On MSNBC's Decision 2006: Battleground America, host Tucker Carlson compared allegations of abuse against Nevada Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Gibbons to former President Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky. Carlson noted races in which the “personal lives of ... candidates have become issues,” including “a candidate in Nevada accused of roughing up a woman not his wife” and candidates with extramarital affairs, including “at least one who's admitted it” -- an apparent reference to Rep. Don Sherwood (R-PA), who was accused by his mistress of physical abuse. Carlson stated, “I thought, post-Clinton, your personal sexual conduct was not supposed to be relevant to anything unless you broke the law,” adding: "[I]t's very odd all of a sudden to see Democrats attacking Republicans for their weird sex lives -- basically." Carlson's guest, Republican political consultant Rev. Joseph Watkins, a former adviser to President Bush's 2004 re-election campaign, said, “Well, yeah, this is kind of weird stuff. ... I don't think it ends up changing any votes at the end of the day.”

As the Associated Press reported, Chrissy Mazzeo, a casino waitress, accused Gibbons “of pushing her against a wall inside [a parking] garage Oct. 13 and propositioning her after the two had drinks together at a nearby restaurant.” Sherwood admitted to having an affair with Cynthia Ore in a recent campaign ad but disputes allegations that he had “repeatedly chok[ed]” and “attempt[ed] to strangle” her. In the ad, Sherwood says that “the allegation of abuse was never true.” As Media Matters for America noted, Ore filed a lawsuit against Sherwood based on these and other allegations of abuse. The AP also reported that Sherwood paid Ore $500,000 to settle the case.

As Media Matters has noted, in an October 9 article, the Philadelphia Inquirer similarly characterized Sherwood's affair as “Clintonian,” without noting the allegations of abuse against Sherwood.

From the 1 p.m. ET hour of MSNBC's Decision 2006: Battleground America:

CARLSON: There have been a number of races, though, a striking number of races in which the personal lives of the candidates have become issues. There's a candidate in Nevada accused of roughing up a woman not his wife, a -- a couple candidates accused of having -- and at least one who's admitted it -- having extramarital affairs. I thought, post-Clinton, your personal sexual conduct was not supposed to be relevant to anything unless you broke the law.

WATKINS: Well, people still hold the people who want to be elected officials to a higher standard. They want the folks who are going to represent them in the House or the Senate to be people they can look up to, people who are real leaders by the way they live as well as by what they proclaim.

CARLSON: Right.

WATKINS: So, that's -- that's why it's important to folks. I mean, people want to see folks who are the real deal.

CARLSON: It's interesting, though, to see Democrats -- and I'm not editorializing against it, I'm just noting it -- it's very odd all of a sudden to see Democrats attacking Republicans for their weird sex lives -- basically.

WATKINS: Well, yeah, this is kind of weird stuff. I mean, you wouldn't think that this would come -- you know, ultimately, Tucker, I don't think it ends up changing any votes at the end of the day.