Here's how I see it. If the individual has not broken the law in any way then it's none of our business. In Ryan's case I can't even figure out what the big deal is. That's probably because I'm a leftist freak. How is Ryan a Republican, anyway? I would think that the majority of sex club patrons would be Democrats. Another stereotype busted.

I agree. If it wasn't against the law, it's none of our legal business.

But I am totally not surprised that a Republican might be into strange sex kind of things. It seems to me that they believe they should be able to do whatever they want. They just don't want you leftist freaks doing what YOU want. Or maybe there are more Republican sex club patrons because they have more pent-up sexual energy because they are always doing it in the dark, under the sheets, in the missionary position... and solely to procreate, so only about once a year. :-P

First of all, there's the argument that these things should never be sealed. Our tradition of open courts is too important to let the rich and powerful subvert it willy-nilly. If these files had never been sealed in the first place, the public then would have been judging it solely on the sex issue.

I think it is our business that he lied to everyone about the blacked out parts--he said they were specifically about his son. Now if he'd said "They're things that would embarass myself and my son, but aren't illegal or relevant to my ability to govern," I'd have to back him.

But I still think he's a greedy Republican bastard b/c sex with Jeri Ryan wasn't good enough. He had to have kinky sex with her. Meanwhile, many of the rest of us get nothing. I'm much more forgiving of Clinton's peccadillos because Jeri Ryan wasn't waiting in his bedroom.

Eric Zorn has in his notebook a colleague's interesting thought experiment. Suppose the blacked out portions accused Jack Ryan of extreme flatulence. What would the public reaction have been? I think that tells you how much it is about the sex for the general public.

I agree it shouldn't matter, but the Repubs opened this can of worms, so they are going to have to deal with it and its unfortunate results.

I don't have a problem with them looking at the divorce files. But ultimately what a man does sexually in the privacy of his own home (or sex club) has nothing to do with his ability to govern, provided he is not breaking the law (i.e. forcing his wife to do sex acts or beating her).

Regarding your argument that it IS our business because he lied about it, I don't see how Jeri Ryan makes it any different than what Clinton did. Especially considering that she later said the allegations she made were not even true. Personally, I don't blame anyone for lying about their sex lives when they are going to be plastered on the front page of every newspaper in the country when people find out about it. Too bad for them that lying about never stops us from finding out anyway.

My thing with it is more the closed divorce records angle. They didn't know what was in there, except that Ryan was trying to hide it. So they went after it, which is, I think, the rightful job of the media. When it turned out that it was just sex stuff, should they have said, "oh, nevermind, we can't release this"? Doesn't seem likely. It seems like it was the coverup that guaranteed that it would come out eventually. I think the allegations take on a little more seediness BECAUSE he tried to cover it up.

It doesn't help that he's a Republican, though. I think they tend to be a little less forgiving when it comes to sex, because they think a person's sex life defines their "character," which is apparently all they care about when it comes to elected officials. Intelligence, capability to govern...who cares? What they want to know is what he does with his, or other people's, genitals.

And you're right, Shawn. I thought all the people at my favorite sex clubs were Democrats or Libertarians.

I think Steve was being a cad and saying that Clinton's straying was acceptable because his other option was Hillary, while Ryan had Jeri Ryan.

Jeri Ryan retracted the allegations? I hadn't heard that. So he dropped out of the race over something that both he and his ex-wife agree never even happened? um...

I will say that it disgusts me to imagine someone deceiving their spouse THREE TIMES in this manner. Clearly she didn't want to participate. I'm not saying he couldn't do a fine job as a senator, but he sounds like an icky human being. I wonder how his poor little son is faring. Just... blech on all of it.

Wasn't it Blair Hull's wife who retracted the allegations? But then didn't she go back on that also?

To me, whether this is relevant is all about Jack Ryan's positions on gay marriage, abortion, and other issues of personal liberty. If he wants to have freedoms that he would deny to other people, then it is absolutely relevant.

Also, what does 'pressured' mean? Depending on what kind of pressure was involved that could be tantamount to rape.

So, for those of us not in the country at the moment and not getting Illinois news, who is running in his place?

They haven't decided yet... still looking at a few people (men). Whoever it is, he's toast, of course.