Apart from the obvious personal benefits, both of these women were acting for the benefit of their class. Americans don't usually think of class as an explanation for behaviour, but in fact the rich stick together despite their intra-class differences. They have learned how to survive by splitting the rest of us into "gays," "women," "blacks," etc.--while they present a solid block--the rich, the upper class. They will never intentionally do anything that will harm their power and wealth.

Cicero: "Freedom is participation in power."

Given the present degenerate state of American existence this was one of the most pointless articles I've read on this site. Pretty soon we'll be reading about the sexual vs. acting role hypocrisies of Queen Latifa.

Looking at politics from the outside, one would think, "Gee, I would like to join that club and make a positive difference in this world." So, a person gets into politics and things look a lot different from the inside. You see, there is a one-way mirror between the politicos and the rest of us. We only see a reflection of ourselves, from the outside, but from the inside, the politicos see how easy it is to screw people out of their money and freedom and THEY LOVE IT! They quickly forget why they got into politics - then they gorge themselves on the bounty that is available. No matter what they do, what lies they tell, what people they literally fuck - odds are, they will never have to pay for their indiscretions. So it is.....

Here's a quote from Gore Vidal's, who lived for a time as Jacqueline Bovier's stepbrother, latest book, Snapshots in History's Glare. It was made about his 1960 campaign for congress but is even more applicable today:

"When it comes to libelous rumors, the American right wing is unparalleled in the things they can think up, demonstrating what strange subconsciousnesses they must have, as they have no conscious minds, at least visible thus far to the voters."

readbetweenthe_lines:

"one had the ethics of a jackal and the other ditto plus the IQ of a doorknob".

I am a daily reader of Common Dreams and comments on the articles, and I must say I do enjoy so many of the comments -- some of which truly do bring laughter, for their creativity. Readbetweenthe_lines: GWB certainly does have the IQ of a doorknob, and thanks for describing it so comically, though what his administration has done is certainly NOT funny. Thanks though -- I do appreciate the humorous description. This brought on most hearty laughter!

And Thanks to Paranoid Pessimist for the Gore Vidal quote -- excellent.

So maybe what this missive offers is a reminder that our "esteemed" leaders and their families are not so esteemed. Perhaps it would be good if they'd remember that and not be so damned hypocritical.

What would also be helpful is elected officials with a healthy streak of integrity. Or is that too oxy-moron-ish? Next I'll be wanting pols to have brains and integrity.

Wonder if you could accomplish anything with intelligence and integrity? It would be a welcome change!

Bring America Back !!!!

****On the JFK side of things, there is a good DVD on the
'screw' aspects entitled: "An American Affair", nicely done film, with an innocent neighbor teenager in the subplot.
I recommend it.

****Once you get to the highest Executive levels, seems our Idols take the position that they may have whatever they so desire !!!! Since the US Secret Service is directly complicit in allowing access to our Big Guys, how then can the spouses of Presidents 'control' their husbands' daliances?

****Maybe, for future reference, First Ladies' could learn a lesson from Mrs Tiger Woods.....Her ire at such 'screw'
infidelities is called a Three Iron well placed...but put into a White House scenario just may be a bit unpatriotic !

***We could also speculate on just how Monica Lewinsky made it past the US Secret Service and gained access to Bill Clinton.

That was no bar joke, that was my wife.

History: The hypothetical scenario mentioned is attributed to a real exchange between Winston Churchill (in his cups) and a woman with cups at a state dinner.

Jackie had to have known about Fiddle and Faddle, two "secretaries" on the personal staff of JFK, whose rod comforted them and vice versa. LBJ had a particularly peregrinating pecker. What does any of this prove?
Trylon

Don’t forget about the mechanical advantage of the screw.

Holding on tightly is a labour of love, well eros anyway.

Nuts and bolts have a way of becoming loose.

What I read between the lines written about past first wives is speculation about the current one. This one seemed so fresh and delightful and authentic during the campaign, but I suppoe she was either playing a part then or is compelled to play another one now. Gender equality is still more a concept than a reality, and it may well NOT be something first wives strive for anyway.

It is simple really. The dollar is a screw. Its obvious it always has been.
So accept the reality.
It is a has been.

So, let's see here: I'm supposed to draw from this article, what exactly?

The continued exploitation of women by men who like to screw?

The continued exploitation of men by screwy women?

It reminds me of one of those Mao-er than thou sessions I attended as an undergraduate when one of the co-eds said, "As far as I'm concerned, men are in one class--and women in another."

She did not enjoy it when I replied, "Then I want to be in Nancy Reagan's class."

In some way our recent President's have been "hollow men", empty suits, with noticeable character deficits. Noticeable yet somewhow ignored or mischaracterized by popular culture. We keep telling ourselves that we are carefully weighing the "character" issue, when in fact, we do no such thing. I suppose it is because we have no useful concept of how to judge character; instead we use more or less meaningless cultural pointers. A lot of Americans are dumb enough to thinking "talking tough" is the same as being tough...whaddyagonnado?

What does that say about the wives? Big character deficits also.