Vitter Disclosure Poses Larger Issues

It seems every blogger has something to say about the recent disclosure by Senator Vitter - via Memorandum:

Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) apologized last night after his telephone number appeared in the phone records of the woman dubbed the "D.C. Madam,"

I'm part libertarian, part traditionalist when it comes to social issues. On a personal level, frankly I don't care that Vitter's number turned up where it did. That's his issue and should be settled between Vitter and his wife. But I want him to resign, not so much because of what he did, as for what he represents and because his connection to the Giuliani campaign suggests his judgment is still all about him. That the phone records were going to be made public isn't exactly news. He had to know that when signing on for a prominent role in Rudy's campaign. via CQ And there are other troubling dynamics, as well.

Vitter serves as Rudy Giuliani's campaign chair for the South.

He was also somewhat caught up in the Abramhoff scandal - having forgotten to pay for a fund raiser on his behalf and I believe he also gave back a contribution after the scandal started to develop. And the DC Madam employed college age girls barely in their twenties. They may have been sophisticated, they may have been attractive, still, they were hardly more than kids, or teenagers, at least.

In September 2003, Senator David Vitter attended a fundraiser hosted by Jack Abramoff. Two months later, reports Roll Call, Vitter inserted a provision into a Department of Interior spending bill for one of Abramoff’s clients, the Coushatta tribe of Louisiana. The provision sought to prevent another Louisiana tribe, the Jena Choctaw, from opening a casino that would have competed with the Coushatta’s casino. Vitter has admitted to working with lawyers at Abramoff’s firm, Greenberg Traurig, in drafting the legislative language for insertion into the Interior appropriations bill.

Post Clinton, post Cunningham, post Foley, Washington, DC is starting to look more like a disease or a dysfunction than a Federal District. And however long past, Vitter cannot now be anything but another sign of its sad state. I wonder how many of his family members are lobbyists, or perhaps positioning themselves to be such. I've had enough with all of them right now and I suspect that feeling is widespread. It may be timing more than anything else that makes Vitter's issue so distasteful to me. But I really have had enough, if we're going to start throwing them out, Vitter isn't the worst place to begin.

Ed at CQ does the political calculus. I don't care and don't want to hear it. We have more than enough unprincipled political calculation in government today. In part, I think that's how we got here in the first place. I wish Vitter well and especially hope this issue is in the past for him and that his marriage is now solid. But that's his private life. When it comes to public life, it's time for Senator Vitter to resign.

It's not outside the realm of possibility that he could resign, and the Democratic governor would name his replacement. If Kathleen Blanco appointed a Democrat, it would strip Joe Lieberman of his ability to tilt the Senate back to the GOP by switching parties, and allow Harry Reid to marginalize him. That could also complicate issues even further for the GOP on the war and conservative domestic policies in a Congress already bitterly divided.

Comments

[IslamoLlama]

Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) apologized last night after his telephone number appeared in the phone records of the woman dubbed the "D.C. Madam,"

When you think about it, that just says it all. David Vitter is sorry. Sorry that he got caught.

[Calder]

Apparently, Vitter's definition of a family is a wife, four children and a hooker on the side. On Sunday, he would have been outraged at anyone accusing him of hiring a hooker. On Monday, he is sorry, God has forgiven him and out of "respect for his family", let's move on. What an outstanding senator!

[not the senator]

And it's not just when he got to Washington. In 2002 he gave up a run for Governor when it came out that he'd had a year long involvement with a prostitute in New Orleans.

After surviving that to win Breaux's seat, you'd think he'd learn.

[Phoenix]

Lordy, you all want to lynch him. That means you'd have to lynch 60% of married men.

I think Vitter should not have apologized. Who'd he apologize to, anyway? He should have grinned for the camera and said, "Damn, it was good. Next!"

[IslamoLlama]

"Lordy, you all want to lynch him. That means you'd have to lynch 60% of married men."

60% of married men have slept with DC hookers while running for Senate under the auspice of the "Moral Majority"? I didn't even realize 60% of men voted.

That said, I totally agree with you Phoenix. Let's not beat around the bush. Vitter hired hookers and loved it. I welcome the day he can come clean with his constituents and honestly say how much he enjoys cheating on his wife, rather than trouncing around pretending that he doesn't really approve of prostitution. Perhaps, on that day, he can start passing legislation to legalize the world's old profession, so that he can even hire hookers legally.

[chris]

"I think Vitter should not have apologized. Who'd he apologize to, anyway? He should have grinned for the camera and said, "Damn, it was good. Next!""

Isn't redneck logic amazing?? Can't imagine why people with such intellect still live in shacks on wheels.

lol

[ec1009]

What will Rudy's mistress think?

[Phoenix]

What moral majority? Neither side has anything to crow about. Vitter knew he was going down so he did his mea culpas ahead of time hoping to look like a decent cheat. He's still a cheat - just like 60% of married men. I didn't make those numbers up.

What disgusts me is the hunter/prey mentality that has taken over politics; and worse, these rotten women who promise never to tell and then tell. Men cheat. Women cheat. Women have abortions. Men pay for them. People hire illegals, people tattle on illegals. And the chattering class eats it up and moralizes and whines on and on.

I really do wish Vitter had grinned for the camera. Someone has to get this idiot country back on its feet as to what's important, and it's going to take something totally outrageous to do it - like an attack. While we're waiting for that wake-up call, I wouldn't mind someone quitting with the "I'm SO sorry I was a bad boy" crap. It's all phony.....just like that phony 90K in Jefferson's freezer. It's time to grow up and get serious about things that really matter. Vitter's junk is his business.