It's not that I have any problem with the "consenting adults" aspect of it. I can even get past the fact that she was his employee at the time. The part that I find unforgivable is that he intentionally deceived his own campaign manager and asst. chief of staff (who has been totally loyal to Newsom) by sleeping with his wife. It's betrayal on that level that bothers me. If he's willing to do something that unethical, how on earth can he expect us to believe that he's not unethical in other ways? Malfeasance? Embezzlement? Selling influence? His credibility is irreparable.

Newsom's not stupid. I've had personal dealings with him, and he's a very sharp person. But at some point, I know that he had to consider the possible consequences of this affair, and very likely while he was in the midst of it. He either thought that no one would find out (which is naive in the extreme), or that -- if they did find out -- he could survive it politically (which is still naive), or that the worst likely repercussions didn't really matter to him, because he either didn't care about his political career or that he was trying to self-destruct.

This is a nightmare for external reasons too. It gives far more ammunition to the neo-cons who have already been harping on "San Francisco values". What a perfect gift for them! Pelosi and Newsom are homies and longtime allies, so it smears her. It also means that the rest of Newsom's term will be spent dealing with this scandal, rather than doing anything productive for the City. And worst of all, if Newsom resigns, that means that Aaron Peskin will become interim Mayor; a frightening thought.