I am occasionally fed a little dirt on the private lives of public officials and other local politirati. But while I’m not above a little name-calling and invective, exploiting personal tragedy just ain’t my schtick.
Thanks anyway, but I don’t particularly find the unsolicited tale of an adulterous affair between two legislators remotely amusing, and I’m not about to repeat the details here. Unless, of course — hypothetically — one of the unfaithful paramours were to make their infidelity relevant by, say… promoting some sort of bullshit “defense of marriage” act.
However a non-hypothetical example of relevant muckraking might be the widely reported arrest of Stephen Roach on charges of selling OxyContin to an undercover police informant. If it had been his mother, Sen. Pam Roach (R-Sumner), or his brother, Rep. Dan Roach (R-Bonney Lake) who had been caught on videotape snorting a crushed pill, I would take greater joy in piling on. But even though Stephen is not a politician himself, his mother’s reputation as a brash, law-and-order proponent provides more than enough relevance… as pointed out by OlyScoop in its typically thorough fashion.
Pam Roach is an outspoken supporter of gun rights… which I suppose helps explain why in addition to Oxy and pot, police found three guns in Stephen’s possession, including a loaded shotgun behind the headboard of his bed. More significantly, she is a frequent sponsor of tough-on-crime legislation; indeed, Pam and Dan are both sponsors of companion bills seeking to increase penalties for the making and selling of methamphetamine.
I have long believed that one of the major differences between liberals and conservatives, is that liberals don’t generally subscribe to the thesis that “bad things only happen to somebody else.” I can only assume that Pam’s strong support of tougher drug laws stems from deep, personal conviction… but now that her son faces a conviction of his own, perhaps she might start to temper her conservativism with a little compassion.
I sincerely wish that Stephen gets all the love, help and rehabilitation he needs. But now that her own son is about to lose his voting rights, as well as his freedom, I can only hope that Sen. Pam Roach reexamines her position on a “war on drugs” that has greatly contributed to disenfranchising 25 percent of Washington’s African-American males through felony convictions.
Goldy–
I can only pray your child never has a drug problem.
So now you are competing with the National Enquirer???
Do you think our short-term Governor ever had any moral problems?
You can always find folks who fall short of the mark Goldy.
I suppose this gives you great joy….or you wouldn’t have done this. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to raise the bar on moral standards in this country, does it??
Please try again-
It seems that the politicans who are most vocal in their righteous, moral stands either have relatives or themselves who act in opposition to those stands.
This affects Republicans more than Democrats…since more Rs take these higher-moral stands. High-profile folks (e.g. Tom Delay, Newt Gingrinch, Trent Lott, Rush Limbaugh, Alan Keyes and so on and so on and so on) make this clear.
Mr. C: It’s clear from above the Republicans aren’t the ones to “raise the moral standars” — and our esteemed religious leaders are in the press for immoral acts — so where should we look? The citizenry awaits…
Jim:
“Mr. C: It’s clear from above the Republicans aren’t the ones to “raise the moral standars” – and our esteemed religious leaders are in the press for immoral acts – so where should we look?”
Well, the Clintons, of course!
Will humans ever evolve beyond their tendency toward knee-jerk, instinctive reaction, toward reasoned pro-action?
Yes, criminals should be punished. And it appears young Mr. Roach is beyond being merely addicted and has become a pusher. Punish him, absolutely.
But perhaps if the Roach family had taken the blinders off some time ago, had confronted this young man and smothered him with love and compassion and treatment at the first signs of trouble, he wouldn’t be in the pickle he is today. And perhaps that is what the Roach family did, and it didn’t work. Somehow I doubt this is what happened.
Throwing money at jail construction and prison guards is the crudest, most expensive, and least humane solution to drug crimes.
The behavior of Roach’s children is pertinent to how Pam is thought of, one who can’t mind their own household should not be elected to mind others.
The crux is that republicans are always claiming they have a corner on morality.
However, any time their personal lives are examined in any degree, it turns out they are bigger “sinners” than their democratic counterpart.
I, too, sincerely hope that Stephen Roach gets all the love, help, and rehabilitation he needs. But I have to admit that I’m a little short of both compassion and patience for anyone involved in the (a) manufacture, (b) sale, and/or (c) consumption of meth. Especially (a) because the manufacturing process is so toxic that it poses serious health hazards to everyone in the surrounding neighborhood and requires expensive cleanup (at someone else’s expense). I say take the meth makers and pushers out of circulation as long as possible; but, out of compassion, give ’em newspapers to read while they’re doing their 20 years in jail.
Cynical, I find your remark about Gregoire’s morality offensive and completely over the top. Within the last day or so, you posted in another thread a complaint about the “negativity” of liberals, if I recall correctly. Well, guess what, you just put yourself in the category of mindless bashers and what could be more negative than that?
“I don’t particularly find the unsolicited tale of an adulterous affair between two legislators remotely amusing …. ” — Goldy
Au contraire; when you work in gov’t bureaucracy, this sort of information can be most useful.
My personal favorites are when pro-women’s-rights Dems think that their own sexual harassment of female underlings is merely “playing around” and should be excused. And I’m not talking about Clinton or any of the other major stories in WA. There is much more going on than either party is willing to admit.
Judge not…
Ken @ 3
I didn’t say or suggest the Democrats were the place to look. They just don’t parade “holier than thou” moralities in the face of others like the aforementioned republicans do…
Erik @ 6
“However, any time their personal lives are examined in any degree, it turns out they are bigger “sinners” than their democratic counterpart.”
So how did she sin? I fail to see the relevance, other than ‘relative’ly…
Goldy “bad things only happen to somebody else.”
No, they happen to me and my family as well. The difference is how you deal with it.
If the offender only gets a hug and a backrub, it signifies the wrong committed was actually okay…thus, if the act is committed again, a bigger hug and longer backrub.
I suppose if a repeat offender really likes the ‘punishment’ afforded by prisons, the individual must want a longer sentence by repeating the offence…
I recently did an interview with Pam Roach and did not find her to be a bad person. I have family and friends that have suffered from drug problems. Sometimes locking them up IS the best solution. After many years of trying other methods that don’t work it can be a good wake up call.
If anyone cares to listen to that interview it is at http://www.totalsense.com