[quote=davelj][quote=HiggyBaby]Shame on him for not keeping it in his pants.[/quote]
In my view the shame isn’t that he couldn’t keep it in his pants; it’s that he couldn’t acknowledge that he couldn’t keep it in his pants. He should’ve either (1) long ago told Maria that he wanted have sex with other women (and she probably would’ve divorced him then), or (2) divorced Maria long ago so that he could have sex with other women without all of these problems. But, as we know, that wouldn’t have “looked good” for someone running for Governor… so he tried to have his cake and eat it too… and here we are. I would like to see an unmarried politician just stand up and say, “Hey, I like to run around with different women. Just like the rest of my (political) colleagues. The difference being that I’m single.” That person would never get elected, of course… that’s too much honesty for most folks to handle.[/quote]
davelj, many years ago (shortly after their marriage) I read an interview with Maria Shriver in which she was questioned about rumors regarding her husband’s proclivities. She, of course, was evasive, but it appeared to me that, while she did not endorse or encourage Mr. Schwarzenegger’s extramarital dalliances, she recognized the possibility (and perhaps the probability) that they would occur. There has always been an abundance of speculation on the extensive length of their courtship, and its on-again/ off-again nature, with most people concluding that it resulted from Arnold’s alleged affairs. I got the impression from the interview that Ms. Shriver felt that she had come to terms with this behavior, and believed that a successful marriage was possible.
That being said, there’s a huge difference between overlooking your husband’s occasional (or even frequent) extramarital dalliances, and the current situation. Mr. Schwarzenegger impregnated another woman, and kept the fact that he had a child by her secret from his wife and family for several years. That, in itself, is a pretty monumental douchebag thing to do. But far worse is the fact that the woman in question was permitted to maintain a place of responsibility and trust within the Schwarzenegger/ Shriver family. We have no way of knowing what kind of relationship was maintained between Ms. Baena and Mrs. Shriver and her children, but as a housekeeper, she was a participant in intimate family moments and events. Given the length of her employment with the family, it would not be a stretch to assume that a warm and friendly association existed.
Added to that is the fact that the children of the two women were born less than a week apart. Ms. Shriver’s feelings of betrayal in these circumstances cannot be overestimated. Anyone can make a mistake, as Mr. Schwarzenegger certainly did in engaging in an extramarital affair with a married member of his personal household staff. But to compound it to this degree, in my eyes, is not only incredibly arrogant on his part, but unthinkably cruel and heartless.
