THE PARTY OF FAMILY VALUES

For all their talk as the party of family values and the protectors of the sacred institution of marriage, it strikes me as sort of hypocritical that three of the top candidates for the Republican nomination in 2008 all just happen to be adulterers who have each been married at least twice. I speak of course of John McCain, Newt Gingrich and Rudy Giuliani. And obviously I'm not the only one who sees a problem with this as former GOP congressman Bob Dornan (R-CA) is so incensed with it that he's considering a run for president. Dornan is the lovely little man with a, *ahem* excuse the expression, hard-on against gays and has said such lovely things as, "Don't use the word 'gay' unless it's an acronym for 'Got Aids Yet?" and "Every lesbian spear chucker in this country is hoping I get defeated[,]" which he said to a Los Angeles television reporter in 1992.

While I personally find Dornan a repugnant human being, he does bring up a good point. One of these three men could be the torchbearer for their party, yet all carry with them an undeniable stench of hypocrisy as they go around courting the right wing of their party. It's just one more reason why I cannot wait for coming presidential election. This is going to be great to watch.

[h/t Americablog]


QUICK RUDY NOTE (via TPM Election Central):

It appears that CNN has created a new political label for "America's Mayor" Rudy Giuliani. In announcing John McCain's formation of an exploratory committee, the prerequisite step for announcing one's candidacy.

McCain's name recognition can only be matched by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who filed papers with the Federal Election Commission to form a committee last week. The moderate conservative's performance in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks earned him praise and fame across the nation.

Moderate conservative? Whaaaa?!? Is that like telling my little daughter not to touch a recently turned-off oven because it's warm hot? As a reader to TPM noted:

So now they've invented a new classifaction just for their sweetheart. He gets to be both a moderate and a conservative. This way, the conservatives are re-assured, as are the general public.
Will they describe Hillary -- or any of the Democratic contenders -- as "moderate progressives"? Don't hold your breath.

So, CNN has taken it upon themselves to make up labels for a candidate they cannot stop tripping over themselves to pump up. You can call him whatever you want, and it won't make up for the fact that Rudy supports rights for gays and is an adulterer involved in a terribly messy divorce during his time as "America's Mayor". It's no stretch in punditry to suggest that there's no chance this type of resume will fly with primary voters. No matter what he's labeled.