Apparently only when it involves Republicans. In 2006, the national media made the disgusting behavior of Florida Congressman Mark Foley a symbol for the failings of all Republicans. His salacious e-mails to male pages were daily front-page news, as the mainstream media flogged the story relentlessly. National polling showed the results — angry and disgusted Republicans reached a tipping point, and tossed Republicans out of office. Polling made clear that the Foley scandal was the final straw; when the scandal hit, support for Republican candidates at all levels across the country absolutely plummeted.
Now we learn that the Democrat who replaced Foley, Tim Mahoney, is just as sleazy. In fact, while promising to return morals and family values to Washington D.C., he was carrying on two affairs. Now the FBI is investigating payments to a mistress he hired to work in his office. And he helped secure earmarks for his other mistress.
Naturally, the Mahoney story is daily front-page news all across America as a symbol of Democratic corruption and sleaze. Isn’t it?
UPDATED: Mahoney’s wife has filed for divorce. I forgot to mention the one major difference between Foley and Mahoney, other than their political parties: Republicans forced Foley out of office. Mahoney is still running for re-election.
