Gay Sex Trumps Corruption on Senate Sin List: Margaret Carlson

[meegbear]

(I know, Margaret Carlson, but she gets it right.)

Let's take a civics quiz. In Congress which is worse: being corrupt or being gay? Time is up. Pencils down. If you answered being gay, you've been paying attention, class. Of the 10 Commandments, it is much better to break the one about stealing than the one about sex.

This teaching moment comes to you courtesy of His Holiness, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who took a powder from reporters crowded into the Capitol this week after the indictment of Ted Stevens, the Senate's longest-serving Republican and once third in line to the presidency.

You would think McConnell had been ambushed by the National Enquirer. He punted, saying he had just learned of the news and would "have more to say about it later." In less than 30 seconds, he was gone.

No disgust. No outrage. No pressure on Stevens to skulk back to his much-improved chalet in Alaska.

Contrast this with McConnell's instant reaction upon finding out that Senator Larry Craig had pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for disorderly conduct stemming from a foot-tapping encounter with an undercover cop in a Minneapolis restroom.

That, McConnell said, was a "serious matter" that he immediately referred to the Ethics Committee. He vowed he would look at "other aspects of the case to determine if additional action is required," with the implication that tarring and feathering Craig might not be harsh enough.

Pressure just short of waterboarding was applied to get Craig to resign. He decided to serve out his term.

<snip>

The Stevens indictment says the senator used "his office on behalf of VECO," which included meetings to discuss building a natural gas pipeline and "multiple federal grants and contracts to benefit" the company.

But prosecutors didn't charge bribery. They brought the lesser charge of seven criminal counts of failing to disclose improper gifts.

Craig, one of a quartet of singing senators, was liked well enough on Capitol Hill. Now he's radioactive. By contrast, Stevens is a nasty piece of work, feared more than liked. He remains powerful, holding sway over appropriations for almost a dozen years and once serving as president pro tem of the Senate.

<snip>

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_carlson&sid=alM412MGjl38

[ccharles000]

1. How very sad.

[AndyA]

2. The Republicans all have a big problem with SEX.

I guess they all think some divine intervention happened to create them, instead of their mom and dad getting down and dirty at some point.

And, of course, it's OK for them to cheat on spouses...it must be...Newt did it...so did McSame. But since that was no doubt just the missionary position, and straight sex, it was OK. But just for them.

Hypocrites all, liars all, and all with self-serving interests.

Bury the Republican Party and salt the ground. They are evil and serve no good purpose on this Earth.

[DarkTirade]

3. I think that says more about how common corruption is than anything else.

Which is pretty damn sad in itself.