Maureen Dowd: 'Republican Party's Sanctimonious Pantheon Must Stop Being Two-Faced'

New York Times:

As in all great affairs, Mark Sanford fell in love simultaneously with a woman and himself -- with the dashing new version of himself he saw in her molten eyes.

In a weepy, gothic unraveling, the South Carolina governor gave a press conference illustrating how smitten he was, not only with his Argentine amante, but with his own tenderness, his own pathos and his own feminine side.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[sippewissett]

In her column, Maureen Dowd concludes: "The Republican Party will never revive itself until its sanctimonious pantheon — Sanford, Gingrich, Limbaugh, Palin, Ensign, Vitter and hypocrites yet to be exposed — stop being two-faced."

But how about it if the GOP stops having a sanctimonious pantheon in the first place since no political party has a "lock" on morality?

[angrydove]

I would like my politicians to be moral people. I just don't equate morality with flaunting an affiliation with an established religion. You can be moral and not religious. In fact, it seems to me that pretending to hold "moral" beliefs just to appear religious, as Sanford is clearly doing, detracts from one's morality rather than adding to it. Therein lies the hypocrisy.

A moral politician would be working tirelessly for the best interests of the people he represents. I just don't see that motivation at all in these actions of Sanford.

[Gladys1963]

great post

[Omnibus]

Excellent read. On my second take I found it can be used for all politicians. Bill (Clinton) and Billy. John (Edwards) and Johnny. David (Vitter) and Davey. Larry (Craig) and, well, Larry.

[jazzman]

Maureen cuts to the chase regarding the sanctimonious hypocrisy of the Republican Party and its two faced leaders. However, here is the sad fact. Come election time, all those born-again Christians will rally and go campaign for these closeted lotharios once again thinking to themselves that they are actually doing the Lord's work as they help elect the self-deceiving degenerates to Washington to play the moral scolds on the stage while they stalk the public bathrooms, the Congressional Pages, the campaign aids, the whores, and secret lovers in the back room.

[mokachyna]

Here here.

[VOTER]

Great read.

Sanford should be impeached and on his way out be given a "Crown."

"Hail to the Hypocrite!"

[elakelaiset]

"What does this have to do with baseball?" --Mike Barnicle

[UncleJimbo]

The only reason these hypocrites get to stay in office is because we let them!

[iluvsam]

The fact that a Governor of a State in the SECULAR United States is quoting a book written in the Bronze Age as a moral compass is frightening in and of itself. When are we as a society going to move into the 21st Century with our thinking? "King David" may have gotten away with a lot under that ancient moral code (which was horrifying btw), but here in the 21st Century, we don't accept mayhem from our leaders. I'm sick of these guys doing horrible things to their families and constituents and then claiming that all is forgiven by "God" so we must forget about it and move on. Well, guess what, all is NOT forgotten here in the real world. We remember his hypocricy. We remember his cruelty toward his unemployed constitutents. Here in the 21st Century, we require our leaders to be accountable to us, not to some imaginary figure in the sky.

[QuietLightTraveler]

Yea ilsuvam, I like that. Tell them like it is.

[magnolialiberal]

Her Snarkiness was in fine form! But then, with material like this, how can you go wrong?

[TaxDayMan]

Dowd: To you have the "moral fiber" to cover this?

Duke University sex scandals is at again and once you read the article you unstand Lib media "hypocrisy" and why the lib media "will" NOT cover this one! Media will itensify coverage of Sanford (possible Edwards, too) to avoid this one at Duke!

http://townhall.com/columnists/MikeAdams/2009/06/28/little_boy_blue_devil

[TaxDayMan]

Trust me, Dowd! O'Reilly has been alerted!

[TaxDayMan]

Dowd: you can contact Frank Lombard at Duke University;

Administrative Coord
Staff
Center for Health Policy
[e-mail]
[phone] (tel)
[phone] (fax)

Physical Address:
2812 Erwin Rd
Office 444
Durham, NC 27705

Postal Address:
Box 90392
Durham, NC 27705

[TaxDayMan]

Trying to help you out Dowd! Duke is already started removing all references to Lombard from thier public website to protect him from media expose!

[jazzman]

Democrats sin the same as Republicans do. The difference is that we don't pretend to be the righteous defenders of God helping him enforce His moral code upon the world. We're just trying to make government work for the people and let them have the lives they want to have privately.

That's not hypocrisy; it's compassion and care put into political action.

[kareemachan]

I just read about it here on Huffpo. Have to wait and see about MSM, as it happened over the weekend (I think).

[barrycourage]

"The Republican Party will never revive itself until its sanctimonious pantheon — Sanford, Gingrich, Limbaugh, Palin, Ensign, Vitter and hypocrites yet to be exposed — stop being two-faced."

May the GOP's sanctimonious pantheon grow and outlive the GOP!

[MichaelMcKLA]

Right on, Maureen. Excellent article, thank you.

[Bubba Gump]

Maureen nailed it!

Governor Mark Sanford should be impeached! Not only is he a hypocrite and a pitiful excuse of a parent (he ditched his wife and four sons on Father's Day to shack up with his mistress), it appears Sanford used the tax-payers' dime to finance his Argentine romance and "Marco" Sanford deserted his post as governor -- not letting his Lt. Gov. or anyone in the SC government know his whereabouts or where to contact him in case of an emergency! Mark Sanford should go the way of Blago!

[Johnagain]

And then he topped it all off with an hour long public therapy session for himself. This guy should have to sit through that hour long spew of crapola every day for the rest of his rotten life.

[sippewissett]

Imagine how long the by-election would take? The RNC won't let him resign.

[MoMoDo]

Not only is Sanford a lying hypocritical toad, he has lousy taste in movies. A Jack Black romantic comedy? Really? that is lame, lame, lame.

[SusanStoHelit]

Perhaps rather than trying to cleanse the party of anyone who might someday cheat and hypocrisy - they should realize the reason for these scandals is that their "family values" amount to a highly judgmental set of rules that people will at times break, and that they should realize this is simply part of being human. Maybe they could even realize that this is sure proof they do not have all the answers, and thus should not be trying to set the marriage and life rules for all Americans.