What The Right Will Say About Chris Lee

By James Frye

In one of the fastest turn-arounds in politics, Craigslist beefcake photo-sender GOP Rep. Chris Lee of New York was outed for sending a bare-chested photo of himself to a woman not his wife in the morning and resigned by the afternoon.  This we know.

The cons will claim this as further evidence that, unlike those immoral Democrats, when one of theirs sins they are quick to see to it that he or she is gone.  This we expect; and it will be a lie.

First of all, these “honorable” Republicans who resign when they do wrong only do so after they are busted for what they did so they can no longer deny it.  That’s what happened with Mark Foley, Larry Craig and Bob Livingston, for example.  That the truly morally superior wouldn’t commit adultery to put them in the position where they had to resign should be self-evident.  Given that these GOP sinners can depend on being defended by fellow Republicans, it’s not all that surprising that they’d think they could get away with it.  Democrats have had their sinners as well – including Bill Clinton –  but none of them have ever tried to make the argument that their fellow party members are merely misunderstood, little innocent lambs who made a mistake and are deserving of forgiveness.

Second, David Vitter and John Ensign are still U.S. Senators.  Vitter was busted for hiring a prostitute, which happens to be an illegal act.  John Ensign is being investigated by the Senate Ethics Committee  for allegedly trying to buy the silence of the staffer he had an affair with cash and jobs.  Did either of these “honorable” gentlemen resign?  Not a chance.

So when the right tries using Chris Lee to sell their moral superiority line, the proper answer is “No Sale.”

By: James Frye

Long time progressive activist in the Pacific Northwest and self-studying student of politics