I’m socially a little more liberal and fiscally rather conservative, which means I prefer to vote for candidates as opposed to blindly following a party affiliation. Since I don’t live in the particular district in question, I’ve remained blissfully ignorant of this story…until now.
I don’t know any of the people involved. I didn’t vote for Congressman Austin Scott or his opponent. So why do I even care?
Because gutter politics threatens to drive qualified candidates away from seeking public office. For the record, Republican Scott defeated Democrat Jim Marshall last November in a race for a district that contains Macon.
This despicable tactic of intimidation and character assassination has to stop.
And to which tactics do I refer?
Scott and his wife were granted a divorce in 2001. Their young son was caught in the middle of a custody fight.
It is not unusual for people experiencing the trauma of separation and the dissolution of their marriage make accusations that aren’t completely true and say things they don’t really mean.
Three years ago, a judge sealed the court records of their divorce.
“Democrat activist” Amy Morton filed a lawsuit to have Scott’s divorce records unsealed so she could dig for dirt on him to use in the campaign to get Marshall reelected.
Now an elected Congressman, Scott and his ex-wife agreed to drop their opposition to the lawsuit and let Morton satisfy her prurient interests.
The muckrakers have been busy digging through the records, but so far all they’ve managed to find are unsubstantiated claims that Scott has allegedly been known to drink alcohol on occasion and may have seen a pornographic picture at some point in his adult life.
Hell, even if those allegations are proved, they don’t amount to anything. Were Scott a Democrat, his reputation would probably grow from such accusations. After all, lecherous behavior never hurt Ted Kennedy’s image.
You’re probably wondering; why is this story even worth mentioning?
I haven’t delivered the punch line yet.
In case you haven’t asked already, just who is Amy Morton? Why, she’s a licensed marriage and family therapist.
You would think someone in her profession would be the last person on Earth to invade someone’s privacy. Unless they happen to vote Republican.
If you’re having marital problems or trying to “deal with the pain of an affair”, Ms. Morton is probably the last person on Earth you should want to tell about it.
Speak Your Mind