The Difficult, Demanding Diva in the Governor's Mansion

Maureen McDonnell at a recent cheerleader reunion.

According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch this morning, the following is a picture of Virginia's former First Lady--and former Washington Redskins cheerleader--as presented as the trial of she and her husband:

Janet Kelly, ex-Secretary of the Commonwealth, said Maureen McDonnell was "very difficult, very demanding, very diva-ish." She said a number of Executive Mansion staff members threatened to quit in 2012 unless MM stopped treating them “in such an unprofessional and disrespectful manner.” She said Maureen McDonnell was “pathologically incapable” of accepting personal responsibility.

Former Special Assistant Kathleen Scott said she she reached out to Virginia Commonwealth University for help in dealing with Maureen and that consultant James Burke told her the staff should act as if it were dealing with a 5-year-old. Burke is head of the Performance Management Group at VCU. He suggestedthe first lady move from the mansion back to the family to help alleviate her stress and he offered that she should get counseling to deal with issues caused in part by her high-profile role (which she insists she didn't invite).

Meanwhile, the husband in this soap opera. former Gov. Bob McDonnell, testified this week that he is "absolutely innocent," even though he holds himself accountable ... for something or other. The story quotes former Justice Department official and ex-federal prosecutor Andrew McBride, thusly: "The fundamental inconsistency in McDonnell’s testimony is taking ‘full responsibility’ while blaming his imbalanced, affection-starved wife for everything.”

McDonnell, says defense attorney Chuck James, is "an engaging personality. He’s has spoken to the cameras many times and this time he was speaking to 12 members of the jury. But unlike a State of the Commonwealth Address, he’s got opposing counsel that’s going to come after him when he’s done."

(By the way, according to this link, sent to me by Michael Abraham, homophobic Bob McDonnell is living with a gay Catholic priest in Richmond. At least he's consistently inconsistent.)