Arnold Schwarzenegger

Just last week we heard about the split between Arnold and Maria, after 25 years of marriage, and now we know why. It’s an old story with new faces this week. In a long list of politicians who cheat on their wives, some producing offspring, Arnold now joins this notorious crew. Am I surprised? No. Who would be surprised?

It seems to me that Thomas Jefferson, one of our esteemed forefathers, also was credited with sleeping with household “staff” and fathering children. Who hasn’t heard of Sally Hemings, the slave, of Jefferson?

Nowadays, it seems rare the politician who hasn’t cheated on his wife. And Arnold, over a decade later, admits to fathering a child with a woman who worked for the family over 20 years, joins this illustrious list of despicable men. It’s almost come to be expected that every couple of months or so we will have another member of the political world come out in a press conference and admit to a scandal for which he is truly sorry. Sorry to the wife who stood by them through their grueling campaigns. Sorry to the children who has to school and face the embarrassment that everyone is talking about their father and their family. Sorry to the people who put their faith and trust in them by voting them into office. But after all the apologies are said and done, are they really mostly sorry they got caught? Are they sorry they ruined or tarnished their reputation? Do they mainly care because it may have ended their careers in public office?

None of them were thinking about their wives and children when they made the decision to enter into these affairs. In fact, they were able to cover their tracks and look right into their eyes, lying by omission, each and every day they cheated.

But Arnold seems to have hit an all time low. Fathering a child over ten years ago? Maybe in the family home? Keeping it a secret until he left office. That’s a long time to be deceitful to your wife and children. I guess more details will emerge in time. The media will not let this go. But as for me, and maybe Maria too, I have heard enough.