Why I want Craig to stay

As long Craig remains in the Senate, he will serve as a constant reminder of the hypocrisy which IS the GOP.  The entire party hierarchy has been thrown into a quandary as to how it might rid itself of Craig, arrested for a misdemeanor with homosexual undertones, while at the same time totally ignoring the illegality of Vitter's heterosexual, yet perverted, prostitution fetish.  The "family values" party will continue to be pressured to explain why "family values" only matter when the senate seat in question cannot be lost.

The GOP can condemn and vilify Craig because his replacement will be named by a Republican Governor.  Vitter is safe, because there's no way they are going to let Louisiana's Democratic governor determine his successor.  So I say, let Craig stay.  That way, the hypocrisy of the Right will stay in the news and can be rehashed each time one of their candidates starts strutting around in that "Family Values" banner.  I relish the thought of Rudy, Fred, John or Mitt squirming when asked about the inequality of the treatment of Vitter vs Craig.  After all, it is a pretty safe bet that most in the LGBTQ ranks aren't going to vote for a hard-line conservative anyway but, I think there may be more than a few socially conservative women who would have serious doubts about casting a vote for a candidate who, with a wink and a smile, turns a blind eye to married men cavorting with prostitutes.

As for Senator Craig leaving his marriage, that is not my call, nor yours, to make.  I don't profess to know the Craigs or the state of their union so, I don't know for sure what has happened here.  For all I know, the senator's wife may have always been aware of her husband's tendencies, but chose to love him anyway, much like Hillary Clinton was aware of her husband's infidelities but chose to honor her marriage vows.  There is little difference between the two situations.  To say otherwise is to belittle commitment and to quantify unfaithfulness, which is the last thing that those who want legal equality for all adult relationships should do.       

by Lauria Hale (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 38 comments) on Saturday, October 6, 2007 at 12:59:18 AM
 

Vitter vs Craig

I can't say I disagree with your desire for Craig to stay on in the Senate. I, too want him to be a pain in the election to Republicans. The Dems need all the help they can get to overcome the powerful Republican election machine.

In case Craig does not resign, the Repugs do have a game plan: yesterday I watched one of those political shows where a Republican strategist explained why he can support Vitter and not Craig -- it goes something like this (I am paraphrasing):

In Vitter's case, when he (successfully) solicited sex with a prostitute, that was a private matter. In contrast, Craig (unsuccessfully) solicited sex in a public restroom, thus his was a public affair.

In sum, the public nature of Craig's crime is what sets it apart from Vitter's private indiscretion.

The pundit also asserted that had Craig been soliciting sex with a police woman,he would have come to the same conclusion, therefore, his support for Vitter and not Craig had nothing to do with Republican homophobia.

This nonsensical explanation went unchallenged. Therefore, I think it is the one Republicans will use to defend the hypocritical and homophobic difference between the way they deal with these two issues.

Regarding the Craig marriage -- you claim I do not know their particular circumstances -- and you are right.

However, I have read articles and books written by and about the wives of men who lived a double life like Craig has. These women describe their partners as "manipulative, secretive and self absorbed."

Check out "Silent Partner: A Memoir of My Marriage" by Dina McGreevey, for one and do a Google search to find more information from other partners who had similar experiences.

Comparing Craig's wife to the Clinton's may be a stretch since Mrs. Craig is not a politician with her own ambitious reasons for staying with her man.

Clinton got a lot of political miles for being 'the woman scorned.' In fact, after Monica, Hillary went from being the most despised woman in America to being nearly the most despised woman in America.

She has decided that staying with Bill and putting up with his infidelity is better for her career. She is as ambitious and calculating as any other pol and she knows what it takes to win.

by Rainbow Law (25 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 43 comments) on Saturday, October 6, 2007 at 7:51:14 AM