Spokane mayor recalled for gay internet chat.

[AndyMan 7]

I really wish being gay wasn't a firable offence, that seems like an incredible anachronism.

That said, this is a great example of the iconic homophobic yet closeted republican. How often will this keep going until republicans give up on their anti-gay legislation?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-election-rdp,1,3615265.story?coll=chi-news-hed

Spokane Mayor Recalled After Sex Scandal

By JOHN K. WILEY
Associated Press Writer
Published December 7, 2005, 1:11 PM CST

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Mayor James E. West must leave office this month after voters recalled him in a special election sparked by allegations he used a city computer to woo gay men over the Internet.

West, 54, must leave his position when the election results are certified Dec. 16. He has not been charged with a crime, but FBI agents seized computers from his home as part of an investigation.

"I said I'd abide by the will of the voters, obviously, and they've spoken," West told The Associated Press Tuesday. "I'm at peace with their decision and disappointed." The recall election was launched by a local resident, Shannon Sullivan, who said she felt vindicated by the results.

West, a former Boy Scout executive and sheriff's deputy, was elected mayor in 2003 after serving more than two decades as a conservative Republican in the state Legislature, where he voted against gay-friendly bills.

A little more than half of the 110,000 ballots mailed to voters were counted in the first batch of results released Tuesday night. Of those, 38,718, or 65 percent, voted to recall West, while 20,681, or 35 percent, voted to retain him.

The recall campaign began after the Spokesman-Review newspaper reported in May that West was a closeted homosexual who visited gay chat rooms using his city-owned laptop computer, and offered internships and other favors to young men he hoped to have sex with.

Sullivan, a single mother with a high-school education and no legal background, shepherded her petitions for a recall vote through superior and state high court challenges brought by the mayor's lawyers.

"It's been a long, hard seven months," she said Tuesday. "Elected officials need to be held to higher standards." Shannon has said she started the campaign after finding herself at a loss to explain newspaper reports of West's behavior to her 9-year-old son.

West has denied any wrongdoing. In a newspaper ad, he acknowledged making "personal mistakes" but insisted he had "never done anything to harm our city."

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_Am

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You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[artistcalledian 0]

quite right too, the filthy bender

________________________________________
drive it like you stole it and f*ck the police

[justinb138 0]

Quote

That said, this is a great example of the iconic homophobic yet closeted republican. How often will this keep going until republicans give up on their anti-gay legislative attempts?

I don't think it him being gay as much as it is him using his abusing his position.

Take a look at the quotes I've highlighted.

If I used my work computer to look up porn and offered jobs to people for sexual favors I'd expect to get fired too.

Quote

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Mayor James E. West must leave office this month after voters recalled him in a special election sparked by allegations he used a city computer to woo gay men over the Internet.

West, 54, must leave his position when the election results are certified Dec. 16. He has not been charged with a crime, but FBI agents seized computers from his home as part of an investigation.

"I said I'd abide by the will of the voters, obviously, and they've spoken," West told The Associated Press Tuesday. "I'm at peace with their decision and disappointed." The recall election was launched by a local resident, Shannon Sullivan, who said she felt vindicated by the results.

West, a former Boy Scout executive and sheriff's deputy, was elected mayor in 2003 after serving more than two decades as a conservative Republican in the state Legislature, where he voted against gay-friendly bills.

A little more than half of the 110,000 ballots mailed to voters were counted in the first batch of results released Tuesday night. Of those, 38,718, or 65 percent, voted to recall West, while 20,681, or 35 percent, voted to retain him.

The recall campaign began after the Spokesman-Review newspaper reported in May that West was a closeted homosexual who visited gay chat rooms using his city-owned laptop computer, and offered internships and other favors to young men he hoped to have sex with.

Sullivan, a single mother with a high-school education and no legal background, shepherded her petitions for a recall vote through superior and state high court challenges brought by the mayor's lawyers.

"It's been a long, hard seven months," she said Tuesday. "Elected officials need to be held to higher standards." Shannon has said she started the campaign after finding herself at a loss to explain newspaper reports of West's behavior to her 9-year-old son.

West has denied any wrongdoing. In a newspaper ad, he acknowledged making "personal mistakes" but insisted he had "never done anything to harm our city."

[ReBirth 0]

I would have voted him out for proferring employment to get laid (no matter what the sex) and for being a hypocrite.

[EricTheRed 0]

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I would have voted him out for proferring employment to get laid (no matter what the sex) and for being a hypocrite.

That is really the issue here. What's amazing to me is that 1/3 of the voters thought this guy should keep his job. This guy was being paid with tax $$ to surf for porn and offered his internet "friend" more $$ (from the public coffer of course) in exchange for a good time.

It was an extreme example of abuse of power. Good riddance.

illegible usually

[ReBirth 0]

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What's amazing to me is that 1/3 of the voters thought this guy should keep his job.

You're suprised by that? Ever hear of Marion Barry?

[Amazon 7]

Quote

That is really the issue here. What's amazing to me is that 1/3 of the voters thought this guy should keep his job. This guy was being paid with tax $$ to surf for porn and offered his internet "friend" more $$ (from the public coffer of course) in exchange for a good time.

It was an extreme example of abuse of power. Good riddance

Not only that but he has been at the forefront of anti gay legislation in the state when he was a State Rep for the same area.

http://www.psych.org/pnews/96-09-20/phobia.html

New research lends considerable credence to the psychoanalytic theory that repressed homosexual urges may be at the root of homophobic behavior by heterosexual men.

[narcimund 0]

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New research lends considerable credence to the psychoanalytic theory that repressed homosexual urges may be at the root of homophobic behavior by heterosexual men.

The homophobes just HATE that theory. And they'll lash out at anyone who suggests it. Hate hate hate! Lash lash lash!

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[EricTheRed 0]

Quote

Quote

What's amazing to me is that 1/3 of the voters thought this guy should keep his job.

You're suprised by that? Ever hear of Marion Barry?

Yeah, I even sent a jar of Marion Berry jam to a buddy of mine that used to live in DC. he thought it was really funny (and tasty too)

I thought that particular POS (Mr Barry) should have been locked up with the rest of the crack heads. I continue to be amazed by the apparent sheer stupidity of many voters. Hell, if a few thousand more FLA'dns could follow instructions, we probably wouldn' t need to be debating Iraq war policies.

illegible usually