Michael Duvall resigns amidst sex scandal: Should politicians lose their job over their private sex lives?

by Futureman Posted September 09, 2009 21:22:26

17 votes
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	Politicians like Michael Duvall shouldn't lose their jobs over adultery. It's not related to their work!	3 votes	18%
	I think it is fair that a politician's career can be severely damaged by an extramarital affair.	7 votes	41%
	I think that Michael Duvall	7 votes	41%

Michael Duvall, a Republican Assemblyman for Orange County, California, was caught bragging about his extramarital affairs on an open mic. Michael Duvall is talking to a colleague before a committee meeting, unaware that the mic is hot. The story has a few twists too: 1.) The two women he talks about having sex with are married lobbyists, 2.) Michael Duvall is a staunch Republican, "family values" politician, and 3.) Duvall is getting into spanking.

Ah, the irony that comes from conservative "family values" politicians doing naughty things or anti-gay priests molesting boys never gets old or stops, does it?

Michael Duvall, who is married, resigned shortly after the KCAL-TV aired the videotape of him discussing his affairs. While we all know that cheating is wrong, it's interesting that politicians are one of the few jobs that you can lose because of it. If I was a banker and I cheated on my wife, I would not be fired or feel pressured to resign. Even if I was a public figure like a sports star, this would not happen. Should it happen to politicians?

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Dan D September 09, 2009 21:28:50

I think it is fair that a politician's career can be severely damaged by an e...

+2
In my opinion, an extramarital affair is a character weakness and they should step down.

Especially because knowledge of an affair can be used as blackmail and influence.
>> See Replies

4bent1 September 12, 2009 12:08:25

I think that Michael Duvall

I think Michael Duvall and ALL politicians, Dem or Rep, should be held to a moral standard. I believe that is why they are called "leaders".

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wolfshadow September 12, 2009 06:31:44

I think it is fair that a politician's career can be severely damaged by an e...

And if your "bragging" about it... It's not Private now is it?

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Meg September 12, 2009 01:55:38

I think that Michael Duvall

Chickens coming home to roost. It was the GOP as I recall, who used to say that government should not intrude into people's private lives. All that changed when Ken Starr went after Bill Clinton. The party of "family values" suddenly thought it appropriate to have every detail of a sexual affair between two consenting adults spread all over the Internet for 10 year old children to read. So much for government invading bedrooms and so much for the party of "family values." Such matters used to be "off bounds." The GOP changed the rules. What goes around comes around.

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Alicia September 12, 2009 00:06:13

I think it is fair that a politician's career can be severely damaged by an e...

It boils down to dishonesty. I have never understood why these politicians think they can get away with underhand behaviour when they know everybody is watching them. With this job goes a loss of privacy that's just the way it is.

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Johnny-O September 11, 2009 06:19:27

Politicians like Michael Duvall shouldn't lose their jobs over adultery. It's...

Hell, they do it in France!

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Meg to Johnny-O September 12, 2009 01:59:51

It used to be that such things were considered personal, off bounds. All that changed with Ken Star going after Bill Clinton. The party of less government started invading people's bedrooms and affairs between consenting adults became fair game. The party of "family values" opened what used to be considered personal to the Internet so every 10 year old child could read all the lurid details. The bar as been lowered. Chickens come home to roost. What goes around, comes around.

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Johnny-O to Meg September 15, 2009 01:35:40

I have to agree - I wonder what that does to a culture where the sitting President of a country can show up at a funeral, along with his wife & family, as well as his mistress - that happened in France a few years ago, and nobody over there even raised an eyebrow!

Ken Starr did a lot of damage, though, didn't he?

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Meg to Johnny-O September 16, 2009 22:23:22

I have a hunch that one of these days we will hear a lot about Ken Starr. Never trust the guy who puts on the white hat and starts to point fingers at others. Not too long ago, a prosecutor in New Jersey (people used to call him a persecutor rather than a prosecutor) did just that. He had quite a reputation for going after people, quite a few of them without due cause. Until evidence came out that he was a crook. He took off cross country and eventually committed suicide in a motel. The psychiatrists call it projection.

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LA-Certified September 11, 2009 06:09:08

I think that Michael Duvall

+1
He sets a bad example amongst his peers, and will always have the stigma attached to his decisions. Politicians should resign after being exposed, only a fool tries re-gain public trust.

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xx *still chiki in my heart* September 11, 2009 03:50:10

Politicians like Michael Duvall shouldn't lose their jobs over adultery. It's...

I really don't think they should lose their jobs. Although what this guy did is really sleazy it's not our business.

Let the voters decide.

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emily September 11, 2009 02:34:43

I think that Michael Duvall

As in any case when this happens my heart goes out to his family.
Married people fool around,sad but true. It is not my business.
What bothers me about this is that he was having an affair with a lobbyist. He is supposed to be voting the will of his constituents, not being influenced by sexual favors.
Politicians should know better. First of all you can't legislate morality and second "family values" while a worthwhile concept seems to have spawned some of the most interesting karma that I have ever seen. If you value your family, you don't have any business spanking your associates.

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Laneia September 11, 2009 01:51:19

I think it is fair that a politician's career can be severely damaged by an e...

+1
Beyond the matter of hypocrisy, there is the security issue involved with such behavior: if discovered, philandering politicians (including Presidents) can be blackmailed.

Hmmm, I wonder if the lobbyist Duvall was boinking was involved with health care? ;-)

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N.D. Nile September 11, 2009 01:29:19

I think that Michael Duvall

+1
He supposedly was having affairs with at least one lobbyist for a power company. He needed to resign. Of course now the "family values" hypocrite is saying he didn't really have affairs, he was just a story teller. Rumor also has it that he was such an as*hole that his fellow Republicans set him up with the open mic to get rid of him.

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Kyla Lu Jones September 10, 2009 20:04:58

I think it is fair that a politician's career can be severely damaged by an e...

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1oct1 "Marko" September 09, 2009 22:54:18

I think that Michael Duvall

...should step down but in no way be fired. It's our job to fire him.

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Bigoot September 09, 2009 22:18:36

I think that Michael Duvall

+1
should have been fired or resign from his role as he isn't practicing what he preaches. Using this logic, we could eliminate a lot of politicians, hmmm good idea!

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Denny September 09, 2009 21:29:53

Politicians like Michael Duvall shouldn't lose their jobs over adultery. It's...

Another Republician bites the dust. Why do they do that? Don't resign. Dems have for years shown us that the American people have the attention span of knats. Especially if there is a big sale over the weekend. You would never see a good Democrat resign not matter how bad the agrievance was. It's nuts.

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james s... to Denny September 09, 2009 22:00:19

+1
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20...

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Johnny-O to Denny September 11, 2009 06:43:40

True, you're so right, and I don't mean to pick, but it's spelled 'gnats', jus' trying to help.

I honestly do agree though, we don't do that (even when it's eggregious and totally embarrassing, even mortifying - just look at Bill Clinton!), I could not agree with you more!

However, in all fairness, I hasten to point out that the difference to me, and no doubt to a lot of my Dem kindred, is that we cannot recall the last time a Dem caught his 'willy' in his zipper after having made a name for himself as a 'family values' politician and a man of the people - especially if that particular pol was infamous for anti-gay rights legislation, pro-life, family-exclusive legislation. I mean, just look at Barney Fw - Frank. Nobody gets in his ass (I know, I know) about his personal gay life, because it's part of the Congressional Record, f'Chrissakes! Or it damn sure may as well be.

No Dem ever got caught with dead girl or a live boy in his bed after representing the very antithesis of his hidden, secret lifestyle. Okay, I'll give ya Teddy Kennedy at Chappaquiddick...special case! For the most part, though, Americans don't care who their pols f**k, as long as they don't try to hide it, as long as they're not - liars. Which is why last night was such a big deal, I guess...we hate li...

True, you're so right, and I don't mean to pick, but it's spelled 'gnats', jus' trying to help.

I honestly do agree though, we don't do that (even when it's eggregious and totally embarrassing, even mortifying - just look at Bill Clinton!), I could not agree with you more!

However, in all fairness, I hasten to point out that the difference to me, and no doubt to a lot of my Dem kindred, is that we cannot recall the last time a Dem caught his 'willy' in his zipper after having made a name for himself as a 'family values' politician and a man of the people - especially if that particular pol was infamous for anti-gay rights legislation, pro-life, family-exclusive legislation. I mean, just look at Barney Fw - Frank. Nobody gets in his ass (I know, I know) about his personal gay life, because it's part of the Congressional Record, f'Chrissakes! Or it damn sure may as well be.

No Dem ever got caught with dead girl or a live boy in his bed after representing the very antithesis of his hidden, secret lifestyle. Okay, I'll give ya Teddy Kennedy at Chappaquiddick...special case! For the most part, though, Americans don't care who their pols f**k, as long as they don't try to hide it, as long as they're not - liars. Which is why last night was such a big deal, I guess...we hate liars. Just look at this site.

Assemblyman Duvall was just exactly that, a 'family values' politician caught devaluing his own stated principles, so it DOES affect his job - in a way.

And it was enough of a way to get him fired - forced to resign, whatever...

~Johnny
(more)

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Denny to Johnny-O September 11, 2009 13:04:06

That's great but I'm talking about out and out crooks. Can't remember his name from New Orleans and Katrina. who was caught leaving people in hardship to get to his place to get frozen dollars out of his Fridge. They removed him from a commitee but last I checked he was still in the house..

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Dan D September 09, 2009 21:28:50

I think it is fair that a politician's career can be severely damaged by an e...

+2
In my opinion, an extramarital affair is a character weakness and they should step down.

Especially because knowledge of an affair can be used as blackmail and influence.

reply
Alicia to Dan D September 12, 2009 00:07:41

Well said!

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