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All Wrapped Up

The sordid story of the senator and his diapers.

Richard Warnica 24 Jul 2007TheTyee.ca

Richard Warnica is the Senior Editor at The Tyee.

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Vitter: The 'family values' senator

Let's make this clear: I have no problem with diapers and sex. If that's your thing, you have every right to it. Whatever you're into: kink, fetish, men, women, both or none, what you do sexually -- as long as you do it with other consenting adults -- is your choice and it in no way reflects on who you are outside the bedroom.

But here's this other thing: If you make a political career out of so-called family values, out of legislating the sanctity of traditional marriage, and abstinence and of the evils of infidelity, prostitution and homosexuality, don't be shocked if people gloat when your own less than Leave-it-to-Beaver style sexual habits make it into the news.

Such is the case with Louisiana Senator David Vitter. Vitter became the first victim of the D.C. Madame earlier this month, when Hustler publisher Larry Flynt dug his phone number out from the records of the alleged prostitute provider.

Now, I could tell you more about the enormous hypocrisies this revelation revealed. But to be honest, others have already done it, and better.

First up, here's MSNBC's Keith Olbermann. The gold comes about two minutes in, when Olberman cuts to a clip of Vitter expounding on marriage and the "real people" who care about it.

Next up are the Vitters themselves. Via Crooks and Liars we get a vintage display of blame flipping.

From there we move to Tucker "bow tie" Carlson. Who, shock of shocks, also blames the media for making a big deal of the story.

The Tuck's main argument, though, isn't bad. Vitter went to the mattresses for a week after the story broke. As a result, journalists were camped out outside his home and church, waiting for a statement. At the very least, Tuck asked, can't we avoid the spots where the Vitter's four children are likely to be. After all, bringing someone's kids into a political story is just sleazy. Unless... wait for it... wait for it... that same politician had gone to great lengths to involve his own children in his political life not three years ago when he last ran for the U.S. Senate.

Vitter's media blaming performance also earned the praise of satirist Stephen Colbert. Last week on the Colbert Report, the host dubbed Vitter the latest "Victimcrite" to suffer unjustly at the media's hands.

Colbert was not the only one in on the act. These web pundits found particular humour in some earlier comments by Vitter's now forgiving wife.

While an anonymous web folkster had some fun wrapping the whole business up in song.

 [Tyee]

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