Political Frenzy

When the “DC Madame”, Deborah Jeane Palfrey was arrested for running prostitution in Washington DC, she did what most would do if faced with inescapable charges - looked for a way out. She claims that what she provided was legal sex fantasies for men without actual sex, and she claims that mostly massages took place, not actual sex. In order to back up her claims, she needed evidence, and witnesses. Instead of getting her normal Johns to testify to the harmlessness of her services, she went straight for the current administration’s throat: Deputy Secretary of State Randall Tobias, who had now resigned over the controversy.

Randall Tobias is a married 65-year-old White House leader and Republican, whose phone records with Palfrey, which she provided during the investigation, proved he called her and she called him numerous times. Tobias has been in government positions for years, often advocating abstinence to prevent the spread of HIV in underdeveloped nations. He has also rallied hard against prostitution.

Tobias claimed that he was engaged in legal activities, which I personally, don’t care about. Palfrey claimed that she too was only engaged in a personal escort service, not penetrative intercourse. I also, don’t care.

What I care about is the patterns emerging from Republican leadership across the nation.

In what Dr. Susan Block of Counterpunch.org dubbed “Hookergate”, Republican Congressman Randy Cunningham, who is currently serving time in a Tuscon prison for corruption, was also knee-deep in prostitution, along with then CIA Executive Director Kyle Foggo.

Another Republican Congressman Mark Foley, was once known as the ultimate activist for protecting children from sexual predators, and as a married man and Republican stood for family values. Instead, he sent emails to 16 year old boys, sent text messages with 18 year old male pages asking them how they masturbate and offering them alcohol, and two pages have come forward as saying that after they turned 18 and 21 respectively, they has intercourse with Foley.

Conservative religious leader, Pastor Ted Haggard, often associated with Republican values and political agendas, was discovered as not only having engaged in sex with a male prostitute, but doing so while on the highly illegal drug of methamphetamine - also known as crystal meth. Though now he claims to be completely heterosexual, this is hard to believe given the degree and frequency of his sexual acts.

These kinds of scandals simply do not exist within the Democratic Party - the most blatant exception being the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinski scandal, which involved neither drugs, prostitutes, nor young boys. All of the above scandals have actually involved breaking the law, whereas Clinton did not break the law until he lied about the issue.

I would not be nearly as outraged as I am if it were not for the total shirking of responsibility and excuse making by conservative pundits.

“Some people are so lonely they actually call people just to talk to them,” Joe Scarborough said about the Tobias controversy. As a married man with apparently many friends, this is not likely to be the case. And even if it were, you make friends, you don’t call hookers.

One pundit on FOX News, whose name and credentials escape me due to their insignificance, said, “What if she just dialed the wrong number!” referring to the release of Palfrey’s phone records. This kind of excuse is a joke, and offends me and my intelligence, as it should any good American.

Tobias also admitted to using another service with “Central Americans” prior to Palfrey’s service. But he maintains it was just naked massages.

Where is the outrage? The accountability? How about leading by example? Is it that the American people are simply too tired of these scandals? I know I’m weary of this bull, but the only way to stop it is to berate and accost these so-called moral leaders until they stop their song-and-dance number of moral purity, and simply live what they prescribe.

As Tobias told Frontline, “[T]he heart of our prevention programs is what’s known as ABC: Abstinence, Be faithful, and the correct and consistent use of Condoms, when appropriate. And it’s not ‘ABC: Take your pick.’”

That’s right, Tobias. You don’t get to leave “Be faithful” out just because you say so.

What an ass.