Vitter, Vidi, Vici

Sen. John Ensign, the Senate Republican campaign chairman, denied (in this Philadelphia Inquirer story today) “a double standard… in pushing Sen. Larry Craig (R., Idaho) to resign after a sex sting guilty plea, while remaining silent over Louisiana GOP Sen. David Vitter's involvement with an escort service.”

See, Ensign said that Craig should step down because he pleaded guilty, but Vitter shouldn’t because he did not.

I don’t know about you, but that makes perfect sense to me. What kind of a godless liberal, al Qaeda-loving heathen would think otherwise?

I mean, Vitter apologized for the fact that, as the New York Times reported…

…his phone number had appeared in a list of clients' numbers kept by Deborah Jeane Palfrey, who is accused of running a prostitution ring in Washington. He missed major votes on Iraq in the Senate and made no public appearances, even as accounts of other relationships with prostitutes multiplied in the New Orleans news media.

Vitter said that “political enemies” had spread falsehoods about him. And that’s why his number appeared in Palfrey’s book and he missed all those votes.

And his apology was not tantamount to an admission of guilt.

And the fact that Idaho has a Republican governor who will name a Republican to replace Craig and Louisiana has a Democratic governor who would name a Democrat to replace the Repug Vitter has nothing to do with it also.

…

Are we all clear on this now?