To be fair, there are regional politicians in the South that talk about the divorce rate as a family values issue. You might have gone futher in pointing out that former Gov. Mike Huckabee is an example of that (an ideologically consistent traditional family values politician) who, for example, publically undertook a covenant marriage with his wife. I like his take on Sen. Craig, quoted by War Room: Americans will ultimately forgive us for being sinners, but not for being hypocrites.

Consider the GOP's response to Vitter's heterosexual affair, and its response to Clinton's heterosexual affair. Please, GOP, do not deny that the only thing you really care about is power.

Make love, not war: it's not just a slogan, it's a political litmus test.

Briefly, Griggs alleges that many high ranking elected officials are controlled from behind the scenes, by an invisble hand with evidence of morally (sexually) deviant behaviour. This evidence would frequently involve acts caught on video, and be used to blackmail those individuals to get them to act in ways that those invisible hands desire.

J. Edgar, that dress-wearer who blackmailed the hell out of other dress-wearers, risen from the grave!

I'm reminded of rumors that Skull & Bones initiates are supposed to recount all their sexual history, supposedly for blackmail later.

On one hand, Grigg's story seems over-the-top, but on the other, is there any reason to think that Washington isn't rife with sexual blackmail? It's certainly rife with corruption of all other kinds.

Dating tips for politicians:

If you see a personal ad for "a very sexual black male", don't call him!

Also: "CIA" doesn't stand for "Christian Introvert Asian".

That's where you can sue your ex spouse's new BF/GF for money damages on the basis that they're a homewrecker. I like that and see it as a way for these family values types to salvage a little dignity through the law. Let Craig's wife sue the rental boys.

It is a misreading of values, "conservative values," to think the word means anything like what we liberals might think it means. We approach the word intellectually, thinking it has to do with a consistent set of moral principles. No. An error of liberal journalism. Conservatives use the word "values" to mean "sensibility." That is, the conservative church-goer and the conservative honky-tonker have the same "values," though one is adamantly sober and the other is adamantly drunk; though one is adamantly in favor of marriage as the only place for sex, if there, and the other does a pick-up in the pick-up and may subsequently go the abortion route. Both voted for Bush; both share his conservative cultural/political sensibility.

Because they're Christians awash in hate, contradicting the love of Jesus, we see that their values are fucked. But their sensibility is entirely of a piece.

Best -

(More, for free: search "Rabid Fanatic" +"Monty Johnston")

Old Testament Christianity is essentially Republican. New Testament Christianity is essentially Democratic.

Old Testament Christianity:

Ten Commandments
Eye for an eye
Patriarchial
Theocratic
Exclusionary

New Testament Christianity:

One Commandment (John 13:34-35)
Forgive everything (Matthew 18:21-35)
All are equal (John 1:12-13)
Separation of church and state (John 18:36)
Inclusionary (John 1:1-18)

It amazes me that the Fundamentalist Christians have developed such a lock on the idea of Christian values in the minds of so many in the U.S. They are a minority within the Christian religion. It is only through the convergence of interests on the parts of religious, corporate and political conservative elites that this insanity could have occurred.

And I have to say it. This could never have happened without the fragmentation in the liberal community that is partly the result of exclusionary behavior on the part of the secular intelligentsia of liberal Christians.

The New Testament has a great deal more in common with eastern religions such as Buddhism than it does with the Old Testament. Jesus Christ is much closer to Buddha than to Moses.

Almost no one has trouble reconciling New Testament values with the political values of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It is impossible to reconcile Old Testament politics with these documents.

What I meant by "I win, you lose" was really the concept that whatever happens it's good for the republicans and bad for the democrats.

If a democrat gets caught in a sex scandal (Bill Clinton) they will hammer it and make it the worst thing that's ever happened in the entire history of America.

If a republican gets caught in a sex scandal they will twist it so that it works for them.

This is much like using the fact that John Edwards is a handsome man against him as if he's a "pretty boy" or a in Ann Coulter's words, a "fag."

However they happily trumpet the fact that Mitt Romney is a handsome man as if that makes him Presidential looking.

They used these tactics against both Al Gore and John Kerry (in different situations). And be sure that they will use them against whoever wins the democratic nomination for president.

Vince Lombardi used to say, 'We're gonna run the ball right up the middle. And they know we're gonna run the ball up the middle. And we're gonna score anyway.' Then he'd run the ball up the middle and score a touchdown.

We know the republican's tactics... we have to stop them this time.

I am SHOCKED, yes, SHOCKED, that heterosexual escapades are greeted with applause and possible homosexual escapades are met with a GOP firing squad. Could it be that Vitter would surely be replaced by a Dem whereas Craig's solidly GOP state would appoint another Republican?

I always find it so amusing that the GOP will let New Orleans drown [again] while spending billions more on a losing Iraq War. Their piousness makes me think that when each finally faces judgement day they will stand there with their sanctimonious platitudes and find that doing onto others as you would do onto yourself actually has teeth. I guess it is the old song about all the faceless people, instead of the ones in your face.

Frankly, I don't care who does what in their bedroom with whom. I care rather more about indifference to what CAN be done by Congress, then all their red herrings about sex. Get over it, boys.