Nation shocked by first of its kind infidelity scandal.

The world is still reeling from the revelation that former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered a child outside of his marriage.

The news is particularly surprising considering Schwarzenegger's background as an athlete, an actor, and a politician; three types of people traditionally known for scrupulous observance of their wedding vows.

"I was shocked at the very idea," said former South Carolina governor Mark Sanford. "For an American politician to be having an ongoing affair while in office, it might be unprecedented."

"I'm not sure I even completely understand the concept," said former House Speaker and presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich, furrowing his brow and tripping over his words as he tried to come to terms with the news. "I never even stopped to think that it was possible to have sex with someone other than your wife. What kind of American office-holder does that?"

"This could shake people's basic sense of confidence in their elected officials," said former New York governor Eliot Spitzer. "It's the kind of blow that the public might never recover from. And I know a thing or two about unusual blows."

Spitzer vainly struggles to understand infidelity concept. "Like a riddle wrapped in an enigma," he said.

Schwarzenegger's backers have expressed confusion and outrage for weeks; an understandable reaction given the first-of-its-kind nature of his transgression. The news threatens to derail his return to acting, as prominent figures from all over Hollywood joined the chorus expressing consternation at his behavior.

"He might never recover from this," said Jude Law. "Maybe in some professions you can get caught red handed at that kind of thing and still find work, but not here."

"There really are some things that you do that just never go away," said legendary director Roman Polanski. "People won't go to your movies if they're always thinking about that one terrible thing that you did that everyone knows about that's been hanging over your head ever since. Even thirty, thirty four years later, you'll just never get your career back."

"Easily the most sordid Hollywood story I've ever heard," said Polanski. "Ever."

Given his background as a bodybuilder, one would hope that Schwarzenegger would have kept the basic moral integrity that competitive athletes are known for.

"It's a damn shame," said golf star Tiger Woods, who declined to comment any further on the grounds that virtually everything funny about him has already been said three times.

"This is almost as bad as if he had been caught using steroids," added Lance Armstrong.

Americans will continue to long for the halcyon days of a few weeks ago when they could trust their public figures to behave like Quaker elders, but the former governor's behavior has forever ravaged the tender, naive sensibilities of this young nation.

Pictured: Former governor not diddling house staff. Public assumed that such images accounted for 100% of Schwarzenegger's activities.

Fans and supporters can only look back on Schwarzenegger's fifty years of international fame and wonder where it all went wrong.