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You can be gay... just don't run a brothel

Barney Frank

Scandal: An affair with a male prostitute How Outed: The Washington Times broke the news after the escort in question shared his story with the paper

Widely regarded as one of the most intelligent and well spoken members of the House of Representatives, Barney Frank, a Democratic U.S. congressman for nearly 30 years and the first openly gay member of the House, almost undid his career in 1989 after an affair with Steve Gobie, a male prostitute. Although Frank was single at the time — thus not committing adultery — he did pay someone for sex (with personal funds), which is illegal in his state of Massachusetts. But the poor judgment didn't end there. Frank hired Gobie to run errands and allowed him to live at his home, where Frank obviously hoped he would be rehabilitated and renounce his life of sin. The only problem: Gobie kept on working as a prostitute — from Frank's home.

The Representative maintained that he had no knowledge that his digs were being used as a brothel and said that he kicked Gobie out once he learned what the escort had been doing there. Desperate to prove his limited culpability in the case, Frank requested an investigation by the House ethics committee. The 10-month probe found that Frank did not, in fact, know about the happenings in his home but that he should be reprimanded for use of House privilege in waiving 33 of Gobie's parking tickets and for writing a memo that attempted to end Gobie's probation for a prior infraction. Despite attempts by former Idaho Rep. Larry Craig (the stall-inator) to have the Massachusetts Rep. removed, Frank went on to win several reelections by wide margins.

Read "A Skeleton in Barney's Closet."

Internet + Unfiltered Children = Bad Press

When Children of Politicians and Judges Blog

As the leader of the Republican party in the US Senate and a possible presidential candidate, Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee has a reputation for sober rectitude. The same cannot be said of his son Jonathan, a Vanderbilt University student who recently appeared on the internet wearing six cans of beer strapped to his belt.

Nor has Jonathan’s brother Bryan done much to help his father’s attempts to strike a reasonable note about US involvement in Iraq. “I was born an American by God’s amazing grace,” wrote Bryan Frist in an online profile. “Let’s bomb some people.” . . . .

Frist is one of at least half a dozen US politicians — and at least one US Supreme Court judge — whose public images have been dented in recent months by the internet antics of their offspring. Pictures of scantily clad daughters whooping it up have become a staple of internet gossip. . . .

....The US media has in the past treated adolescent follies as largely a private matter, but the mushrooming trend towards public self-exposure on the internet is beginning to make life a misery for celebrities with children who blog.

Another Kennedy scandal story...

Claims of Jackie Kennedy, Bobby Affair

A new book makes explosive claims of a high profile love affair between Jackie Kennedy and her brother in law Robert.

The alleged adultery went on for at least four years.

Author C. David Heymann says for Jackie, the affair may have been about revenge at first, but Robert ended up her one true love.

(Will the Kennedy's ever Rest In Peace?... give it up people!)

Oh Princess Alice...

Alice Roosevelt Longworth, the daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, was never one to be prim and proper.   The President even said, "I can control the affairs of state, or I can control Alice.  I cannot possibly do both."

Quotes:

"If you haven't got anything nice to say about anybody, come sit next to me."

"He [Calvin Coolidge] looks as though he's been weaned on pickle"

"The truckman, the trashman, and the policeman on the block may call me Alice, but [Joseph McCarthy] may not."

I gave up my career, and all I got was this photo in Glamour Magazine's 'Women of the Year' issue.

Does anyone else find it ironic that Maria Shriver got into journalism because of her father's role in politics and got kicked out it because of her husband's role in politics?

I mean, the woman said she hates to be thought of as “the daughter of, the girlfriend of, the niece of,” someone and wants to be “considered for her work alone.”

At least she's probably the hottest 54-year-old alive.

The Stupid Affair

Gov. Mark Sanford

Scandal: Year-long affair How Outed: Press Conference

The Sanford saga began with a disappearing act. The South Carolina governor apparently left home in a black SUV on June 18 and stopped picking up his cell phone or responding to text messages and emails. He was AWOL for the better part of a week. The explanations piled up: the rising GOP star was "writing something," said his wife; he was recharging after losing a fight to refuse stimulus money, said his spokesman; he was hiking the Appalachian Trail, said his staff. When a reporter cornered Sanford in the Atlanta airport June 24, however, the governor revealed that he'd been in Buenos Aires. With South Carolina's capital buzzing with talk of impeachment, Sanford, 49, held a press conference to explain himself: he'd gone to visit an Argentinean woman with whom he'd been having an affair. Apologizing to his wife and four sons and choking up repeatedly, Sanford said he'd spent "the last five days of my life crying in Argentina," and had now ended the year-long dalliance. Sanford, a rumored 2012 presidential hopeful, said he will resign as head of the Republican Governors Association.

(All that just to break up with the woman? - ridiculous)

Slingin' it

Bush actually accused McCain of having his adopted daughter out of wedlock when they were competing for the 2000 GOP Nomination.

Why do politicians play dirty? I guess, because, it works.

Thanks for the $100,000 Playgirl deal, mom!

Sarah Palin's son-in-law-to-be is posing in Playgirl for 100g's. Isn't it great to have relatives in politics who can help you reach your dreams? I suppose when you're born with a name like "Levi", it's kinda meant to be... Class runs in the family.

You'll also be able to catch the barely-legal 19-year-old Alaskan stud soon in an interview with Oprah. I'm sure that will be stimulating conversation.

Read more:

First Lady Fashion

First Ladies at the Smithsonian

Showcasing premier objects from the nearly century-old First Ladies Collection, this exhibition is divided into three main sections: the evolution of the First Ladies Collection, the tradition of the inaugural gown, and a first lady's contribution to the presidency and American society. On display are 14 dresses including those worn by Laura Bush, Grace Coolidge, Jackie Kennedy, and Eleanor Roosevelt, and Helen Taft. The exhibition also features portraits, White House china, personal possessions and related objects from the Smithsonian's unique collection of first ladies' materials.

(They were all so tiny)

Crazy President Brothers

It's been said that a last name in politics is a brand name. I can see that. Few goofy presidential brothers took this to the extreme.

Nixon's brother owned a drive-in restaurant which served the Nixonburger. He also never repaid the business loan given to him by Howard Hughes.

Carter's brother created Billy Beer.

Clinton's brother, Roger had a business of his own - lobby his brother for presidential pardons.

Martha Washington

Martha Washington is usually portrayed as an matronly 70 year-old woman.  But portraitist Michael Deas has created an image of her where she appears to be a young socialite.

The image, says the artist's website,

was based primarily on a computer generated age-regression image created by an Louisiana State University forensic anthropologist. Contrary to popular belief, Martha Washinton was not a dowdy matron, but a witty, astute, and a rdent patriot who followed her husband into battle, even encamping with him during the bitter winter at Valley Forge. The portrait is the Nation’s first glimpse at what Martha Washington looked like prior to her marriage to her famous husband.

Local Politics

My father is local politician in Northern Virginia.  As a Leesburg Town Councilman, he deals with a number of local issues such as education, growth, zoning, and transportation.  A couple years ago, he ran for state delegate of Virginia in District 33, but lost.  He was recently appointed to be on Virginia's Board of Health Professions and attends meetings in Richmond once a month.

My brother, sister, and I were in high school the first time he ran for the Leesburg Town Council and in college when he ran for State Delegate.  It affected us differently than it would have had we been younger.  Regardless, things definitely changed around the house during the campaigns.

Additionally, he is one of only two elected Latino officials in Loudoun County.  An article points out that Loudoun is clearly lacking Latino leadership and hopes that many of these leaders will step up to take larger roles in state and national levels.

You can read the rest of the article here.

You can read his profile here.

Stand by your man

I know I'd never stand by a cheater, but the general trend for political wives is to stick behind your man, claiming that it's for the children. Oh please.

The New First Daughters

Malia and Sasha Obama cannot escape the media.

The newest first daughters have been living in the White House for almost a year and the press has published many "newsworthy" tidbits about their lives.

Did you know that girls just received the H1N1 flu shot?

or that they recently attended a Miley Cyrus concert?

or that their recycled bedroom chandelier from Anthropologie cost $4800?

An older article, from January, talks about how the Ty toy company used the names Malia and Sasha for their newest dolls, but denied that their dolls had anything to do with the President's daughters.  Hmmm...

Marvelous Malia and Sweet Sasha 

Just Engaged!

Dwight and Mamie's engagement photo!  The future President Eisenhower was quite a looker...