About Vitter: We need to mobilize and inundate with Washington

[Lindsey]

with call, faxes and emails DEMANDING that he resign. If there is enough public outcry - we can do it. If he resigns, Blanco will appoint a Democrat and will have a little more breathing room.

[BuyingThyme]

1. Is there a good article with the facts about replacing a Senator down there?

[Hippo_Tron]

2. Blanco gets to appoint whoever she wants I think

[BuyingThyme]

3. Yeah, that's what I hear. If so, that's a good thing.

[MADem]

4. Why would he resign? In "shame?" He HAS no shame.

If the RNC backs him, he'll just sit back and ride it out.

Frankly, if I were in his shoes (and I wouldn't be, not being a pig of that nature) I'd ride it out too. That's a sweet salary he gets, the work is easy, the perks are grand. One of the shortest roads to a pension in public service, ever. A hefty pension, too.

I'd dig in and not leave. I wouldn't count on him doing otherwise, frankly.

And can Blanco appoint a Democrat, or is she constrained like some other governors? And how much time does she have before she HAS to call a special election? It might not be the easy fix envisioned....

[Spurt]

5. There are other matters...

...more likely to yield results that need our time and energy.
There is no way The Shit House (formerly the White House) is going to let no stinking democratic get that seat.

This would not be a battle with Vitter, rather with Rove, Cheney et al.

[malaise]

6. But, but but

God has forgiven him.:sarcasm:

[Orsino]

7. Even if we believe that prostitution should be decriminalized?

I prefer to see the story disseminated as widely as possible, and to chuckle as Vitter's base abandons him. Let him stay as loooooooong as he thinks he can stand it. May there be much infighting for us to enjoy along the way to his inevitable retirement.

My fondest wish is for a few more wingers to lose faith in the hypocritical chants of "family values."

[Tesha]

9. Right now, prostitution is *ILLEGAL*. If he hired a prostitute, he broke the law.

It doesn't matter one jot whether or not we'd like to
see the law changed; millions of American citizens are
rotting in prisons as a result of breaking drug laws,
and we'd like to see those changed too, but the government
saw fit to put these people in prison even while we debate.

So why not throw a Senator or Congressman or ten in prison
while we debate legalizing prostitution? :evilgrin:

Tesha

[Orsino]

11. He won't be convicted, or even charged.

Evidence of the association, though clear and admitted, won't suffice to demonstrate his guilt of any particular acts of prostitution.

I won't be able to suppress a smile when Vitter's resignation turns his seat over to a Dem, but I couldn't rejoice if he were convicted of such a trivial offense. His real corruption will go unaddressed, and that is a tragedy.

[Tesha]

14. And how does that matter?

The politics of the situation is what I care about.

And maybe he can be charged: is the prostitute available
to testify against him? I wonder what a few million
dollars in PI fees and discovery expenses would turn up?
Maybe we need a "Vitter Project"?

Tesha

[Orsino]

15. I can't answer that question for you.

I understand the value of scoring political points, but personally I can't get very excited about the breaking of what I consider unjust laws. If sufficient evidence ever come to light for charging Vitter, sure, he should stand trial.

The published phone records alone aren't going to do that. There would have to be credible allegations of actual crimes.

[Tesha]

16. One way you get unjust laws overturned is to nail a few of "the just" with them.

One way you get unjust laws overturned is to nail a
few of "the just" with them. For example, it would
probably do wonders to clear our lawmakers thinking
vis-a-vis drug laws if a few of the mighty who've
toked up once in a while were caught, tried, convicted,
and sent off to be raped in prison.

The rest of the lawmakers might suddenly see the error
in sending millions of ordinary citizens to prison for
possessing a few grams of weed.

The same thing would probably work for other non-crime
"crimes".

Tesha

[Orsino]

17. If Cheney, McConnell, Lott and Hutchison...

...were photographed soliciting hookers, or in flagrante in a six-way, that would only reinforce Puritan America's commitment to criminalizing sex.

[onenote]

8. be careful...what if the next disclosure is a Democrat?

[Tesha]

10. You know what: let's just take that chance, ehh? (NT)

[Orsino]

13. I imagine the shouts of "But he broke the law!" will be a little softer.

No, I can't really bring myself to believe that only Republicans will be hoist on this particular petard.

[mod mom]

12. Did he actually use a prostitute's services or phone sex? If the former then

isn't that illegal?