COVINGTON - Gov. Paul Patton's sexual misadventures didn't go unnoticed in Northern Kentucky Friday night.

        Symbolically, after a 5 p.m. news conference in which the governor reversed himself and admitted to having had an affair with nursing home operator Tina Conner in the late 1990s, dark skies opened and poured rain.

        Most people whom a reporter encountered in Northern Kentucky weren't surprised at the news about Mr. Patton. Nothing personal. It's just that they have lower expectations of politicians these days.

        “Oh, it's not a good thing,” said Niki Ledford, 29, a Republican from Covington. “Morally speaking, I think less of him, but still, it's his private business. (President) Clinton brought that kind of activity right into the Oval Office. If it turns out that Gov. Patton did this thing on public time, then it's a different story.”

        Gary Midkiff, 45, a former Cincinnati resident, Democrat and resident of Lexington, said he doesn't know what to make of the situation. He said he's not sure if he wants to be associated with either political party right now.

        “He got caught - another one bites the dust,” Mr. Midkiff said. “He's as human as the rest of us. Maybe the public has been desensitized to this kind of behavior since President Clinton. Just look at history. It's filled with this stuff.”

        “Politicians will be politicians,” added Tom Spicher, 62, a Democrat from Louisville. “I don't like it, but I'm not going to condemn the man for something a lot of other people have done.”

        Junior Maines, 53, agreed.

        “He's OK,” said the Republican from Bellevue. “It's no worse than what Clinton did. Nothing wrong with Patton.”

        Randy Gearding, 41, a political independent who lives in Covington, said he isn't fazed by the governor's news conference.

        “This kind of thing is so common now, it's like the public accepts it,” he said. “I don't think people bat an eye at it anymore. They just say, "Well, what else is new?' It's not been a hot topic at Skyline Chili, where I manage the restaurant.”

        Dan Georgescu, 50, an independent from Villa Hills, had a unique insight.

        “If his act was based on passion, then good. Men are men. But if he doesn't know how to handle an affair, then it's not good. A man has to act like a man. Maybe that's Old World thinking, but that's how I see it.”

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