The wife John McCain callously left behind

The London Daily Mail has a devastating portrait of John McCain's marital infidelities. We all knew he was an adulterer, but to alley-cat around when your wife is recovering from injuries that almost killed her is beyond sleazy.

Like Bob Dole, McCain dumped the wife who nursed him back from ill health in favor of some trophy arm candy, thereby condemning their children to be raised in a single parent household. Like Newt Gingrich, he dumped her as she herself was recovering from a devastating life-threatening condition. And like Vito Fossella, he was stepping out while the unsuspecting wife was home caring for the kids.

When you run with dogs, you smell like dogs. John McCain is ethically no more fit to lead this country than Rudy Giuliani -- which is to say not at all.

Are Republicans conceding Fossella's House seat?

New York Republicans are having the gosh-darnedest time finding a replacement for swinish Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY-13), who announced last week that he will not seek re-election. Fossella became a national punchline after being arrested for drunk driving in Virginia; statements he made to the police at the time brought attention to the existence of the family values Congressman's three-year-old love child in Alexandria.

A veritable Who's Who of Staten Island and Brooklyn Republicans are running like crazy from the race, giving excuses such as an antipathy for raising large sums of money.

These are politicians saying this, mind you.

Two more years for Speaker Nancy Pelosi, that's for sure. Thanks, Vito!

Anti-gay adulterer/drunk driver Fossella won't seek re-election

Vito Fossella retirement letter

Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY-13), the disgraced drunk driving adulterer from Staten Island, announced today that he would not seek re-election to his House seat. In spite of pressure from Republican leadership in the House, Fossella will hang on to the seat through the end of his current term. He will still be holding office when voters go to the polls on Election Day.

Fossella chalked up quite an anti-gay record in his ten years on Capitol Hill. As noted in an earlier post, he voted repeatedly against basic fairness for gay Americans and their families. His homophobia was so deeply rooted that he reportedly even shunned his lesbian sister Victoria Fossella and her partner Maggie Scharsella.

Vito Fonzarelli

Disgraced drunk driving adulterer Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY-13) has taken refuge in the upstairs garage apartment of one of his non-lesbian sisters, apparently having been booted from the Fossella manse by his wife Mary Pat, mother of three of his children. Presumably he wouldn't stay with his lesbian sister Victoria Fossella even if she offered because she's, well, a lesbian; and he has a family values image to uphold.

Fossella joins the list of grown men of marginal circumstance who took up abode in someone else's garage, such as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli (right, top) and Kato Kaelin (right, bottom). Fonzarelli lived in the upstairs garage apartment of Mr. and Mrs. C for ten years, and Kaelin lived for free in O.J. Simpson's garage guesthouse during a period of flux in Simpson's life.

Fossella has not yet announced whether he will resign from his congressional seat, serve out his current term and retire, or run for re-election. If he runs for re-election, it is not clear if he would intend his new digs to serve as campaign command central. Since campaign funding would likely be scarce, that may be his only option.

Two-dimensional sitcom lothario, perpetual guest, shark jumper. When people start groaning at how bad the whole program is, it's time for the show to be canceled.

Fossella reportedly shuns his lesbian sister

Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY-13), who tried to burnish an image as a family values conservative in preparation for higher office before his drunk-driving/adultery/love-child trifecta destroyed everything, can add a new moniker to his credentials: bigot. It seems the congressman won't attend family functions that his sister Victoria Fossella and her partner Maggie Scharsella attend.

Fossella's behavior toward his own flesh and blood is reminiscent of the conduct of other hard-right conservatives like Alan Keyes and Newt Gingrich, who also rejected openly gay members of their families. In Keyes' case, he actually threw his daughter Maya Marcel-Keyes out of the house, cut her off financially, and refused contact with her.

Apparently it all depends on what the meaning of the word "family" is.

Vito Fossella with some cats

These pictures are from adulterer Rep. Vito Fossella's congressional web page. He was at an animal shelter. Notice how he starts out with the calico cat, then with the black cat, and then back with the calico again. What a pig.

Still pals

Vito Fossella is still a drunk-driving adulterer, and John McCain still wants him as one of his supporters.

Will McCain pull the endorsement only upon a conviction or resignation? We'll keep checking.

Fun with Vito Fossella anagrams

What was revealed when REP. VITO FOSSELLA was pulled over for running a red light?

A PROFITLESS LOVE which PROVES FELLATIOS.

REP. VITO FOSSELLA -->
REP. VITO FOSSELL --> A
RE VITO FOSSELL --> A P
E VITO FOSSELL --> A PR
E VIT FOSSELL --> A PRO
E VIT OSSELL --> A PROF
E V T OSSELL --> A PROFI
E V OSSELL --> A PROFIT
E V OSSEL --> A PROFITL
V OSSEL --> A PROFITLE
V O SEL --> A PROFITLES
V O EL --> A PROFITLESS
V O E --> A PROFITLESS L
V E --> A PROFITLESS LO
E --> A PROFITLESS LOV
--> A PROFITLESS LOVE

A PROFITLESS LOVE -->
A ROFITLESS LOVE --> P
A OFITLESS LOVE --> PR
A FITLESS LOVE --> PRO
A FITLESS LO E --> PROV
A FITL SS LO E --> PROVE
A FITL S LO E --> PROVES
A ITL S LO E --> PROVES F
A ITL S LO --> PROVES FE
A IT S LO --> PROVES FEL
A IT S O --> PROVES FELL
IT S O --> PROVES FELLA
I S O --> PROVES FELLAT
S O --> PROVES FELLATI
S --> PROVES FELLATIO
--> PROVES FELLATIOS

Vito Fossella's lesbian sister

Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY-13) has opposed family equality for same-sex couples and their children for years. He has voted repeatedly for the Federal Marriage Amendment, and voted against or declined to co-sponsor the Uniting American Familes/Permanent Partners Immigration Act, the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act, the Tax Equity for Health Plan Beneficiaries Act, and the Family Medical Leave Inclusion Act. Quite the family values guy, isn't he?

His sister Victoria might not think so.

From the 09 June 2005 Gay City News:

Staten Island Turns Out for Pride
By MICK MEENAN
06/09/2005
Borough Holds Its First LGBT Parade, Festival Under Spectacular Skies

Last Saturday afternoon, as balmy sunshine banished the morning’s threat of continual rain showers, another historic New York City event unfolded—Staten Island’s first gay pride parade....

Parade participants included a sizable number of gay and lesbian parents and their families. Victoria Fosella [sic], the sister of Congressman Vito Fosella [sic], the only Republican in the city’s congressional delegation and oft-mentioned mayoral aspirant, and Ms. Fossella’s partner, Maggie Scharsella, marched the route with their twins, 1-year-old Jake and sister Karlie, to whom Ms. Scharsella gave birth....

John McCain and Vito Fossella are still pals

Family values brigade: Vito Fossella,
   John McCain, Rudy Giuliani

Republican presidential soon-to-be-nominee John McCain isn't letting a little tavern trashing, drunk driving, and winky wagging get between him and his little buddy Vito Fossella. At this writing, Senator McCain is still proud to have Rep. Fossella listed as one of his New York supporters on his campaign web site.

A word of caution to the Senator, though: when you run with dogs, you smell like dogs. Having serial adulterers like Vito and Rudy Giuliani as your wing men doesn't play well with the religious crowd. Or the Main Street crowd. Or the progressive crowd.

Come to think of it, the whole adultery thing didn't play too well with the first Mrs. McCain either, did it?

Rep. Vito Fossella admits to adultery, love child

Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY-13), who was arrested in Alexandria, Virginia, one week ago for drunk driving, admitted today that he had an extra-marital affair that resulted in the birth of a daughter. The child is now three years old.

Fossella has a lengthy record as an anti-gay Republican Member of Congress, scoring "zero" on the Human Rights Campaign's Congressional Scorecard for the last three sessions. He voted for the Federal Marriage Amendment twice, in 2004 and 2006. The Amendment would alter the United States Constitution to prohibit any governmental recognition of same-sex marriages, civil unions, or domestic partnerships.

The affair came to light when Fossella was pulled over for running a red light and then told Alexandria police officers that "his daughter was sick and needed to go to the hospital". Fossella's wife and his children with her live in Staten Island, New York.

According to the New York Daily News, Fossella and a friend of his were thrown out of Logan Tavern, a D.C. watering hole three blocks from the city's gay club district, earlier that evening after the friend passed out repeatedly and then belly-flopped onto a table.

For only $9.95, they could have gotten Logan Tavern's Grilled Burger (9 oz) w. Hand Cut Fries -Add Cheese, Bacon, Sauteed Onions & Mushrooms or Avocado $.75. Filling and arrest-forestalling.