Most political pundits would have you believe that yesterday’s primary contests were critical in determining the fate not only of the Democratic-controlled Congress but also of President Obama’s presidency. But nothing could be further from the truth.
Remember all of the consequential extrapolations these same pundits made right after Scott Brown won a special election in Massachusetts a few months ago? Well, his election has turned out to be so inconsequential that he hardly warrants mention these days.
So I hope you’ll forgive me for attributing no national significance whatsoever to the fact that 30-year incumbent Senator Arlen Specter (r) lost a Democratic primary challenge in Pennsylvania (despite switching from the Republican Party recently to ensure his reelection); that incumbent Senator Blanche Lincoln (l) was forced into a Democratic primary runoff in Arkansas; or that Tea Party poster boy Rand Paul (c) won a Republican senate primary in Kentucky. Instead, two political scandals that erupted yesterday seem far more worthy of comment. And, as if to prove that no party has a monopoly on political rectitude, these scandals involve one Democrat and one Republican.
First, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal was considered a sure bet to win the senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Chris Dodd this November. But a report in yesterday’s New York Times has lowered his prospects considerably. Alas, it seems Blumenthal has been telling whoppers about having served in Vietnam:
What is striking about Mr. Blumenthal’s record is the contrast between the many steps he took that allowed him to avoid Vietnam, and the misleading way he often speaks about that period of his life now, especially when he is speaking at veterans’ ceremonies or other patriotic events.
(New York Times, May 18, 2010)
In fact he received five deferments and never set foot in Vietnam. And just to establish his bona fides as a pathological liar, the Times also reported that he has been telling tall tales about being the captain of the Harvard University swim team; whereas, in fact he was never even on the team….
Meanwhile Blumenthal, who served as Connecticut’s attorney general since 1988, did nothing to enhance his credibility during a hastily arrange, damage-control press conference yesterday by putting a spin on his lies that would make even Bill Clinton blush. For instead of admitting that he deliberately misled people about his service, Blumenthal insisted that he merely misspoke a few times. Specifically, he said his honest mistake was saying he served “in” Vietnam when he meant to say he served “during” Vietnam … safely back home in the Reserves.
Nevertheless, my allusion to Bill Clinton stands for the proposition that all politicians are liars: remember “It depends on what the meaning of is is”? But given a choice between one who lies about getting drafted to go to war and one who lies about getting the country into war, I would choose the former. This is why I think he’ll survive, even thrive. Indeed, it speaks volumes that so many veterans who did serve in Vietnam stood beside Blumenthal yesterday, supporting him the way so many political wives stand by their cheating husbands.
This brings me to the second scandal, which was practically lost in the ferment of yesterday’s media coverage of meaningless political races and Blumenthal’s exposé by the Times. It involves a public confession by yet another family-values Republican that he had cheated on his wife.
This betrayal was particularly hypocritical because Congressman Mark Souder – an eight-term congressman from Indiana – was shtupping a (married) female member of his staff. Even worse, she also happens to be the woman who helped him promote his abstinence-only campaign, which encouraged young people to “abstain from sex until in a committed, faithful relationship.” (Associated Press, May 17, 2010)
If these politicians were not lead vocals in a chorus of moral crusaders, I would not give their sexual escapades a moment’s thought. For the unadulterated pleasure of afflicting these hypocrites, however, I don’t even mind being bedfellows with a publicity-seeking hustler like Larry Flynt [who once vowed to out them all].
(“Why ‘hypocritical politician’ is becoming redundant,” The iPINIONS Journal, June 18, 2009)
To his credit, though, Souder had the decency not only to spare his forgiving and still-devoted wife the stand-by-your-man appearance during his press statement, but also to resign – effective immediately.
Related commentaries:
So much for the Scott Brown effect
Why “hypocritical politician” is becoming redundant
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