MySpace Lingerie Mayor Refuses to Step Down

[Dos Equis]

MySpace Lingerie Mayor Refuses to Step Down
Saturday, January 19, 2008

ARLINGTON, Ore.  —  Mayor Carmen Kontur-Gronquist, whose MySpace photos of her posing in black lingerie on a fire engine put this Columbia River town of 600 into something of a pother, told ABC's 20/20 Friday night that she's not stepping down.

"They're going to have to drag me out of here," she said.

The pictures were taken before she thought of running for mayor, said Kontur-Gronquist, 42, the first woman to hold the unpaid position. She said she had permission from the fire chief to use the engine and had intended to use the photos in a contest about fitness in women.

A relative set up the MySpace page, hoping it would jump-start her social life, said Kontur-Gronquist, a single parent. Family members uploaded the photos and she said she saw no reason to take them down once elected.

"I had no clue that it would cause such a negative reaction," she said. "I called my council members and apologized. Everyone is entitled to their own private life."

At a council meeting this month some people asked for her to resign.

"People aren't laughing with us, they're laughing at us," said school board member Grant Wilkins.

Kontur-Gronquist vows to continue as mayor until her term ends in January 2009,

"The first lesson that I learned (as mayor) is that you'll never make everybody happy. That's the toughest," she said.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,324045,00.html

From abcnews:

[Straw Man]

who cares?

why is this even "news"?

[Bindare_Dundat]

I would be more worried about a former mayor that dressed in womans clothing and who is currently hoping to be the president of the United States.

[Straw Man]

I would be more worried about a former mayor that dressed in womans clothing and who is currently hoping to be the president of the United States.

LOL! - good point

OK - maybe once as a goof but how many times has he done this now?

Look at these photos - that shit takes a lot of work - and it seems like he's really enjoying himself

[OzmO]

That really is a poor political move by that mayor.

this is only news worthy to the extent of laughing about something.

[Straw Man]

personally - I couldn't give less of a shit if it's just for fun or even if he likes it.

There are LOT's of other reasons why I don't like Rudy but this ain't one of them

[Eyeball Chambers]

I nominate this dumbest Politics and Political Issues Board thread of 2008.

[Hugo Chavez]

Is this serious?  Did someone mention, American Taliban...   

[OzmO]

I nominate this dumbest Politics and Political Issues Board thread of 2008.

oh  I'm sure there are more worthy threads of that title.   

[Dos Equis]

oh  I'm sure there are more worthy threads of that title.   

No doubt.   

I think it's silly.  The pictures were taken before she thought about running for mayor. 

[Tre]

I'd rather she strip down.

That said, if they want her gone, I'm sure there's a process for that.

[youandme]

i agree with tre...i never knew mayors that hot existed.

[Bindare_Dundat]

No doubt.   

I think it's silly.  The pictures were taken before she thought about running for mayor. 

Who cares if she took those pictures while she was Mayor?

The woman is in a bra. Big fucking deal! Are people really that dumb?

War and murder, dropping uranium depleted weapons on civilians, (you know, children and the elderly) and starving a nation based on lies is ok but a woman can't take pictures of herself in womens underwear!

Having a male mayor who's running for president dress in drag, that only speaks two words, (9/11 and terrorist's) is fine and dandy.

People are so fucking stooooopid!

[Dos Equis]

Who cares if she took those pictures while she was Mayor?

The woman is in a bra. Big fucking deal! Are people really that dumb?

War and murder, dropping uranium depleted weapons on civilians, (you know, children and the elderly) and starving a nation based on lies is ok but a woman can't take pictures of herself in womens underwear!

Having a male mayor who's running for president dress in drag, that only speaks two words, (9/11 and terrorist's) is fine and dandy.

People are so fucking stooooopid!

Of course it matters.  A person holding an elected office would be stupid to take pictures in lingerie and post them on the internet.  They would wind up being a national story. 

[youandme]

Of course it matters.  A person holding an elected office would be stupid to take pictures in lingerie and post them on the internet.  They would wind up being a national story. 

But seems like they are just pictures. She's not "posing" "posing", just a picture, she is in really good shape.

Turn this lemon headline "newsline" into lemonade and target obesity, eating healthy....

[Dos Equis]

But seems like they are just pictures. She's not "posing" "posing", just a picture, she is in really good shape.

Turn this lemon headline "newsline" into lemonade and target obesity, eating healthy....

I don't think there is anything wrong with the picture.  I'm just talking about whether an elected official should do this after they are elected.  I say "no," because too many people will cause a raucous (as this story shows), it could interfere with the person's ability to do their job, result in the loss of their job, etc. 

[OzmO]

there is everything wrong with taking that picture if you are serious about holding a public office. 

It's a bad for elected representatives to put themselves in a situation where they can be criticized if they want to be re-elected or keep honor and credibility ti their office and position. 

We can sit here and say, what's the big deal, she did nothing wrong.  But that's not the case in here profession as a politician.

It was a very bad move.

[Hedgehog]

there is everything wrong with taking that picture if you are serious about holding a public office. 

It's a bad for elected representatives to put themselves in a situation where they can be criticized if they want to be re-elected or keep honor and credibility ti their office and position. 

We can sit here and say, what's the big deal, she did nothing wrong.  But that's not the case in here profession as a politician.

It was a very bad move.

I haven't seen you give Arnold any shit for walking nude in Terminator 3?

That was very recent.

[Bindare_Dundat]

Of course it matters.  A person holding an elected office would be stupid to take pictures in lingerie and post them on the internet.  They would wind up being a national story. 

Hello, Rudy Guilliani?

Man, with all the manipulating, lying motherfuckers in politics, THIS is suppose to be a scandal?

[gcb]

There are nude pictures of Arnie as well aren't there? This is definitely a double standard.

[Hedgehog]

This pisses me off for some reason.

I don't know what kind of mayor she is, but the very fact that she gets judged differently than others, is pissing me off like there is no tommora'.

[Hedgehog]

There are nude pictures of Arnie as well aren't there? This is definitely a double standard.

You have lots of people wanting him to become governor, and then president.

But those nude pics, nothing wrong with them then?

The double standard is epic.

I have no problem with Arnold, I would have no problem with Rocco Siffredi, and I have absolutely no problem whatsoever with this showing off of her physique.

[Dos Equis]

there is everything wrong with taking that picture if you are serious about holding a public office. 

It's a bad for elected representatives to put themselves in a situation where they can be criticized if they want to be re-elected or keep honor and credibility ti their office and position. 

We can sit here and say, what's the big deal, she did nothing wrong.  But that's not the case in here profession as a politician.

It was a very bad move.

She took the picture before running for office.

[OzmO]

I haven't seen you give Arnold any shit for walking nude in Terminator 3?

That was very recent.

You have lots of people wanting him to become governor, and then president.

But those nude pics, nothing wrong with them then?

The double standard is epic.

I have no problem with Arnold, I would have no problem with Rocco Siffredi, and I have absolutely no problem whatsoever with this showing off of her physique.

I don't think I'm explaining what i mean properly.

Idealistically, there is nothing wrong with what she did, politically there is.

Also, Her situation and Arnold's are 2 different things.   Arnold is an actor, a very popular super star action actor.  People see what Arnold did and it makes sense to them, people see what this lady did and it doesn't.   That's why it's politically wrong, not morally wrong, just politically wrong.   Maybe careless is a better word, I donno. 

In politics you don't thing that can potentially give room for criticism like this.  Nothing is gained by that picture (other than negative attention which could turn out positively but certainly not worth the risk) while everything is lost.

She took the picture before running for office.

Even then.   She should have removed it.  It's like finding mud on a candidate, a skeleton from the past etc...    and don;t get me wrong, I don;t really it as an issue, but other people will and it will hurt her politically.   That's why if she wanted to be Mayor she should have had it removed.

[Dos Equis]

Even then.   She should have removed it.  It's like finding mud on a candidate, a skeleton from the past etc...    and don;t get me wrong, I don;t really it as an issue, but other people will and it will hurt her politically.   That's why if she wanted to be Mayor she should have had it removed.

I agree.