An Ambassadorial Nominee and Ex-SCOTUS Clerk's Racy Emails

A former Supreme Court clerk, currently President Obama's nominee to serve as ambassador to Iraq, finds his personal life under scrutiny thanks to some racy leaked emails. How racy?

The purported emails — neither McGurk nor Chon has confirmed their legitimacy — are collected over at Cryptome. Here’s one chain (click to enlarge, hehe):

What I like about this email is that it confirms the humanity of two extremely successful professionals. First, former Supreme Court clerks get “blue balls” (which, the Beacon helpfully informs us, is “a term that refers to sexual frustration”). Second, high-profile Wall Street Journal reporters eat whoppers and onion rings (and still manage to look fabulous; what’s Gina Chon’s secret?).

Along the same lines (again, click to enlarge):

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Oh my goodness. Former Supreme Court clerks engage in this activity? Can’t they just bring themselves to climax by reflecting on their own greatness?

(Okay, that’s fine, most males do bang their own gavels. Just don’t get it on a lawyer’s clothing, or you might get sued.)

You can read the rest of the emails over here. Feel free to note interesting tidbits in the comments. My main takeaway from the correspondence is that Brett McGurk’s libido is as robust as his intellect (a conclusion also suggested by this allegation about McGurk). The last time I checked, being horny wasn’t a crime — or even enough to disqualify you from high office.

For important and sensitive positions like the ambassadorship to Iraq, we want the smartest, most knowledgeable, and most experienced people possible. Whether they might have certain personal quirks or outsized appetites strikes me as neither here nor there. Speaking for myself, I think it’s healthy for our government officials to be, well, human — with all of the greatness and the shortcomings that the human condition entails.

Best of luck to Brett McGurk in the confirmation process.

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UPDATE (6/13/2012): Gina Chon has resigned from the Wall Street Journal.

UPDATE (6/18/2012): Brett McGurk has withdrawn as President Obama’s nominee for the ambassadorship.

Brett H. McGurk bio [Council on Foreign Relations]
President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts [White House]
Arabian Nights: Leaked Emails Endanger Obama Nominee [Washington Free Beacon]
Ambassadorial Nominee Brett McGurk and WSJ Gina Chon Emails [Cryptome]
Whistleblower Alleges Top U.S. Official Got Blowjob On Roof Of Baghdad Embassy [BuzzFeed]
Rule No. 1: It is Poor Judgement to Talk About Fight Club [We Meant Well]