As part of his defense, former Governor Bob McDonnell read the email below in court yesterday.  How sad that a marriage of 38 years had reached this point.  The Governor continues to sound clueless about what’s going on around him, in his home and in his marriage.  That appears to be his defense: complete ignorance of what his wife is feeling and doing.[read_more] Â
From: Bob McDonnell
Sent: Mon 9/05/2011 12:54 PM (GMT -4)
To: Maureen Mcdonnell
Subject: [No Subject]
I love you. Yesterday was one on the lowest points in my life. We have had very hard year emotionally, despite a wonderful anniversary celebration. You are my soulmate. I love being married to you and having a family. We have shared much good life together. I have made plenty of mistakes in my life which I wish I could fix. I am so sorry for all the times I have not been there for you and have done things to hurt you. I know I am a sinner and keep trying to do better. But I am completely at a loss as to how to handle the fiery anger and hate from you that has become more and more frequent. You told me again yesterday that you would wreck my things and how bad I am. It hurt me to my core. I have asked and prayed to God so many times to take this anger away from you and heal whatever hurt is causing it….some going back years and years. He has not yet answered those prayers. I often lie awake at night thinking what I can do to try to make things better. I admit that I do keep away from you sometimes and don’t talk to you about important things or problems to avoid confrontation. My whole life is spent trying to help my family and other people. Overall I am incredibly blessed to lead the life we have lead, and you are too. More great children, good jobs, material comforts and friends than most people ever have. I fight to continue to be humble and thankful for All God has done. l was very excited about this weekend to spend 3 days with you to do what we wanted. We started tough friday night but we agreed to a reset. I wanted yesterday to show we could work together. I planned to open gifts, walk to the river with you, talk to you(like you did when you bared your sweet soul a little about your childhood on the Aspen trip this summer) read, watch a movie and catch up on personal business. Somehow the best plans with us never work out. It makes me very sad. I am lonely sometimes. I want to be in love, not just watch movies about it. You are doing a really great job as First Lady…better than any I’ve seen and better than you probably expected as you were nervous taking the FLOVA job. l’m so proud of your public actions. Our private life though has great heartache. You tell me all the time how bad your life has been with me and how unhappy you are. l do not understand this. I am so spiritually and mentally exhausted from being yelled at. I don’t think you realize how you are affecting me and sometimes others with your tongue. As you told me many times and bought the book, “don’t sweat the samll stuff’. And everything is small stuff(Gary Smalley). I beg of you to think about conflict resolution in a peaceful manner. Ironically that was the focus of the readings at Church and Fr Jims homily yesterday. There is no problem we can’t work out if we are calm and talk nicely and respect each others position. I am NOT preaching! l love you and want to help make you happy and our family endure. I will do anything possible to try to fix our marriage if you will work with me. Today I will spend on the many tasks I need to do:working on Dads estate(sad), paying bills, 2010 taxes,student loans, getting our files in order, letters to kids, sandbridge properties, etc. And taking at least a little time to read something for my soul! l know you work hard too to run a good office. Let me know if you want to talk softly. Bob
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
I love that last part, “talk softly”. Â What a nightmare this is for Maureen McDonnell and their children.
68 comments
Politics can be devastating on marriages. Scripture therefore asks us to consider, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul (and or wife)?”
One more reason why I constantly wonder how we get good people to run for any elected office.
You are part of that reason, Jeanine. Why run when people like you are out there to question every action with a semi-informed smear job?
you didnt print the saddest part of this email letter…
the line at the bottom that said “sent by verizon blackberry”
Eileen, that is an excellent point. I debated whether or not to add that line but you are right and I will add it. Thank you for the comment.
Who writes an email that long, and that personal, on a Blackberry?
People who communicate primarily by Blackberry or IPhone. It may seem a little weird to some, but I suspect most Americans spend more time in electronic form, or on electronic forums, than is good for us.
You say nothing about being a nightmare for Bob!dont you get it?his wife is mental and needs help.think of how she probably screamed at the kids.
It still comes down to one question: why was this case prosecuted? And by the way the best piece written so far in discussing this case is Brian’s piece on the deal the prosecution made with Williams. There is nothing wrong with the Defense going down this road if it reflects the facts of the case and it’s the truth , the problem is that the Justice Department and the FBI were fundamentally wrong in pursuing this case given the politics which were involved. Combined this with the fact that the former head of USCIS’ actions are still under investigation, though not a “criminal” investigation, in regard to the Green Tech EB5 visas and that the same individual is now No.2 at DHS, it does contribute to the growing impression that that Justice in America is now driven more by politically motivated prosecutors and law enforcement agents rather than the rule of law.
it was prosecuted because one mebag took money from the other slimebag
Well if that is true, then why isn’t Terry McAuliffe in the pokey instead of the Governor mansion?
Why do you insist on all or nothing. What one does has nothing to do with anyone else. We can prosecute on scumbag at a time.
I’m not insisting on all or nothing. I would like for the DOJ and the FBI to pursue political corruption without giving the impression that it is political affiliation and politics which are driving investigations and indictments rather than law breaking.
For instance why is the current no. 2 at DHS still under investigation for what he did or did not do for GreenTech as head of USCIS? And why is it predetermined that no criminality was involved?
And why do Virginians have to wait for what appears to be a rather lackadaisical, and predetermined investigation to be conducted which involved and touched one Party’s nominee for Governor as opposed to an overly aggressive, and predetermined investigation which involved and touched another Party’s nominee for Governor?
Decent questions but they hijack this article. Let’s keep the threads here focused so that messages don’t blend together and loose their meaning
Glad to see we have the forum police on duty.
Not sure if you are complimenting me or being sarcastic. Forums like this can be portals for intelligence or targets for personal vendettas. As a long term suffered of ADHD, I find tangential threads overly distracting.
Hijack this article? What article? It’s a few comments on a pubic document, meant, I assume to start a discussion on the defense strategy which may or may not work.
First and foremost DOJ brought this case against McDonnell for political reasons the fact that McDonnell and his defense attorneys don’t have the brains and guts to go after the prosecution and the FBI is just as sad as watching the public humiliation of a family and marriage.
Who knew. Behind all the glitz, glamour, and pomp and circumstance, just another real couple in a failed relationship.
Yes, it is a nightmare, which is why I’m at a loss as to why you all feel compelled to post this stuff in its entirety.
Perhaps you don’t read the Washington Post or The Richmond Times but it’s been in all the papers. You might want to check the front page of today’s post. It’s right on top of the front page. You may not like it, but it is news.
I read the Post. And the Post this morning had two quoted sentences out of this email. That’s it. Two sentences.
You have cut and pasted the entire email and put it out here.
The Post article gave me information I needed to know. This is gratuitous. I know Jim Foley was decapitated by ISIL. I don’t need to watch the video to know that. I know Michael Brown was shot by police. I don’t need to see the autopsy photos.
You could actually write a news story talking about this, but instead you chose to just copy and paste this email. I know we shouldn’t expect more from a gossiping biddy, but don’t pretend that you don’t know you didn’t have to do this to talk about the “news.”
she posts because she loves the attention
Yup, all this negative attention is such a rush! LOL
My, my, reduced to nasty name calling. Some expect better from you.
And no one expects better from you.
And I’m just sick about it, sick I tell ya.
You continue to crack me up with your bitterness. You are a hoot!
If Julie Chen ever leaves Big Brother, I’m expecting Jeanine Martin to slide into her position.
But first…
Sorry, I don’t get the reference but it sounds fun!
“gossiping biddy”? Really???
Sexism has NO place in the Republican Party Mr. Shoeneman. Your comments are disrespectful not just to Mrs. Martin, but to ALL women. Offensive rhetoric like yours is unbecoming of a party official and only continues to hurt our party’s image by feeding into the “War Against Women”. I pray that the media doesn’t pick this up, the last thing we need is another party activist using sexist slang online, but just in case they do, I want to make it perfectly clear that your degrading comments about women do NOT represent the views of the Republican Party of Virginia. Such rhetoric should be called out and tackled head on for the good of the party. I hope you apologize immediately.
I’m not a party official, and my statement stands because it is accurate.
Nice try.
Brian,
You really need to neuter your rhetoric to avoid such misunderstandings.
I don’t need to neuter anything, Doug. There is no misunderstanding here. This is just the typical ham-fisted activity of Jeanine and her friends.
“I’m not a party official” and for that we are all thankful. No one has to worry about that ever happening in our party.
Mr. Shoeneman, you openly claim on your profile that you are a “Republican public official”, so I would consider you to be somewhat representative of the party if that is the case, not the type of person who should be going around using sexist and insensitive language on the internet. Maybe if you were a woman you would understand just how hurtful that term really is.
I’ve been called worse, including by the person I was referring to. Again, the comment wasn’t sexist. I was using an apt adjective to describe Jeanine. But please, enlighten the rest of us as to what is so hurtful about this term. The folks on this site – most of whom defended an actual RPV official when he disparaged Muslims and called a female member of the House of Delegates a “twat” – apparently could use the insight.
And I’m going to assume you keep misspelling my name on purpose, since it’s right there in front of you. Just fall me Brian. No need to stand on ceremony here.
Thank you. He can’t help himself. We all need to chuckle, pray for him, and move on. Fortunately he has no role in our party and never will represent any Republican in Virginia.
Jeanine, your track record in predicting the future leaves much to be desired, much like your writing, your treatment of other people, and a whole mess of things.
At some point, you’re going to realize how foolish you look. Good luck. We’ll be praying for you, too.
Thank you Brian. I appreciate your concern and your prayers.
If you actually do, you will take a step back and think long and hard about how you treat other people, Jeanine. At some point, I would like to think that you actually do have a conscience and there may be some regret in you for what you’ve done. Then my reason kicks in.
See above, praying for you and your deep bitterness. That never makes anyone happy.
Jeanine, you can keep repeating yourself, but that doesn’t make it true. I’m not bitter, and you’re not going to pray for me.
What I am is disgusted. You’re just not a good person. And you’re not very good at pretending that you are.
Instead of pretending to pray for me, you should actually pray for yourself. You need it far more than I do.
Brian, I feel so bad for you. I really do. I hope God changes your bitter heart so that you can be a happy person. You may not like it, but I continue to pray for you.
I think we would all be happier if you’d stop lying and concern trolling, Jeanine. You don’t feel bad for me, you aren’t praying for me, and you know I’m not a bitter person.
I think we’d also like it I if you’d stop with the faux Christian pretenses, too. It’s hard to square you wasting breath asking God to “change my bitter heart” (you apparently have no problems lying to God, either) when you won’t spare am ounce of sympathy for folks who really need it, like those kids on the border.
“when you won’t spare am ounce of sympathy for folks who really need it, like those kids on the border. ”
Brian,
I think the next question you need to ask Jeanine is:
“Do you beat your wife?”
And of course when she protests and laughs off that she doesn’t have a wife.
You finally got her:
“What happened to her and where’s the body?”
It would be nice if you took the situation at the border a little bit more seriously, after all as a lawyer the breakdown of law and order is a existential challenge for you. No law , no lawyers.
Fortunately, I’m more than just my profession.
LA LA, Lawyers Above the Law Association?
Brian,
I understand you honestly and sincerely believe you are taking the moral high ground on border issues, immigration and the associated problems, but you aren’t, you’re taking the tear jerking position of some images at the border while ignoring others, and other images in communities across America which will have to deal with more than just a few more kids in our classrooms.
I’m not doing that at all, Doug. I’m the one calling for a solution to the problem that takes care of these kids until they can be sent home, fixes the borders, tightens enforcement where necessary, and the like. I think that’s been pretty clear in what I’ve written.
If you want a solution I invite you and BD to join me in lending support to the whistleblowers who came forward from USCIS in 2005-2006 with a real solution to the problem – clean up the agency which handles immigration before expecting the government to be able to carry out and implement reforms.
If you need background information I would be happy to provide it.
We’ve talked about that before, and I agree that cleaning up Customs and ICE are important parts of whatever reform package is put together.
USCIS?
All of the agencies. USCIS, Customs, ICE – all of them need to be reviewed.
Well Brian I would argue that USCIS has a special priority to be reviewed, since not only did it directly impact our last gubernatorial election but right now the National Benefit Center out in Missouri, which was brought to the attention of Congress and the FBI over eight years ago for serious fraud in hiring and in processing benefits is about to play a central role in DACA and UACs processing.
As I recall, I came in second last year in Bearing Drift’s contest to predict the outcome of the November 2013 elections. I’m sure you remember, http://bearingdrift.com/2013/11/06/prediction-contest-results/ Thanks for reminding me, I never claimed my prize.
My predictions in politics has always been quite good.
You also predicted I was going to resign or be removed, Shaun was going to resign or be removed, what happened in Fairfax last November was going to be reversed, and a whole mess of other things.
I’m glad you’re still clinging to coming in second place in a contest we did, though. Congratulations.
We’ll keep praying that you can get over your bitterness Brian.
“gossiping biddy” can apply equally to men.
I didn’t find Brian’s comment disrespectful to women.
we can leave the argument on “War on Women” for another time.
Ah, no, biddy refers to a woman. Men are never called biddies. According to google the definition of biddy is:
“bid·dy
ˈbidē/
noun
informal
a woman, usually an elderly one regarded as annoying or interfering.
“the old biddies were muttering in his direction”
Brian hit a twofer, both ageist and sexist. He has quite the way with words.
It’s a gift.
Good grief its been offered in a public forum by Bob himself as his defense. You MIGHT have a point if it was leaked in some manner or as a Federal exhibit… how can folks form a fair opinion without the source docs provided by Bob himself? Im glad it was posted… I certainly would not want some one like you acting as a gatekeeper for acceptable news and I dont read the Post anymore
We’re not on the jury. At some point, I would like to think that this kind of virtual voyeurism becomes distasteful even for the tastes of those oversaturated in it.
Someone like me, huh? Okay.
“you all”
Yeah, it’s a shame Maureen turned out to be a shrew.
Even more sad that her husband didn’t notice until it was way too late.
So, biddy is an insult – sexist and ageist, according to you – but calling someone a shrew isn’t an insult?
Where is your outrage against Steve Evans for calling Maureen a shrew?
No one should be called a shrew. I hate what they’re doing to Maureen McDonnell. Who is Steve Evans (other than a commenter here) and how might I control his behavior?
No clue. You jumped on Brian for calling you a biddy, then you agreed with Evans that Maureen is a shrew. It seems very hypicritical to me.
Oh my, how sad!!! :..(
This is really heartbreaking.