In comparing it to Vitter, I can see a few differences. Vitter admitted he was a bad boy and apologized to the world. Craig said he was framed and blamed the cop, the press, and just about everyone else. Craig pled guilty to a crime that may or may not have been committed. Vitter is still an innocent man in the eyes of the law. Vitter was caught doing a pretty normal thing in a pretty normal place. Craig was caught wanting to do something a lot of people aren’t comfortable with in a very unusual place by most people’s standards. And lastly, if it weren’t for phone records, no one would have ever caught Vitter. Anyone taking a pee, including small children, would have been made aware something wasn’t just right in that bathroom. So, I don’t think this is a case of hypocrasy at all. This is all assuming that is what Craig had in mind. I still think his mess is more because he pled guilty and how he’s handled it than actually breaking any law. But, if that IS what he had in mind at the time, comparing it to discretely having sex won’t fly with me. If he had hit on some gay guy in a gay bar and gone to a hotel, none of this would have ever made the news.

I don’t think LA and DC legalized anything, the problem is he was doing it in public. If he had solicited a cop in DC or LA I would assume the result would have been about the same.

And I do agree, victimless crimes like prostitution are a waste to the legal system and only pushes such activities into places like men’s stalls. Brothels used to be social centers of a lot of towns, those were supposedly the “good old days”. If they were so good, we need to take that into consideration. And, that’s probably WHY they were the good old days as well.

I wasn’t singling out the fact he pled guilty. It was just one of the reasons there was a difference. The biggie being doing it in private and doing it in public.

What Vitter did in New Orleans isn’t even a no-no in New Orleans. It’s just not legal. He’ll be fine in Louisiana. It’s not much of a voting issue in Idaho either, Craig had already decided not to run for re-election before all this happened.

Although the seat could be in play in Louisiana theoretically, it won’t switch parties in Idaho. If Craig had resigned, the Republican governor would have nominated a Republican to replace him and given that Republican a full year to solidify his base in probably the strongest Republican state in the nation. As it is, since Craig had already announced he was not returning, the candidates have already been raising money and preparing for 2008. My prognostication after all this blows over is nothing changes before 2008. And, if Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi continue their roles as leadership, it could wind up costing the Dems.

For a Republican you sure seem awful excited about losing.

As I said before, I haven’t made any assumptions as to what’s going to happen in 2008. So, making a wager is meaningless at this time. A lot can and will happen between now and next November. I’ll probably start making wagers next September or October I imagine. Until then, I’m going to watch Nancy and Harry do their stuff, see how Thompson affects things, and continue to monitor how lopsidedly biased the media is and how/if they affect the races next fall. As much as they’ve made of the Craig affair while pretty much simultaneously giving William Jefferson a free pass for actually abusing his office, I really think the New York Times, MSNBC’s, CNN’s, and CBS’s aren’t going to mess around next fall and do everything they can to assure your dream of a divided government is crushed with a pure Democrat majority.

And unless some Republican candidate lights a fire for those who are not satisfied with what the Democrats are offering, the very biased media will get exactly what they want.