Mike the Mad Biologist

Admittedly, a professional Democrat like Rahm Emanuel is a world class asshole himself, but this inconfirmed story (Boebert et alia deny it) is something else (boldface mine):

Lauren Boebert, the firebrand Republican subject of a House ethics complaint that she had sex with three staff members, and paid one to keep quiet, has said the allegations are untrue – and part of a “politically motivated” campaign against her….

According to the complaint, filed on 17 September by David Wheeler, an independent journalist, activist, and founder of the American Muckrakers political action committee, Boebert, who represents Colorado’s fourth congressional district, committed at least seven violations of House ethics rules.

The Guardian has reviewed the complaint but not independently substantiated the allegations…

Among the most prominent allegations are that Boebert conducted a four-year “romantic and sexual relationship” with a senior female staffer, named as Clarice Navarro Ratzlaff, then paid her $200,000 when Ratzlaff broke off the affair and threatened to file an ethics complaint of her own.

We’ll leave aside the hypocrisy of anti-LGBTQ politicians who engage in same-sex affairs. But when it comes to breakups, ‘successfully blackmailing your former partner’ is definitely on the ugly side of things (it’s also an obvious security risk). One reason I think professional Republicans have such a low opinion of their political opponents is that they themselves behave so poorly and unethically themselves, and do so to their erstwhile allies and colleagues. They can’t stand–or trust–each other, so it’s inconceivable to them that other people might behave decently much of the time.