So how will Senate Republicans square their calls for Sen. Larry Craig’s resignation with their support for Sen. David Vitter (R-LA)?
Let’s put it this way: Vitter did more than slide his foot under a bathroom stall. He has as much as admitted to breaking the law by paying for prostitutes proffered by the D.C. Madam. He left precious little ambiguity in his public statements, though he didn’t go quite as far as Craig’s guilty plea.
But that is a slim reed of a difference. Is the only real difference for GOPers that Vitter was in for straight sex (though apparently pretty kinky straight sex, by one account) whereas Craig went in for gay sex in public places?
There’s been considerable commentary on conservative commentators’ double standard for Vitter and Craig. But it’s a standard GOP senators are going to have to answer for, too. Let the squirming begin.
Late Update: I included the last link above, to Kevin Drum, because it specifically lays out one possible reason for the double standard: Craig’s replacement would be appointed by a Republican governor, Vitter’s by a Democratic governor.
