Women: Sen. Bob Menendez paid us for sex in the Dominican Republic

[Sibboleth]

That would be because it's sleazy (and from someone who, yeah, looks the type to short change prostitutes, frankly) rather than properly scandalous.

[Smid]

If there's any truth to it, I guess the unions won't back him, since he's underpaying contracted labour...

[Former Moderate]

You guys seem awfully confident on this one. This was a non-competitive race that would have gone about 55-45 per the New Jersey normal. This is the type of thing that could move the needle. It's on my serious watch list.

[Lief]

You guys seem awfully confident on this one. This was a non-competitive race that would have gone about 55-45 per the New Jersey normal. This is the type of thing that could move the needle. It's on my serious watch list.

Is it even in the news at all though? It's not getting any play in the national media as far as I can tell. I'm sure the local news in New Jersey has more pressing things to report on. And the story is so sketchy and unsubstantiated that it's only a little more credible than rumor.

[Sibboleth]

You guys seem awfully confident on this one. This was a non-competitive race that would have gone about 55-45 per the New Jersey normal. This is the type of thing that could move the needle. It's on my serious watch list.

But don't you think that people who were going to vote for Menendez had sort of mentally assumed that he probably short changed prostitutes anyway?

[opebo]

(as an aside, I thought prostitutes are usually fully-paid up front; opebo or anyone else know the standard here?).

Yeap, that's how the system works here too.

Some kind of luxury hooker hired-for-days-for-an-orgy scenario is just about the only scenario I can imagine that might conceivably deviate from that rule. And even there it's hard to imagine.

Yeah, they're paid afterwards here, mostly, in the 'farang oriented industry'.  I mean it is only fair.  If you paid before, how would you know you'd get anything?

Though it is true that in most of the world pay-before is the standard, and for Thais in their own venues, they mostly pay before.

I think it has something to do with the fact that it is incredibly rare for white tourists to underpay or otherwise 'cheat' working girls here - Europeans, Australians, North Americans really do have a good reputation here:  Most girls would prefer to go with any of those nationalities for literally half the money they would charge Arabs, Indians, etc.  Also, interestingly, the prices they charge their own people are generally a bit higher as well, despite the reputation that a 'farang takes and hour, Thais take 10 minute'.

Interestingly though, the most sought after customers are of course east Asians - Japanese and Korea - the old saying goes '3 inches, 3 minutes, 3000 (baht)'.

[So the Heroes Fall]

I wonder if this will have any effect on Latino voters defecting to Republicans like Romney.  Latino voters and Latin women are devout Catholics, and a cheating Latin man will turn off a lot of Latin women. 

This pretty much ruins any chances Menendez had at getting the VP nod in 2016.

So...because a Latin guy who is not married (and thus not "cheating") may have underpaid prostitutes tons of Latin voters (who are mostly in other states and might not even hear about this) are going to vote for Romney over Obama who is entirely unrelated to this incident.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/InsaneTrollLogic

[So the Heroes Fall]

I wonder how many senators are shi**ing themselves right now out of fear that they're the philanderer about to be exposed.

84 or whatever the number of male members is at current.

You also can't rule out that there might be a female Senator who is a cougar, I mean would it shock anyone if it was found out that Gillibrand was f**king interns in her office or something?

[Sibboleth]

Do you have that particular fantasy often, or...?

[Senator Snowstalker]

I wonder if this will have any effect on Latino voters defecting to Republicans like Romney.  Latino voters and Latin women are devout Catholics, and a cheating Latin man will turn off a lot of Latin women. 

This pretty much ruins any chances Menendez had at getting the VP nod in 2016.

We Latinos...aren't exactly prudes, I'll tell ya that. Ever heard of Don Juan?

[BeccaM]

This isn't in the news at all and a lot of people in NJ don't even have power anyway.

Fail.

[Former Moderate]

You guys seem awfully confident on this one. This was a non-competitive race that would have gone about 55-45 per the New Jersey normal. This is the type of thing that could move the needle. It's on my serious watch list.

Is it even in the news at all though? It's not getting any play in the national media as far as I can tell. I'm sure the local news in New Jersey has more pressing things to report on. And the story is so sketchy and unsubstantiated that it's only a little more credible than rumor.

Leno did a joke about it last night, which is precisely the type of "national media" play that matters. Of course, whether or not your typical New Jersey voter saw it, I don't know.

Here's the thing, though -- you're dealing with a post Hurricane Sandy world. A lot of towns are wrecked in New Jersey, and urban areas got hit disproportionately hard when you consider that a lot of the wiped out shore constructs were vacation homes. I know Republicans will probably vote anyway on Tuesday. Inner-city voters who don't have power, and who don't have a real reason to vote since Obama's locksafe to carry New Jersey? I don't think Democrats can really work their usual urban GOTV efforts, and that could cost them in a state where the GOP floor is 40%.

[Mister Twister]

Menendzez is single so this is just like giving a waitress an 8% tip. This is a non-issue.

[Vazdul (Formerly Chairman of the Communist Party of Ontario)]

Wait a minute, this happened while I was stuck in the dark ages? LMAO.

[Sibboleth]

You guys seem awfully confident on this one. This was a non-competitive race that would have gone about 55-45 per the New Jersey normal. This is the type of thing that could move the needle. It's on my serious watch list.

But don't you think that people who were going to vote for Menendez had sort of mentally assumed that he probably short changed prostitutes anyway?

Called it.