The GOP's double standard

Craig

Why is Sen. Larry Craig falling on his sword when Sen. David Vitter,

R-La., is staying in the Senate? Both were involved in scandal, but the GOP figures Craig's seat will remain Republican. Vitter's would not, writes Ken Fallon.

So, Sen. Larry Craig has resigned. As the senior Republican on the Appropriations Committee, Craig served Idaho well. He took a brave stance for a comprehensive immigration bill which, if it had passed, would have provided Idaho retailers, farmers and ranchers with needed labor. As a stalwart defender of the Second Amendment and gun rights, he reflected the values of Idaho sportsmen.

But truth, which we all value no matter where you stand on gun rights, immigration or legislative earmarks/pork, is where Craig failed himself, his family and his constituents.

I wonder: If Craig had called a news conference as soon as he returned to Boise from the incident in the Minneapolis Airport and told the truth, would the Republican Party still have required him to resign? Probably.

Within the Republican Party, there seems to be finely drawn lines between what is acceptable and unacceptable sexual misbehavior. We all, Democrat and Republican alike, understand why Republican Congressman Mark Foley from Florida had to resign. He used his position of power to sexually harass young legislative aides -- male aides.

Yet, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, while one of the Republican leaders in impeaching President Bill Clinton for his sexual misbehavior with Monica Lewinski, was himself having an affair with a congressional aide. Republicans at the time said nothing about Newt's misbehavior. Even more confusing, Rudy Giuliani, a known adulterer, is leading the polls for the Republican presidential nomination.

More recently, Louisiana Republican Sen. David Vitter admitted to having been a client of a New Orlean sex madam accused of running a prostitution ring in Washington, D.C. Officials of the Republican Party or Republican members of Congress are not asking Vitter to resign for engaging in illegal and immoral heterosexual behavior.

So, what is the message? The message clearly is that heterosexual indiscretions are acceptable, gay or bisexual misbehavior is not. That is understandable if you belong to a political party that is opposed to gay behavior and gay rights. But what about truth, what about family values? Whether it is heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual misbehavior, the victims are the same, truth and trust are compromised, a family is betrayed.

Yet the truth of the Republican Party's actions may be much more pragmatic than ideological. After all, Craig is from a state where a Republican is governor, and being a Republican governor, "Butch" Otter will fill Craig's resigned seat with another Republican. Not so in Louisiana. The Republican Party is not clamoring for Vitter to resign because of his sexual misbehavior. The Louisiana governor is a Democrat. And as a Democrat, Gov. Kathleen Blanco would replace Republican Vitter with a Democrat.

That's the message. That's the truth.

Fallon lives in Idaho Falls. You can write to him at 760 Tie Breaker Drive, Ammon, ID 83406.