Should John Kerry's divorce records be made public?

Birvini

In Illinois, our Republican U.S. Senate candidate withdrew from the senate race after loosing a battle to keep his divorce records sealed. Once the records were made public, it was evident he could not represent the Republican party in Illinois, not necessarily because of what was in the records, but because he lied to top republicans who supported him. He told the republican party that there was nothing embarrassing in the records. The records showed that he asked his wife to have sex with him in sex clubs while others watched.

Do you think Kerry's divorce records should remain sealed?

OR

Do you think what's good for the goose is good for the gander?

CollinsvilleZ

Sorry to say, if you want to represent the people. You life, divorces, your wife's tax records should be an open book. Period.

NOITALL

So you're supposed to have the right to your privacy but they should not? Who cares what they do in their private life as long as it's not illegal.

Ooomph

That's not the question. I could care less what they do in their private life but it is all or nothing. If one guy had to disclose then all should disclose to level the playing field. Personally, I'd like to know as much as I could about a person who's in DC representing myself and my neighbors when voting for bills.

IWantOne

No they shouldn't. Just because you are a public figure doesn't mean you don't have a right to privacy. It's the threat of stuff like this that keeps good people who've had a few fuck ups along the way from running for office. I don't think most Americans want a president with a holier than thou attitude. If we did Pat Roberson would be president Ha Ha! Who past the age of 20 doesn't have a few things in their past that they would rather forget and would rather keep private? The older you get the higher the probability is that you are going to have more than a few things you'd like to remain private. Personally I'd rather have a totally truthful disclosure of how each candidate has voted on everything that has ever past before them and an attendance record.
Anyone who has ever been through a divorce knows they generally aren't very friendly but rather just a big ole mud slinging contest and you can have an attorney put any allegation you want on a piece of paper, doesn't mean it's true.

I'd rather know where a candidate stands on abortion, the death penalty etc. rather than how much child support or alimony he is paying or who got the couch and the 401K.

Divorce records are either public for everyone in the state they divorce in or they aren't. Exceptions to the law shouldn't be made for anyone, positive or negative.

Don't remember anyone yelling to see Ronald Reagan & Jane Wyman's divorce records when he ran for president. Oldest president ever elected, ex Hollywood star, surely he had some skeletons in his closet. BFD he was still one of the most respected presidents ever.

When we start stooping to this level and care more about what's in someone's divorce records as opposed to the fact that our soldiers are being kidnapped and having their fucking heads chopped off on TV well we get what we deserve.

IWantOne

And another thing, so who is the Goose? Even Ryan blames the media for this not a political party.

Stimulating discussion is always good, right?

Mark O

Personally, I don't think we should go there, plus I doubt that there's anything worthwhile for us to know about his divorce, otherwise the Boston papers & talk radio guys would have picked it up by now.

It is a fact though, that for the past year & a half, he has missed about 85% of the votes cast in the Senate while he has been out campaigning....all the while collecting his normal Senate salary. Now, that's somnething that's worth talking about. At least old Bob Dole resigned his seat to run for the Presidency, which I think was the proper thing to do.

Whitebeard

Marko, Good point!!!!

Tie

Public Court=Public Records.

It's gutterball politics all the way around but you have the right to read the papers if you want too, it's Public. It's set up so it can be proven that the courts show no favoritism between rulings. for what it's worth.

Snake Bitten

I would say that if the records are public, then it's fair game...Giving special consideration to the "ubber wealthy" by having them sealed is just plain wrong...Don't think for one minute the Democrats wouldn't use the same thing were it available to them...

However, I am not an attorney, nor am I divorced, so I really don't know how these things work...Perhaps Lawboy can chime in and tell us how this works...

packetjunkie

And don't think for one minute you wouldn't be calling dirty politics if they did, G.

Funny thing about Ryan - nobody suggested he did anything illegal. Only thing he did was try to get his wife to have sex WITH HIM in a public place. Of course the conservatives freak out about stuff like that; but its funny to read about how escort services cant keep up with demand during policital conventions (both sides!). [img]/images/graemlins/laughing.gif[/img]

Hell, she's so fucking hot and I'd be more than happy to let her suck me off in public.

CollinsvilleZ

Suppose the reason for a divorce of a canidate was the "fact" that he liked little boys/crossed dressed/afraid of the dark/WTF. Hey, don't hold the President to a higher standard than you or me and he will spend his time "Playing Hide the Cigar", when he should have his mind on Terrorists. It is hard to have your mind on "Foreign Affairs", while you are worried about your next "Local Affair".

Snake Bitten

Let me just save that little typo for prosperity... [img]/images/graemlins/laughing.gif[/img]

packetjunkie

And would drug use in college also preclude you from being President?

Problem is, the media and the political spin doctors can make an issue out of just about anything. Even asking your wife for a blowjob.

Chuck 98 RT10

Yeah sure. Make the records public. What the hell do I care? Maybe there will be some good juicy stuff about a pony.

Snake Bitten

A popular bar had a new robotic bartender installed. A fellow came in for a
drink and the robot asked him, "What's your IQ?"

The man replied, "150."

So the robot proceeded to make conversation about quantum physics, string
theory, atomic chemistry, and so on. The man listened intently and thought,
"This is really cool."

The man decided to test the robot He walked out of
the bar, turned around, and came back in for another drink. Again, the
robot asked him, "What's your IQ?"

The man responded, "100."

So the robot started talking about football, baseball, and so on. The man thought to
himself, "Wow, this is really cool."

The man went out and came back in a
third time. As before, the robot asked him, "What's your IQ?"

The man replied, "50."


The robot then said, "So, are you Democrats really
going to vote for John Kerry?"

Birvini

Ryan did nothing illegal, however he lied to his supporters and top republicans in this state.

Lying is what made the republican party withdraw support, not necessarily the allegation itself.

packetjunkie

What, specifically, was the lie? I didn't follow the story too closely, but the version I heard was that he had said there is nothing in his divorce papers to concern them - and, he might have believed that. After all, he didn't do anything illegal.

Birvini

He was asked point blank multiple times if there was anything embarrassing in the documents. He said there was not, that this was about protecting his son. It was not about protecting his son, it was about the embarrassing allegations.

packetjunkie