Republicans Endorse Hypocrisy and Drunk Driving
This morning I heard a Staten Island Republican ranting about how Vito Fossella's fathering an illegitimate child had nothing to do with his stand on the issues and he should stay in office.
Well, much as I would love to see him stay in office because he'd be easy to beat, it struck me immediately that a.) Vito Fossella's typical Bush "family values" stand and calls for Spitzer to resign mean Vito is a grade A hypocrite; and b.) seems amazing that breaking the law and endangering lives by driving drunk doesn't bother Republicans.
I called for Spitzer's resignation not because I gave a crap what he did with his free time, but because of his massive hypocrisy in prosecuting prostitution while being a participant himself. Similarly, any Republican who feels Vito Fossella's fathering an illegitimate child is ignoring the effect that will have on the life of the mother and child, as well as his own family and the gross hypocrisy that allows him to condemn others while engaging in fun himself. Fossella's family values rhetoric has to be contrasted with the reality of his screwing around, something that was well-known among Republican circles in Staten Island.
This is the Republican glass house problem where almost no Republican comes even close to living up to the standards they demand from others.
Then there is the drunk driving side of the scandal. Vito Fossella broke the law and endangered lives, but Republicans feel there is nothing wrong with this?
The Republican foolishness gets better. THis afternoon someone passed this little email along: (sorry for the formatting glitches)
VIVA VITO!!!!!!!!
LIFELONG STATEN ISLAND ENTREPRENEUR CALLS FOR RALLYS AND PETITION DRIVE TO KEEP CONTROVERSAL CONGRESSMAN IN OFFICE.FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
MANHATTAN, NY â MAY 12TH 2008NATIVE STATEN ISLANDER AND NIGHTLIFE ENTREPRENEUR JOHN âJEâ ENGLEBERT WANTS TO ORGANIZE RALLYS AND PETITION DRIVES IN MANHATTAN TO KEEP NYC LONE REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN VITO FOSSELLA IN OFFICE. ENGLEBERT WILL DONATE SPACE AND TIME IN HIS NYC NIGHTCLUBS (SUZIE WONG SAKI LOUNGE AND PRIME NIGHTCLUB) FOR RALLYS AND SUPPORTERS IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
ACCORDING TO MR. ENGLEBERT ââBILL CLINTON AND GOVERNOR PATTERSON ARE PERFECT EXAMPLES OF HOW ONES GOVERNMENTAL DUTIES SHOULD NOT BE JUDGED BY THERE PERSONAL MISTAKES. VITOS A GREAT CONGRESSMAN AND DRIVING FORCE AND TONS OF STATEN ISLANDERS FEEL THE SAME WAYââ
A LETTER TO VITO FROM âJEâ WAS SENT OUT AND HE HOPES THAT VITOS DECISSION TO STAY ON IS FELT FROM THE PEOPLE THAT ELECTED HIM NOT THE POLITICIANS IN WASHINGTON THAT HAVE NEVER EVEN SEEN STATEN ISLAND.
Well, let me point out to the "Nightlife Entrepeneur" that neither Spitzer nor Clinton endangered lives or fathered illegitimate children (as far as we know). The only common thread among these three individuals was that they all let their penises get the better of their brains. Clinton fooled around. Period. He was neither hypocritical, he has fathered no illegitimate children (with the emotional issues that creates for the "illegitimate" family), and did not endanger lives by driving drunk. Spitzer is guilty of hypocrisy but seems to have fathered no illegitimate children and has not endangered lives driving drunk.
Vito Fossella, who also has also been known to prostitute himself for lobbyists, is guilty of massive hypocrisy, fathered an illegitimate child (leading to divorce for the "other woman") AND endangered lives and broke the law by driving drunk.
Sorry, Charlie. Vito Fossella is worse than Bill Clinton or even Eliot Spitzer, by quite a bit. But please...go ahead. Petition and rally. We dare you. Republicans have been defending even the most corrupt and even pedophilic of their Party. By the rather low standards of the Republican Party, Vito Fossella really is practically a saint. Maybe this "Nightlife Entrepeneur" (who might well be in the know about such things) may realize that the Republicans who might take Fossella's place in Staten Island are even worse. Do they follow in Foley's footsteps? Do they have tastes that would ruin careers if revealed? Just what does this "Nightlife Entrepeneur" know about Staten Island Republicans that makes Vito Fossella look so good to him?
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In-Vito Fertilization | NY-13 | Vinogate | Vito Fossella
Different decades
Submitted by mole333 on 12 May 2008 - 8:29pm.
Truthfully, by today's standards perhaps Ted Kennedy should have resigned. But even when I was in college in the '80's standards were different. Then I knew many who drove drunk. No one thought anything of it. What has changed is that we, as a soceity, have gotten a hell of a lot smarter about such things. People I know who used to drive drunk from time to time in the '80's now consider it stupid, dangerous and unacceptable. I can only assume (and hope) that Ted Kennedy is among those who has learned that driving drunk is abyssmally stupid. If he did it today, yeah, he SHOULD probably resign. But clearly Vito Fossella has not. Then again, I have to say I have never heard anyone claim that Fossella had a lot between his ears.
Would I have called for Ted Kennedy's resignation at the time? I can't say. I was not a product of that generation so I can't judge by that generation's standards. I'd say that not driving drunk should be unacceptable in any generation, but it wasn't. Is it fair to condemn Thomas Jefferson and James Madison the same way we would condemn slaveholders today? Perhaps we should. But we don't. Jefferson and Madison are thought of as heros and great Presidents. Anyone who was a slaveholder today (and yes, it does still happen, and is legal in some nations) would be uncceptable as a President, don't you think? Perhaps it is odd to compare the two, but the point is that standards do change and Vito drove drunk during a time when the standards condemn it. Kennedy drove drunk at a time when standards accepted it.
Why I want Vito to stay
Submitted by Dan Jacoby on 12 May 2008 - 5:41pm.
It's simple -- we can beat him in the fall.
Come September and the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, MN, there will be a lot of fun at the Republicans' expense (remember Larry Craig?). The 2006 election was as much about Mark Foley than Jack Abramoff, and far more about Abramoff than anything any Democrat said. Since the Democratic "leadership" has shown a decided lack of leadership over the past sixteen months, every sign is that this year's election will also be about Republican failings.
When you're challenging an incumbent, the race is mostly about the incumbent's record. Vito Fossella's record was bad enough before the latest troubles; now he's virtually unelectable. If he drops out, there are several Republicans who can step up and promise a "clean sweep" for Staten Island (not that they'd provide one, I'm just talking about campaign talking points). If Fossella stays in, he's toast.
Viva Vito -- until November.
If Congress Member Fossella resigns now,
Submitted by Daniel Millstone on 12 May 2008 - 6:20pm.
there may be a special election. If that occurs, the likely Democratic candidate will be someone already in office like Senator Savino or Assembly Member Cusick. In a low-turn-out special election, progressives will have to fight like hell against a no-record Republican. That will be a very small window to replace Mr. Fossella with a progressive Democrat. If we have to fight a special election, it will be a bear. My seat of the pants feel is that Senator Savino would have the best shot in a special.
For me, of course, the most fun would be if Mr. Fossella remains in office and fights for re-election on his (in my opinion utter lack of) merits. His record as a Bush-clone devotee of war and torture would drag him where he belongs into long-deserved retirement
I was astonished
Submitted by sidnora on 13 May 2008 - 10:09pm.
as today wore on without any statement forthcoming from Fossella on his future. I find it hard to believe that anyone, even a Republican who's obviously not the brightest bulb on the porch, would survey this mess and decide to defy his party and make a stand. But I'm delighted! Fight on, Vito, sez I! I want to campaign against him so badly it's making my teeth hurt.
What Vito's people would say
What Vito's people would say in response to your post is that Teddy Kennedy is still in the Senate isn't he? If you did not call for or would not have called for Teddy Kennedy to resign after Chappaquidick, then you might be considered a hypocrite for calling for Vito to resign. Or at least applying different standards to Democrats and Republicans.
I want Vito to stay in office so he can lose badly. Steve Harrison can out debate Vito over the table and out drink Vito under the table.