Move along nothing to see here

Remember the extramarital affair that Nevada's governor (the nation's worst) is definitely not having and so it isn't news?

For the nonce, and by way of answering some email from more than a couple correspondents, a thought or three if we may...

It has been well-established for years that if a high-ranking public official (a category presumably including a governor of a state) is having an extramarital affair, that is, for better or worse, and for now, news. The public may care. Or they may not care. Or they may care selectively — Republicans tend to think it's nobody's bidness when one of their own has an extramarital affair (JulieAnnie, Gingrich, McCain), while they think if a Democrat does it it's an impeachable offense. But however the public might react to such news, be it with forgiveness or condemnation or apathy or somewhere in between, the public has a right to know.

That right to know seems particularly pronounced in the case of James Arthur Gibbons.

Plagiarism. Communists under the bed. Chrissy Mazzeo. Bribery allegations. A lie as his first official act as governor. A shady legal defense fund. Overpaying his estranged wife from his campaign payroll. His influence in nabbing her a lucrative consultant salary for arranging press conferences that no press ever attended. His blatant and routine cronyism (potentially an especially intriguing flaw in the context of secret relationships, no?). And on and on and on, ad fucking nauseam. The central and constant characteristic of the Gibbons administration, right up there with the raging incompetence, has been the governor's integrity, honesty and credibility, or more accurately, the lack thereof.

The governor's — this governor's — affair is common knowledge (and if reporters feel icky about reporting "common knowledge," well, hence the Gleaner's call for a stakeout). By not reporting it, the Nevada media looks silly.

Thanks for asking.

Comments

[Michael Green]

That Gibbons is not getting proper coverage is a disgrace. But it shouldn't be surprising. The R-J has a massive two-person bureau for the Reno-Carson City area and barely enough reporters to cover all seven county commissioners. The Sun has limits. The Gazette-Journal doesn't have enough reporters to cover an earthquake a year, much less what has been going on. If you want to know about Gibbons's personal life, just ask the slightest-in-the-know Nevada political figure, and the details are ample and juicy--just not printed. Of course, when the media here can't even figure out that Gibbons is achieving his goal on coming into office of destroying state services, and Bob Beers is getting closer to his goal of shutting down higher education in Nevada, we shouldn't really expect much, should we?

[MikeZ]

No we shouldn't Doc. This is salacious and scandalous, but no one cares here---this is Nevada.

Unless a GOPer steps up and challenges him in his 2010 primary, he basically skates.

But all the gay folks in the legislature, now that would be weeks of headlines when they get outed or screw up.

The RJ sucks, but the Sun coverage is lacking too on this subject. Maybe it's NV thing? It would play in KS, but not here.

[The Truth Comes Out]

After months of listening to him whine and bitch, it seems all Mike Z cared about was becoming Chair of the NV Dem Party, and he will play the race card to get it. Sad, but true.

[Just wondering]

Huh?

[MZ declares candidacy for State Chair]

Scorched Earth to follow...

[Ken]

In any other state, this would be front page news. However, given the "explosive growth," what we really have is the journalistic infrastructure of two glorified Cow Towns. Oh. Wait a minute. We have the overall infrastructure of a Cow Town...

I'd love to see Sherm Frederick's take on this one, given his piece when Eliot Spitzer stepped down?

I guess we need the unions and activists to stake out our public officials, not unlike what happened to Lynette Boggs McDonald. Then again, I'd rather NOT see photos of Gov. Gibbons in his bathrobe...

[enough]

After the havoc that Derby wrought, we most definitely don't need Zahara at the helm.

I can already see the agenda.

Monday: Bold, "provocative" statement
Tuesday: Complete contradiction of yesterday's statement
Wednesday: Futile, desperate equivocation
Thursday: Self-congratulatory celebration
Friday: God help us all

[CollegeStudent]

Republicans should be thrilled her name is Kathy. That means its a woman, presumably, of age.
He didn't IM a congressional page, he didn't tap his foot in an airport bathroom and he wasn't wearing a diaper, its a run of the mill vanillia sex scandal.
They should have him on the RNC homepage "hey, look Republicans have regular extramarital affairs, too."
My apologies to any foot tappers or diaper wearers I may have offended by insinuating that your lifestyle choice isn't normal.
Or even guys named Jim who would prefer Ken over Kathy.
Its all good; unless you wake up in the morning, take your diaper off, pull the vinyl sheets of the bed, put on a pinstriped suit, a flag lapel pin and go out and vote against gay marriage. Then your whole seedy story deserves to be splayed across the the front pages.
As for Dawn, Jim and "Kathy," there's something almost sad and endearing about it, if this is really how this chapter Jim Gibbons Story is going to end. Kind of like a red neck version of Princes Di, Charles and Camilla.
(I just puked in mouth a little bit writing that sentence)

[IronJawed]

Amen. It isn't just that the local media is ignoring the affair - it's that the media is ignoring the clusterf*#&# Gibbons has made of our government.

[Not Bob]

One of the more interesting threads we've had in a while. Gleaner with what amounts to a longer version of "I told you so":

The central and constant characteristic of the Gibbons administration, right up there with the raging incompetence, has been the governor's integrity, honesty and credibility, or more accurately, the lack thereof.

Then, the uproariously laughable idea of Mike Zahara as state party chair, clearly with the central mission of proving that there is in fact someone more incompetent and more unlikeable that John Hunt out there.

Some smart stuff from Michael Green and CollegeStudent. And a surprise cameo by IJ. All contributing well-informed bashing of the media-Gibbons nexus.

A good start for the day.

All of this writing about the goober. Just about the only person anybody has seen go to the gvmt Public Testimony/Comment podiums.. over and over and over.. to expose the goober is

Sam Dehne.

And Sam does it with his outspoken semanticistical articulation.

Couldn't at least a few of the other dozens of 1,000s who do not care for the goober state it publicly for the official gvmt record?

[Wolverine]

College Student,
lol. I would indeed expect reflux especially when one in the party of 3 states they wish to become a feminine hygiene product(i.e. Charles and Camilla). It can't get more Springeresque than that.