McGreevey and the "Spurned Lover"

Yesterday, when I wrote of Jim McGreevey's resignation as governor of New Jersey, I specifically avoided the story going around that NJ's homeland security chief may be a spurned lover about to sue him for $5 million because right now, that's conjecture.

IF McGreevey hired this man - and he indeed has few credentials - only because they were having an affair, this is obviously very wrong. But we don't know the truth here. We only know what's being talked about.

Unfortunately, politics is filled with a powerful person (usually a man) giving a lover or a love interest a job for which they are not qualified. Jeb Bush, the president's chunky little brother and governor of Florida, has had at least one-two women who fell into that category, as just ONE example.

I have to balance this, too, against the fact that Tom Ridge really has NO credentials to be director of national homeland security. When Bush announced his appointment, we were told he was chosen because one of the 9-11 planes went down in Pennsylvania, which isn't exactly a ringing endorsement. Ridge's assistant, Asa Hutchinson, is similarly unqualified for the job.

In other words, it's not just wrong when Democrats seat an unqualified person: it's wrong when anyone does it. Look at Porter Goss with the CIA? He, at least, has more past credentials for the CIA than Tom Ridge had for homeland security.

I won't even bother to address this whole "spurned lover" thing. Anyone who takes a job they are unqualified for knowing they are getting it because of their connections is just as guilty as the person appointing them. If the stories are true, there is no way that this Israeli national should profit from his actions, considering he's already profited.

But again, all we have now are conjectures and rumors.