Gossip columnist Dan Bice publishes a story about Police Chief Flynn having an affair with former reporter and conservative darling Jessica McBride. I’m not going to get into it too much, there are plenty of other blogs on both sides who are having a field day with this and I don’t feel like jumping into the cesspool.
I think the best thing to do is to realize there are real people involved here, and in McBride’s case, several children and a husband as well.
The biggest issue here outside of the personal stuff is the fact that McBride lectures about journalism and ethics at UW Milwaukee. I don’t know how you can have someone teaching about ethics in journalism when that person has violated the very ethics they’re trying to teach about, but that’s the decision of the UW Milwaukee.
One other thing about this whole mess… in their breaking, breathless TEAM coverage of this last night, WTMJ looked simply ridiculous. As someone else said, is it TMJ or TMZ?
I live in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Milwaukee, WI with my wife Jen, our daughter Emerson, and son Carter.
I agree that this type of tabloid trash is beneath contempt. Unless it somehow involves misuse of taxpayer assets or political power, a simple affair is none of our business. It does not seem that McBride violated journalistic ethics though. How would this affect her job? Teddy Kennedy continues to sit in our highest house of government and produce laws regarding drunk driving, manslaughter, and obstruction of justice. I’m guessing that his incident far outweighs this one, and yet there has never been outrage from his side of the aisle. Perhaps that should be our standard then, rather than always pointing the finger at the conservatives we don’t like.
Just a thought
About the ethical side of it, because she has a lengthy article about the Chief in the current issue of Milwaukee Magazine and she had a relationship with him while writing it.
There is no proof or evidence that the relationship preceded the article. In fact, it has been made public that the articl3e instigated the affair. This is tabloid journalism, and I would hope that Mr. Bice joins the ranks of those with tarnished reputations from this affair. I know I have lost respect for him.
Makes me wonder what Bice’s motivation was in publishing this garbage.
Or the motivation of whoever gave the letters in question to Bice. I think that’s the bigger question.
I would agree with that as well. Pretty cheesy thing to do. I have always despised backstabbers and axe-grinders. Bice should have been smart enough to investigate, find no public impropriety, and table the story. Mr. Bice really disappointed me on this one.
Other than the fact that Jessica McMattressback has a history of these tawdry behaviors. But your comment is typical Republiclown hypocrisy. Accusatory tone when the opposition does it while callowly trying to change the subject when it’s one of your own. Clinton’s affair was none of your business either, putz.
George, I see you are hauling around a lot of partisan hatred. Clearly, you also have no idea how offensive the word putz can be in some circles. No matter, most conservatives are used to intolerance offered from open-minded liberals.
First, you have no idea what my position on Clinton was, so commenting on it is pointless. In addition, there were other complicated issues of perjury involved Mr. Clinton’s troubles. The problem there was never really the affair itself, though romantic relationships with subordinates bring up other troubling possibilities.
Second, I wonder what your position was on Mr. Clinton? Did you defend him as many other liberals did? Wouldn’t that be a hypocritical position as well, or perhaps only “republiclowns” can be accused of hypocrisy?
Third, “callow” is defined as “lacking adult sophistication or immature”. I suspect that definition would apply better to your use of “Mcmattressback”, “republiclown” and “putz”. If you’d like another $2 word to use try this one on for size: ninnyhammer. It fits you like a glove.
See you at anger management, Geoff.
Sorry I called you George there, Geoff. I’m sure that to a fella with your leanings, that smarts worse than putz.
The Clinton debacle surely wasn’t about perjury. The perjury issue was a scapegoat used to make the tantrum seem legitimate. If the perjury was about something else of equal real inconsequence but of less “moral” repugnance, it would never have gotten him into hot water. I wish Bush only lied about sex!
But, yes, I agree… it is silly for Geoff to assume your position or my position on the Clinton issue just because we’re registered Republicans, just as it’s silly for an international to assume every American was supporting the invasion of Iraq.
Actually, I’m not a registered anything. I am fiscally conservative though, and somewhat of a strict Constitutionalist. I am also a union member, adoptive parent, organic gardener, and owner of rescued pets.
Don’t be so quick to pigeon-hole everyone folks.
Dan, she pointed out in an e-mail to Sykes the relationship did not start until after the article was published.
As they say in j-school, if your mother says she loves you, check it out.
Why do you believe that?
Everyone loves a good scandal. The only thing better than Jerry Springer is the same stories on the nightly news.
I’m inclined to view these things as private matters, and while I’m personally in the clear, I’m disinclined to throw stones.
This stuff’s as old as the hills, and just not that important to the commonweal.
I don’t think Flynn’s cred as a police chief is as damaged as McBride’s cred as a journalist, however.
What about Flynn’s cred as a husband, and McBride’s as a wife?
And that is our business how??
Would you believe him when he takes public vows? Her?
I don’t think anyone’s going to be asking her to take any public vows, Stan. As for him, promising to do your job is a little easier than promising to be faithful to another human being for the rest of your life.
Um, ..Ed does not even live with his wife, nor do we know if he is a religious man in the vows department. If we fire all city employees who cheat on a spouse or break a personal vow, I dare say Mr. Barrett will be assisting with pot holes and rubbish collection. Humans err.
Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your politics)
the private affairs of public people often become big news. How many affairs and faux pas have we previously discussed on this blog?
Some things warrant mentioning, primary among them is that Ms. McBride teaches journalistic ethics. I do not see how she can teach that topic any more, having committed one of the biggest blunders one can make in their role as a reporter.
Chief Flynn informed Mayor Barrett of his “indiscretion” on June 3. The article could have been written any time before April 20 and then. It’s too close to call, and you know there’s not going to be honesty about when the affair occurred if it will cover someone’s ass.
What blunder is that? She did a free lance article and did not date Flynn until many weeks later. What is the problem there? Do you mean that once a story is written, a reporter may never have contact with that person again socially?
The chief does not live with his wife. McBride finished the article in February and the affair began in May. No harm, no foul. You are really stretching things if you see a smoking gun. Just leave it be. Bice and the Journals tabloid trash have punished them far more than they deserved. Just another reason I am glad that I let my subscription expire.
That she carries the arrogance of riding the moral high horse.
What moral high horse? She teaches Journalism ethics at UWM, not morals at a seminary. Might as well get rid of the tar and feathers, Stan. Nothing to see here.
McBride had the opportunity to demonstrate to Bice that the affair started AFTER the article was written but she ducked him for a couple weeks. Bice didn’t write the article until Flynn confirmed the affair. You folks forget this important point. Bice reported what he could confirm, and she wouldn’t respond to his calls and e-mails until after the first story was in print. If she isn’t happy with the spin on the first story it’s her own damn fault.
Going forward you have to wonder what kind of career she will have. Perhaps Charlie Sykes will prop her up once again.
Sykes certainly provided the moral example for her in this department. He left two wifes and children from both marriages and is now wed for the third time to a woman he “shot off fireworks” with on the beach at Shorewood while Wife #2 was home taking care of kids #2 and #3.
So, you are saying that Bice wrote the column because he had no confirmation or evidence that either of them had done anything wrong? Well, I hope he hurries to press with the fact that I did not rob a bank, Mayor Barrett was not caught in bed with Susan Mudd and Jim Doyle has not been sleeping with the trial lawyers and road builders… oh wait, that last one is probably true.
Are you that dense, Family Guy? He wrote the article after FLYNN confirmed the affair! Had McBride not ducked his calls and e-mails, she would have had the chance to show that she didn’t start seducing the chief until after the article had been “put to bed” (so to speak).
Again, she can thank Charlie Sykes for serving as he “moral” model. Perhaps she is now ahead of Chuckie. He only wrecked two marriages, and she may be up to three — Paul Bucher’s first marriage, Paul Bucher’s second marriage, and perhaps Chief Flynn’s marriage. Quite the record, don’t you think?
Actually, Bice forced Flynn to divulge the affair. He was going to press with the piece, and he told Flynn that Mark Belling was also going to do the story. That was not the case, but it forced Flynn to take pre-emptive action. Apparently, some jerk with an axe to grind thought he’d have some fun at their expense. I suspect you would have alot in common with the pinhead that started all this, Mert.
The journalistic ethical question would be around impartiality. However, the need to be impartial is a little different in a human interest profile than in a straight news story. However fond of Flynn McBride may have been becoming, the portrayal of him in the article seems like a pretty fair one, clay feet and all.(Except maybe for the “oh, we’re all Irish and you know what that means” stuff, and that’s just annoying.)
Actually, the ethics issues are important. Even if, for some unknown reason, one was foolish enough to believe McBride’s excuse, you cannot tell me that she wasn’t already emotionally cheating on her husband. She just didn’t consummate her feelings until afterward.
And don’t forget she is also a columnist for the Waukesha Freeman. Did she write any columns there about Flynn?
Total side note, but it’s interesting to see what draws people’s interest. I can spend weeks researching important issues like the misuse of tax dollars on two million dollar websites and it barely gets as much interest/traffic as a post that took five minutes to write about something that no one will care about on Monday.
I’ve noted the same thing on my “little” site. The one’s I think are killers aren’t, and my throw away posts get the most attention.
Amen.
People love gossip and are easily bored by policy and numbers. That is why bread and circuses worked so well… and still does. We just replaced Christians and lions with singers and online voting.
Flynn compromised the integrity of his office. McBride violated a basic journalism tenant, not getting too close to one’s sources. Flynn’s indiscretion left him open to blackmail. McBride’s indiscretion shredded her journalistic credibility.
Both should be fired. Milwaukee looks like a third-world city if both remain. Basic professional standards can’t be circumvented and this is not a liberal/conservative issue, FamilyGuy.
How did Flynn compromise his office? If he was playing naughty prison warden with her in the jail, maybe that would be something, but he did this off duty. While McBride will likely have trouble at home over this, the whole fling was totally detached from the milk toast article written for a two-bit local magazine. Exactly how did this tryst affect anyone outside of it.
Face it, those salivating like grinning hyenas over this tabloid tid-bit are doing so purely out of ideological spite, as McBride is a conservative. Someone even brought up Charlie Sykes… was there a threesome here that I missed? The fact that you call for them to be fired leads me to suspect that you are one of those Hyenas, John.
btw, where did you stand on the Bill Clinton affairs? Did you want him fired too? Hmm.
Yes, I brought up Chuckie Sykes, for it was Chuckie who created Ms. McBride. She returned the favor by emulating her role model, the serial divorcee. Poor Paul Bucher — he threw away his first marriage for this hussy. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Charlie Sykes created her? I never knew he was so powerful. Mert, you seem like an angry, disgruntled man, so I’ll just ignore your schadenfreude over this. I imagine you have made mistakes in your life too… I wonder if you’d like all your dirty laundry aired in public by someone who hates you for no other reason than your political leanings. Seems kind of a petty reason for so much hatred… but that’s just me.
In light of your vitriol, I think you might want to read that “do unto others” passage again. Perhaps you should consult Charlie about it, I’ve heard tell that he has been helping out the Creator now and again.
Actually, Sykes, on his show on Friday, said he encouraged her to blog and helped her on her radio show. So yeah, you could say he at least helped create her, or at least make her a public figure.
Family Guy again demonstrates how he earned his Densa membership. Recall that Ms. McBride was being eased out at the Journal Sentinel because of her affair with the married District Attorney. (After all, how could you have a reporter sleeping with one of the people she covered?) So it was Chuckie Sykes who brought her over to his television show as a guest commentator and Chuckie Sykes who helped give her the ill-fated evening radio show which lasted until she went over the line taunting Eugene Kane.
Given the marital fidelity track record of Mr. Sykes, isn’t it also clear that he was apparently “mentoring” her here as well? Birds of a feather stick together.
Is the sky prettier where you live, Mert?
The only things I’ve found interesting about this story is the intersection between the set of people defending her (and indirectly the chief) with the set of people who have attacked other married public figures who have strayed, and the intersection between the set of folks attacking her and the chief with the set of folks defending previous public adulterers.
Beyond that it’s a yawner.
I will certainly not defend what was done. As I have no idea what the status of either marriage is, I have no idea what level of marital betrayal, if any, is present here. And I don’t want to know either, not my business. No crime or public impropriety occurred. Therefor, this is not an issue for a reasonable journalist to run with. It was sleazy tabloid. If that is how Mr. Bice wishes to be considered, then I would guess that the largest damage done by this story was to Mr. Bice’s reputation as a critical and bi-partisan reporter.