Dionne: Have Mercy on Vitter

E.J. Dionne wants liberals to cut David Vitter some slack. I totally agree with his sentiment. I didn’t write about Vitter until I realized that Louisiana Republicans were plotting for his resignation. That made it a story to me. In a Senate where we have a nominal majority but cannot rely on Joe Lieberman and do not have the benefit of Tim Johnson’s vote, any advantage is alluring. Yes, Vitter is a world class hypocrite, but this is his personal life and adultery, even diaper-wearing adultery, is a fact of life among powerful politicians. It would be nice if things were different. As Dionne says:

The essential point, however, is that believing in a wall between the public and the private makes you a traditionalist, not a libertine. The traditionalist embraces a strict moral code but sees it as best enforced in the personal realm. We should judge public figures by how they meet their public responsibilities, and leave it to spouses, pastors, children and friends to praise or punish their private behavior.

But things are not so civilized in the modern game of politics. Dionne is being unrealistic. First, his call is basically an appeal for the Democrats to unilaterally disarm, as the GOP has never shown any mercy once they smell blood. And, even if there is some advantage in taking the high road (and I believe there is), this cat is already out of the bag.

Yet, there is an essential lesson here, and Democrats would be wise to heed it. Vitter’s ‘sin’ carries more weight precisely because he inveighed so heavily against such immorality. If the Dems want people to overlook their own infidelity they would do well to tread lightly on the infidelity of their opponents. Let the GOP cannibalize their own.

9 Comments

BooMan on July 13, 2007 at 1:24 pm

It just keeps getting worse.

MikeInOhio on July 13, 2007 at 1:40 pm

Pretty much blows the Republican talking point right out of the water that “this was only one incident and it happened well before he became a Congressman”.

Just as believable as “Officer, I swear I only had one beer”.

MikeInOhio on July 13, 2007 at 1:33 pm

I don’t think the Democrats really should get too involved in stone throwing here. Pointing out the specific hypocrisy of Vitter is about as far as they should dare go. And even that must be done with a great deal of caution. I love seeing the “values” crowd exposed as hypocrites as much as everyone else, but they should probably keep their powder mostly dry on this one. You can about bet your sweet ass that if 10 of those phone numbers show up as politicians that some percentage of them will likely be Democrats.

So before any Democrat gets all puffed up with shock and outrage about this, remember one thing. Hormones and testosterone mixed with a little lust know no political labels. They are equal opportunity tempters.

I have to admit, though, it sure is fun to see someone like Vitter squirm, isn’t it??

shergald on July 13, 2007 at 1:51 pm

I don’t even care to know when Paris Hilton got out of jail. Did she?

DaveW on July 13, 2007 at 1:51 pm

For once I have to agree with Dionne. Dems should avoid easy “moral outrage” like the plague and just stick it pointing out the hypocrisy of the “family values” con artists. They should also just give up the “personal morality” posing altogether.

Anyway, with Hillary leading the pack at the moment, the populace is reminded daily of our own erotic dark side. If she is nominated, the best we can hope for is that guys like Vitter and all the rest serve to neutralize the Bill attacks that will characterize the general campaign.

ignorant bystander on July 13, 2007 at 2:00 pm

I can forgive the sin, but I have a deep and abiding problem with the hypocrisy. I really don’t care much if a person cheats on their spouse. It says something about their trustworthiness, but really it’s between them and their spouse. I don’t care if someone gets off on diapers or whip cream and leather. Different strokes and all that.

But I do care when someone shakes their finger in my face and calls down the wrath of God on those who deviate from some supposed high moral code and then turn out to be guilty of just the sort of thing they’ve been so quick to condemn. That just sticks in my craw.

Oui on July 13, 2007 at 2:48 pm

.
Free for all in the White House?

Wasn’t Gannon uncovered as gay prostitute with free entry to White House facilities with no records being kept by the Secret Service. Ofcourse GOP don Grover Norquist had frequent encounters with Karl Rove on ‘policy issues’. Norquist ‘s WH entries are also kept in the dark. The ABC list of the DC Madam had numerous GOP affiliated lobbyists … this could easily snowball to the father’s precedent .

GOPUSA (who else) covers the David Vitter affair.

"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."

merciless on July 13, 2007 at 3:39 pm

Maybe I missed it, but I haven’t seen any Democrats railing against republican immorality, or anything of the sort. I have read lots of blog posts that laughed at the incident, made fun of it and the hypocrisy that always swirls around these loathsome stories.

I’ve also seen the serious and sensible pundits snickering at it, while saying the same thing Dionne is saying (and then snickering some more; I’m thinking Dana Millbank on Countdown a couple of nights ago).

To me this is treading pretty lightly.

phronesis on July 13, 2007 at 6:52 pm

Here’s something along the same lines: a diary I posted and a couple comments. Hypocrisy is what should be lampooned.

Having lived in Louisiana for almost 9 years from ’97 to ’05, I was thrilled to learn that David Vitter, Republican Senator from LA, has to explain to his wife and children why he is such a shitty husband. And I am thrilled to apply to this asshole of a husband the same criterion I applied to another asshole of a husband Bill Clinton. He shouldn’t be impeached. He should, however, be made to march in next year’s Mardi Gras parade dressed as a penis.
Here’s how Vitter pontificated about Clinton in the Times Picayune.

Some current polls may suggest that people are turned off by the whole Clinton mess and don’t care — because the stock market is good, the Clinton spin machine is even better or other reasons. But that doesn’t answer the question of whether President Clinton should be impeached and removed from office because he is morally unfit to govern.
The writings of the Founding Fathers are very instructive on this issue. They are not cast in terms of political effectiveness at all but in terms of right and wrong — moral fitness. Hamilton writes in the Federalists Papers (No. 65) that impeachable offenses are those that “proceed from the misconduct of public men, or, in other words, from the abuse or violation of some public trust.

Regardless of what I think Vitter should do, the more important question is how can Vitter not resign after his grosteque moral failure? How can Vitter not live up to his own representation of the Founders and act “in terms of right and wrong — moral fitness?”

C’mon Dave. Tuck it in your pants and go home. It’s time for you to leave the Senate. In your own terms, you have no moral fitness to lead or to govern. It’s time for you to quit.

But Dave, I know you are so mired in hypocrisy and moral relativism that you won’t be able to disentangle your own desires from your professed principles.

I’ve got your costume for next year’s Mardi Gras right here.

To which shergald replied:

There was a time when the private lives of politicians were their own. It was an area of personal life that even journalists respected.
Then the Republicans decided that the sexuality of Democratic politicians was fair game, as seen by the Clinton impeachment hearings.

Now the Democrats have joined them.

Have we been dragged into the underworld by the very people whose ethics we have periodically condemned?

Shouldn’t we be interested in what politicians vote for rather than what they hump in the afterhours?

And I responded:

That’s what I think. I also think Republicans should judge themselves the same way they judge others. Hypocrites should be lampooned.

BooMan on July 13, 2007 at 1:24 pm

It just keeps getting worse.
- MikeInOhio on July 13, 2007 at 1:40 pm
  
  Pretty much blows the Republican talking point right out of the water that “this was only one incident and it happened well before he became a Congressman”.
  
  Just as believable as “Officer, I swear I only had one beer”.
MikeInOhio on July 13, 2007 at 1:33 pm

I don’t think the Democrats really should get too involved in stone throwing here. Pointing out the specific hypocrisy of Vitter is about as far as they should dare go. And even that must be done with a great deal of caution. I love seeing the “values” crowd exposed as hypocrites as much as everyone else, but they should probably keep their powder mostly dry on this one. You can about bet your sweet ass that if 10 of those phone numbers show up as politicians that some percentage of them will likely be Democrats.

So before any Democrat gets all puffed up with shock and outrage about this, remember one thing. Hormones and testosterone mixed with a little lust know no political labels. They are equal opportunity tempters.

I have to admit, though, it sure is fun to see someone like Vitter squirm, isn’t it??
- shergald on July 13, 2007 at 1:51 pm
  
  I don’t even care to know when Paris Hilton got out of jail. Did she?
DaveW on July 13, 2007 at 1:51 pm

For once I have to agree with Dionne. Dems should avoid easy “moral outrage” like the plague and just stick it pointing out the hypocrisy of the “family values” con artists. They should also just give up the “personal morality” posing altogether.

Anyway, with Hillary leading the pack at the moment, the populace is reminded daily of our own erotic dark side. If she is nominated, the best we can hope for is that guys like Vitter and all the rest serve to neutralize the Bill attacks that will characterize the general campaign.
ignorant bystander on July 13, 2007 at 2:00 pm

I can forgive the sin, but I have a deep and abiding problem with the hypocrisy. I really don’t care much if a person cheats on their spouse. It says something about their trustworthiness, but really it’s between them and their spouse. I don’t care if someone gets off on diapers or whip cream and leather. Different strokes and all that.

But I do care when someone shakes their finger in my face and calls down the wrath of God on those who deviate from some supposed high moral code and then turn out to be guilty of just the sort of thing they’ve been so quick to condemn. That just sticks in my craw.
Oui on July 13, 2007 at 2:48 pm

.
Free for all in the White House?

Wasn’t Gannon uncovered as gay prostitute with free entry to White House facilities with no records being kept by the Secret Service. Ofcourse GOP don Grover Norquist had frequent encounters with Karl Rove on ‘policy issues’. Norquist ‘s WH entries are also kept in the dark. The ABC list of the DC Madam had numerous GOP affiliated lobbyists … this could easily snowball to the father’s precedent .

GOPUSA (who else) covers the David Vitter affair.

"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."
merciless on July 13, 2007 at 3:39 pm

Maybe I missed it, but I haven’t seen any Democrats railing against republican immorality, or anything of the sort. I have read lots of blog posts that laughed at the incident, made fun of it and the hypocrisy that always swirls around these loathsome stories.

I’ve also seen the serious and sensible pundits snickering at it, while saying the same thing Dionne is saying (and then snickering some more; I’m thinking Dana Millbank on Countdown a couple of nights ago).

To me this is treading pretty lightly.
phronesis on July 13, 2007 at 6:52 pm

Here’s something along the same lines: a diary I posted and a couple comments. Hypocrisy is what should be lampooned.

Having lived in Louisiana for almost 9 years from ’97 to ’05, I was thrilled to learn that David Vitter, Republican Senator from LA, has to explain to his wife and children why he is such a shitty husband. And I am thrilled to apply to this asshole of a husband the same criterion I applied to another asshole of a husband Bill Clinton. He shouldn’t be impeached. He should, however, be made to march in next year’s Mardi Gras parade dressed as a penis.
Here’s how Vitter pontificated about Clinton in the Times Picayune.

Some current polls may suggest that people are turned off by the whole Clinton mess and don’t care — because the stock market is good, the Clinton spin machine is even better or other reasons. But that doesn’t answer the question of whether President Clinton should be impeached and removed from office because he is morally unfit to govern.
The writings of the Founding Fathers are very instructive on this issue. They are not cast in terms of political effectiveness at all but in terms of right and wrong — moral fitness. Hamilton writes in the Federalists Papers (No. 65) that impeachable offenses are those that “proceed from the misconduct of public men, or, in other words, from the abuse or violation of some public trust.

Regardless of what I think Vitter should do, the more important question is how can Vitter not resign after his grosteque moral failure? How can Vitter not live up to his own representation of the Founders and act “in terms of right and wrong — moral fitness?”

C’mon Dave. Tuck it in your pants and go home. It’s time for you to leave the Senate. In your own terms, you have no moral fitness to lead or to govern. It’s time for you to quit.

But Dave, I know you are so mired in hypocrisy and moral relativism that you won’t be able to disentangle your own desires from your professed principles.

I’ve got your costume for next year’s Mardi Gras right here.

To which shergald replied:

There was a time when the private lives of politicians were their own. It was an area of personal life that even journalists respected.
Then the Republicans decided that the sexuality of Democratic politicians was fair game, as seen by the Clinton impeachment hearings.

Now the Democrats have joined them.

Have we been dragged into the underworld by the very people whose ethics we have periodically condemned?

Shouldn’t we be interested in what politicians vote for rather than what they hump in the afterhours?

And I responded:

That’s what I think. I also think Republicans should judge themselves the same way they judge others. Hypocrites should be lampooned.

Dionne: Have Mercy on Vitter

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