Please post Vitter quotes here re: Clinton Impeachment

[npincus]

MSNBC's "Morning Joe" was going to recite a few... missed them. Apparantly, by his own words re: Clinton's infidelity, Vitter has declared himself morally unfit to serve as a member of Congress.

Please post Vitter's declarations of moral certitude here, please.

[whistle]

1. Here is a nice summary to begin with from david Corn...

<snip>
July 10, 2007
A Blast from Vitter's Past
From my "Capital Games" column at www.thenation.com....

In the fall of 1998, David Vitter felt compelled to weigh in on the national debate over the possible impeachment of President Bill Clinton for lying about sex. Vitter was not yet a member of Congress; he was a Republican state representative. And in an October 29, 1998, opinion piece for the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Vitter took issue with a previous article, written by two law professors who had argued that impeachment "is a process of removing a president from office who can no longer effectively govern; it is not about punishment." Given that Clinton was still a capable chief executive, they had maintained, impeachment was not in order.

Vitter, a graduate of Harvard University and Tulane law school and a Rhodes scholar, was aghast at this amoral position. He blasted the law professors for criticizing those congressional Republicans pushing for Clinton's impeachment. Their argument that impeachment is "not primarily about right and wrong or moral fitness to govern," he wrote, was utterly wrongheaded. He continued:

Some current polls may suggest that people are turned off by the whole Clinton mess and don't care -- because the stock market is good, the Clinton spin machine is even better or other reasons. But that doesn't answer the question of whether President Clinton should be impeached and removed from office because he is morally unfit to govern.

The writings of the Founding Fathers are very instructive on this issue. They are not cast in terms of political effectiveness at all but in terms of right and wrong -- moral fitness. Hamilton writes in the Federalists Papers
(No. 65) that impeachable offenses are those that "proceed from the misconduct of public men, or, in other words, from the abuse or violation of some public trust."

In considering impeachment, Vitter asserted, Congress had to judge Clinton on moral terms. Decrying the law professors' failure to see this, Vitter observed, "Is that the level of moral relatively and vacuousness we have come to?" If no "meaningful action" were to be taken against Clinton, Vitter wrote, "his leadership will only further drain any sense of values left to our political culture."

Strong words. Now that Vitter, who entered the House of Representatives in 1999 after winning a special election to fill the seat of Representative Bob Livingston (who resigned after being caught in an adultery scandal) and who was elected senator in 2004, has admitted he placed a phone call to the so-called DC Madam, his constituents can only wonder if he will hold himself to the same standards he sought to apply to Bill Clinton.

Vitter, who is married with four children, has been a vigorous advocate of family values, championing abstinence-only programs and calling for a ban on gay marriage. In a statement his office rushed out on Monday night--before he could be outed by Hustler magazine--Vitter said he had committed a "serious sin" and claimed that "several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling." I seem to recall that Bill Clinton took a similar stance after he acknowledged his affair with Monica Lewinsky. That, though, did not prevent Vitter from calling for Clinton's forcible removal from office.

Perhaps Vitter ought to revisit the issue of whether the absence of moral fitness is a firing offense for a public official.

http://www.davidcorn.com/archives/2007/07/a_blast_from_vi.php

[npincus]

2. LOL- thanks, I'm looking for Vitter's Oct 29, 1998 op-ed

in the New Orleans Times-Picayune... can't find it.

Meanwhile, his Wikipedia bio is about 50% or more hooker scandal related! But no diaper references yet!

[whistle]

3. The guy does come across as the GOP Catholic version of a "lounge lizard" doesn't he!

http://blog.nola.com/updates/2007/07/vitter_had_five_calls_with_dc.html

[npincus]

4. I'm hoping Flynt has the goods on his NOLA activities

which he has denied again, on the record. 'Splain that, Pampers-boy.

[whistle]

7. You can always tell the nature of a person by the friends they keep

...Jesus H. Christopher, Vitter gets an endorsement from from sex scandal Louisiana congressman Robert Livingston.

<snip>
July 15, 2007, 10:23AM
After own scandal, ex-lawmaker offers Vitter support
Fellow Louisianan Robert Livingston says senator needs 'to pick himself up and charge forward'

NEW ORLEANS — Robert Livingston, the former Louisiana congressman who resigned in the late 1990s after admitting to extramarital affairs, said his situation is not at all like U.S. Sen. David Vitter's, and he urged Vitter not to resign.

Vitter, R-La., acknowledged a past "serious sin" involving an escort service that federal prosecutors claim was a prostitution ring. Since then, he has stayed out of the public eye, as several Republicans, including prominent members of the state GOP, have offered support and critics have accused the family-values politician of hypocrisy.

In an interview with WWL-TV, Livingston said he had urged the fellow Republican "to pick himself up and charge forward. We need him."

Livingston was in line to be House speaker when, after admitting to affairs, he resigned during hearings to impeach President Clinton in 1998.

Hustler publisher Larry Flynt, who investigated Livingston, took credit for his resignation.

Hustler said it also discovered Vitter's number in phone records released by Deborah Jeane Palfrey, whom prosecutors allege ran a Washington, D.C., prostitution ring, and told him, hours before Vitter released his apology. Palfrey maintains her escort service was a legitimate business that offered sexual fantasies.

Livingston said his leadership role makes his situation different from that of Vitter, who succeeded him in the House and is the state's junior senator.

Efforts to reach Livingston were not successful.

U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal, R-La., who is running for governor, offered more tepid support. He said he and his wife were disappointed by Vitter's actions but are keeping his family in their prayers.

U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., said he had exchanged e-mails with Vitter and expected him in Washington, D.C., by Tuesday. Vitter missed votes Tuesday through Friday, and his whereabouts over the last week have been the source of much speculation.

Political analyst Elliott Stonecipher said on Saturday that it's unusual for a senator to be out of sight so long and "does not look good."

"It suggests there's a lot more family concern and issues and, you know, I hope I'm wrong in that. ... Maybe he's really, really, really struggling with this," he said.

"Something else is operating, but it's pure speculation on my part what," he said.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/4969227.html

Sorry, I'm coming up blank on the op-ed piece you are searching for :shrug:

When Vitter begins charging forward, our democrats can just stick out a foot and just let him trip. I thing Larry Flynt has a few more obstacles for Vitter as well.

[zbdent]

5. Question ... was vitters illegal and immoral acts

before or after his comments about Clinton?

And also, before or after his wife's threats to the family jewels?

And why should we trust either's word from now on?

[npincus]

6. NBC (I think it was) said "seven years ago"

and I read elsewhere Mrs. Vitter said it in 2000... during the period when her hubby was paying for sex with hookers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Vitter

The statement containing Vitter's apology said his telephone number was included on phone records dating from his days as a member of the House of Representatives.<3> Phone records show that Vitter's number was called by Palfrey's service five times, the first on October 12, 1999, and the last on February 27, 2001.<24> Two calls were placed while House roll call votes were in progress.<25>

[zbdent]

8. classic "Do as I say, not as Republicans do ..."

similar to the guy who claimed his affair was a "youthful indiscretion" ... despite being older than Clinton at the time of impeachment, when the Repuke had his "youthful fling" ...