Another Cheatin’ Politician
It’s a Democrat this time – Max Baucus. Baucus was in the news quite a bit this summer and fall because he heads the Senate Finance Committee. He also indulged in an affair. The details of the affair actually aren’t that scandalous, Baucus was separated when the relationship started and he and his wife subsequently divorced. The eyebrow raising part is that Baucus nominated his girlfriend to be U.S. attorney for Montana.
Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus’ office confirmed late Friday night that the Montana Democrat was carrying on an affair with his state office director, Melodee Hanes, when he nominated her to be U.S. attorney in Montana.
According to a source familiar with their relationship, Hanes and Baucus began their relationship in the summer of 2008 – nearly a year before Baucus and his wife, Wanda, divorced in April 2009. The Senator had informally separated from his wife in March 2008 and they were living apart when he began dating Hanes, according to Baucus’ office.
Hanes ended her employment with Baucus in the spring of this year.
Hanes, who is divorced and now lives with Baucus in the Eastern Market neighborhood of Washington, D.C., ultimately withdrew her name from consideration for the U.S. attorney position in order to move to Washington, and she now works in the Justice Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention as a counselor to the administrator.
Baucus needs to explain his actions.
Tags: Family Values, Max Baucus
Wait. She “lives with Baucus.” In sin? Without the benefit of a formal marriage? That we need to protect the sanctity of? (Right after we protect the sanctity of divorce, of course.)
My guess: no one will even care. Republican sex-related scandals have become so common that I don’t think anyone notices anymore.
As long as it’s not a Democrat.
…5-4-3-2-1 … and the FlufferNutters say: But, but, but what about McGreevy?!!
*pssst* PM. Baucus is a “D”.
i doubt it. republicans forgive their own because they find God and ask for forgiveness. BUt remember, democrats are anti god, so therefor their sins actually count. Baucus can go to hell. How dare any of these ass holes act selfishly hen really none of them ave done shit for the american people lately. Health care, energy, everything that needs fixing is deadlocked in the senate and made the bitch of special interests (big oil, big death..that is my name for the insurance companies) and what are these “public servants” doing while they are letting Aetna make money off of letting people die? screwing secretaries and giving them high paying jobs. Screw Baucus. if he has any decency he’ll resign. isnt that what we said about Ensign?
There’s some ooh la la here… BIG TIME MUST READ
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/12/5/811048/-Max-Baucus-Mistress-Interesting-Past
There are much more important reasons for wanting this guy out of office.
Im not a “party purifier” but if we want things done we cant have amoral sleaze bags trying to get important legislation passed. he should resign.
My guess is that he will resign because he is a D. D’s resign (like McGreevy, Spitzer). R’s ask God for forgiveness and continue on.
Actually, I’d be pretty surprised if Baucus resigned unless something else came up in the ethics investigation. He doesn’t have to face his state’s voters for a while yet.
Nancy, thanks for the link. Interesting read. I’m glad Ms. Hanes did not become U.S. Attorney.
Another selfish bastard who cares more about his wang than his responsibility to the american people.
Personally I think one’s personal relationships have no impact on their ability to govern.
So what.
The only one I ever have been glad to see outed was the vomit producing Henry Hyde who tried to make a big deal over Lewinsky while banging someone other than his own wife, at the very time he was saying Clinton’s actions disgraced the nation… And Clinton didn’t even do anything….
Henry Hyde was of course a sanctimonious Republican.
Personal affairs have nothing to do with governing. period…
Personal relationships have EVERYTHING to do about someone’s ability to govern. And trying to appoint a mistress with a past of misbehavior to a political post as important as US attorney shouldn’t even require discussion before they’re turfed out.
Personal relationships of various kinds are the essence of the political business. You know you can trust someone, so if he says, “Vote for my bill, we made sure the environmental costs are reasonable,” you don’t have to tie up a team of lawyers reading the small print. That’s a personal relationship. If we didn’t count on those we could have our government run by Hal 9000.
Personal relationships should remain private, if politicians expect not to be held accountable for their infidelity. In this age of media scrutiny, politicians should assume that any kind of affair will come out, sooner or later. The best way to ensure that no mistresses are discovered is simply not to have any. Should Baucus resign? That depends on his voters, really; if it truly bothers the majority, and he does not resign, he’ll be voted out in time.
Unless something more damaging comes out, I think Baucus will probably survive this scandal. She was qualified to be nominated and he was already separated when the relationship began. His actions were definitely not admirable but he’s not up for election again until 2014.
In what respect was she qualified to be nominated, UI?
She was a former prosecutor and was quite well thought of in the legal community there. At first glance she certainly looked qualified. I’m sure a deeper look into her past (detailed in the link Nancy gave) would probably have eliminated her but I doubt people rolled their eyes when she was nominated.
Palin was a popular governor, too. The YMCA did a more through background check on my 15 year old so he could work as a lifeguard than these people are doing, and it’s WRONG.
It’s not a “deeper look at someone’s past” to google them and call a few former employers. It’s common sense. And unless politicians start “using the other head” when they’re making these nominations, their ability to support themselves by asking people for money should decline, kwim?
Appearances matter. I have no problem with consenting adults’ private lives. I leave to Montana’s voters to make decisions on their view of Baucus’ relationships.
However, nominating for US attorney a person with whom the US Senator is having an affair stinks. Democrats and liberals should stand up against this.
I am not in the camp that (Bill) Clinton did nothing wrong. Having an affair with a young intern is wrong. (I recognize that these were consenting adults, however here there is the issue of employer/employee power.)
Don’t let conservatives wave the ‘values voter’ card. Liberals believe in strong communities and good government, but only if they stand up when it matters, like now. Clinton’s and Baucus’ actions were wrong.