by Pa Rock
Missouri Citizen Journalist
Young political outsider, Eric Greitens, ran for and was elected governor of Missouri last year based on a single qualification: he was a former Navy SEAL. Greitens, who raised more that five million dollars from wealthy donors nationwide for that gubernatorial contest, ran as a down-home, family values type of guy showcasing his attractive young family in political ads. It was a very vanilla campaign.
Eric Greitens was a clean-cut young man who was destined for greater things. He had been buddying-up with state and national leaders for several years preceding his entry into the governor's race, and had, in fact, reserved the website "EricGreitensforPresident.com" way back in 2009.
One of Greitens' first acts as governor was to change-up the traditional photo of the governor that hangs in the state offices. Instead of the traditional head shot, young Eric chose to use a shot of his family gathered in an outdoor setting: the governor, his pretty young wife, one toddler, and an infant.
Greitens spent much of his first year striving to impose a modicum of integrity into the state legislative process and wean state legislators off of the kindnesses - and gifts - of lobbyists, a crusade that offended more legislators than it inspired. He was establishing himself as a bit of a reformer, someone above the grease and grime of working politics.
Eric Greitens was crafting an image - but that image cracked and crumbled a couple of days ago when a St. Louis television station aired a lurid story about the sexploits of Missouri's young governor. Station KMOV rocked the state's GOP political establishment with an account of a sexual liaison that allegedly occurred between Greitens and his hairdresser in 2015 at a time when he was only considering the race for governor. Greitens, however, was married to his current wife at the time of the extra-marital sexual encounter.
The ex-husband of the hairdresser provided the television station with a tape of his wife talking about the incident. The wife reportedly did not realize that she was being taped when she told the tale. During the sex-capade Greitens supposedly bound the woman, who was nude, with tape, blidndolded her, and then photographed her. He then allegedly told her that if she ever told anyone about the incident he would make the photographs public.
Governor Greitens and his wife issued a joint statement in which Greitens admitted straying from his marriage vows. The couple said they have worked through the issue. The governor's lawyer has denied that photographs were taken and also denied the blackmail allegations.
If Greitens chooses to do the honorable thing and resign, he will be replaced by Lt. Governor Mike Parsons, also a Republican. Parsons is not expected to have the zeal for reform that Greitens exhibited, and that is likely to be just fine with the state's Republican legislators.
Missouri Citizen Journalist
Young political outsider, Eric Greitens, ran for and was elected governor of Missouri last year based on a single qualification: he was a former Navy SEAL. Greitens, who raised more that five million dollars from wealthy donors nationwide for that gubernatorial contest, ran as a down-home, family values type of guy showcasing his attractive young family in political ads. It was a very vanilla campaign.
Eric Greitens was a clean-cut young man who was destined for greater things. He had been buddying-up with state and national leaders for several years preceding his entry into the governor's race, and had, in fact, reserved the website "EricGreitensforPresident.com" way back in 2009.
One of Greitens' first acts as governor was to change-up the traditional photo of the governor that hangs in the state offices. Instead of the traditional head shot, young Eric chose to use a shot of his family gathered in an outdoor setting: the governor, his pretty young wife, one toddler, and an infant.
Greitens spent much of his first year striving to impose a modicum of integrity into the state legislative process and wean state legislators off of the kindnesses - and gifts - of lobbyists, a crusade that offended more legislators than it inspired. He was establishing himself as a bit of a reformer, someone above the grease and grime of working politics.
Eric Greitens was crafting an image - but that image cracked and crumbled a couple of days ago when a St. Louis television station aired a lurid story about the sexploits of Missouri's young governor. Station KMOV rocked the state's GOP political establishment with an account of a sexual liaison that allegedly occurred between Greitens and his hairdresser in 2015 at a time when he was only considering the race for governor. Greitens, however, was married to his current wife at the time of the extra-marital sexual encounter.
The ex-husband of the hairdresser provided the television station with a tape of his wife talking about the incident. The wife reportedly did not realize that she was being taped when she told the tale. During the sex-capade Greitens supposedly bound the woman, who was nude, with tape, blidndolded her, and then photographed her. He then allegedly told her that if she ever told anyone about the incident he would make the photographs public.
Governor Greitens and his wife issued a joint statement in which Greitens admitted straying from his marriage vows. The couple said they have worked through the issue. The governor's lawyer has denied that photographs were taken and also denied the blackmail allegations.
If Greitens chooses to do the honorable thing and resign, he will be replaced by Lt. Governor Mike Parsons, also a Republican. Parsons is not expected to have the zeal for reform that Greitens exhibited, and that is likely to be just fine with the state's Republican legislators.
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