The Hypocrisy of the Right (What Else is New?)

So, two more bible-thumping loudmouthed Republican fatheads have been caught up in sex scandals. Yawn. Susie Bright has written a wonderful column about these hypocrites extraordinaires - check it out.

The big winners this time around?

1. Louisiana senator David Vitter (R). This family values moron found himself calling the DC Madam, and soliciting hookers in New Orleans, where he earned the nickname "Vitter the Shitter" from the local whores (use your imagination). Apparently, when not earning his public salary calling to impeach Bill Clinton for sexual improprieties, Vitter was busy diddling hookers while wearing a diaper.

In 2000, Vitter's wife Wendy had an interesting position on infidelity:

His wife, Wendy, was asked by the Newhouse reporter: If her husband were as unfaithful as Livingston or former President Bill Clinton, would she be as forgiving as Hillary Rodham Clinton?
"I'm a lot more like Lorena Bobbitt than Hillary," Wendy Vitter told Newhouse News. "If he does something like that, I'm walking away with one thing, and it's not alimony, trust me."

Unsurprisingly, Wendy's tune has changed, and she has found it her heart to forgive Vitter his diaper-fetish transgressions.

2. Florida representative Bob Allen (R). This favourite son of the Christian Coalition offered to perform oral sex on a male undercover cop for $20 (a reasonable rate for this free market Republican). At least he had the decency to do his soliciting in the privacy of the men's bathroom of the Titusville park, rather than out by the swingset. In a remarkably poor choice of words, Allen complained that these charges had been unfairly "thrust upon [him]".

And where are the cries of outrage from the frothing loonies on the right?? Where are the calls for the heads of these two heathens?? Nowhere.

In fact, both Vitter and Allen have followed the path of the brave loyal Bushies ahead of them, and have ruled out resigning their positions. As Bright observes:

Vitter's defiance, to refuse resignation, is the default Bush strategy, the corporate-politics vamp. You refuse to take responsibility for anything, and deny the obvious. If they can't force the scepter out of your hand, you hold on for dear life, and keep cashing the checks. You simply write your own reality.

Shameless Birds of a Feather

Back when it was revealed that the Conservative Party was using a manual to obstruct and manipulate the work of parliamentary committees, I wondered to myself who else but the CPC could be so petty, vindictive and shameful in their conduct?

The answer: The Republican Party!

Turns out that the GOP has its own little manual of dirty tricks. Disingenuously entitled the "Presidential Advice Manual", this 103 page tome contains, among other things, tips on how to disrupt peaceful protests at Presidential speeches and events.

The document also recommends drowning out protesters or blocking their signs by using what it calls "rally squads." It states: "These squads should be instructed always to look for demonstrators. The rally squad's task is to use their signs and banners as shields between the demonstrators and the main press platform. If the demonstrators are yelling, rally squads can begin and lead supportive chants to drown out the protestors (USA!, USA!, USA!). As a last resort, security should remove the demonstrators from the event site."
The document offered advice on how to recruit members for such squads: "The rally squads can include, but are not limited to, college/young republican organizations, local athletic teams, and fraternities/sororities."

What amazes me is not that the CPC and the GOP use whatever means they can to gain advantage, but rather that they have the unmitigated gall to put their contempt into writing. Truly sad.