DC Liars Club
"We believed in him, and he lied."
David Bonior, former national campaign manager for John Edwards (1)
"It (the Lewinsky affair) is nobody's business but ours."
President Bill Clinton, 1998
Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards, Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004 and failed presidential candidate this year, now qualifies to join the Washington Liars Club (Bill Clinton, President for Life) by admitting he lied about his affair with a woman who had assisted his campaigns.
Other prominent members include senators from Louisiana and Idaho, who were caught "looking for love in all the wrong places", namely a virtual whorehouse and airport men's room, respectively. Former Senator Gary Hart may have found it aboard the yacht "Monkey Business." The ex-governor of New York is enrolled in the Big Apple chapter. But why do so many prominent politicians keep having extra-marital affairs and then lying about them?
I contend that the human male is hardwired to lust after nubile girls and young women, even as he and his wife get older. The Torah, recognizing this proclivity, permits a man to marry more than one woman. Many great leaders of the Jewish people had more than one wife : Abraham, Jacob, David, and Solomon, to name a few. Islam and many African traditions also permit polygamy. On the other hand, the founder of Christianity was apparently a lifelong bachelor, and the Catholic Church to this day forbids divorce and re-marriage and forbids clergy to marry at all.
About a thousand years ago the rabbis of Europe met and established the Cherem (ex-communication) of Rabbi Gershom, which forbids Ashkenazic Jewish men from having more than one wife at a time. (The rabbis of Asia and Africa did not accept this stricture.) Since then Jews of Europe (and later America) have joined Christians in embracing monogamy. When the Mormons re-introduced Old Testament-style polygamy into mid-19th century America, they were driven from Illinois and Missouri, and found refuge in the desolate area now known as Utah. (2)
Although efforts to legalize polygamy in the United States have gotten exactly nowhere (3), state laws against adultery have been either repealed or fallen into disuse. American society has become far more tolerant of sex outside of marriage in recent decades, including adulterous affairs. Men with power, money and fame have more opportunities for extra-marital sex than other men, so it is not too surprising that quite a few have taken that bait.
Although many men seeking high elective office in our time are not faithful to their wives, it would be politically disastrous to admit that publicly. They must appear to embrace "family values," particularly loyalty to one's spouse. And that is where the lies begin. President John Kennedy avoided this problem only because the press in his time embraced the attitude "Don't ask, don't tell" about presidential adultery.
Some say that it is not important if a politician "just lies about sex." The trouble is that even this type of lying indicates that the man is not trustworthy. Show me a man who lies about sex, and I'll show you a liar.
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(1) Associated Press, August 9, 2008.
(2) Utah was admitted to the union only after the Mormon Church banned polygamy in 1890.
(3) Wisconsin State Representative Lloyd Barbee (Democrat, Milwaukee) introduced a bill to legalize group marriage in 1970, but it garnered no support. In 2006 the Wisconsin Constitution was amended to limit marriage to "one man and one woman."
David Bonior, former national campaign manager for John Edwards (1)
"It (the Lewinsky affair) is nobody's business but ours."
President Bill Clinton, 1998
Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards, Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004 and failed presidential candidate this year, now qualifies to join the Washington Liars Club (Bill Clinton, President for Life) by admitting he lied about his affair with a woman who had assisted his campaigns.
Other prominent members include senators from Louisiana and Idaho, who were caught "looking for love in all the wrong places", namely a virtual whorehouse and airport men's room, respectively. Former Senator Gary Hart may have found it aboard the yacht "Monkey Business." The ex-governor of New York is enrolled in the Big Apple chapter. But why do so many prominent politicians keep having extra-marital affairs and then lying about them?
I contend that the human male is hardwired to lust after nubile girls and young women, even as he and his wife get older. The Torah, recognizing this proclivity, permits a man to marry more than one woman. Many great leaders of the Jewish people had more than one wife : Abraham, Jacob, David, and Solomon, to name a few. Islam and many African traditions also permit polygamy. On the other hand, the founder of Christianity was apparently a lifelong bachelor, and the Catholic Church to this day forbids divorce and re-marriage and forbids clergy to marry at all.
About a thousand years ago the rabbis of Europe met and established the Cherem (ex-communication) of Rabbi Gershom, which forbids Ashkenazic Jewish men from having more than one wife at a time. (The rabbis of Asia and Africa did not accept this stricture.) Since then Jews of Europe (and later America) have joined Christians in embracing monogamy. When the Mormons re-introduced Old Testament-style polygamy into mid-19th century America, they were driven from Illinois and Missouri, and found refuge in the desolate area now known as Utah. (2)
Although efforts to legalize polygamy in the United States have gotten exactly nowhere (3), state laws against adultery have been either repealed or fallen into disuse. American society has become far more tolerant of sex outside of marriage in recent decades, including adulterous affairs. Men with power, money and fame have more opportunities for extra-marital sex than other men, so it is not too surprising that quite a few have taken that bait.
Although many men seeking high elective office in our time are not faithful to their wives, it would be politically disastrous to admit that publicly. They must appear to embrace "family values," particularly loyalty to one's spouse. And that is where the lies begin. President John Kennedy avoided this problem only because the press in his time embraced the attitude "Don't ask, don't tell" about presidential adultery.
Some say that it is not important if a politician "just lies about sex." The trouble is that even this type of lying indicates that the man is not trustworthy. Show me a man who lies about sex, and I'll show you a liar.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Associated Press, August 9, 2008.
(2) Utah was admitted to the union only after the Mormon Church banned polygamy in 1890.
(3) Wisconsin State Representative Lloyd Barbee (Democrat, Milwaukee) introduced a bill to legalize group marriage in 1970, but it garnered no support. In 2006 the Wisconsin Constitution was amended to limit marriage to "one man and one woman."
posted by Gerald S Glazer at 3:23 PM
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