June was not a good month for self-righteous Republican politicians who proclaim themselves champions of family values. Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), who called on both President Bill Clinton and Sen. Larry Craig to resign after their infidelities were exposed, admitted to an extramarital affair with a campaign staffer who is married to a former top aide. He, of course, has chosen not to resign.
Gov. Mark Sanford disappeared for five days, leaving his state without an executive, and then confessed that he had traveled to Argentina to see his mistress. Since his initial admission, he has continued to confess, and confess, and confess some more, way past the point where even the most curious observers are screaming, “TMI!” Sanford, who also called for Clinton’s resignation while serving in the House of Representatives, is hanging on to his job for dear life. He may think he’s hanging onto his marriage as well, but announcing to the world that your mistress is your “soul mate” and that you’re “trying” to fall back in love with your wife? Not the best strategy.
To quote the aforementioned Sen. Craig, let me be clear: I don’t think infidelity alone should bar an otherwise qualified and effective person from serving in public office. I do have a problem with someone who flogs that family values horse to get elected or to go after a political opponent when said someone can’t live up to the standards s/he demands of everyone else. I won’t demand Ensign’s resignation*, but it occurs to me that his demonstrated hypocrisy should render him too embarrassed to show his face in the Senate. Sanford, on the other hand, needs to go — and go now. He’s the governor, for God’s sake, but he showed the judgment of an immature teenager when he took off to visit his girlfriend without informing anyone of his whereabouts or temporarily handing over authority to the lieutenant governor.
In the wake of these revelations, Michael Falcone at Politico notes that the “star-crossed” Republican congressional class of 1994, which includes Ensign and Sanford, has been plagued with “affairs, sex scandals or…messy separations and divorces”. He mentions a dozen instances out of 71 freshmen — 17%. You know, that may be less than the national average, but shouldn’t we expect a number closer to zero from a group of people who came to office touting their “Christian” values and superior morality?
****
*unless it turns out he used public money or undue influence to placate a blackmailer
Why, thank you for replying to my request so quickly!
Glad to be of service — it’s the least I can do!
Yeah, morality (or even hypocrisy) has never really been a disqualifier for me as long as no laws were broken. Being MIA is a different story. But it just goes to show… There’s a reason for that “judge not lest you be judged” part of the Bible that so many try to ignore.
Give the Governor a break, he cheated on his wife and four kids. But at least he didn’t do it with another guy. Now that would be violating his family values promises.