FYI: yr e-mail can haunt u 4ever

Why can't we behave? When the risks are huge and the potential consequences dire, why can't we stop ourselves from typing those suicidal e-mails, hitting the send key and sealing our doom?

This month, it's West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise's turn to ponder those questions. Until a few weeks ago, incumbent Wise was a shoo-in as Democratic candidate in his state's next gubernatorial election. Now, members of his own party are suggesting he resign; Republicans are savoring their improved chances -- and Wise, 55, has proved he is anything but.

The reckless fingers of fate -- his own -- may have typed him right out of the governor's office. And his cyber-trail of decidedly unromantic e-mails to a state employee with whom he may have been romantically involved are making him something of a literary laughingstock as well.

Wise is alleged to have had a relationship with Angela Mascia-Frye, 35, of the West Virginia Development Corp. Both are married -- to other people. And they corresponded by e-mail with the kind of dull propriety that one Web wag described as having all the passion of a tuna sandwich. (The most intimate missives are like this one, from Mascia-Frye to Wise: "Too bad you canceled your visit at our offices. We made special coffee for you today." And like this, from the governor: "Sorry to have missed you tonight at Alex's

There is no proof in the messages that they even had a sexual affair -- nor has either of them admitted specifics of their relationship. But the mere fact that the governor and his possible paramour engaged in extensive e-mail conversation -- 541 of their messages have been retrieved and released to the public, under the Freedom of Information Act -- has put them in harm's way. Mascia-Frye's husband has filed for divorce, and the governor's wife has released a statement saying she is "angry" and their two children are "disappointed" in Wise but still love him.

And so one more casualty of the electronic highway has crashed and burned. Wise certainly isn't the first and won't be the last. (This probably won't happen to President George W. Bush, who reportedly was advised before his inauguration to avoid e-mail entirely while in office. He is said to have sent messages to his friends, telling them he'd be using snail mail during his tenure, because of security risks.)

Gov. Gray Davis' office in Sacramento divulges that Davis doesn't use e-mail either -- although the state's first lady does. Other citizens who demand total privacy and security would be wise to follow suit.