The fact that the sex scandals involving Republican Sens. Larry Craig (gay) and David Vitter (not gay) are being treated very differently has not gone unnoticed by the GOP establishment. The NYT’s Carl Hulse quoted some anonymous Republican insiders who offered an explanation.
Despite such unusual steps against [Craig], Republicans took no punitive action against Senator David Vitter, Republican of Louisiana, after his acknowledgment this summer of involvement with an escort service that the police described as a prostitution front.
Party officials said Mr. Vitter’s case was different in that he faced no criminal charges and was not in the Senate but was serving in the House at the time.
It’s a pretty weak case, which Greg Sargent took apart this morning.
Of course, Craig’s resignation will probably shift the conversation in a new direction, but in a sense, the point is even more salient now: Vitter hasn’t faced any adverse consequences at all, and the GOP establishment is content to pretend he didn’t talk to the DC Madam while casting votes on the Hill. Even some conservatives, such as Ed Morrissey, are waiting for a coherent explanation:
[Vitter] didn’t plead guilty in court, but unlike Craig, he openly admits he broke the law and solicited prostitutes. Others serving in Congress at the moment have pleaded guilty to misdemeanors of more import than disorderly conduct without being forced to resign. If morality and credibility are at issue, why isn’t Vitter being held to that standard?
We know the answer, but it’s apparently not a response the Republican establishment is anxious to acknowledge.