What could he possibly have to hide?

Hoping to keep details about his philandering, shady deals, corrupt practices, boorish behavior and mental instability from showing up in headlines, the nation's worst governor managed to get a judge to agree to seal the records in the governor's madcap divorce case against his wacky wife.

Reports AP:

The judge cited a state law that says a judge “shall, upon demand of either party, direct that the trial and issue or issues of fact joined therein be private.” Under that law, Gibbons’ lawyer can move for secrecy and first lady Dawn Gibbons’ attorney can’t challenge him.

The order says the divorce complaint, filed Friday along with the secrecy request, plus any answers and replies, the court’s findings, judgment and any orders will be public.

But “all other papers, records, proceedings and evidence, including exhibits and transcript of the testimony ... shall be sealed,” the order states, adding that during the trial nobody other than the Gibbonses, family members, their lawyers and their witnesses can be present.

So when Dawn files an affidavit explaining that she knows exactly what happened to all the bribe money and gambling chips Warren Trepp forked over during that cruise, but that she lied about it to federal investigators to protect her husband, and ergo, he owes her big time, that will be kept secret. After all, it is just a personal matter.

The same goes for other almost-certain filings in the case, like, say, Dawn's tear-jerking account of how Jim deliberately and mean-spiritedly flaunted the fact of his mistress in front of Dawn at every opportunity, and/or the report from the private investigator that Dawn hired months ago and who has been documenting exactly where Jim goes and who he goes there with.

OK, maybe there isn't a private investigator's report. Neither Jim nor Dawn Gibbons has demonstrated any competence to speak of in any area of endeavor for quite some time so there's no reason to suppose one or both of them would be accomplished at tearing each to smithereens.

Which is why when the Gleaner was on Ralston's TV show Monday along with the pretty much always entertaining Steve Wark, and Ralston, after noting our earlier (and not uninteresting) dialogue about the role of the media in covering Jim and Dawn's big adventure, asked how the media should be treating the story now, lowly Gleaner was pleased to promptly suggest that what the media should be doing is staking out Jim Gibbons.

Prurient interest? But of course. The mean hope that revelations will humiliate the nation's most disgusting governor and further damage any ability he might have to advance his tortured agenda designed to take the state backward? Yes, Gleaner's motives are wholly transparent.

But there's also a credibility thing. Gov. Perv McScurve wants her to pay his legal fees, and maybe even pay him alimony (Perv wants spousal support "awarded pursuant to law"). But if while he's going after her, he is in fact the one engaged in behavior that makes her the injured party, it raises a question that even a Republican might ask: Exactly what would be the subject matter or item of public policy on which Nevadans could trust the nation's most embarrassing governor? Or, put another way, is there anything he wouldn't lie about?

True, it's hard to imagine a task more thankless or just plain icky than shadowing Pervus McSkanktard. But in those awkward moments that are bound to arise as the media is following Jim Gibbons in shifts from another bungling day at the office to love nest liaisons and back again, reporters could pass a little time by asking him a question or two, like, oh, if he ever entertains second thoughts about voting to impeach Bill Clinton.

Comments

"Jim deliberately and mean-spiritedly flaunted the fact of his mistress in front of Dawn at every opportunity"
Is this why the Gov is in the Reno house while Dawn holes up in Carson?
It sure would be awkward to try and live in your old house with your soon to be ex-husband's long-time girlfriend living there, too.

Gleaner was pleased to promptly suggest that what the media should be doing is staking out Jim Gibbons

There are times when the obvious just needs to be said, no matter how many smart people deny it. There's no one better in this town at doing it than the lowly Gleaner. Still not going to make me sit through 30 minutes of Ralston, but I hope maybe the clip shows up on the tubes, you or otherwise.

PS. Lets hope that if there was disbelief expressed, someone on that set was quick to point out that in fact somebody should have been staking out Jim Gibbons since well before Oct 13, 2006.

[1 is the loneliest number]

Yes, let's follow that Big Black Cadillac Escalade with Nevada license plate "1"....Anthem area of Henderson? Maybe the chauffeur lives there?

[NVMojo]

This story is good too:

http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/final-take/2008/may/05/attorney-dawn-got-jim-where-he-today/

[cornellmichigan]

Gleaner,

Did Ralston ask you to mop the floors and clean his shoes of the 'filth' he had to discuss today? My, that discussion was so beneath him I don't understand why his producer even asked you and Wark to come by and say anything about the divorce.

Me? I thought I'd read only two weeks ago a column by Ralston that derided the Ds for not going after Gibbons-kick him while he's got a bad knee so to speak. Now, a law almost as old as Nevada calls into question the residency of the governor and Ralston believes the story is about the divorce and not the willful violation of law by the State's chief executive.

If Jon is 'top shelf', I'd rather have the "call' liquor.

[Michael Green]

As to concerns that the media are covering a "personal life," it comes down to this: does the politician's personal life support or contradict what he or she claims to be or demand from others? For example, John McCain claims to be a man of principle, a maverick. He certainly was a maverick in messing around on his first wife, who waited for him while he was a POW, with a rich younger woman. He represents a party that wants to tell me what I can do in my bedroom. Therefore, what he does in his personal life should matter in relation to his public life.

Well, Jim Gibbons called me and others who post here--if we are liberals, and I think we are--birkenstock-wearing hippies who should be used as human shields. He plagiarized, not to mention being accused of taking excessive gifties from lobbyists and/or contractors. He attacked illegal immigrants but hired one as a nanny. These actions suggest (suggest?) a want of honesty in a man accusing others of dishonesty. He claims to be Mormon, but had a little too much to drink one night at McCormick & Schmick.

That doesn't mean politicians should be held to a higher standard. It means that hypocrites should be revealed for what they are.

[Wolverine]

If Gibbon’s weren’t such a rotten governor, his divorce would be a blip on the radar and we would be back to other snark du jour.

This whole issue is about Gibbons' disregard for Nevada statutes and his on going record of poor leardership-not necessarily his filing for a divorce which is a cherry on the sundae.

I think Ralston is the one who is “divorce fixated”. He keeps blathering about public figures being afforded their privacy during a divorce however me thinks he doth protest too much. What the hell is up with that?

[texexnv@gmail.com]

Wonder if any of our smart lawyer types out there can tell us if this is just that the papers are sealed - or - if it also means a gag order as well. X2B is gonna bust if she can't tell her story.

No, KBM, not you; I specified smart lawyer types.

[Christine]

I know this doesn't exactly pertain to this post but I think it's funny. Several months ago we took our kids to the air show at Nellis and out of nowhere comes a golf cart with sirens flashing and lights flashing driving through the sparse crowd. Only a few people looked up and noticed it was "just" the governor and kept on walking. I was amused how pathetic the scene was! Here was the governor trying so hard to look important and no one cared! What a loser!

[Someone]

Any truth to the burgeoning rumor that the wife of a current senator and former naval aviator found her wandering eye dive-bombing a certain former fighter-jock and current governor? Is there a larger scandal brewing?

[theo]

I can't stand the man, I donated time, money and my vote to his opponent in 2006, but this isn't something I take delight in.

Look, most of us were peeved with the press when the Clinton scandal broke in the 90's, and now we bristle when Chelsea's asked about it, but this is different? How? Besides being even less of a story, that is...

And don't cower behind some ancient unenforced statute that says the gov needs to be in Carson City. That's just bullshit.

As it stands, it's a run of the mill divorce. Unless Dawn comes out with more information about eTreppid, the cruises, Chrissy Mazzeo, the midnight oath, his gun permit, etc, etc, et-freakin-c, we'd be smart to leave it alone.

Lord knows the man shoots himself in the foot on a near-weekly basis as it is.

And the cowardly anonymous rumor-mongering is about as low as it gets. Grow up, morons. Jesus, I sound like JLA.

[theo]

"morons" being directed solely at the anonymous rumormongers, not the Gleaner or the rest of his readers/commenters

[Nevada Scandalmonger]

Cowardly anonymous rumormongers? Somebody call my name?

[kickboxermomma]

I've been titillated enough. Turning to the fillings.Check out all those Republican candidates eager to run in CD1. And who are those "Democrats" running in CD3- an exfelon and some Carlos guy named "Tex". From the name looks like a Latino Polish Cowboy.What are the odds these are recently registered "Democrats" who were previously Republicans?

[Kickboxermomma]

oops-filings not fillings

[KidFromVegas]

"The first lady believes the public has a right to know about the affairs and activities of the first lady, as well as the governor," said the first lady's lawyer to the RJ.

OK, the Gleaner mentioned a mistress, and now the lawyer mentions "affairs," is there a smoking gun of infidelity ready to emerge?

[Wolverine]

Theo,
Yeah it is different and Dr.Green aptly pointed this out "it comes down to this: does the politician's personal life support or contradict what he or she claims to be or demand from others?"

This "do as I say not as I do crap" from conservative,family-value right wingnut jobs as platform sticks in my craw. It's total hipocracy. It's akin to a guy who constantly has to state he doesn't crap where he eats. When he says this over and over it really means he probably has done so in the past and might just do so in the future.

Dems really don't verbalize these types of platitudes to win elections and it's wrong when a napkin-headed governor pretends to be Mormon to gain votes then behaves totally to the contrary. Clinton never painted himself as a conservative christan or any other moral platitude. Therein lies the difference.

My apologies for the JLA moment here folks.

[well?]

I agree with the Green fellow.

From Gibbons State of the State speech 2007.
"My parents instilled in me the core values that have contributed greatly to my ability to fly a jet, become a lawyer, serve in Congress and now be a governor. They taught me at an early age about the power of partnership and the can-do pioneer attitude that makes us Nevadans different."

[roach]

gleaner/gibbons/golddigger/ giga-giggles!!
(try saying that 10 times when your drinking..)
check out wonkette.com, too!
say hi to all my friends, and
DINA in 2010!(if not recalled B4)