By Eric Rader
Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-NY, resigned last week from Congress after he admitted to sending racy electronic messages to various women who were not his wife. It was probably inevitable in this age of social media that a politician would get caught using online tools to engage in inappropriate sexual communications. While the news media has been consumed with the details of Weiner's online interactions with women, ultimately the congressman is accountable only to his wife and his constituents for this boorish behavior.
As the Weiner scandal broke a few weeks ago, Republicans and many Democrats instantly called for his resignation from Congress, even though he didn't break any laws. Of course, Democrats were concerned about the political implications of this scandal, especially because they would very much like to take back control of the House of Representatives in the 2012 elections. Republicans have seen this as an opportunity to philosophize about moral values. It seems, however, that many of these GOP legislators are applying a double standard in their treatment of Rep. Weiner. Just a few years ago, Republican Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana was exposed for his patronage of a prostitution service. Vitter and the Republicans resisted calls for him to step down, and last year, he was reelected to another six-year term in the Senate. Weiner's transgressions were relatively minor when compared with Vitter's, yet he received a far harsher judgment for his actions than the Louisiana senator. Many other members of Congress have been embroiled in similar scandals over the years, yet most have remained in office.
For more than three decades, Republicans have billed themselves as a "family values" party. Since the 112th Congress took office in January, several bills have been introduced that involve social issues about which people have strong opinions. Most prominently, the Republican House attempted to cut off family planning funds to Planned Parenthood because this organization provides abortion services. Now, House Republicans are attempting to delay or stop the full repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. This discriminatory law was revoked last December, but full repeal requires the Pentagon to certify to Congress that the military is ready to allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the armed forces. While the Defense Department is finalizing the certification process, the House is attempting to insert amendments to defense appropriations bills that would weaken the effect of the repeal or even stop it altogether. At the same time that the House is trying to stop the repeal of DADT, its leadership is also spending a large amount of taxpayer money to defend the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act" in court.
While Republicans self-righteously condemn a Democrat for engaging in immoral behavior, they seem to think it's OK to pursue public policies that would undermine the family lives of millions of LGBTs. The current leaders of the House have a view of morality that focuses on personal decisions when it's convenient, but ignores the public policy choices of elected officials. Many Republicans believe that family values are about whom a person sleeps with in bed, though they're willing to give the benefit of the doubt to their own members.
In fact, we elect public officials to protect the common good and promote the general welfare of all people. By that standard, Republican policies are profoundly immoral. Where's the morality in denying equality to gay soldiers or defending a law that denies equal federal benefits to same-sex couples? Our system is supposed to be based on fair play, yet for many Republicans, there is a strong disconnect between their professed personal values and their public positions on issues that affect average people. For far too long, Republicans in Washington have gotten away with labeling themselves as the true defenders of family values, while attempting to pass legislation that could hardly be described as pro-family. Morality and values have everything to do with how we treat other people in both our personal and public actions, a standard that many people in Congress fail to meet.
The American people did not put Republicans in charge of Congress so they could hound a man out of office over a personal indiscretion. Our leaders in Washington have an obligation to promote fairness and equality for all Americans, while respecting the personal privacy of all citizens, including members of Congress. We live in very serious times, and the challenges facing our nation are significant. There is no time to waste on silliness and gossip about a person's private life, regardless of that person's political background. It's lost past time for our legislators to mind the business of the people, not the private behavior of individual citizens.
Contact your House member–tell her/him to oppose efforts to defend DOMA or delay the repeal of DADT: http://www.house.gov
