Newscoma

The Zero Boss hammers Gavin Newsom and rightfully so. Oh, you know the story. Celebrity/Politician gets caught doing something naughty and then blames it on an alcohol addiction. This time, Newsom, the mayor of San Francisco admitted to having an affair with his campaign manager’s wife. Newsom, known as the Boy Mayor, has now blamed his behavior on the booze, which seems to be the trendy thing to do these days.

I’m with Zero on this one.

Newsom says that his “problems with alcohol” don’t excuse his behavior. No, they don’t. And they don’t explain it, either. Every star and politician who finds himself in a kettle of hot water trots out this tired line anyway, in the hopes that the umbrella of alcoholism will shelter them from responsibility. I would bet good money that Newsom doesn’t even have a “problem” with alcohol, in the sense of physical dependence. The affair and the alcohol abuse are both symptoms of a deeper psychological issue. One didn’t cause the other.

Debra Saunders also weighs in with some words over at the National Ledger.

Newsom’s admission that he had an affair in 2005 with his campaign manager’s wife, however, is impossible to overlook. Newsom not only betrayed Alex Tourk, a friend and onetime deputy chief of staff, but raised the question of Newsom’s character. He betrayed a friend and loyal aide, let down his staff and lost his patina of professionalism. The affair was not simply bad judgment, it was cruel.

And stupid. Now voters have to ask themselves: If Newsom could treat a good friend as he treated Alex Tourk, how does he treat people who aren’t his friends?

I like what Zero says at the end of his post. Go read it and you’ll know what I mean.

The “I Went To Rehab Because I was A Bad Boy/Girl And I’m Sorry Card” is wearing really thin. Some people need rehab themselves, and they need it because they need it. Keith Urban went to rehab and it seemed very personal and sincere.  I bring up Urban because he apparently wanted to change his life for himself and his family for the better. (Sidenote: I’ve still never heard a Keith Urban song. I guess I need to get on that.) Addiction is horrible thing, but on the other hand …

If you are using rehab as a tool to get yourself out of hot water and make yourself sympathetic for voters etc., that’s another thing all together.

Rant over.