Defining Deviancy Down

There’s yet more news today that Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) is still holding big double digit leads over Democratic challenger Charles Melancon (D-LA). He’s got a 20 point lead over the perfectly respectable and presumably faithful Melancon. On the one hand, that’s bad news for the Democrats. To put it mildly. But it’s also a chilling development for congressional chastity and fidelity in general. Basically, if Vitter pays no price for frequenting prostitutes in multiple jurisdictions — not even a close race, let alone a defeat — you have to imagine that other senators will be stepping out in a big way, maybe even in public with various prostitutes and escorts.