Um, isn't it a little soon to be jumping the shark?

Unmarried people having relationships, serious and non-serious, and accidentally sending private e-mails around? Shocking! Then again, it's not shocking that low-level media will wet itself over the unimportant implications of something that happens with some frequency.

Seriously. Is this news?

PLEASE - have some respect. Take this down. It's not relevant - there is no impropriety having to do with public policy or his position.

Posting this kind of stuff - what are you thinking? I'm embarrassed for you.

This is what Crosscut has become?

I liked the old Crosscut better.

Frankly if this is what Feit brings from Publicola I'm going to question my support to Crosscut. It seems like Feit is confusing political journalism with TMZ tabloids.

Simply, wow. Quite a vicious debut.

This has nothing to do with the nature of the Reardon story.

This, too, will not end well for Publicola.

Oh, good. Gossip. Not enough of that on the Internet.

I told you, Brewster. Train wreck for Crosscut on the very first day.

What "communications consultant" can't manage an email address book?

Great exclusive for Crosscut. I could have missed it, but I don't see this on any other paper in town. Day 1 looks pretty good for the new kids and for the site in general. Bravo and looking forward to more.

DistrictWatcher,

Yep, most of us have failed at times to control our email distribution lists. I've done it as one of the original sysops of CompuServe over 30 years ago and as one of the first employees of msn.com (called Marvel during testing).

That said, your comment reveals ignorance. What does this email, mistakenly sent from Fugua to many, have to do with Crosscut's purpose?

Whatever relationship Constantine and Fugua have or had is none of my business. What IS of concern to me is the direction Crosscut is taking.

If Crosscut wants to be dramatic and try to attract eyeballs with sensationalism, okay, I understand the economics. If Crosscut wants to be a respected forum for honest journalists, okay, then I will support them.

Felt's article which is irrelevant and nonsensical and has me ready to change my decision to monitor Crosscut on a daily basis.

Will I be missed? Nope. But the thousand people who believe as I do do will be missed.

Bruce

Why are the commenters so jazzed up over something they regard as unimportant ? Weird !
I appreciate the JOLT statement:
"We haven't seen any evidence that Constantine's liaison with Fuqua crossed legal lines or raised legal questions"
We are thankful for the reporting, and lacking some new information of an unethical or illegal nature, the story will die a death of neglect. On the other hand, Reardon has been shown to be an embezzler of public funds but remains in office. He suddenly came up with a proposal recently to increase law enforcement funding in a shallow attempt to leverage some neglect out of them.
Here in the NW, we have a long list of slimeball politicians who carried on for decades without a peep from the media tools of the ruling families. Though individual incidents may seem too "lowly" and beneath the dignified ramblings of approved news, these stories do, none the less, speak to the character of the office-holders. I do agree with Constantine that this is a private affair. Unfortunately, when we hear the privacy word, it too often becomes a weak shield for actual corruption, i.e., Spitzer, John Edwards, Reece Lindquist, on and on ad nauseum. Of course the aristocracy doesn't want this kind of story released to the genereal public. It can reduce their ability to control the organized passing of the baton from one useless stooge to the next.
The number one problem with Crosscut is that it is boring ! It is a relentless creek of progressive pap mixed in with the toxic tailings from the patronage mines of our Rulers and Masters. Does anyone have a memory of a time when you could read stories slapping down the Tammany Halls of America ? I think Seattle Metro has been void of agressive media for at least 50 years now.
Grow up whiners !
Jsa

If you're going to write an article about it, the least you could do is reprint the whole e-mail. And couldn't you have included a link to an appropriate Hank Williams song?

What a bullshit story. Why not have let Publicola publish it? Oh yeah.......

Up to now Crosscut has been stodgy but respectable. This is disgusting; take it off.

So much for moderation, in at least two senses of the word.

Is this the tip of the iceberg? There was some talk of Dow doing this sort of thing with an employee prior to his election, it was dismissed out of hand by the Media. The real question is will the media follow-on and ask the questions and do the hard research to verify if this is a pattern and if any public funds or policies have been impacted by the behavior?

A comment has been removed as unnecessarily personal, among other things. The removal apparently took off the whole thread.

No, it didn't. Take it down, at least in pity for Constantine's companion whose name is being dragged into this.

Closing ranks around the Executive to maintain his political viability, nice. Where was all of these calls for compassion when Dow's folks were unsealing records on his election opponent?

The press should examine the relationship between politicians and consultants.

Fuqua the public.

Great way to start your time on Crosscut - by dragging a painful personal issue into the public realm. Super classy! What we know now is that two adults had an affair and it ended. It is very unfortunate, but there does not seem to be anything illegal happening.

Thanks, Josh for making this very personal issue public for no reason of public good that I can see. You should be ashamed of the hurt you are causing - especially to those who you nicely named. Now we know what you will bring to Crosscut.

More appropriate for one of Rupert Murdoch's trashy rags than for Crosscut...I'm both surprised and disappointed as I'd enjoyed reading PubliCola on line. But this "expose" is just garbage...esp. bringing in the Reardon situation in order to give the article some "spice."

The complaints about the article only draw more attention to it, and launching personal insults at the author makes it another dimension more intriguing still. And if one finds such reporting repugnant, why throw such material out to the world oneself? [Later edit - I see the worst comments have now been withdrawn.]

In any case, I see exactly the same story atop the PI, as well.