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Senator Vitter Was Too Vulnerable

You have probably already heard the news about Senator David Vitter, the Republican from Louisiana, being involved with the “D.C. Madam”, the woman charged with running a prostitution ring in the D.C. area. Yes, this is the same Senator Vitter who is vehemently against the idea of same sex marriage because of the harm it could wreak on “traditional” marriage. I figure a married man visiting a prostitute might also wreak harm on a “traditional” marriage, but that’s another issue.

Dana Milbank at washingpost.com wrote an article about the issue, and in it he reproduces an interesting quote:

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), approached by a group of reporters outside the lunch, offered an unexpected defense. “All of us have to look at it and say that we could be next,” he said in answer to a Vitter question. “We all think that we’re not vulnerable to something like that happening, but the fact is this can be a very lonely and isolating place.”

Washington D.C. can be a very lonely and isolating place, and no Congressman can possibly know if something like this is going to happen or not. They’re vulnerable, you see, and the prostitutes in that town are just too devious, such that any Congressman may unwittingly wind up in bed with such a prostitute and barely even know what’s happening.

How f***ing absurd is that. I don’t really care if these men are visiting prostitutes. If everything is consensual, and no one’s health or safety is in jeopardy, they can do whatever they want on their own time. But I do care about two things: (1) not being a hypocrite about it, and (2) taking responsibility for it when it becomes known.

Don’t waste your time talking about how defending “traditional” marriage is the single most important issue in our country today (yes, Senator Vitter said that), if you’re going to traipse around town sleeping with prostitutes. And don’t blame your visit with prostitutes on the fact that Washington D.C. is a “lonely and isolating place”. That’s bulls***. You slept with a prostitute because that’s what you chose to do.

Between Tony Snow whining like a little girl about Congress exercising it’s oversight authority and now Senator DeMint saying the prostitutes and the city, not the Congressmen, are to blame, I’m wondering when we’re actually going to actually have some adults running our damned government.