It's understandable that there's been a lot of talk comparing Senator David Vitter's woes to those that plagued President Clinton at the end of his second term. After all, when Vitter arrived in Washington, DC as a congressman, it was the height of our National Fellatio Crisis. Vitter promised to help clean up the nation's capital and he joined congressional Republicans as they bravely pursued impeachment proceedings against Clinton for false testimony he had given with respect to an illicit sexual relationship that had tarnished the honor and dignity of the Oval Office.
Now we learn that there have been incidents in which Senator Vitter has himself engaged in behavior that some say is similar to the behavior the Senator once said should have occasioned President Clinton's resignation. Some Democrats have even suggested that, based on the principles he purported to hold dear, Vitter should now resign his office. But something in the comparison just stuck in the Ol' Houndcat's craw. The two situations seemed different to me, though I couldn't articulate why. It was time to call in an expert. I pass along her helpful analysis after the jump.
For a situation like this, there is really only one person to consult, The Eternal Goddess of All that's Dark and Scandalous herself, my good friend Rosanne Silverware. Rosie did not disappoint. I present her reply in its entirety.
Dear Houndcat,
Great to hear from you, especially with respect to a scandal in which you are uninvolved. And of course I'm glad to hear you're recovering from the surgery. Those things can be hard to remove, especially when they get wedged into such a delicate part of the body.
Your intuition regarding the Vitter/Clinton analogy is dead accurate. As I shall explain, there is really no fair comparison between the two.
First and foremost, the Vitter/Clinton analogy rests an a hopelessly secular humanist liberal sliding scale relativist assessment of moral value. Thus, it misses the point entirely. God has forgiven Vitter. God has not forgiven Clinton. Don't take my word for it. If you still have Dr. Dobson's private phone number, he can contact the Big Guy for you. Jim'll give you the skinny on God's assessment of Senator Vitter's moral fitness. Even if Dobson still won't take your calls, remember that Senator Vitter simply fell victim to the corrupting influences of society on occasion. OK, a lot of occasions. That we know of. So far. The point is that, given the non-stop bombardment of unholy images and messages specifically designed to tempt good God-fearing folk to stray, it's really quite remarkable how frequently Vitter successfully resisted those temptations. The times he strayed were exceptions to his otherwise flawless behavior, even if it turns out that maybe there were a lot more incidents we still don't know about. Because however many incidents there were, just think of how many times this brave man fought off those satanic temptations. I dare say that he resisted the urge more times in a single day than he ever gave in to it.
By contrast, Bill Clinton is a Democrat.
Also, Vitter has been forgiven by his wife. Indeed, prior to learning of his seduction by the wicked forces of desire unleashed by our Godless culture every minute, Mrs. Vitter had indicated that if hubby ever dipped his fountain pen in someone else's ink well, she'd do a Lorena Bobbitt on him faster than you can say House of the Rising Sun. Yet, even after these incidents have come to light, Mrs. Vitter has stood by her man, albeit at a safe distance from any knives. The important thing is that she has resisted her sinful but understandable urge to adjust her husband's anatomy. After all, she could have hidden a knife in her purse. Surely, her heroic restraint reflects well on her husband's character.
By contrast, Bill Clinton's wife is a castrating bitch who everyone hates.
So you see, there's really no basis for a claim of inconsistency here. Democrats who suggest otherwise should be ashamed.
Stay well, Hound. Don't wear sandals. Try to avoid the scandals. If the Good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise, I'll see you at Scooter's next costume party. You made a great Ann Coulter at the last one!! Too bad no one took pics before the costume came off.
Love, as always,
Rosanne Silverware