"He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still." Lao Tzu

Thanks to MaryT for the inspiration: Elizabeth Edwards and the Women Who Stand By Their Man - marytkelly

Elizabeth Edwards, Silda Spitzer and Hillary Clinton don't need additional commentary from me to feed the beast. This is about the nature of the beast: addiction. To sex, yes, but more, to Power. Who's got it and who feeds it.

Most politicians are by nature addicted to Power. They need it to survive professionally. And for many, to function personally too. An elected politician's ego usually is, of necessity, huge in order to regularly risk public rejection.

Sure, they get some boost from public acclaim, media coverage, the wheeling and dealing. But for some it's not enough. It's never enough.

So who feeds that inflated ego, the constant itch of the power addiction? Not their wives, who know too much about their flaws and weaknesses and powerless back stories.

The drug of choice in power circles is the pool of women (and men) who insinuate themselves into politics and government to get close to Those In Charge.

Oh yes, they exist. They're called Power Fuckers. And they'll do anything to and for the most powerful men in the land.

From FDR to Eisenhower to JFK and who knows how many others, that's been the reality of power. If today's sordid culture of prying and paparazzi were in place during JFK's day, he'd be the highest scorer of all.

Let's take a minute to remember how high Jackie set the standard of dignity and discretion for political wives. Yes, she became a martyr's widow. But she eventually got even with her late philandering husband in her own special way.

Bill Clinton and his well-documented infidelities, specifically with Monica Letmeinsky, leads the contemporary pack. Hillary, like Jackie, got her payback too. Unique. Ironic. She became a serious power-broker herself.

In today's world the Clinton-Lewinsky affair remains the object lesson du jour for all politicians. For us too. I'm not saying it's right. I'm saying that private extramarital sex is not relevant to professional job performance. For politicians, celebrities or the rest of us.

Unless you neglect your job. Or you lie about the sex.

President Clinton was doing his job very well. Bottom line is this: he should never have been asked the question. Nobody should. Man or woman. Period. Whether in the White House or a road house, it's personal.

Infidelity among us common folk is about a lot of things, anger, self-image, self-esteem, dissatisfaction with a spouse, a marriage.

The dynamic of opportunity is added to celebrity circles. Movie stars, rock stars, we know all about their legions of groupies and the Cult of Celebrity. Getting behind the velvet rope. "I'm with the band."

There's an even more seductive dynamic among political groupies. A special breed of power vampires. Far beyond merely getting behind the rope line. Power-by-association. 'I'm with The Man.'

To anyone, but especially men with real power, attractive people throwing themselves at them goes with the territory. Can be a major turn-on. It's tough to resist reaching out for such low hanging fruit, no matter how forbidden.

My peripatetic career includes working in politics from the State House to the White House. I've seen firsthand how enticing Political Power can be. And how willingly young women (young men too) offer themselves sexually to their powerful superiors. I'm not proud to admit I've been there myself.

Power is an incredible aphrodisiac. During the sex act, yes... BUT, the big payoff for the political groupie comes after the fact. (Okay, unavoidable pun). Think about it. What did Monica Lewinsky get out of the play-acting sex and fake 'relationship' with Bill Clinton? A cigar? Sheesh. No cigar.

A recycled book of poetry? Please. She was the one on her knees. She did the work, sex-wise. Trust me, she was, at the time, in power-fucker heaven, totally turned on by the fact she was, ohmigod, ohmigod, doing the President of the United States.

There's another aspect about that whole mess that's just wrong. It's bad enough Republican hypocrites used the Clinton-Lewinsky affair to further their own agendas at the country's expense. I was just as tired of feminist bleating about Bill Clinton's sexual harassment of a poor little intern.

It. Didn't. Happen. Their affair wasn't about sexual harassment, it was about sexual dalliance. And the pull of power.



Monica was more than a willing participant, she was an instigator. What, their eyes met across a crowded room ...and... kismet? Give me a break. She put herself in his path. Probably climbed over others to get there.

L'affair Lewinsky was wildly inappropriate behavior by the president, but not harassment.  Lewinsky's job was never in jeopardy. Her reputation was ... ironically at her own hand.

Bill Clinton certainly rocked his marriage, but the only person who damaged Ms. Lewinsky was Ms. Lewinsky herself, with her inability to keep her mouth shut, on and off the job. She couldn't bear to keep the details of the affair discretely to herself.

She had to brag. They all have to brag. There's no point in having sex with a powerful politician if you can't tell your friends about it. Revel in their envy and awe. That's the main draw. The telling, more than the doing.

In Monica's case, her undoing. And therefore the president's too. Monica bragged to the wrong "friend," the bitchy, c-word Linda Tripp, with power and other issues of her own.

News flash: many politicians have feet of clay, especially when it comes to sex. Often the very best of them. And I say, So what? Our interest should start and stop here: Just get the job done.

Political wives know their husbands far better than we do. Don't think for a minute they're weak, blind sided victims. They knew long before we did. And who knows, maybe it suits them just fine.

In the end, it's none of our business.

If the wives appear not to care, why should we? They also know their husbands have the right stuff, politically. They helped get them elected. They're the ultimate power fuckers.

Many clearly believe that the value-add of their spouse's brains, dedication and ability to make a difference far outweighs the downside doings in their personal lives.

We are SO freakin naive and hypocritical about sex in this country -- Right Wingnuts most of all. We love to talk about sex, hint about it, titillate ourselves with glimpses of it. Especially among the Powerful. We love to point fingers with feigned shock and outrage.

I'm not talking about pedophile priests or congressional sexual harassers, who should be castrated and jailed ... but instead are given protection and pensions.That's far more unforgivable.

I'm talking about powerful men who have affairs with consenting adults. And believe then can get away with it.

That's the fatal flaw in many of our political protagonists. The iron ego and sheer guts it took them to get to the top makes them feel invincible. Untouchable.

Many are untouchable. Except by willing sex partners. And that's what inevitably brings them down.