By Eric Kohanik, ReMIND Magazine
Miss Nancy And Aunt Fancy
The nicknames were used by Andrew Jackson. James Buchanan (Miss Nancy) and William Rufus King (Aunt Fancy) began a relationship in 1834 that lasted nearly two decades. King became Franklin Pierce’s vice president in 1853; Buchanan became president in 1857. Buchanan was briefly engaged to a young woman in 1819 but remained a bachelor. Various writings, including his, pointed to assorted trysts, leading Buchanan to be widely regarded as America’s first gay president.
Grover Cleveland’s Love Child
Long before John Edwards and Arnold Schwarzenegger got caught in “love child” scandals, others had already blazed such trails. Grover Cleveland was famous for two non-consecutive terms in the White House. Before his political career blossomed, though, he sexually assaulted a sales clerk in Buffalo, N.Y., resulting in an illegitimate child. A scandal emerged, but Cleveland’s PR team spun things so that he triumphed, becoming mayor of Buffalo, governor of New York and, ultimately, U.S. president.
The Roosevelt Affair(s)
The shenanigans of Eleanor and Franklin Delano Roosevelt struck an unusual chord. Sharing the same last name before marriage, Eleanor was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt, and Franklin was a distant cousin of Eleanor’s father. Although Eleanor had an aversion to sex, the Roosevelts had six children. FDR also had several affairs, the most notable involving Eleanor’s secretary, Lucy Mercer. It began in 1916 and continued into his presidency and to his death in 1945. Eleanor found out in 1918, but the Roosevelts remained married. Eleanor is also said to have had relationships with other women throughout those years.
JFK And Marilyn
John F. Kennedy is often viewed as the most handsome president in history. He also is seen as one of the biggest hound dogs to inhabit the White House. Infidelities ranged from secretaries to actresses and strippers. The most famous involved Hollywood starlet Marilyn Monroe. Kennedy eventually ended things; many people believe Monroe’s emotional tailspin afterwards led to her suicide.
Wilbur Mills And Fanne Foxe
Politicians and strippers? One of the biggest cases involved Congressman Wilbur Mills. Revered for his 17-year tenure as chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, Mills was also a Democratic contender in the 1972 presidential race. Things took a turn in October 1974, thanks to alcohol and a stripper named Fanne Foxe. The resulting scandal boosted Foxe’s fame, and destroyed Mills’ legacy.
Chappaquiddick
The island off of Massachusetts called Chappaquiddick was relatively unknown until a single-car crash occurred there in July 1969. U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy drove off a bridge and into the water. He swam to safety; his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, did not. Kennedy didn’t report anything until nine hours later and the scandal spread quickly. After pleading guilty to a charge related to the crash, Kennedy received a two-month suspended jail sentence. But his presidential aspirations ended there.
Monicagate
The moral missteps of President Bill Clinton have long been swept under the rug. But when Clinton’s relationship with intern Monica Lewinsky was uncovered in 1998, his initial insistence that he “did not have sexual relations with that woman” was upended by recorded telephone conversations between Lewinsky and a coworker, Linda Tripp. The resulting firestorm led to Clinton’s impeachment by the House of Representatives. He was ultimately acquitted by the Senate.
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