He's "classy"!
February 10, 2011 7:36 AM Subscribe
House Rep Christopher Lee (R-NY) has suddenly announced his resignation after it broke that the married congressman had been trolling Craigslist for hookups, as well as sending out topless pictures of himself, all while using his real name.
He's in pretty good shape for a guy his age!
posted by mr_roboto at 7:39 AM on February 10, 2011 [5 favorites]
posted by mr_roboto at 7:39 AM on February 10, 2011 [5 favorites]
I was genuinely shocked that the Craigslist hookup-trolling involved him looking for women. My instant assumption upon seeing the word "Republican" within five feet of "scandal" is that the Republican in question has been revealed to be gay.
posted by Shepherd at 7:41 AM on February 10, 2011 [35 favorites]
posted by Shepherd at 7:41 AM on February 10, 2011 [35 favorites]
Pro tip: Don't use your real name, and create throwaway gmail addresses when cruising CL personal ads. (Oh, and don't put your real name on the throwaway gmail addresses.)
How hard is that, really?
posted by hippybear at 7:41 AM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
How hard is that, really?
posted by hippybear at 7:41 AM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
Wait a second...he was looking for women?
Mind. blown.
posted by The Whelk at 7:41 AM on February 10, 2011 [36 favorites]
Mind. blown.
posted by The Whelk at 7:41 AM on February 10, 2011 [36 favorites]
Using his real name. This guy is too dumb to even be a Republican.
posted by DU at 7:41 AM on February 10, 2011 [28 favorites]
posted by DU at 7:41 AM on February 10, 2011 [28 favorites]
He's in pretty good shape for a guy his age!
Hey, you're right!
posted by DaDaDaDave at 7:42 AM on February 10, 2011 [4 favorites]
Hey, you're right!
posted by DaDaDaDave at 7:42 AM on February 10, 2011 [4 favorites]
Lee's resignation comes almost a year after Democrat Eric Massa resigned his seat in western New York's 29th Congressional District amid an investigation into whether he sexually harassed male staffers.
I guess when the snow hits, there's not a lot to do out there.
posted by Joe Beese at 7:42 AM on February 10, 2011 [6 favorites]
I guess when the snow hits, there's not a lot to do out there.
posted by Joe Beese at 7:42 AM on February 10, 2011 [6 favorites]
I love how direct he is with 'WELCOME TO THE GUN SHOW!" in the pictures.
posted by COBRA! at 7:42 AM on February 10, 2011 [7 favorites]
posted by COBRA! at 7:42 AM on February 10, 2011 [7 favorites]
But will this set back production of The Hobbit?
posted by robocop is bleeding at 7:42 AM on February 10, 2011 [16 favorites]
posted by robocop is bleeding at 7:42 AM on February 10, 2011 [16 favorites]
This is no way for a descendant of Charlemagne to act.
posted by Sticherbeast at 7:43 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Sticherbeast at 7:43 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
The Whelk said what I was going to say, so I shall point and laugh at Christopher Lee. Count Dooku is the worst Star Wars character ever!!!!
posted by Mister_A at 7:43 AM on February 10, 2011
posted by Mister_A at 7:43 AM on February 10, 2011
Watch. Roger Ailes will have FOX News place a banner on their reporting: Rep. Christopher Lee (D-NY).
Ah, memories ...
posted by ericb at 7:44 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Ah, memories ...
posted by ericb at 7:44 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
I guess when the snow hits, there's not a lot to do out there.
Granted, it does get a little bleak this time of year but most of us keep our shirts on and our dicks in our pants.
posted by tommasz at 7:44 AM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
Granted, it does get a little bleak this time of year but most of us keep our shirts on and our dicks in our pants.
posted by tommasz at 7:44 AM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
"all while using his real name"
In his defense, he was actually using the name of a well-known British actor (his favorite) as his pseudonym. It just happens to be the same as his real name. Poor choice, really.
posted by Eideteker at 7:47 AM on February 10, 2011 [22 favorites]
In his defense, he was actually using the name of a well-known British actor (his favorite) as his pseudonym. It just happens to be the same as his real name. Poor choice, really.
posted by Eideteker at 7:47 AM on February 10, 2011 [22 favorites]
Granted, it does get a little bleak this time of year but most of us keep our shirts on and our dicks in our pants.
Well, that's no fun.
posted by LMGM at 7:48 AM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
Well, that's no fun.
posted by LMGM at 7:48 AM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
This just in: Michael Caine (R-KY) Caught With His Dick In The Mashed Potatoes
posted by Mister_A at 7:48 AM on February 10, 2011 [21 favorites]
posted by Mister_A at 7:48 AM on February 10, 2011 [21 favorites]
My favorite part of the story is when the prospective date googles his name and sees his facebook account, and the fact that he lied about being married, lied about his age, and lied about his job, her first thought was "I know! I'll send all this stuff to Gawker!"
I mean the whole story is kind of awesome in a schadenfraude kind of way but the capper for me was that regular people are starting to automatically think Giant Scandal Details = Send It To Gawker.
posted by mathowie at 7:50 AM on February 10, 2011 [33 favorites]
I mean the whole story is kind of awesome in a schadenfraude kind of way but the capper for me was that regular people are starting to automatically think Giant Scandal Details = Send It To Gawker.
posted by mathowie at 7:50 AM on February 10, 2011 [33 favorites]
They would send that stuff to us if we had the img tag, Matt.
posted by Mister_A at 7:50 AM on February 10, 2011 [81 favorites]
posted by Mister_A at 7:50 AM on February 10, 2011 [81 favorites]
They would send that stuff to us if we had the img tag, Matt.
That picture of Lee is a pretty good argument against the image tag, all by itself.
posted by Devils Rancher at 7:52 AM on February 10, 2011 [7 favorites]
That picture of Lee is a pretty good argument against the image tag, all by itself.
posted by Devils Rancher at 7:52 AM on February 10, 2011 [7 favorites]
Y'know, every time I think of the ACORN "sting" done by McKeefe and his asshole friends, and the recent ludicrious attempt at another "sting" at Planned Parenthood, I wonder why Liberals and Democrats don't just hire some women and men to troll CL ads looking to capture the closeted gay Republicans and hypocritical "family values" Republicans with their pants down.
[Oh yeah, because most of us have morals and ethics to which we adhere.]
posted by mrbarrett.com at 7:53 AM on February 10, 2011 [5 favorites]
[Oh yeah, because most of us have morals and ethics to which we adhere.]
posted by mrbarrett.com at 7:53 AM on February 10, 2011 [5 favorites]
The speed of the resignation makes me think he knew that the press would find more if they started pulling on that thread. I don't really want to know, though.
Because one of the differences between liberals and conservatives is that liberals don't care what consenting adults do in their bedrooms.
posted by ambrosia at 7:53 AM on February 10, 2011 [8 favorites]
Because one of the differences between liberals and conservatives is that liberals don't care what consenting adults do in their bedrooms.
posted by ambrosia at 7:53 AM on February 10, 2011 [8 favorites]
I feel like there's got to be more to this story. As it stands, the story is: "BREAKING: Married Politician Flirts." That cannot be the reason he resigned.
I eagerly await the future headline: "EXCLUSIVE: Former Congressman's Nazi Dungeon Orgy Slave Furry Poop Parties."
posted by lesli212 at 7:54 AM on February 10, 2011 [20 favorites]
I eagerly await the future headline: "EXCLUSIVE: Former Congressman's Nazi Dungeon Orgy Slave Furry Poop Parties."
posted by lesli212 at 7:54 AM on February 10, 2011 [20 favorites]
Why the hell did he resign? Larry Craig, David Vitter and Mark Sanford were all fine. Sex scandals don't matter if youre a Republican, they're expected and FAUX News will have your back every single time. This guy had an inferior staff, they should've told him to lay low and wait a week, he would've been off the news radar in under 2 news cycles. He should sue for politcal malpractice.
posted by T.D. Strange at 7:54 AM on February 10, 2011 [5 favorites]
posted by T.D. Strange at 7:54 AM on February 10, 2011 [5 favorites]
I love that the first thing that sprang into his head when he needed to lie about his real job was to call himself a "lobbyist". That's more revealing than any shirtless photo.
(To his credit, though, if I looked that good without a shirt on I'd be taking shirtless photos of myself, too.)
posted by BitterOldPunk at 7:55 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
(To his credit, though, if I looked that good without a shirt on I'd be taking shirtless photos of myself, too.)
posted by BitterOldPunk at 7:55 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
One day when one of these "scandals" breaks I want the guy to have a press conference where he says, "You know what? I'm not going anywhere. Three-fourths of the men out there have sent the same picture to a random vice cop on Craiglist, and I think its high time Congressional representation acknowledged just how pathetic/horny the average American man really is."
posted by jefficator at 7:56 AM on February 10, 2011 [5 favorites]
posted by jefficator at 7:56 AM on February 10, 2011 [5 favorites]
He's in pretty good shape for a guy his age!
Not age-ist or anything, right? He's 46, jeez. Anyway, Christ, what an assshole.
posted by fixedgear at 7:56 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Not age-ist or anything, right? He's 46, jeez. Anyway, Christ, what an assshole.
posted by fixedgear at 7:56 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
He's not blonde, is he? He doesn't look blonde to me.
posted by like_neon at 7:56 AM on February 10, 2011
posted by like_neon at 7:56 AM on February 10, 2011
I must admit I'm shocked he bothered to resigned. There was no sex. No "R-rated" nudity. No meetup or hookup. He didn't actually cheat on his wife. He flirted with someone and lied to them on the internet and was quickly caught.
There's either more to this story or he's the world's biggest idiot.
posted by zarq at 7:56 AM on February 10, 2011
There's either more to this story or he's the world's biggest idiot.
posted by zarq at 7:56 AM on February 10, 2011
fixedgear: " Not age-ist or anything, right? He's 46, jeez. Anyway, Christ, what an assshole."
The comments on the Gawker article show that the author initially referred to the 34-year old woman he was flirting with as "middle-aged."
posted by zarq at 7:58 AM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
The comments on the Gawker article show that the author initially referred to the 34-year old woman he was flirting with as "middle-aged."
posted by zarq at 7:58 AM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
I think he resigned because it's part of a larger pattern of behavior, and by resigning, it becomes less of a story when additional women come forward with embarrassing emails and/or pictures of his winky.
posted by MegoSteve at 7:59 AM on February 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by MegoSteve at 7:59 AM on February 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
Shouldn't we be glad he resigned, applaud his decision, and hope that it sets a precedent?
posted by leotrotsky at 7:59 AM on February 10, 2011 [5 favorites]
posted by leotrotsky at 7:59 AM on February 10, 2011 [5 favorites]
I love that the first thing that sprang into his head when he needed to lie about his real job was to call himself a "lobbyist".
Me too. It didn't occur to him that maybe, just maybe, someone interested in dating a lobbyist might know a little something about politics? He couldn't make his lie that he was a car mechanic or something?
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:00 AM on February 10, 2011
Me too. It didn't occur to him that maybe, just maybe, someone interested in dating a lobbyist might know a little something about politics? He couldn't make his lie that he was a car mechanic or something?
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:00 AM on February 10, 2011
Does anyone know if Fox News did their traditional misreporting that he was a Democrat for initial breaking news?
Nah, they're happy to keep this guy as an "R", I mean, straight and no actual sex involved? That's a huge win for them, scandal-wise.
posted by quin at 8:01 AM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
Nah, they're happy to keep this guy as an "R", I mean, straight and no actual sex involved? That's a huge win for them, scandal-wise.
posted by quin at 8:01 AM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
Western NY is supposed to lose a congressional seat anyway, so I'm just considering Lee a volunteer.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 8:01 AM on February 10, 2011
posted by kuujjuarapik at 8:01 AM on February 10, 2011
There's either more to this story or he's the world's biggest idiot.
I don't think those two conditions are mutually exclusive, dear zarq.
posted by Mister_A at 8:01 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
I don't think those two conditions are mutually exclusive, dear zarq.
posted by Mister_A at 8:01 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Granted, it does get a little bleak this time of year but most of us keep our shirts on and our dicks in our pants.
Well, that's no fun.
Neither is frostbite, but I digress.
posted by tommasz at 8:02 AM on February 10, 2011 [5 favorites]
Well, that's no fun.
Neither is frostbite, but I digress.
posted by tommasz at 8:02 AM on February 10, 2011 [5 favorites]
I'm not so sure we should be glad that he resigned because it was probably his only option after such humiliation. Additionally, I almost think it should be a part of our culture to not care what he says in his resignation statement after doing something so deliberate and so damned stupid. Silent walk of shame out to the curb.
posted by hellslinger at 8:02 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by hellslinger at 8:02 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
leotrotsky: "Shouldn't we be glad he resigned, applaud his decision, and hope that it sets a precedent"
But I really don't care if politicians have extramarital affairs, as long as they're doing their jobs. And I'd kindly suggest that they refrain from giving a crap about my marital affairs as well.
posted by lesli212 at 8:02 AM on February 10, 2011 [15 favorites]
But I really don't care if politicians have extramarital affairs, as long as they're doing their jobs. And I'd kindly suggest that they refrain from giving a crap about my marital affairs as well.
posted by lesli212 at 8:02 AM on February 10, 2011 [15 favorites]
That said, there aren't too many people that look better out of their clothes than in 'em, so well done, Congressman.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:03 AM on February 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:03 AM on February 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
ThePinkSuperhero: "I love that the first thing that sprang into his head when he needed to lie about his real job was to call himself a "lobbyist".
Me too. It didn't occur to him that maybe, just maybe, someone interested in dating a lobbyist might know a little something about politics? He couldn't make his lie that he was a car mechanic or something?"
My guess is he probably knows more about lobbying than he does about car repair. It's easier to avoid being caught in a lie if you're knowledgeable about the subject.
Plus, being a lobbyist gives him a reason to travel back and forth to DC if the hookups become a regular thing.
posted by zarq at 8:03 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Me too. It didn't occur to him that maybe, just maybe, someone interested in dating a lobbyist might know a little something about politics? He couldn't make his lie that he was a car mechanic or something?"
My guess is he probably knows more about lobbying than he does about car repair. It's easier to avoid being caught in a lie if you're knowledgeable about the subject.
Plus, being a lobbyist gives him a reason to travel back and forth to DC if the hookups become a regular thing.
posted by zarq at 8:03 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'm just kind of glad that our ruling class is technologically clueless.
posted by Avenger at 8:03 AM on February 10, 2011 [7 favorites]
posted by Avenger at 8:03 AM on February 10, 2011 [7 favorites]
Mister_A: " I don't think those two conditions are mutually exclusive, dear zarq."
Heh. Too true. :)
posted by zarq at 8:03 AM on February 10, 2011
Heh. Too true. :)
posted by zarq at 8:03 AM on February 10, 2011
The Onion wishes they had thought of this.
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 8:06 AM on February 10, 2011 [5 favorites]
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 8:06 AM on February 10, 2011 [5 favorites]
I love that the first thing that sprang into his head when he needed to lie about his real job was to call himself a "lobbyist". That's more revealing than any shirtless photo.
And just poetically honest enough that it felt close enough to the truth to ease his conscience.
posted by saulgoodman at 8:09 AM on February 10, 2011
And just poetically honest enough that it felt close enough to the truth to ease his conscience.
posted by saulgoodman at 8:09 AM on February 10, 2011
But I really don't care if politicians have extramarital affairs, as long as they're doing their jobs.
This particular fellow felt that it was his job to 'defend marriage' from the tyranny of homosexuals, and to slash medical support for women needing abortions, among other things. His job seemed to be entirely tied up in puritanical sex-nonsense, at least in his head. Now his job is to be pilloried as a hypocritical shitbag.
posted by FatherDagon at 8:09 AM on February 10, 2011 [47 favorites]
This particular fellow felt that it was his job to 'defend marriage' from the tyranny of homosexuals, and to slash medical support for women needing abortions, among other things. His job seemed to be entirely tied up in puritanical sex-nonsense, at least in his head. Now his job is to be pilloried as a hypocritical shitbag.
posted by FatherDagon at 8:09 AM on February 10, 2011 [47 favorites]
I love that the first thing that sprang into his head when he needed to lie about his real job was to call himself a "lobbyist".
My guess is this will be true soon enough.
Oh, and what a dick.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 8:10 AM on February 10, 2011
My guess is this will be true soon enough.
Oh, and what a dick.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 8:10 AM on February 10, 2011
"Oh, and what a dick."
I really don't want to look at these pictures, do I?
posted by Eideteker at 8:11 AM on February 10, 2011 [4 favorites]
I really don't want to look at these pictures, do I?
posted by Eideteker at 8:11 AM on February 10, 2011 [4 favorites]
Count me among the folks shocked that he was caught looking for women. He's a GOP congressman involved in a sex scandal, after all.
posted by rmd1023 at 8:12 AM on February 10, 2011
posted by rmd1023 at 8:12 AM on February 10, 2011
I am a far-left atheist and have been married for 17 years without cheating on my wife. Or even trolling for hookups on Craigslist.
If I can do it, why can't these people with superior moral frameworks to mine do it?
posted by Legomancer at 8:14 AM on February 10, 2011 [73 favorites]
If I can do it, why can't these people with superior moral frameworks to mine do it?
posted by Legomancer at 8:14 AM on February 10, 2011 [73 favorites]
Former Rep. Lee just got confuzzled because he remembered the letter, but not the essence of the old saw when he realized that the object of his desire was named Katherine L. Deadgirl.
posted by Mister_A at 8:14 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Mister_A at 8:14 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
i expect he resigned because this is not his first time trolling craigslist for casual sex, and that there will inevitably a stream of other women who come forward. to get publicly 'caught' in this manner the very first time you decide to send a woman a shirtless photo online seems highly improbable, to me.
posted by modernnomad at 8:15 AM on February 10, 2011
posted by modernnomad at 8:15 AM on February 10, 2011
fixedgear: "He's in pretty good shape for a guy his age!
Not age-ist or anything, right? He's 46, jeez. Anyway, Christ, what an assshole"
Yea well I'm 46 too and you really don't want to see me shirtless.
posted by octothorpe at 8:15 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Not age-ist or anything, right? He's 46, jeez. Anyway, Christ, what an assshole"
Yea well I'm 46 too and you really don't want to see me shirtless.
posted by octothorpe at 8:15 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Me too. It didn't occur to him that maybe, just maybe, someone interested in dating a lobbyist might know a little something about politics?
Lobbyists working for K Street firms in this area are known for being very wealthy and well-connected. It would be like dating a producer in Hollywood, I guess.
A 46 year old married man with a young son trolling on Craigslist. It's pretty sad when you hear about the men who do this kind of thing and then have to face lifelong regret over it when their kids find out about it and think they're sleazy creepers who cheated on their mom. Men ought to really try to talk each other out of doing that sort of thing. Or maybe collectively fund a hotline so they can call someone who won't judge them and can talk them out of it.
I'm glad the woman googled him and then exposed him to Gawker. I laughed really hard at that picture. God, he's doing a muscle pose. What a pathetic loser. His head looks sort of photoshopped onto his body.
posted by anniecat at 8:17 AM on February 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
Lobbyists working for K Street firms in this area are known for being very wealthy and well-connected. It would be like dating a producer in Hollywood, I guess.
A 46 year old married man with a young son trolling on Craigslist. It's pretty sad when you hear about the men who do this kind of thing and then have to face lifelong regret over it when their kids find out about it and think they're sleazy creepers who cheated on their mom. Men ought to really try to talk each other out of doing that sort of thing. Or maybe collectively fund a hotline so they can call someone who won't judge them and can talk them out of it.
I'm glad the woman googled him and then exposed him to Gawker. I laughed really hard at that picture. God, he's doing a muscle pose. What a pathetic loser. His head looks sort of photoshopped onto his body.
posted by anniecat at 8:17 AM on February 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
Well, I ended up on the failtrain that is mobile Gawker. Maybe with the increased income from popping this scandal Nick can bring himself to join us here in the future.
posted by hecho de la basura at 8:18 AM on February 10, 2011
posted by hecho de la basura at 8:18 AM on February 10, 2011
Wait, I want a do-over -
...when he realized that the object of his desire was named Hilda J. Liveboy.
Guffaw!
posted by Mister_A at 8:18 AM on February 10, 2011
...when he realized that the object of his desire was named Hilda J. Liveboy.
Guffaw!
posted by Mister_A at 8:18 AM on February 10, 2011
Shouldn't we be glad he resigned, applaud his decision, and hope that it sets a precedent?
No way.
The precedent that this story continues to promulgate is that our society needs to keep playing sex police1. It continues this line of thinking that there is "correct sex", whatever that means politically at any given time, and that's our elected officials better be adhering to our standards for what they do in their bedroom. I'm not trying to say that what this guy did was all well and good, but it's certainly not something that needs to be in the national discourse. Lying for personal gain is obviously something that we don't want elected officials doing, but I'd be much happier for his constituents to vote him out of office for being an idiot than for him to resign "amidst scandal!".
1. Not to be confused with sexy police
posted by kiltedtaco at 8:18 AM on February 10, 2011 [13 favorites]
No way.
The precedent that this story continues to promulgate is that our society needs to keep playing sex police1. It continues this line of thinking that there is "correct sex", whatever that means politically at any given time, and that's our elected officials better be adhering to our standards for what they do in their bedroom. I'm not trying to say that what this guy did was all well and good, but it's certainly not something that needs to be in the national discourse. Lying for personal gain is obviously something that we don't want elected officials doing, but I'd be much happier for his constituents to vote him out of office for being an idiot than for him to resign "amidst scandal!".
1. Not to be confused with sexy police
posted by kiltedtaco at 8:18 AM on February 10, 2011 [13 favorites]
Topless pics of himself? Does he have m00bs or something? So stupid yet so funny.
posted by stormpooper at 8:19 AM on February 10, 2011
posted by stormpooper at 8:19 AM on February 10, 2011
Thanks for the clarification. The local right-wing radio station reported this story this morning but consistently neglected to mention the fellow's party affiliation. Sloppy work, right?
posted by localroger at 8:19 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by localroger at 8:19 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
But I really don't care if politicians have extramarital affairs, as long as they're doing their jobs. And I'd kindly suggest that they refrain from giving a crap about my marital affairs as well.
My problem with this is that the enemies of America can't exploit your need to keep your cheating on your wife secret to blackmail you to carry out their agenda in the legislature.
From where I sit, we're ignoring the most important thing.
Cheating legislators don't just hurt their families. They are a potential threat to National Security.
What concessions can the Chinese get from John Boehner, for example, by holding over his head his transgressions.
Some might even call it treason...
posted by mikelieman at 8:20 AM on February 10, 2011 [4 favorites]
My problem with this is that the enemies of America can't exploit your need to keep your cheating on your wife secret to blackmail you to carry out their agenda in the legislature.
From where I sit, we're ignoring the most important thing.
Cheating legislators don't just hurt their families. They are a potential threat to National Security.
What concessions can the Chinese get from John Boehner, for example, by holding over his head his transgressions.
Some might even call it treason...
posted by mikelieman at 8:20 AM on February 10, 2011 [4 favorites]
The speed of the resignation makes me think he knew that the press would find more if they started pulling on that thread. --- As if resigning will stop them? Pull, baby, pull!
posted by crunchland at 8:20 AM on February 10, 2011
posted by crunchland at 8:20 AM on February 10, 2011
One thing that always comes up in these things is the notion that because republicans are against a certain civil liberty their employment in government should be somehow contingent on upholding a certain standard of personal sexual morality. I think that's kind of bullshit. A person being against the repeal of don't ask don't tell is a bad thing. It is a thing that makes it much less likely that I will vote for you. It makes you wrong about a specific issue. But it doesn't mean that along with that bad belief you have to undergo a sexual purity test to hold office.
posted by I Foody at 8:23 AM on February 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by I Foody at 8:23 AM on February 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
I'm happy to see a Republican crucified over the most minor of sex scandals any day of the week. Stop trying to legislate sexual morality and stop trying to tell women they must be forced to bear a child. Then I will stop caring whether you want to cheat on your wife or do meth with a gay hooker, you mother fucking hypocrites.
posted by gagglezoomer at 8:24 AM on February 10, 2011 [37 favorites]
posted by gagglezoomer at 8:24 AM on February 10, 2011 [37 favorites]
Don't people know you can do so much more on Craig's List than cruise for anonymous sex?
posted by zzazazz at 8:25 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by zzazazz at 8:25 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
What I find most disturbing about this story is that a Congressman had to troll craigslist for a little action on the side. I mean, Jesus dude you're like 500-something heartbeats away from the presidency and you have to go on craigslist to get laid!? In the movies the Congressman goes out to some fancy bar in D.C. with leather armchairs and brass fixtures and cigars and single malt scotch and up walks Sean Young in a tight-fitting red dress and is all like *breathy voice* "Hello Congressman HornyDude" and its off to the races. This is just so mundane. How are we supposed to inspire a new generation to enter public service if they think they have will still have to go on craigslist to cheat on their wives? I am just so disillusioned by this whole thing.
posted by ND¢ at 8:27 AM on February 10, 2011 [33 favorites]
posted by ND¢ at 8:27 AM on February 10, 2011 [33 favorites]
Don't people know you can do so much more on Craig's List than cruise for anonymous sex?
Like cruise for non-anonymous sex!
posted by T.D. Strange at 8:27 AM on February 10, 2011 [10 favorites]
Like cruise for non-anonymous sex!
posted by T.D. Strange at 8:27 AM on February 10, 2011 [10 favorites]
I bought a bike on there once, too.
posted by box at 8:29 AM on February 10, 2011 [8 favorites]
posted by box at 8:29 AM on February 10, 2011 [8 favorites]
Lee is not unfamiliar with the dangers of sending pictures to strangers on the internet. To wit:
responding to what may seem like a friendly e-mail or an appealing marketing offer can have serious consequences. Private information and images can so easily be transmitted to friends and strangers alike.posted by jdfan at 8:30 AM on February 10, 2011
I love how direct he is with 'WELCOME TO THE GUN SHOW!" in the pictures.
What is they used to say about styles moving from the gays to the mainstream in 7 year cycles.
Apparently this is true of the way guys posed on Manhunt 7 years ago too.
He uses his votes to support gay hating and choice removing, so I'm not sad to see him gone, though, as someone who has done more than my share of stuff that's none of your business (and would certainly prevent me from holding office anywhere), I understand the impulse to wish stuff like this didn't matter at all.
That said, even if I'd voted for him, I'd be relieved he was no longer my representative. Somebody who did what he did SO STUPIDLY is too stupid for the House. And this is a place where Michele Bachmann works.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:30 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
What is they used to say about styles moving from the gays to the mainstream in 7 year cycles.
Apparently this is true of the way guys posed on Manhunt 7 years ago too.
He uses his votes to support gay hating and choice removing, so I'm not sad to see him gone, though, as someone who has done more than my share of stuff that's none of your business (and would certainly prevent me from holding office anywhere), I understand the impulse to wish stuff like this didn't matter at all.
That said, even if I'd voted for him, I'd be relieved he was no longer my representative. Somebody who did what he did SO STUPIDLY is too stupid for the House. And this is a place where Michele Bachmann works.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:30 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
I bought a bike on there once, too.
You still could have had sex with the seller.
posted by modernnomad at 8:33 AM on February 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
You still could have had sex with the seller.
posted by modernnomad at 8:33 AM on February 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
I must admit I'm shocked he bothered to resigned. There was no sex. No "R-rated" nudity. No meetup or hookup. He didn't actually cheat on his wife. He flirted with someone and lied to them on the internet and was quickly caught.
In the middle of the weird mix of lies and truths he was sending the woman, he did say that his last date was just a week previous.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:33 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
In the middle of the weird mix of lies and truths he was sending the woman, he did say that his last date was just a week previous.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:33 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Pro tip: Don't use your real name, and create throwaway gmail addresses when cruising CL personal ads.
People are amazingly dense on this one. I once started emailing back and forth with someone I'd met online, but broke it off after a quick google of the email address revealed the person had been posting advice on best methods for smoking crystal meth, diet suggestions for living with HIV, and a dozen posts, spanning 8 years, in different cities trying to setup a 3-way with his "18 year old brother".
posted by nomisxid at 8:35 AM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
People are amazingly dense on this one. I once started emailing back and forth with someone I'd met online, but broke it off after a quick google of the email address revealed the person had been posting advice on best methods for smoking crystal meth, diet suggestions for living with HIV, and a dozen posts, spanning 8 years, in different cities trying to setup a 3-way with his "18 year old brother".
posted by nomisxid at 8:35 AM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
I think it is pretty fucked up that elected officials can't just behave like normal people.
I mean, fuck Republicans and all, but holding politicians to a standard that is orders of magnitude different than what we hold musicians, actors and sports stars to is just going to create some really fucked up behaviors.
Is the guy an asshole? Sure. Is he stupid for doing this? Yeah -- because he got caught so easily. If make all politicians have some Leave It To Beaver picture-perfect family, they're going to keep a beard wife and kids and fish for girls on the side through CL or other means. If he could just be a normal person, none of this shit would be happening.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 8:35 AM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
I mean, fuck Republicans and all, but holding politicians to a standard that is orders of magnitude different than what we hold musicians, actors and sports stars to is just going to create some really fucked up behaviors.
Is the guy an asshole? Sure. Is he stupid for doing this? Yeah -- because he got caught so easily. If make all politicians have some Leave It To Beaver picture-perfect family, they're going to keep a beard wife and kids and fish for girls on the side through CL or other means. If he could just be a normal person, none of this shit would be happening.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 8:35 AM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
Glad you caught that too, ROU. Waiting for the rest of the fallout.
posted by jdfan at 8:35 AM on February 10, 2011
posted by jdfan at 8:35 AM on February 10, 2011
> My favorite part of the story is when the prospective date googles his name and sees his facebook account, and the fact that he lied about being married, lied about his age, and lied about his job, her first thought was "I know! I'll send all this stuff to Gawker!"
> I mean the whole story is kind of awesome in a schadenfraude kind of way but the capper for me was that regular people are starting to automatically think Giant Scandal Details = Send It To Gawker.
GawkerLeaks.
posted by legion at 8:36 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
> I mean the whole story is kind of awesome in a schadenfraude kind of way but the capper for me was that regular people are starting to automatically think Giant Scandal Details = Send It To Gawker.
GawkerLeaks.
posted by legion at 8:36 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Isengard could not be reached for comment.
Meanwhile, murmurings have been going around the internet about Boehner himself, which, if true, would certainly change the tone of the moral narrative being tossed about.
posted by schmod at 8:36 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Meanwhile, murmurings have been going around the internet about Boehner himself, which, if true, would certainly change the tone of the moral narrative being tossed about.
posted by schmod at 8:36 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
GawkerLeaks.
Didn't they used to have a feature called the GawkerStalker that did precisely this?
posted by schmod at 8:37 AM on February 10, 2011
Didn't they used to have a feature called the GawkerStalker that did precisely this?
posted by schmod at 8:37 AM on February 10, 2011
Didn't they used to have a feature called the GawkerStalker that did precisely this?
No, Gawker Stalker was for people to send in sightings of people they thought were famous people.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 8:39 AM on February 10, 2011
No, Gawker Stalker was for people to send in sightings of people they thought were famous people.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 8:39 AM on February 10, 2011
People are amazingly dense on this one. I once started emailing back and forth with someone I'd met online, but broke it off after a quick google of the email address revealed the person had been posting advice on best methods for smoking crystal meth, diet suggestions for living with HIV, and a dozen posts, spanning 8 years, in different cities trying to setup a 3-way with his "18 year old brother".
Are you kidding? That sounds like an excellent way to hear some awesome stories.
posted by kafziel at 8:42 AM on February 10, 2011
Are you kidding? That sounds like an excellent way to hear some awesome stories.
posted by kafziel at 8:42 AM on February 10, 2011
Awesome jdfan.
From the same Student Internet Safety Act (H.R. 780), which according to Lee was "critical legislation that gives schools the tools they need to educate students on the dangers of the Internet.":
From the same Student Internet Safety Act (H.R. 780), which according to Lee was "critical legislation that gives schools the tools they need to educate students on the dangers of the Internet.":
Specifically, schools will have the ability to educate students about appropriate online behavior...posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:42 AM on February 10, 2011
One thing that always comes up in these things is the notion that because republicans are against a certain civil liberty their employment in government should be somehow contingent on upholding a certain standard of personal sexual morality.
It's the hypocrisy, I Foody. He is literally trying to legislate a morality that he himself does not live up to.
posted by Mister_A at 8:42 AM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
It's the hypocrisy, I Foody. He is literally trying to legislate a morality that he himself does not live up to.
posted by Mister_A at 8:42 AM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
all while using his real name.
Oh, the humanity.
Dear Tiger Woods, Christopher Lee, Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich, Hugh Grant, Mark Sanford, and all other public figures who not only can't manage marital fidelity, but fail on a spectacularly public stage:
There are people for this. Sometimes we're called handlers. Or fixers. Body men. Executive assistants. Personal assistants.
It doesn't matter what title you use, but the job description is the same: we run interference between your squeaky-clean reputation, and all the nasty little peccadilloes that you simply can't stay away from which would otherwise ruin it.
We have what Martin Blank called "a certain moral flexibility." We live for oppo. We have carefully cultivated access to the other important gatekeepers who can clean up messes and make things go away. And we have leverage with those people (often thanks to the oppo).
We create labyrinthine layers between you and danger. The messier and nastier your compulsion, the more complex the layers and further removed you'll be. We know the wheres and hows of due diligence, alibis, pseudonyms, disposable phones, throwaway emails, and paper trail elimination. We drive non-descript cars. We have forgettable names and faces, although we remember everything. We have access to cash. We know which hotels have discreet staff, and which are never to be used. We know which of your habits need to take place in private facilities. Or other countries.
We have access to weapons, but we don't need them, because the situation never gets that far. Chandra Levy and Mary Jo Kopechne were embarrassments to the profession. The joke about getting caught with "a dead girl or a live boy" is a boogeyman story but in reality, getting caught at all is amateur hour.
We are willing to die with our secrets because we don't crave public power, preferring instead private respect. We'd rather be feared among a few than worshipped by thousands.
We get paid very, very handsomely. You think of it as hush money, and so might your spouse, and you might even resent the expense at times—but your dark urges are just too powerful, in the end. If you could quit, you could save that cash, but you can't quit.
And neither you nor your spouse really want to give up that public persona and power and all that comes with it—the junkets, the headlines, the money, the cars, the planes. And frankly, our personal success rises with yours. We too are invested in you keeping your nose clean and your star rising.
So make the call: your urge, or your career. If you can't give up the urge, hire a fixer. If you can't afford a fixer, give up the urge.
But you can't both satisfy the urge and succeed at the public career. You're not that clever, and you're too egotistical. You believe both that you can't possibly get caught... and that if you do, you can minimize the fallout. You're wrong on both counts. Stop embarrassing yourself, your family, and your constituents/fans.
Regards,
Every political aide in the history of time, back to Henry VIII and the Caesar dynasty
posted by pineapple at 8:43 AM on February 10, 2011 [240 favorites]
Oh, the humanity.
Dear Tiger Woods, Christopher Lee, Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich, Hugh Grant, Mark Sanford, and all other public figures who not only can't manage marital fidelity, but fail on a spectacularly public stage:
There are people for this. Sometimes we're called handlers. Or fixers. Body men. Executive assistants. Personal assistants.
It doesn't matter what title you use, but the job description is the same: we run interference between your squeaky-clean reputation, and all the nasty little peccadilloes that you simply can't stay away from which would otherwise ruin it.
We have what Martin Blank called "a certain moral flexibility." We live for oppo. We have carefully cultivated access to the other important gatekeepers who can clean up messes and make things go away. And we have leverage with those people (often thanks to the oppo).
We create labyrinthine layers between you and danger. The messier and nastier your compulsion, the more complex the layers and further removed you'll be. We know the wheres and hows of due diligence, alibis, pseudonyms, disposable phones, throwaway emails, and paper trail elimination. We drive non-descript cars. We have forgettable names and faces, although we remember everything. We have access to cash. We know which hotels have discreet staff, and which are never to be used. We know which of your habits need to take place in private facilities. Or other countries.
We have access to weapons, but we don't need them, because the situation never gets that far. Chandra Levy and Mary Jo Kopechne were embarrassments to the profession. The joke about getting caught with "a dead girl or a live boy" is a boogeyman story but in reality, getting caught at all is amateur hour.
We are willing to die with our secrets because we don't crave public power, preferring instead private respect. We'd rather be feared among a few than worshipped by thousands.
We get paid very, very handsomely. You think of it as hush money, and so might your spouse, and you might even resent the expense at times—but your dark urges are just too powerful, in the end. If you could quit, you could save that cash, but you can't quit.
And neither you nor your spouse really want to give up that public persona and power and all that comes with it—the junkets, the headlines, the money, the cars, the planes. And frankly, our personal success rises with yours. We too are invested in you keeping your nose clean and your star rising.
So make the call: your urge, or your career. If you can't give up the urge, hire a fixer. If you can't afford a fixer, give up the urge.
But you can't both satisfy the urge and succeed at the public career. You're not that clever, and you're too egotistical. You believe both that you can't possibly get caught... and that if you do, you can minimize the fallout. You're wrong on both counts. Stop embarrassing yourself, your family, and your constituents/fans.
Regards,
Every political aide in the history of time, back to Henry VIII and the Caesar dynasty
posted by pineapple at 8:43 AM on February 10, 2011 [240 favorites]
Isengard could not be reached for comment.
Lee's congressional aide?
posted by gagglezoomer at 8:43 AM on February 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
Lee's congressional aide?
posted by gagglezoomer at 8:43 AM on February 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
It's the hypocrisy, I Foody. He is literally trying to legislate a morality that he himself does not live up to.
Eh, he's clearly a shitty husband/partner, but has he anywhere tried to criminalize adultery or the use of the internet by consenting adults to meet up for sexytimes?
posted by modernnomad at 8:45 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Eh, he's clearly a shitty husband/partner, but has he anywhere tried to criminalize adultery or the use of the internet by consenting adults to meet up for sexytimes?
posted by modernnomad at 8:45 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Yea well I'm 46 too and you really don't want to see me shirtless.
I'm 41 and I look awesome shirtless and will send pictures of myself to everyone who favorites this. And again in 5 years.
If you think you can handle it.
Okay, not really.
Well, maybe.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 8:45 AM on February 10, 2011 [34 favorites]
I'm 41 and I look awesome shirtless and will send pictures of myself to everyone who favorites this. And again in 5 years.
If you think you can handle it.
Okay, not really.
Well, maybe.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 8:45 AM on February 10, 2011 [34 favorites]
Eh, he's clearly a shitty husband/partner, but has he anywhere tried to criminalize adultery or the use of the internet by consenting adults to meet up for sexytimes?
What I mean is that he's in the "Sex is only for procreation, and only between a man and a woman who are married to each other" party. No, he hasn't tried to criminalize adultery, but his votes on some key issues indicate that his public stance is at odds with his (much wider) private stance regarding sex.
posted by Mister_A at 8:51 AM on February 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
What I mean is that he's in the "Sex is only for procreation, and only between a man and a woman who are married to each other" party. No, he hasn't tried to criminalize adultery, but his votes on some key issues indicate that his public stance is at odds with his (much wider) private stance regarding sex.
posted by Mister_A at 8:51 AM on February 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
Really? He was a Republican so there's certainly some guilt by default for those things. But it's one thing to be part of the tide, and another to be the instigator.
You mean he was... ONLY FOLLOWING ORDERS??
woohoo my first MeFi godwin!
But seriously, still, fuck this guy. Fuck him in his stupid hypocritical face. You do not get to try and turn your own sad and stunted morality fetishism into ensconced legal precedent, and then say 'ohhh my privacy! grown adults behavior behind closed doors WAAAHHHHHH' when you are caught breaching your own codes in the most idiotic manner possible. We're not flaunting other people's bedroom behavior, we're flaunting his HYPOCRISY. We didn't even BRING the bedroom into it - he did. It's the same as when McCain trumpets on and on about campaign finance reform and the ethics thereof, and then is shown to eat the assholes of lobbyists on a daily basis. Fuck their hypocrisy and corruption, may they dragged through the streets muddied and bloodied before being run out of town on a rail.
posted by FatherDagon at 8:53 AM on February 10, 2011
You mean he was... ONLY FOLLOWING ORDERS??
woohoo my first MeFi godwin!
But seriously, still, fuck this guy. Fuck him in his stupid hypocritical face. You do not get to try and turn your own sad and stunted morality fetishism into ensconced legal precedent, and then say 'ohhh my privacy! grown adults behavior behind closed doors WAAAHHHHHH' when you are caught breaching your own codes in the most idiotic manner possible. We're not flaunting other people's bedroom behavior, we're flaunting his HYPOCRISY. We didn't even BRING the bedroom into it - he did. It's the same as when McCain trumpets on and on about campaign finance reform and the ethics thereof, and then is shown to eat the assholes of lobbyists on a daily basis. Fuck their hypocrisy and corruption, may they dragged through the streets muddied and bloodied before being run out of town on a rail.
posted by FatherDagon at 8:53 AM on February 10, 2011
But seriously, still, fuck this guy. Fuck him in his stupid hypocritical face.
Post a CL ad. Maybe he'll respond.
posted by hippybear at 8:54 AM on February 10, 2011 [13 favorites]
Post a CL ad. Maybe he'll respond.
posted by hippybear at 8:54 AM on February 10, 2011 [13 favorites]
I bought a bike on there once, too.
posted by box at 8:29 AM on February 10 [1 favorite +] [!]
You still could have had sex with the seller.
posted by modernnomad at 8:33 AM on February 10 [+] [!]
Or the bike!
posted by FatherDagon at 8:55 AM on February 10, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by box at 8:29 AM on February 10 [1 favorite +] [!]
You still could have had sex with the seller.
posted by modernnomad at 8:33 AM on February 10 [+] [!]
Or the bike!
posted by FatherDagon at 8:55 AM on February 10, 2011 [4 favorites]
What I mean is that he's in the "Sex is only for procreation, and only between a man and a woman who are married to each other" party.
But as far as I can tell, he hasn't tried to legislate this either, as you claimed. Point me to bills criminalizing sex between consenting adults for fun or homosexual activities that he has supported, if you can. Because if they exist, I am in total agreement with you. Let's demonize him for what he has done, not what he hasn't. He may be a hypocritical douchebag if he has public statements out there about the importance of monogamy etc, but he's not tried to legislate for a particular morality that he himself does not follow in the way you claimed (and this distinguishes him from some of the other Repub sex scandals of late, I think... this seems to be a more Clinton-esque type scandal).
posted by modernnomad at 9:04 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
But as far as I can tell, he hasn't tried to legislate this either, as you claimed. Point me to bills criminalizing sex between consenting adults for fun or homosexual activities that he has supported, if you can. Because if they exist, I am in total agreement with you. Let's demonize him for what he has done, not what he hasn't. He may be a hypocritical douchebag if he has public statements out there about the importance of monogamy etc, but he's not tried to legislate for a particular morality that he himself does not follow in the way you claimed (and this distinguishes him from some of the other Repub sex scandals of late, I think... this seems to be a more Clinton-esque type scandal).
posted by modernnomad at 9:04 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
The Woman Behind 'Craigslist Congressman' Chris Lee's Downfall.
posted by ericb at 9:07 AM on February 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by ericb at 9:07 AM on February 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
I'm with ND¢; even a middling congressperson ought to have no trouble meeting discreet friends through lobbying contacts or in mahogany-and-leather appointed upscale bars.
Maybe there should be a craigslist subsite just for technologically clueless politicos looking for a little action on the side (or maybe a used bike). Conveniently found at http://larry.craigslist.org/.
Dammit, I'll admit my comment isn't that funny, but I'll bet it'd have gotten a few favorites if I'd found this thread earlier!
posted by hincandenza at 9:08 AM on February 10, 2011 [7 favorites]
Maybe there should be a craigslist subsite just for technologically clueless politicos looking for a little action on the side (or maybe a used bike). Conveniently found at http://larry.craigslist.org/.
Dammit, I'll admit my comment isn't that funny, but I'll bet it'd have gotten a few favorites if I'd found this thread earlier!
posted by hincandenza at 9:08 AM on February 10, 2011 [7 favorites]
In other words, he's on the record opposing gay rights and advocating serious restrictions on abortion access, but you don't see that as part and parcel of the whole 1950s apple pie man-woman sex-for-procreation vibe? You think he has to sponsor a bill outlawing adultery for his actions to be considered hypocritical? Obviously I disagree. He's a hypocrite.
posted by Mister_A at 9:09 AM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by Mister_A at 9:09 AM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
Jesus dude you're like 500-something heartbeats away from the presidency
[belabors a joke] I don't think succession goes down to random congresspeople.
I bought a bike on there once, too.
I found my previous and current job via Craig's List, as well as my crazy cheap shithole apartment in Chicago. Also sold a bunch of comics once when I was desperate for money. And bought an extra Rock Band guitar (much later).
No sex involved in any of those transactions though.
posted by kmz at 9:09 AM on February 10, 2011
[belabors a joke] I don't think succession goes down to random congresspeople.
I bought a bike on there once, too.
I found my previous and current job via Craig's List, as well as my crazy cheap shithole apartment in Chicago. Also sold a bunch of comics once when I was desperate for money. And bought an extra Rock Band guitar (much later).
No sex involved in any of those transactions though.
posted by kmz at 9:09 AM on February 10, 2011
No, I think he is hypocritical if he talks a game about monogamy in public but doesn't follow through in private (which I suspect is the case). Lumping in stuff about gay rights and abortion because he tried to get laid through craiglist just seems tacked on.. unlike if he say were caught in a bathroom stall trying to blow a guy whilst at the same time having a public stance against homosexuality.
posted by modernnomad at 9:11 AM on February 10, 2011
posted by modernnomad at 9:11 AM on February 10, 2011
Also, please refrain from mis-representing my statements. Mr. Lee did try to legislate a particular type of sexual morality—the Christian right-influenced Republican brand of sexual morality. That he did not specifically advocate laws particular to adultery does not mean that he is not aligned, at least publicly, with the moralistic and repressive sexual morality of the Republican party.
posted by Mister_A at 9:12 AM on February 10, 2011
posted by Mister_A at 9:12 AM on February 10, 2011
Boehner Won't Comment On Conversations With Former Rep. Chris Lee
Asked whether he spoke with now-former Rep. Chris Lee (R-NY) after his shirtless photo surfaced and before his resignation, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) told reporters, "My conversations with members are private and will remain that way."posted by ericb at 9:23 AM on February 10, 2011
But Boehner didn't quite leave it at that.
He did indicate that he thought Lee's resignation was the right thing to do, adding "I believe that members of Congress should be held to the highest ethical standards, as the American people expect."
Though reports surfaced again this morning that Lee was one of several junior members that Boehner warned last year about their personal lives, Boehner indicated that he was as blindsided by the half-naked pictures and emails from Lee as anyone. He mentioned that he was first aware of the problem, "Sometime yesterday afternoon, and then it was a little after six when I heard that he had resigned"
Boehner added of Lee: "I think he made the right decision for himself and for his family."
Point me to bills criminalizing sex between consenting adults for fun or homosexual activities that he has supported, if you can.
He voted against repealing DADT.
This means he is in favor of the federal government imposing a prohibition against homosexual activity, backed by quasi-criminal sanctions.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:23 AM on February 10, 2011
He voted against repealing DADT.
This means he is in favor of the federal government imposing a prohibition against homosexual activity, backed by quasi-criminal sanctions.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:23 AM on February 10, 2011
Mr. Lee did try to legislate a particular type of sexual morality—the Christian right-influenced Republican brand of sexual morality.
"On Saturday night, I would see men lusting after half naked girls dancing at the carnival, and on Sunday morning when I was playing organ for the tent show evangelists at the other end of the carnival lot, I would see these same men sitting in the pews with their wives and children, asking God to forgive them and purge them of carnal desires. And the next Saturday night, they'd be back at the carnival, or some other place of indulgence.posted by ericb at 9:28 AM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
I knew then that the Christian Church thrives on hypocrisy, and that man's carnal nature will out."*
I must admit I'm shocked he bothered to resigned. There was no sex. No "R-rated" nudity. No meetup or hookup. He didn't actually cheat on his wife. He flirted with someone and lied to them on the internet and was quickly caught. There's either more to this story or he's the world's biggest idiot.
It's only his first term. Maybe he just had some shame left.
posted by straight at 9:31 AM on February 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
It's only his first term. Maybe he just had some shame left.
posted by straight at 9:31 AM on February 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
"Lee, who won his seat in 2008, cultivated a family-values voting record in the House, earning an 88 percent approval rating from the American Conservative Union for his 2010 votes. He voted in favor of a ban on federal funding of abortion in the health care overhaul, in line with the group's position on the proposed ban, which was defeated in the House. He also voted against the repeal of the military's policy prohibiting service by openly gay men and women."*posted by ericb at 9:32 AM on February 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
robocop is bleeding: "But will this set back production of The Hobbit?"
You may joke, but scanning the front page I saw "Christopher Lee" highlighted as a link and had a few terrible moments where I thought this was an obit post.
posted by brundlefly at 9:55 AM on February 10, 2011
You may joke, but scanning the front page I saw "Christopher Lee" highlighted as a link and had a few terrible moments where I thought this was an obit post.
posted by brundlefly at 9:55 AM on February 10, 2011
There has to be more to this story.. there are very very very few real women on craigslist at all. I got bored not too long ago with a bunch of throwaway email addresses and responded to each ad in a w4m section. Every single one got me spammed. Not ONE was a real person. ZERO.
So yeah, there has to be more to this story. I don't see how a shirtless photo is scandal-worthy...
posted by drstein at 10:06 AM on February 10, 2011
So yeah, there has to be more to this story. I don't see how a shirtless photo is scandal-worthy...
posted by drstein at 10:06 AM on February 10, 2011
drstein,
I'm a real woman who goes on craigslist w4m and I'm dying to meet you. If you want to chat sometime just send me a message at www.tiffanysplayground.yk. I'm not really looking for a boyfriend; I'd rather just find a nerdy liberal who's into casual hookups and threesomes with my sister.
posted by gagglezoomer at 10:14 AM on February 10, 2011 [8 favorites]
I'm a real woman who goes on craigslist w4m and I'm dying to meet you. If you want to chat sometime just send me a message at www.tiffanysplayground.yk. I'm not really looking for a boyfriend; I'd rather just find a nerdy liberal who's into casual hookups and threesomes with my sister.
posted by gagglezoomer at 10:14 AM on February 10, 2011 [8 favorites]
gagglezoomer, I saw your pics - your hot lol. Here's a pic of me with no shirt on - ur welcome to cum see "my gunshow" anytime. Also I am chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
posted by Mister_A at 10:27 AM on February 10, 2011 [6 favorites]
posted by Mister_A at 10:27 AM on February 10, 2011 [6 favorites]
His resignation speech was odd:
Do sit down. Shocks are so much better absorbed with the knees bent.
In regards to my Craigslist ads, animals are fine, but their acceptability is limited. A little child is even better, but not NEARLY as effective as the right kind of adult.
Saying that, I think I could turn and live with animals. They are so placid and self-contained. They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins. They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God. Not one of them kneels to another or to his own kind that lived thousands of years ago. Not one of them is respectable or unhappy, all over the earth.
That being said, I can't complain. I had my chance and in modern parlance, blew it.
posted by Astro Zombie at 10:28 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Do sit down. Shocks are so much better absorbed with the knees bent.
In regards to my Craigslist ads, animals are fine, but their acceptability is limited. A little child is even better, but not NEARLY as effective as the right kind of adult.
Saying that, I think I could turn and live with animals. They are so placid and self-contained. They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins. They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God. Not one of them kneels to another or to his own kind that lived thousands of years ago. Not one of them is respectable or unhappy, all over the earth.
That being said, I can't complain. I had my chance and in modern parlance, blew it.
posted by Astro Zombie at 10:28 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Granted, it does get a little bleak this time of year but most of us keep our shirts on and our dicks in our pants.
Speak for your self. It gets boring out here.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 10:40 AM on February 10, 2011
Speak for your self. It gets boring out here.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 10:40 AM on February 10, 2011
The precedent that this story continues to promulgate is that our society needs to keep playing sex police. It continues this line of thinking that there is "correct sex"
This isn't ever going to go away with public officials. It isn't going away because most people -- yes, even most metafilterians and probably you too, gentle reader -- use heuristics for distilling down their opinions of politicians. Even the relatively rare people who delve into policy and legislative record do it, but most people don't bother with that much if at all, and those people will quite naturally be looking for something simple on which to base an opinion. And they could do a lot worse than the question of personal fidelity.
I know the situation might be more complex than that. I believe pretty strongly in the idea that most people are mixed bags of good and evil. It's possible for someone with a lot to contribute to the world cheat on their SO. Not to mention the fact that for all we know, his behavior could be OK by the rules he and his wife have agreed on for themselves.
If that were true, of course, he would have a giant opportunity here to go public with that and start a potentially beneficial national conversation about what's private and what's not and maybe roll back the sex police a bit. Something of a hail mary pass, but why not try it instead of resigning? Hell of a lot better case than claiming a "wide stance."
But let's be honest: that probably wasn't the arrangement with his wife. He's a member of the Republican caucus in the House, so chances are pretty good that he is a giant double-standard wielding douchebag instead of someone with a privately open marriage. In which case, I don't think it's really out of line to question his personal integrity and his place in a party which at least claims certain values, however rampant infidelity to them is in practice. And his party, and most of heuristic America, will likely agree.
In the end, his resignation seems to indicate he does too.
posted by namespan at 10:45 AM on February 10, 2011 [4 favorites]
This isn't ever going to go away with public officials. It isn't going away because most people -- yes, even most metafilterians and probably you too, gentle reader -- use heuristics for distilling down their opinions of politicians. Even the relatively rare people who delve into policy and legislative record do it, but most people don't bother with that much if at all, and those people will quite naturally be looking for something simple on which to base an opinion. And they could do a lot worse than the question of personal fidelity.
I know the situation might be more complex than that. I believe pretty strongly in the idea that most people are mixed bags of good and evil. It's possible for someone with a lot to contribute to the world cheat on their SO. Not to mention the fact that for all we know, his behavior could be OK by the rules he and his wife have agreed on for themselves.
If that were true, of course, he would have a giant opportunity here to go public with that and start a potentially beneficial national conversation about what's private and what's not and maybe roll back the sex police a bit. Something of a hail mary pass, but why not try it instead of resigning? Hell of a lot better case than claiming a "wide stance."
But let's be honest: that probably wasn't the arrangement with his wife. He's a member of the Republican caucus in the House, so chances are pretty good that he is a giant double-standard wielding douchebag instead of someone with a privately open marriage. In which case, I don't think it's really out of line to question his personal integrity and his place in a party which at least claims certain values, however rampant infidelity to them is in practice. And his party, and most of heuristic America, will likely agree.
In the end, his resignation seems to indicate he does too.
posted by namespan at 10:45 AM on February 10, 2011 [4 favorites]
Video of Lee on Election Night, paying tribute to his wife and son.
posted by CunningLinguist at 10:48 AM on February 10, 2011
posted by CunningLinguist at 10:48 AM on February 10, 2011
Here's a pic of me with no shirt on
Well, as long as we're doing this, this is me with no shirt on (I'm on the right). Not bad for 847 years old! Also, I am the Keymaster.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 10:57 AM on February 10, 2011
Well, as long as we're doing this, this is me with no shirt on (I'm on the right). Not bad for 847 years old! Also, I am the Keymaster.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 10:57 AM on February 10, 2011
Speaking of Christopher Lee (the other one), he's going to be in The Wicker Tree, brought to you by the director of the "NOT THE BEES!!!" Wicker Man. Even though it's based on a book (by the director) not related to Wicker Man at all.
I predict maximum failings, despite the presence of Christopher Lee.
posted by kmz at 10:59 AM on February 10, 2011
I predict maximum failings, despite the presence of Christopher Lee.
posted by kmz at 10:59 AM on February 10, 2011
(Oh wait... Wicker Tree is actually directed by the director of the original Wicker Man. Hmm.)
posted by kmz at 11:01 AM on February 10, 2011
posted by kmz at 11:01 AM on February 10, 2011
Here is a picture of me, not shirtless, but I'm wearing a skinsuit. I'm 49.
not really me
posted by fixedgear at 11:26 AM on February 10, 2011
not really me
posted by fixedgear at 11:26 AM on February 10, 2011
Keep all the Congressmen buff and shirtless and then film a reality show of their sexploits -- that ought to get the ratings for C-SPAN through the roof...
posted by Alexandra Kitty at 12:12 PM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Alexandra Kitty at 12:12 PM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
He's definitely got the crazy eyes.
And pinapple is sooo right, It really looks like amateur hour out there in every direction (LiLo I'm lookin at you).
Ya gotta spend the money folks, on the GOOD handlers. I'm seriously getting Bozo Fatigue from all the stupidity.
(using your own name.... wow)
posted by djrock3k at 12:19 PM on February 10, 2011
And pinapple is sooo right, It really looks like amateur hour out there in every direction (LiLo I'm lookin at you).
Ya gotta spend the money folks, on the GOOD handlers. I'm seriously getting Bozo Fatigue from all the stupidity.
(using your own name.... wow)
posted by djrock3k at 12:19 PM on February 10, 2011
Yeah how come he didn't tell the roadies which ones he wanted and then give 'em backstage passes?
posted by Mister_A at 12:21 PM on February 10, 2011
posted by Mister_A at 12:21 PM on February 10, 2011
as much as i dislike republicans, i don't think this is really a win. i'd rather see the guy resigning because his constituents reject his ideas; this reinforces the idea that going after someone's sex life is a legitimate alternative. as a gay dude, i'm not particularly fond of the commentary that one would have expected him to be gay, as if homosexuality, even amongst liberals, remains the ne plus ultra of political scandal. mefi'ers get a bit too much of a free pass on simultaneously salivating over the gay element of scandal and yet condemning those who would think homosexuality itself is scandalous. i get that there's a special element when hypocrisy is involved, but the commentary goes beyond that.
but then i also dislike the idea that the woman making the accusation gets to remain anonymous. it wasn't like she was a victim here; she solicited contact from men of his type in a forum in which this type of contact is normal and expected. it's not that one should have an expectation of privacy when sending pictures and responding to ads and such, but if meeting up on craigslist is one of her habits, she has likely benefited from a generally observed discretion. and considering they were engaging in the same activity, ostensibly toward the same purpose, it's hardly fair that he'll be openly judged for it while she remains protected. that we might have other reasons to dislike the guy doesn't justify that.
most of all, i don't like it because every time we accept the validity of this kind of exposure, we're giving implied consent to be similarly targeted. despite the silly threads of moral righteousness coming through here, few of us would stand up to scrutiny of gawkers who are trading on human dignity.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 12:31 PM on February 10, 2011 [5 favorites]
but then i also dislike the idea that the woman making the accusation gets to remain anonymous. it wasn't like she was a victim here; she solicited contact from men of his type in a forum in which this type of contact is normal and expected. it's not that one should have an expectation of privacy when sending pictures and responding to ads and such, but if meeting up on craigslist is one of her habits, she has likely benefited from a generally observed discretion. and considering they were engaging in the same activity, ostensibly toward the same purpose, it's hardly fair that he'll be openly judged for it while she remains protected. that we might have other reasons to dislike the guy doesn't justify that.
most of all, i don't like it because every time we accept the validity of this kind of exposure, we're giving implied consent to be similarly targeted. despite the silly threads of moral righteousness coming through here, few of us would stand up to scrutiny of gawkers who are trading on human dignity.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 12:31 PM on February 10, 2011 [5 favorites]
I'd like to think he was resigning for being stupid, not for having hormones. There has to be at least one high end whorehouse here in DC, where money buys silence, safety and whatever your dick desires.
posted by QIbHom at 12:51 PM on February 10, 2011
posted by QIbHom at 12:51 PM on February 10, 2011
this reinforces the idea that going after someone's sex life is a legitimate alternative.
No, it reinforces the fact that Republicans, they who have MADE sex life moralizing the de facto form of political attack (see: Clinton), are massive fucking hypocrites who should be hammered into the dirt with their own waving bibles.
as a gay dude, i'm not particularly fond of the commentary that one would have expected him to be gay, as if homosexuality, even amongst liberals, remains the ne plus ultra of political scandal.
Nope, you're missing the point here too, in that it was pretty de rigueur for Repugs that most openly trumpet the moral necessity of legislating AGAINST homosexuality (just like Lee with DADT) are also the ones harbouring secret lifestyles, ameliorating their self-hate with attempts to destroy the lives of millions of Americans. That hypocrisy is what gets them pounded into the dirt with their own shame-filled waving bibles.
most of all, i don't like it because every time we accept the validity of this kind of exposure, we're giving implied consent to be similarly targeted. despite the silly threads of moral righteousness coming through here, few of us would stand up to scrutiny of gawkers who are trading on human dignity.
Biggest point missed here - the entire POINT of these exercises is rejecting those who would MAKE this kind of moralizing judgement about personal lives a pillar of society. Every time someone like this is exposed and shamed away, it is a renunciation - "YOUR SYSTEM OF SHAME AND SELF-LOATHING IS A FAILURE, AND ADHERING TO IT HAS DESTROYED YOU. DIE IN IGNOMINY, YOU HYPOCRITICAL DICKSCAB, AND STOP TRYING TO REINFORCE THESE HORRIBLE WAYS."
TL;DR version - live by the porksword, die by the porksword.
posted by FatherDagon at 1:00 PM on February 10, 2011 [9 favorites]
No, it reinforces the fact that Republicans, they who have MADE sex life moralizing the de facto form of political attack (see: Clinton), are massive fucking hypocrites who should be hammered into the dirt with their own waving bibles.
as a gay dude, i'm not particularly fond of the commentary that one would have expected him to be gay, as if homosexuality, even amongst liberals, remains the ne plus ultra of political scandal.
Nope, you're missing the point here too, in that it was pretty de rigueur for Repugs that most openly trumpet the moral necessity of legislating AGAINST homosexuality (just like Lee with DADT) are also the ones harbouring secret lifestyles, ameliorating their self-hate with attempts to destroy the lives of millions of Americans. That hypocrisy is what gets them pounded into the dirt with their own shame-filled waving bibles.
most of all, i don't like it because every time we accept the validity of this kind of exposure, we're giving implied consent to be similarly targeted. despite the silly threads of moral righteousness coming through here, few of us would stand up to scrutiny of gawkers who are trading on human dignity.
Biggest point missed here - the entire POINT of these exercises is rejecting those who would MAKE this kind of moralizing judgement about personal lives a pillar of society. Every time someone like this is exposed and shamed away, it is a renunciation - "YOUR SYSTEM OF SHAME AND SELF-LOATHING IS A FAILURE, AND ADHERING TO IT HAS DESTROYED YOU. DIE IN IGNOMINY, YOU HYPOCRITICAL DICKSCAB, AND STOP TRYING TO REINFORCE THESE HORRIBLE WAYS."
TL;DR version - live by the porksword, die by the porksword.
posted by FatherDagon at 1:00 PM on February 10, 2011 [9 favorites]
she solicited contact from men of his type in a forum in which this type of contact is normal and expected.
I'm not saying married men lying about their marital status isn't uncommon on CL, but it seems like a bit of stretch to claim she specifically was seeking married men who lie about their status. It seems safe to assume she wanted sex, it does not seem safe to assume she wanted sex with a married man.
On the other hand, there do seem to be a large number of guys who post to the m4m section of CL looking for "bi/married", so without seeing her original ad....
posted by nomisxid at 1:33 PM on February 10, 2011
I'm not saying married men lying about their marital status isn't uncommon on CL, but it seems like a bit of stretch to claim she specifically was seeking married men who lie about their status. It seems safe to assume she wanted sex, it does not seem safe to assume she wanted sex with a married man.
On the other hand, there do seem to be a large number of guys who post to the m4m section of CL looking for "bi/married", so without seeing her original ad....
posted by nomisxid at 1:33 PM on February 10, 2011
On the other hand, there do seem to be a large number of guys who post to the m4m section of CL looking for "bi/married", so without seeing her original ad....
In my experience, the "bi/married" m4m CL ads are usually posted by men who are themselves in the closet and are looking for someone else who has a lot to lose if they are outed. Like a mutually assured destruction pact of discretion, or something.
posted by hippybear at 1:41 PM on February 10, 2011
In my experience, the "bi/married" m4m CL ads are usually posted by men who are themselves in the closet and are looking for someone else who has a lot to lose if they are outed. Like a mutually assured destruction pact of discretion, or something.
posted by hippybear at 1:41 PM on February 10, 2011
n my experience, the "bi/married" m4m CL ads are usually posted by men who are themselves in the closet and are looking for someone else who has a lot to lose if they are outed.
Funny, I've always seen it as code for "I want a BJ, but I don't want to give one back"
posted by nomisxid at 1:50 PM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Funny, I've always seen it as code for "I want a BJ, but I don't want to give one back"
posted by nomisxid at 1:50 PM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Mutually Assured Non-Recipient Cock Suckery.
posted by The Whelk at 1:54 PM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by The Whelk at 1:54 PM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
...but it seems like a bit of stretch to claim she specifically was seeking married men who lie about their status
but she's already on a site where the active users' moral universe allows for online sex hookups. i'm guessing she didn't give fair warning that she might embarrass or expose men who violated her apparently finely graded moral standards.
this also reminded me of this story a few years back, in which a guy posted a fake craigslist sex ad and then published the responses, with names and photos. if this story were turned around--say, if this were a super-churchy republican congressman who exposed 'internet whores' by publishing their names and pictures--i think the reaction would focus less on their stupidity or naivety than his being an asshole.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 2:00 PM on February 10, 2011
but she's already on a site where the active users' moral universe allows for online sex hookups. i'm guessing she didn't give fair warning that she might embarrass or expose men who violated her apparently finely graded moral standards.
this also reminded me of this story a few years back, in which a guy posted a fake craigslist sex ad and then published the responses, with names and photos. if this story were turned around--say, if this were a super-churchy republican congressman who exposed 'internet whores' by publishing their names and pictures--i think the reaction would focus less on their stupidity or naivety than his being an asshole.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 2:00 PM on February 10, 2011
but she's already on a site where the active users' moral universe allows for online sex hookups.
Openly seeking casual sex - honest
Lying about marital status - betrayal of both your marriage partner and the person you're having sex with.
Not sure where the vague moral quandry is there.
if this were a super-churchy republican congressman who exposed 'internet whores' by publishing their names and pictures
...then he would be a complete shitbag for working to reinforce the status quo of moral outrage towards people wanting honest, open sex. That would be slightly different than Lee, who is a shitbag for being a hypocrite in his own dealings with the status quo he works to reinforce, but it would still be a shitty assbag thing to do. Really, this is pretty easy to figure out!
People who work to enforce moral codes into judgemental law - bad
People who do above and then don't even feel obligated to follow their own moral codes - bad and hypocritical
Exposing hypocrites and undermining their moral high ground, demonstrating that their system is poisonous to society - good!
posted by FatherDagon at 2:10 PM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Openly seeking casual sex - honest
Lying about marital status - betrayal of both your marriage partner and the person you're having sex with.
Not sure where the vague moral quandry is there.
if this were a super-churchy republican congressman who exposed 'internet whores' by publishing their names and pictures
...then he would be a complete shitbag for working to reinforce the status quo of moral outrage towards people wanting honest, open sex. That would be slightly different than Lee, who is a shitbag for being a hypocrite in his own dealings with the status quo he works to reinforce, but it would still be a shitty assbag thing to do. Really, this is pretty easy to figure out!
People who work to enforce moral codes into judgemental law - bad
People who do above and then don't even feel obligated to follow their own moral codes - bad and hypocritical
Exposing hypocrites and undermining their moral high ground, demonstrating that their system is poisonous to society - good!
posted by FatherDagon at 2:10 PM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
but she's already on a site where the active users' moral universe allows for online sex hookups.
If she'd been looking for a hookup on cheaters.com, I could see where you're coming from. You seem to be assuming that any poster to CL is the lowest level of sleeze, but there are lots of fully honest people hooking up on CL.
posted by nomisxid at 2:10 PM on February 10, 2011
If she'd been looking for a hookup on cheaters.com, I could see where you're coming from. You seem to be assuming that any poster to CL is the lowest level of sleeze, but there are lots of fully honest people hooking up on CL.
posted by nomisxid at 2:10 PM on February 10, 2011
> This particular fellow felt that it was his job to 'defend marriage' from the tyranny of homosexuals, and to slash medical support for women needing abortions, among other things.
Really? He was a Republican so there's certainly some guilt by default for those things. But it's one thing to be part of the tide, and another to be the instigator. Looking at the bills that he sponsored, it seems he was on to more practical things.
"He voted "no" on the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and "no" on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act..."
I could care less about his extramarital sexual activity, but I'm glad he's gone anyway.
Philosophically, I'm disappointed (this is not the sort of behavior that should cost someone a job), but realpolitikally, I am joyed.
I bought a bike on there once, too.
I'm meeting a guy to buy a bike in an hour ... I'm a little worried it's stolen. Are there any red flags to watch out for?
I got my current job via craigslist as well. ¡Viva la Craig!
posted by mrgrimm at 2:24 PM on February 10, 2011
Really? He was a Republican so there's certainly some guilt by default for those things. But it's one thing to be part of the tide, and another to be the instigator. Looking at the bills that he sponsored, it seems he was on to more practical things.
"He voted "no" on the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and "no" on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act..."
I could care less about his extramarital sexual activity, but I'm glad he's gone anyway.
Philosophically, I'm disappointed (this is not the sort of behavior that should cost someone a job), but realpolitikally, I am joyed.
I bought a bike on there once, too.
I'm meeting a guy to buy a bike in an hour ... I'm a little worried it's stolen. Are there any red flags to watch out for?
I got my current job via craigslist as well. ¡Viva la Craig!
posted by mrgrimm at 2:24 PM on February 10, 2011
I'm meeting a guy to buy a bike in an hour ... I'm a little worried it's stolen. Are there any red flags to watch out for?
Pinarello Dogma, C-Record 11 speed electronic, Zipp wheels, $99. Like that?
posted by fixedgear at 2:28 PM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Pinarello Dogma, C-Record 11 speed electronic, Zipp wheels, $99. Like that?
posted by fixedgear at 2:28 PM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Mutually Assured Non-Recipient Cock Suckery.
That's a mouthful.
posted by kmz at 2:43 PM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
That's a mouthful.
posted by kmz at 2:43 PM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
Lying about marital status - betrayal of both your marriage partner and the person you're having sex with.
we really have no idea what arrangement he has with his marriage partner. and in terms of advertising for casual sex, as opposed to seeking a monogamous relationship, i don't see who is betrayed. it is common in ads for people to indicate specifically that they are not (or, even, are) interested in people who are married or otherwise entangled.
i'm a big fan of craigslist and casual sex, and i think my position evolves from an affinity for those who post there, in the sense that i think the woman in this case violated the spirit and discretion of those pages. of course, no one should expect privacy when meeting there; but in my experience, it tends to be honored anyway, in the mutual interest of sexual adventure. i don't think she is sleazy for being there, or that anyone else is; but there's a wide variety of sexual expression there, and if her morality allows for her use of the forum while condemning others', such that she's inclined to take action on it, she needs to be up front about that when posting.
Exposing hypocrites and undermining their moral high ground, demonstrating that their system is poisonous to society - good
good if you accept that the methodology is valid even if applied to yourself, by whomever else, for whatever purpose. in this case it is even shadier because the accuser gets to remain anonymous, we have no means of evaluating her motivations or honesty, and it's being promoted by a site that seek gossip for its own purposes, not for some noble purpose of unmasking hypocrisy.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 2:48 PM on February 10, 2011
we really have no idea what arrangement he has with his marriage partner. and in terms of advertising for casual sex, as opposed to seeking a monogamous relationship, i don't see who is betrayed. it is common in ads for people to indicate specifically that they are not (or, even, are) interested in people who are married or otherwise entangled.
i'm a big fan of craigslist and casual sex, and i think my position evolves from an affinity for those who post there, in the sense that i think the woman in this case violated the spirit and discretion of those pages. of course, no one should expect privacy when meeting there; but in my experience, it tends to be honored anyway, in the mutual interest of sexual adventure. i don't think she is sleazy for being there, or that anyone else is; but there's a wide variety of sexual expression there, and if her morality allows for her use of the forum while condemning others', such that she's inclined to take action on it, she needs to be up front about that when posting.
Exposing hypocrites and undermining their moral high ground, demonstrating that their system is poisonous to society - good
good if you accept that the methodology is valid even if applied to yourself, by whomever else, for whatever purpose. in this case it is even shadier because the accuser gets to remain anonymous, we have no means of evaluating her motivations or honesty, and it's being promoted by a site that seek gossip for its own purposes, not for some noble purpose of unmasking hypocrisy.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 2:48 PM on February 10, 2011
Pinarello Dogma, C-Record 11 speed electronic, Zipp wheels, $99. Like that?
Nope. It seems like a decent deal (for SF), but not ridiculous. The post itself seemed very legit (owned it 8 years, pic from his apt/house, etc), but then he wants to meet me in front of a liquor store on the corner ... eh, I guess I can understand not wanting to expose your own residence to a stranger. We'll see ...
posted by mrgrimm at 2:52 PM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Nope. It seems like a decent deal (for SF), but not ridiculous. The post itself seemed very legit (owned it 8 years, pic from his apt/house, etc), but then he wants to meet me in front of a liquor store on the corner ... eh, I guess I can understand not wanting to expose your own residence to a stranger. We'll see ...
posted by mrgrimm at 2:52 PM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
good if you accept that the methodology is valid even if applied to yourself
Luckily, I *DO* support my own hypocrisies being demonstrated against me. If I thought that condition applied to everyone but me, well... I'm sure there's a word for what that'd make me, but golly I just can't figure it out!
posted by FatherDagon at 2:56 PM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Luckily, I *DO* support my own hypocrisies being demonstrated against me. If I thought that condition applied to everyone but me, well... I'm sure there's a word for what that'd make me, but golly I just can't figure it out!
posted by FatherDagon at 2:56 PM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
he wants to meet me in front of a liquor store on the corner ... eh, I guess I can understand not wanting to expose your own residence to a stranger. We'll see ...
Oh yeah, I'd always meet in a neutral location for a Craigslist sell/buy. I think I sold my comics in a hotel lobby, and I bought the Rock Band guitar in a Target parking lot.
Now, if they want to meet in the alley behind a liquor store at 3 in the morning... I'd be worried.
posted by kmz at 3:18 PM on February 10, 2011
Oh yeah, I'd always meet in a neutral location for a Craigslist sell/buy. I think I sold my comics in a hotel lobby, and I bought the Rock Band guitar in a Target parking lot.
Now, if they want to meet in the alley behind a liquor store at 3 in the morning... I'd be worried.
posted by kmz at 3:18 PM on February 10, 2011
Luckily, I *DO* support my own hypocrisies being demonstrated against me.
if you accept it being done in this way--having personal sexual details, potentially embarrassing to you and your family, (likely) sold to a gossip site for the purposes of entertainment, interpreted through that lens--and in this case not clearly (that i can tell) demonstrative of actual hypocrisy but an easy pretext for the accusation by people who want to catch you in something--then that is fine for you. i personally don't find this kind of targeting to be acceptable; and knowing that my own complex sexual history, out of context, would be just as ripe for judgment and punchlines (were i someone of any importance), i don't applaud the effort directed elsewhere. i just also happen to think that the appetite for this kind of thing--the too-easy transformation of human dignity into currency, increasingly without consent--is a road that too many people assume would stop at their own driveway. the real hypocrisy is how much we get off debasing each other for getting caught displaying human weaknesses we all share in some configuration.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 3:44 PM on February 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
if you accept it being done in this way--having personal sexual details, potentially embarrassing to you and your family, (likely) sold to a gossip site for the purposes of entertainment, interpreted through that lens--and in this case not clearly (that i can tell) demonstrative of actual hypocrisy but an easy pretext for the accusation by people who want to catch you in something--then that is fine for you. i personally don't find this kind of targeting to be acceptable; and knowing that my own complex sexual history, out of context, would be just as ripe for judgment and punchlines (were i someone of any importance), i don't applaud the effort directed elsewhere. i just also happen to think that the appetite for this kind of thing--the too-easy transformation of human dignity into currency, increasingly without consent--is a road that too many people assume would stop at their own driveway. the real hypocrisy is how much we get off debasing each other for getting caught displaying human weaknesses we all share in some configuration.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 3:44 PM on February 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
i'm a big fan of craigslist and casual sex, and i think my position evolves from an affinity for those who post there, in the sense that i think the woman in this case violated the spirit and discretion of those pages.
Maybe it's different on the w4m pages, but on m4m people routinely expose people that are lying in their ads or re-using other people's pics as their own.
posted by nomisxid at 4:51 PM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Maybe it's different on the w4m pages, but on m4m people routinely expose people that are lying in their ads or re-using other people's pics as their own.
posted by nomisxid at 4:51 PM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Wait, the Other Woman in the story is black? From ericb's link:
Mostly I feel bad for his poor wife.
posted by Nelson at 4:56 PM on February 10, 2011
Anonymous D.C. dater agreed to talk to me, as long as she stayed anonymous. We'd met before through a mutual friend. She's a professional, single and successful, 34-year-old African American womanHe's from New York, not the south, but still.. The interracial element may be why he couldn't just confess publically "seek spiritual counseling".
Mostly I feel bad for his poor wife.
posted by Nelson at 4:56 PM on February 10, 2011
Oh dear, that didn't take long. And the name is unique. She's a blogger. Now I feel bad for both women.
posted by Nelson at 5:28 PM on February 10, 2011
posted by Nelson at 5:28 PM on February 10, 2011
Astro Zombie: "Do sit down. Shocks are so much better absorbed with the knees bent.
In regards to my Craigslist ads, animals are fine, but their acceptability is limited. A little child is even better, but not NEARLY as effective as the right kind of adult."
What is the world is this, this can't be real.
posted by boo_radley at 6:36 PM on February 10, 2011
In regards to my Craigslist ads, animals are fine, but their acceptability is limited. A little child is even better, but not NEARLY as effective as the right kind of adult."
What is the world is this, this can't be real.
posted by boo_radley at 6:36 PM on February 10, 2011
It's not real. It's a surprisingly effective mashup of Walt Whitman and The Wicker Man.
posted by namespan at 7:25 PM on February 10, 2011
posted by namespan at 7:25 PM on February 10, 2011
I sing the song of the Bowery burning a dude alive.
posted by The Whelk at 7:30 PM on February 10, 2011
posted by The Whelk at 7:30 PM on February 10, 2011
As much as I'm *swimming* in Schadenfreude, this essay by Lauren Berlant about the Eliot Spitzer scandal is probably as pertinent now as it was then.
Pull Quote: what stories like this really do is to damage the reputation of sex. Whenever there's a sex scandal, I feel sorry for sex.
posted by LMGM at 11:09 PM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
Pull Quote: what stories like this really do is to damage the reputation of sex. Whenever there's a sex scandal, I feel sorry for sex.
posted by LMGM at 11:09 PM on February 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
I don't know. I tend to think it's the broader questions related to the basic character and honesty of the politician that are the real issues people are honing in on in scandals like these. I think most of us assume that if this kind of story becomes news, it's because the guy was being dishonest to those closest to him--if he were an honest swinger or something, I'd agree: who cares? But this guy was more likely lying through his teeth on a regular basis to his closest friends and relations.
The faculty for lying is fungible: master it in one area of your life, and it becomes second nature. It's not crazy to view infidelity as a category of character defect that suggests good cause for doubting his capacity for honesty. The salacious parts just make it front-page rather than back page material.
But then, I'm not of the camp that believes sex drive is some unstoppable, reality-bending magical force anymore than, say, hunger is (although at the same time, yay, sex! and for that matter all our wonderful biological functions!), so YMMV. On the other hand, sure, there's probably just a downright sex-negative component to this kind of controversy, too. It's definitely what sells the papers, because more direct indications of dishonest character in politicians--like flouting campaign promises once elected--usually go overlooked.
posted by saulgoodman at 7:47 AM on February 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
The faculty for lying is fungible: master it in one area of your life, and it becomes second nature. It's not crazy to view infidelity as a category of character defect that suggests good cause for doubting his capacity for honesty. The salacious parts just make it front-page rather than back page material.
But then, I'm not of the camp that believes sex drive is some unstoppable, reality-bending magical force anymore than, say, hunger is (although at the same time, yay, sex! and for that matter all our wonderful biological functions!), so YMMV. On the other hand, sure, there's probably just a downright sex-negative component to this kind of controversy, too. It's definitely what sells the papers, because more direct indications of dishonest character in politicians--like flouting campaign promises once elected--usually go overlooked.
posted by saulgoodman at 7:47 AM on February 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
the too-easy transformation of human dignity into currency, increasingly without consent
I agree. It is horrible that people thing puritanical sex-judgement is a scale upon which all should be weighed. Therefore, fucksmears like Lee (and the constituents that voted him in) should stop making that a pillar of their entire political platform. This serves as an apt example why.
is a road that too many people assume would stop at their own driveway.
Lee did indeed think this. Now the folly of his ways has been openly demonstrated, and maybe, just maybe, a future political scumbag will think twice about making the codeword 'family values' a central premise of his political schema.
posted by FatherDagon at 8:32 AM on February 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
I agree. It is horrible that people thing puritanical sex-judgement is a scale upon which all should be weighed. Therefore, fucksmears like Lee (and the constituents that voted him in) should stop making that a pillar of their entire political platform. This serves as an apt example why.
is a road that too many people assume would stop at their own driveway.
Lee did indeed think this. Now the folly of his ways has been openly demonstrated, and maybe, just maybe, a future political scumbag will think twice about making the codeword 'family values' a central premise of his political schema.
posted by FatherDagon at 8:32 AM on February 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
According to The Buffalo News, Lee does have an alleged history of this.
Several people contacted the campaign of Lee's Democratic opponent in 2008, Alice J. Kryzan, to say they had firsthand knowledge of Lee cheating on, or attempting to cheat on, his wife, two sources with knowledge of the campaign said.posted by misskaz at 9:34 AM on February 11, 2011
Kryzan decided against pursuing the accusations because she didn't want to run a dirty campaign, the sources said.
Chris Lee, Shirtless Congressman, Reportedly Sent Craigslist Photo During GOP Retreat In Baltimore.
posted by ericb at 2:16 PM on February 16, 2011
posted by ericb at 2:16 PM on February 16, 2011
Wow, all this analyzing of what, for me, is a very simple issue: If a person will lie to their spouse, then I have to assume they'll lie to anyone, about anything. And that's not someone I think should be holding public office. I don't care if they're Democrat or Republican, gay or straight or whatever. If they're in a relationship that is supposed to be monogamous and they cheat, then they are untrustworthy.
And in this instance, even if he had an open marriage, he still lied about being married on Craigslist. So, still a liar.
But then again, I believe very strongly in honesty, and I seem to be very much in the minority nowadays. Which is why, for the most part, I hate people.
posted by MexicanYenta at 7:52 PM on February 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
And in this instance, even if he had an open marriage, he still lied about being married on Craigslist. So, still a liar.
But then again, I believe very strongly in honesty, and I seem to be very much in the minority nowadays. Which is why, for the most part, I hate people.
posted by MexicanYenta at 7:52 PM on February 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
Which is why, for the most part, I hate people.
Yep.
posted by mrgrimm at 7:57 AM on February 17, 2011
Yep.
... lying is a fact of daily life. Participants in the community study, on the average, told a lie every day; participants in the college student study told two. One out of every five times that the community members interacted with someone, they told a lie; for the college students, it was one out of every three times. Of all of the people the community members interacted with one on one over the course of a week, they lied to 30% of them; the college students lied to 38% of the people in their lives.- Lying in Everyday Life, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1996, Vol. 70, No. 5.
posted by mrgrimm at 7:57 AM on February 17, 2011
Chris Lee, Craigslist Ex-Congressman, Reportedly Trolled Site For Transgender Women.
posted by ericb at 4:59 AM on February 26, 2011
posted by ericb at 4:59 AM on February 26, 2011
I know Gawker's awful, ericb, but they did get the story: The Craigslist Congressman and the Crossdressing Prostitute. The blog post is almost like real journalism; two sources, some checking. If it's true it'd sure explain why Lee was in such a hurry to resign.
posted by Nelson at 7:08 AM on February 26, 2011
posted by Nelson at 7:08 AM on February 26, 2011
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posted by flippant at 7:37 AM on February 10, 2011 [1 favorite]