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At a certain level, we almost expect hypocrisy from politicians of all stripes. Sad, but true. That's not the real issue, nor is sex. The real issue is security.
Here's the arguements I've been making to more conservative friends who think the entire DC Madam thing is "no big deal":
Men who hire with prostitutes or have affairs are at risk for blackmail. The more powerful the man, the more embarassing or kinky the revelations, the bigger the stakes. Now, take into account the fact that even the most junior member of the House must have some sort of security clearance, and we have a risk for a security breach via possible blackmail. They also could be blackmailed into changing their votes on critical issues. How many times have we seen a representative or senator magically change their votes on something after a private conference with their party leadership? They are then not doing the will of their constituents, but performing a CYA manuver.
Or, if you really want to get paranoid about it--how many foreign intelligence agencies do you think may have agents implanted in a DC escort service? I'm willing to bet it's an impressive list.
It's also a simple issue of lying. Vitter has repeatedly lied about his interest in prostitutes. The first rumors of him running around with New Orleans call girls date to about 2001. According to a posting on Wonkette, one of his staffers privately said that he/she was concerned that Vitter was at risk for being caught with a prostitute. So what else has he been lying about?
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