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill.

The Republicans believe they lost the Senate contests two years ago in Colorado, Maryland, and Nevada because the primary voters nominated candidates suffering from Hoof and Mouth disease coupled with excessive baggage. They are witnessing an instant replay with the Congressman threatening to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Congressman Akin’s incredibly sexist, misogynist, insensitive, inflammatory, and stupid comments about rape and abortions doom his election against perhaps the most vulnerable Democratic Senator up for reelection this year.  Senator McCaskill has ethical and tax issues, sweetheart deals for her husband, and voted too often with President Obama.

Senator McCain won Missouri four years ago and Governor Romney has an increasing lead today. The Senator was political toast and now so is the Congressman.

The Congressman apologized profusely for his remarks, but he can’t walk them back. They’re on tape; he wasn’t drunk, on drugs, or claiming lack of sleep. Maybe he had a senior moment at age 65. His college degree is in mechanical engineering, but he’s clearly not a rocket scientist.

There is no plausible deniability; the video is for everyone to see.

He made the mistake of being a conservative, religious Republican who the mainstream media will crucify when given the chance. Joe Biden may get a pass on racially insensitive remarks, but Republicans are held to a double standard.

The Republicans are throwing the Congressman under the bus. He vows to continue; he’s “not a quitter.”

He seeks forgiveness, but forgiveness does not equal electability.

He can say what he wants, but money is the lifeblood of politics, and he has none. He’s pleading for his traditional, conservative, Evangelical base to contribute on an emergency basis. They won’t in the amounts he needs. Evangelicals are highly educated; even they have to be shocked about his comments about “legitimate” rape.

The Republican Senatorial Committee is denying the Congressman the $5 million they were going to contribute to his campaign. Karl Rove’s Crossroads PAC has just pulled out of the Missouri Senate race.

Neither Sarah Palin nor The Tea Party supported Congressman Akin in the primary. He's not their man to stand by.

Congressman Akin may be in a state of denial, but he has until 5:00pm tomorrow to withdraw under Missouri law.

So how is Senator McCaskill the big loser?

Her campaign realized early that the Congressman would be the weakest candidate against her of the three Republican primary candidates. The Senator, the Democratic National Senatorial Campaign, and a Democratic PAC ran at least  $1.2 million in primary ads designed to swing the conservative Republican vote to Congressman Akin. The ads pointed out how conservative he is, “The most conservative congressman in Missouri” and “Missouri’s True Conservative.” Then near the end, if you got that far, the ad stated that he was too conservative for Missouri. Sounds like Democratic political dirty tricks.

Congressman Akin proved yesterday that the democratic assessment of him was accurate. 

Unfortunately for the Senator, the Congressman imploded too early. She’s actually asking him to stay in the race.

Once he drops out, and he will, the Missouri Republican Party will replace him with a viable candidate.

Her political fate is sealed.

It's the Little Things That Make Life Wonderful

We take so much for granted in our daily lives, so many things that make our daily lives a pleasure.

Aerosol sprays

Air Conditioning

Aluminum foil

ATMs

Automatic transmission

Ballpoint pens

Bar codes

Bic lighters

Bikinis

Blenders

Bras

CD’s

Clothes dryer

Color Photography

Credit cards

Deadbolt locks

Digital

Disposable diapers

Drive through windows

DVD’s

FM

Garage door openers

Gore Tex

Hair Dryers

Head phones

Instant replay

Instant photography

Juice Paks

Microwaves

Model T

Nylon

Permanent press

Plastic/trash bags

Post-its

Power tools

Refrigerators

Saran wrap

Slinkees

Television

The Pill

Toasters

Traffic Signals Transistors

TV remotes

Velcro

Viagra

Wheelies

Xerox

Zipper

Almost all of these 20^th Century innovations were the product of (mostly) American ingenuity.

None were made, to paraphrase the President, by President Obama. Nor were any of these made by the government. I’ve omitted government funded research products, anything from Silicon Valley because of government funding, and the GPS. 

President Hollande and France Are in Trouble - So Take it Out on the Roma

Francois Hollande was inaugurated President of France on May 15, 2012. He swept his Socialist Party to an overwhelming majority in the France Parliament in June elections. He had the power and will to carry out his campaign promises.

He promised to lower the salaries of the president and staff, remove French forces from Afghanistan, raise the top income tax rate to 75% on incomes over 1 million Euros, reinstate the lower retirement age of 60, raise the minimum wage, and hire 60,000 new teachers.

He kept most of these promises, with results similar to President Obama’s.

And he would fight the European concentration on austerity through a pro-growth policy while reigning in the budget deficit. He would find $40 billion in savings and tax increases to lower the deficit to 3%.

The math, of course, does not add up.

He would become a “normal” president unlike his flamboyant predecessor, Nickolas Sarkozy.

And he would not dismantle the Roma camps unless alternative accommodations were available.

The condition of the existing camps in the open countryside is unworthy of a civilized nation: rat infested, no electricity, and no running water. About 15,000 Roma, who are not French citizens, live in France.

The reality is that the French economy showed a 0% economic growth in the second quarter while the unemployment rate exceeds 10%. In addition, the French auto industry, which employs 10% of the French workforce, is hemorrhaging. Peugeot wishes to close a large plant outside Paris and lay off 10,000 workers. The 35 hour workweek also makes for an uncompetitive economy.

Under the European Union’s Schenger agreement Bulgarians and Romanians can come to France for no more than 3 months unless they have obtained work or education visas.

Under a statute enacted in 2007 Roma are not allowed to work in France. Many are uneducated. Thus, France can legally deport them.

The President, who won by a landslide, had a short honeymoon, being shortened by the new “normal” president borrowing for his vacation a luxury yacht owned by a French billionaire. He was down to a 54% unpopularity rate after 100 days in office. The youth are rioting in Amiens. The living conditions of the poor, especially the North Africans, are unsanitary and unhealthy.

What to do? What to do?

Then President Sarkozy attempted to divert public attention away from his woes in 2010 by destroying Roma camps and deporting the Roma to Bulgaria and Romania. The French actions met with universal criticism and outrage by European human rights advocates.

The Roma have historically been the second most despised population in Europe after the Jews. Their image in most of Europe is that of gypsies, tramps, and thieves. They were also the second largest victims of the Holocaust. (I previously blogged the plight of the Roma on August 5, 2010).

So what is President Hollande to do?

The answer is to emulate President Sarkozy and strike out against the Roma.

One President was a conservative, and the other is a socialist, but the Roma are the Roma.

The French government bulldozed several Roma camps last week outside Paris, Lille, and Lyon. Scores of Roma were deported to Romania.

The French government never referred to the camps as Roma, but as “illicit encampments” which posed a threat to the public health and safety.

Several Roma fled in advance of the bulldozers to the woods, which are now their “alternative housing.”

A 23 year old Roma mother of two, who panhandles at the Eifel Tower to survive, said “I want something else for my children. I want a different future.”

The Roma are still searching after 1,000 years of wandering.

Marv Mayer, R.I.P.

The Chancellor’s Office sent a message earlier today that our esteemed and distinguished colleague Marvin Mayer passed away of complications from melanoma.

What a shock! Chapman’s had too many of these in the past couple of years.

Marv at 64 was still in his prime as a scholar and teacher. There was no warning to us. He didn’t retire due to ill health. He wasn’t visibly failing. He was diagnosed with a relapse of melanoma about a month ago. The end came quickly as Chapman was still in summer vacation.

The world and professional societies will write about Marv as one of the world’s leading scholars on early Christian religions, gnostic studies and the gospels that did not make it into the Bible. Let them; they can speak better than I on his professional achievements.

I saw a scholar who combined linguistics, archeology, religion, history, and perhaps paleontology in his work. I assume his melanoma resulted from the times he spent under the hot sun in the Holy Lands as well his other professional studies. 

I remember the unveiling of The Gospel of Judas at Chapman. Elaine Pagels of Princeton and Marv electrified the audience in Chapman’s Memorial Auditorium. Then came the National Geographic Special.

Let me talk about Marv Mayer as a colleague at Chapman. We’ve lost many distinguished colleagues in the past year. Marv was a star among stars. His smile through the beard, the glint in his eyes, but above all his melliferous voice ensured a room would light up when Marv entered it.

Like E.F. Hutton, people listened when he spoke. Audiences were glued upon each word he uttered. A Ph. D. in religious studies, he had the voice and cadence of a great minister.

Often in scanning though the Discovery, History and National Geographic channels at night, I would hear this voice, Marv’s voice, and knew that’s the show to watch. It didn’t matter what it was on, such as the Gospel of Judas or Ancient Aliens; Marv was involved.

He served as President of the Faculty Senate a decade ago, the ultimate sign of respect by the Chapman faculty. Faculty Senate meetings are not always scintillating, but his presence and voice made the two hours seem like a nanosecond. They were a joy to sit through.

He’s received every major faculty award Chapman offers, the Wang-Fradkin and the Valerie Scudder and excellence awards, all of which are bestowed by the Faculty. He held an endowed chair, and was Director of Chapman’s Albert Schweitzer Institute.

He was respected because he earned everyone’s respect.

Marvin was an outstanding scholar, but an outstanding scholar who was also an outstanding classroom teacher, and a great friend to his colleagues at Chapman University.

Marv was not corrupted by his success, fame, and celebrity status. He continued to willingly and warmly give of himself for that is who he was.

He was always Marv, not Marvin, Dr. or Professor - just Marv because that is who he was.

Marv Mayer was one of the brightest stars in Chapman’s galaxy of stars.

"Forward - To the 20th Century" - Joe Biden's New Campaign Slogan

“Forward” is the Obama Theme for 2012, just as “Hope and Change” was in 2008. We know how that worked out. Just move forward.

They did not run forward past Alfred, Lord Tennyson and the Charge of the Light Brigrade: "Forward, the light brigade."We know how that ended.

Forward is a wonderful theme, undoubtedly tested by many focus groups, obviously looking to the future. Tomorrow is another day, another election. The Obama campaign cannot campaign on its past accomplishments, the Stimulus, ObamaCare, etc., all of which are wildly unsuccessful or unpopular.

Remember, “We can do it?” They didn’t. Hence, forward to the future.

Vice President Biden did not get the message yesterday in Blacksburg, Virginia.

He was singing the praises of the GM bailout, and then asked rhetorically “Where is it written that we cannot lead the world in the 20^th Century in making automobiles?”

GM and Detroit led the world in the 20^th century. GM was the world’s largest corporation for about 5 decades. It’s decline began in the 1970’s with an inability to adjust to building quality small cars profitably. Toyota gained a foothold with the small Corona, and the rest is history.

Every recession, every UAW contract, every increase in the price of gas, every missed opportunity, GM declined until it collapsed.

Today, the 21^st Century, the New Millennium, Toyota is the world’s largest automobile manufacturer, China is GM’s largest market, and Ford earns more than GM.

Joe was going Back to the Future, wistfully thinking of the Good Old Days, but the future is here and now.

Forward to the 20^th Century, or Back to the Future, is Biden’s motto. It destroys Obama’s.

President George H. W. Bush’s Vice President, Dan Quayle, was roundly panned by the left as a national disgrace as Vice President. The media had a field day with his misstatements; unlike Vice President Biden, the media did not give him a pass. One of the most famous incidents was a debate with a 12 year old girl over the proper spelling of potato, which he spelt as potatoe. Both are technically correct.

Joe Biden’s gaffes make Dan Quayle look like a genius.

The problem 20 years ago was not Dan Quayle. It was the President. Joe Biden may give rise to consternation today, but he is not the problem for America. It is President Obama.

Forward into the 20th Century.