Why are they calling for Rep. Fossella's head?

Get your head out of the movies. Them I-talians sure is a crooked bunch huh? :rolleyes:

They don’t say a damned thing about driving while intoxicated.

However, his party (generally), has a problem with his extramaital relations.

During the run up to Clinton’s impeachment, (that was absolutely not over a blow job, as that party repeatedly stresses), several congresscritters in the GOP wound up being forced out of office or prevented from running for office by their own party, based on the need for that party to express their shock and outrage at Clinton’s infidelty.
Now, partly to keep their Christian Right bloc happy and partly to avoid being accused of flip-flopping, the GOP is forced to take public action against any member not powerful enough to retaliate.
It’s just politics.

It isn’t just Republicans that have to avoid extramarital affairs or face calls for resignation.

Short story: new Ohio AG, part of team that swept into office in 2006 elections, based largely upon Republican scandal over coin dealer and large donor Tom Noe, is discovered to be having and affair with an office staffer. In addition, two of his top aides, who live or lived with him in Columbus after he took the AG job, apparently repeatedly harrassed other female staffers in an attempt to have their own “staffer on the side.” The Governor (Dem.), and other top Democrats are calling for a resignation, and threaten to impeach the AG if he doesn’t resign.

Are they outraged over the fact that he presided over an office that allowed sexual harrassment? No, not really. Are they outraged over the blatant cronyism of putting his friends in the top spots in the AG office? No, not really. Are they outraged that he was having an affair with a staffer? :smack:

Settle down Francis, he was referring to and casting aspersions on Republicans or maybe just politicians in general, not Italians.

The Blade must be reporting it differently than ther Plain Dealer and the Beacon Journal. Most of the criticism from Democrats in those papers has been from the perspective that the entire mess–harrassment, inappropriate mixing of (state) business with pleasure, Dann’s initial defense of his buddies, topped by the news that he had an affair with an underling–was such a huge combination of events as to prompt their calls for his resignation. The affair happened to precede the letter calling for him to step down, but it was more the last straw than than the reason for the outrage. (The letter signed by that many prominent people on a weekend only a few hours after the revelation of the affair had to have been in the works for a few days prior to its publication.

(Not that there is not the usual amount of hypocrisy among the signers, but if the affair had been the only event reported (and it had been with a person unrelated to his position rather than with a staffer), and if Dann had not made such a hugwe deal about bringing ethics to the office, I suspect that the Dem leradership would not have made nearly as big a deal about this.)

mmmm yes, but please note: no one from the Dems was upset with Dann, despite the fact that the news of the general attitude of allowing blatant sexual harrassment in the office was well known for quite a while. But the minute that an affair shows up, bam! all hell breaks loose. People lose their jobs, the affair female is forced to quit her job, and the Dem leadership starts ranting for Dann’s head.

You connect the dots. :stuck_out_tongue:

No, them polly-ti-cians sure are a crooked bunch. :rolleyes:

Vito Fossella lied to other woman; wife considers dumping him

This story begins to have the flavor of polygamy.

As I said, the Blade must be reporting it differently. Strickland was making ominous noises about Dann being a drag on the office of AG at least ten days before Dann admitted his affair. The resignations started on Monday while Dann said nothing about the affair until the following Friday and on Saturday the Dem leadership had already published their letter.

I suppose that the affair was a flashpoint, (particularly since it was with someone from his own office), but I do not see the evidence that they would have ignored everything else if he had not had the affair.

Regardless, I think my initial response to the OP was accurate: Whether it is Fossella or Dann, it is just more politics.

You mean the 8 commandments.

I dunno, given that we know he’s committed adultery and borne false witness, I’d expect that chances are damn good that he’s coveted his neighbour’s wife, and quite possibly taken the Lord’s name in vain (“I swear to God I’m not having an affair!”) as well. Given that he’s a politician, he’s almost certainly stolen some taxpayer’s money somewhere along the way with a false expense report or something. And he’s most likely worked on the Sabbath. So we’re down to about 4 commandments. I for one am always glad when a politician refrains from idol worship and murder. We’ve got to hold them up to high standards!

Would you believe the dude is actually running for re-election?!

Actually, today Fossella announced he won’t be seeking re-election.

This is bad news for the Republicans, who now have another vacant Congressional seat to defend.

Well, apparently it is exactly what they wanted him to do.