Posted by Morbo
The Religious Right enthusiastically backed the re-election of George W. Bush because, movement leaders said, Bush is a man of faith and values.
But the effort to create a new moral tone in Washington apparently needs some help — starting at the White House. For proof, just look at the flap over Bernard Kerik.
By now everyone knows Kerik stepped down from consideration to be the new director of the Department of Homeland Security after nanny troubles surfaced. But what about his moral and ethical lapses? Shouldn’t they also have been enough to sink him? It seems Bush does not think so.
The Washington Post reported recently that the White House was determined to stand by Kerik even after allegations of extramarital affairs came to light and charges were levied that he had accepted gifts from a company tied to organized crime:
The White House defended its vetting process, which failed to uncover the fact that Kerik, a former New York police commissioner, had employed an illegal Mexican immigrant as a nanny without paying employment taxes. White House officials said they knew in advance about other disclosures now emerging about Kerik’s background, including alleged extramarital affairs and reported ties to a construction company with supposed mob connections, but had concluded that they were not disqualifying. (emphasis added)
The New York Daily News provided a wealth of details Dec. 13 about the “alleged” affairs. Reporting in the way that only a scrappy, sex-obsessed New York tabloid can, the newspaper said Kerik carried on two extramarital affairs at the same time, using an upscale New York apartment as a secret “love nest” for “passionate liaisons” with both women. Members of his security detail, provided courtesy of the taxpayer, stood by outside during these romps. Reported The News:
The first relationship, spanning nearly a decade, was with city Correction Officer Jeanette Pinero; the second, and more startling, was with famed publishing titan Judith Regan….Dramatically, each woman learned of the existence of the other after Pinero discovered a love note left by Regan in the apartment.
(Is this guy a sex machine or what? Must be that bald thing. I hear chicks love that.)
So, let’s get this straight: The White House knew about these activities and thought they were, as The Post put it, “not disqualifying”? They only dropped the guy after an illegal alien nanny eruption? Bush was prepared to turn the security of the nation over to a skirt-chasing adulterer who is buddy buddy with a firm tied to the mob? This is the new moral tone in Washington hailed by the Religious Right?
One of the arguments the right uses against allowing gays in the military is the allegation that sexually active gay men would become targets for blackmail. Facing such blackmail, they might turn sensitive secrets over to the North Koreans!
Sounds like that would have been more likely with this Kerik guy. After all, a gay man in the Army would be a lousy target for blackmail if the ban were lifted and everyone knew he was gay. Kerik and guys like him would be much more susceptible to blackmail, since they would not want Girlfriend A to find out about Girlfriend B (not to mention the missus.) I can hear Kim Jong Il now: “Mr. Kerik, we know you have been visiting underagenymphos.com. Turn over the plutonium or face the consequences! I also want some quality hair gel. This mop is driving me literally insane.” (Mad, cackling, crazy dictator laugh)
OK, it’s a dumb scenario. But so is the right-wing argument about blackmailing gays. In fact, the guy’s sex life is probably irrelevant to his job. (Unless he were unable to focus on it while juggling all these babes.) Nevertheless, if a guy like Kerik had been nominated by a Democrat, can you imagine how the right wing would have reacted?
Cock your ear. You can hear the howls of outrage right now. The Wall Street Journal editorial writes itself. You can see the disgust on Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity’s faces. (“That’s right, America, he took gifts from THE MOB — probably to buy jewels for his girlfriends.”)
Surely the folks on the right are consistent. Surely they condemn sexual misconduct and ethical lapses wherever they occur. I look forward to reading outraged statements from Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, James Dobson of Focus on the Family and Jerry Falwell of whatever group he has started this month, blasting the White House for even considering a nominee like this.
I’ll just sit right here. I’m sure they will be issued real soon.