N.Y. gov admits sexual affairs! No, the new guy. And his wife too.

What is this? Some kind of weird job requirement to be the governor of New York? And the state's first lady?

Last week, New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigned after his involvement was revealed in a very high-priced prostitution ring of the sort he once very publicly prosecuted as the state's attorney general. That's when we all met the different faces of Kristen, the nom de lit of the young woman the governor frequented.

Monday, the state's lieutenant governor, David Paterson, took the oath of office as New York's 55th governor with his hand on a Bible held by his wife, Michelle.

The 53-year-old politician, who is legally blind, became the state's first African American governor. His good-natured introductory address was enthusiastically received by the joint session of the state legislature and an audience of friends and officials with highlights shown on national TV.

Hours later, the N.Y. Daily News was reporting that during a series of interviews in recent days, including a joint interview as inaugural celebrants roamed the halls of New York's capitol, the new governor and his wife admitted to...

both having sexual liaisons with others during their 16-year marriage.

"Like most marriages, you go through certain difficult periods," said the 46-year-old Michelle. "What's important is for your kids to see you worked them out." The couple have two children, Alex and Ashley.

Earlier, Paterson had said: "This was a marriage that appeared to be going sour at one point. But I went to counseling and we decided we wanted to make it work. Michelle is well aware of what went on."

What Michelle knows is that for two or three years, starting in 1999, Paterson had a relationship with another woman, whom he did not name. He denied rumors of having a child with that woman. Michelle also confirmed she had intimate relations with other men.

They both agreed to speak openly about their past relationships in recognition of the greater public and media scrutiny of a top state official and to address rumors about their personal lives and other relationships circulating in Albany since Spitzer announced his resignation and the new swearing-in was set.

Although it might seem strange coming on the immediate heels of a sex scandal that forced a governor's departure, the candid interviews by the new governor are actually a very smart political move by Paterson, because they now inoculate him against such revelations in the future.

So he must be planning a long career as governor of the Empire State.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[dave]

the race of and to power has its own code of (mis)behavior ruled by untainted, pragmatic brutality that is not only color blind, but also blindfolded like the goddess of justice herself. in this race 'anything goes' as long as deng xiaoping's rule applies: 'i don't care if it's a white cat or a black cat. it's a good cat so long as it catches mice.'
for the 'owner,' of course. so the cat, like the mouse,
is always on the run. and even when they take turns, and seem to be heading in different directions, they're running the same way, just the same. or so it seems.
to the 'owner,' of course.

[nina-nyc]

It would seem that adultery, affairs, sex out side of marriage is just typical of MANY people in high places because, as Bill once famously said, he did it because he could...The only news here is that these same people never think they will be found out. I have long believed that one should never say or do anything that will come back to bite them in the ass; once again, my theory has proven correct. I would also say that between the McGreeveys, Spitzers and Patersons, Rudy, Bill, the Mayor of LA, and countless others, that none of the men ever think about their behavior and its impact on the children, because they think they wont be found out. They are only thinking about themselves...

[eli]

...politics and religion should stay out of peoples' personal lives. They dont mix. And only the US such things are important due to its proverbial,innate hypocrisy. That in itself is a major character flaw. Who cares?!...as usual the rest of the world laughs at this and ridicules us for our lack of vision....of about everything.

[Vectorpedia (Rick)]

David Paterson is a class act..............Period

[zammy]

Sometimes one leans to the philosophy of...

Let it out and be ashamed, or leave it in and pop a vein.

Or...

Leave it in and go insane, or be found out and the public call you lame...

Governer Spitzer chose the latter path, while his successor wisely chooses the former.

[Sabrina]

Interesting...that people would talk about this as if it only happens in New York. Two words for Angelenos: Antonio Villiariagoso...and another question: WHY IS HE STILL IN OFFICE DESPITE HIS AFFAIR WITH THE ANCHORWOMAN????

[KYJurisDoctor]

It MUST be something in the water in the East Coast (don't forget the McGreeveys in New Jersey)!

http://osi-speaks.blogspot.com/2008/03/new-yorks-new-governor-david-paterson.html#links

[Josef Grosch]

And how is this news? People have been sleeping with someone other than their spouse for thousands of years. Thousands of years from now this will still be going on. If this does not effect his job performance as governor why would you care? This is a non issue. Get over it and move on. Time to focus on the really important issues, not the minutia.

[bob kholos]

No wonder why Bill Clinton settled in New York

[DW]

Think of all the history. Before Spitzer, NY governors such as Nelson Rockefeller and of course FDR always caught a little extra on the side.
And of course in Arkansas there's the story of W.J. [Blythe] Clinton.

[ed]

So the blogger named SABRINA..."SO TRUE"...go figure?

[Dont marry a democrat]

Dems have so little respect for the institution of marriage
that they favor homosexual marriage and in many cases
polygamy.....do you trust them to stand firm against
pedophilia and incest ? Liberalism is a slippery slope. Dems like to mouth about 3 or 4 liberals masquarading as
republicans that adopt such unprincipled personnal
conduct. 2 wrongs dont make a right and New York
democrts can surely vouch to that.