So yeah, David Vitter is a scumbag. Not because he slapped on a diaper to play Baby Huey with a bunch of hookers, but because he voted yes on the GOP plan to kill Medicare.

In the wake of the Weiner fiasco, wounded outraged liberals have stormed the Internet to demand their own eight inches of flesh: What about Vitter!? #VitterMustGo!

But there is a reason some wise person named Mahatma once said: An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Blind serves the GOP as they goose step about demolishing Planned Parenthood and unions, plundering jobs and any hopes for the survivability of an American middle class. The more they can saturate the airwaves with noise about penises and diapers, the easier it is for them to murder everything liberals hold dear.

Why do you think Fox News deliberately slings nonsense after nonsense—Ground Zero Mosque, Don’t Touch My Junk, terror babies, socialists, Mau Mau, birth certificates, NPR, some guy named Common, Death Panels, Weiner, Weiner, neener-neener Weiner?

Because every time the media takes a breath to spotlight what the GOP is actually doing—i.e. killing Medicare—the public wises up and smacks them with a huge defeat like last month in NY-26.

Yelling Vitter Vitter Vitter instead of Boehner Where Are The Jobs, instead of End Big Oil Tax Giveaways, instead of Quit Your War On Uteri, instead of The GOP Killed Medicare, actually abets Fox and the corporate Koch machine.

Sure demanding a scalp in return for Weiner's feels good. Maybe it is even just. But so what? Weiner was pushed out by his own reckless lies, an irresponsible tabloid media and the political calculations of his own party. You’re angry about that. Fine. But don’t retaliate by aiding the side Weiner vehemently railed against. Don’t help the GOP generate more obfuscations for their devious schemes. Weiner is gone. And maybe a better response would be for us to take up his work ourselves: the brash and relentless calling out of each and every policy cruelty of Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney, John Boehner, Michele Bachmann and the rest of the GOP.

Vitter’s constituents voted him back into office last year. And no matter how much you spit his hypocritical name on Twitter, a jobless America is not going to vote on hookers & diapers in 2012 unless it is their own hookers but more likely diapers that they can no longer afford. They will vote, however, against a party that killed Medicare. IMHO.

Ronald Reagan's image has been remade into the holy God of conservatism with all references to Iran/Contra, his intervention with the hostages while Carter was still President, and the waste left behind by his economic policies firmly erased in the minds of the Hannitys, Becks, O'Reillys and Murdochs of the world.

George W. Bush is on his Great American Rehab and Book Pimping tour now, with no one asking him any really difficult questions about his time in office, and an intense PR effort to rewrite history with Colorforms and magic markers. By the time he's done, Jeb will be ready to step up in 2012.

David Vitter was re-elected with 57% of the vote despite his pastimes with prostitutes as the Louisiana electorate decided they despise Obama more than they despise hypocrites.

And now the latest rehab job, courtesy of the FEC and the ever-grinding Republican PR machine: John Ensign. Ensign's first step to Restored Whole Republican Personhood begins with the FEC's decision that his little $96,000 payoff to his mistress' husband with campaign funds wasn't really something the public should worry about, and so they've ruled it a private matter.

The group said the payment given to and equally divided among Cynthia Hampton; her husband Doug Hampton, a former aide to Ensign; and their two sons was an illegal political donation to Ensign. But the FEC interpreted the payments as a gift made to longtime family friends.

And with that declaration, another, quieter but more troubling one: Ensign will be running for re-election in 2012 after all. After crazy Sharron Angle, what's a payoff to keep the mistress happy? Right? RIGHT?

How do they do this and why are we beating up on each other when they've got such rich targets out there for us to aim at? Tell me...because I really don't get it.

Since 2005, CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington) has put together a report on the Most Corrupt Members of Congress every year. It's a crowded field, what with Rangel up on ethic charges and Vitter and his diapers, but one name did rise to the top:

Roy Blunt is a candidate in the Republican primary for the United States Senate in Missouri. For the last 14 years, Rep. Blunt has served in the U.S. House of Representatives in the state’s 7th congressional district. As a member of Congress, Rep. Blunt came under fire for a variety of issues including employing the same corrupt tactics that forced his mentor, former Texas Rep. Tom DeLay, to resign. Rep. Blunt’s ethical issues were documented in CREW’s 2006 report on the most corrupt members of Congress.

In 2003, Rep. Blunt divorced his wife of 31 years to marry Philip Morris (now Altria) lobbyist Abigail Perlman. Before it was known publicly that Rep. Blunt and Ms. Perlman were dating – and only hours after Rep. Blunt assumed the role of Majority Whip – he tried to secretly insert a provision into Homeland Security legislation that would have benefitted Philip Morris, at the expense of competitors. Notably, Philip Morris/Altria and its subsidiaries contributed at least $217,000 to campaign committees connected to Rep. Blunt from 1996 to 2006.

Also in 2003, Rep. Blunt helped his son, Andrew Blunt, by inserting a provision into the $79 billion emergency appropriation for the war in Iraq to benefit U.S. shippers like United Parcel Service, Inc. and FedEx Corp. Andrew Blunt lobbied on behalf of UPS in Missouri, and UPS and FedEx contributed at least $58,000 to Rep. Blunt from 2001 to 2006.

Family connections have also helped another of Rep. Blunt’s sons, former Missouri Governor Matt Blunt. Gov. Blunt received campaign contributions from nearly three dozen influential Missouri lobbyists and lawyers when he ran for governor of Missouri in 2004, half of whom had provided financial support to his father. Earlier in 2000, when Matt Blunt was running for Secretary of State, Rep. Blunt was involved in an apparent scheme, along with Rep. DeLay, to funnel money through a local party committee into Matt Blunt’s campaign committee.Rep. Blunt and his staff had close connections to convicted former lobbyist Jack Abramoff. In June 2003, Mr. Abramoff persuaded then-Majority Leader DeLay to organize a letter, co-signed by then-Speaker Dennis Hastert, then-Whip Blunt, and then-Deputy Whip Eric Cantor, which endorsed a view of gambling law benefitting Mr. Abramoff’s client, the Louisiana Coushatta, by blocking gambling competition by another tribe. Mr. Abramoff had donated $8,500 to Rep. Blunt’s leadership PAC, Rely on Your Beliefs.

There are nine others in the report, which includes Democrats Kendrick Meeks and Alvin Greene, "Independent" Charlie Crist and Tea Party favorites Marco Rubio and JD Hayworth.

Five New Freaks

The Nation provides the details about five new GOP Senators. Here's a condensed version:

Tom Coburn has proposed the death penalty for abortion doctors.

Jim DeMint has said gays shouldn't be able to teach or adopt.

Mel Martinez fears "homosexual extremists."

John Thune illegally intimidated American Indian voters.

David Vitter is a "polite David Duke."

Isn't it interesting that Cokie Roberts spends her Monday morning segment on NPR talking about two admittedly disgraced Democrats who will not be holding their positions come Election Day.

Charlie Rangel and David Patterson are an admitted embarrassment to the Democrats. Rangel, like much of Congress, is long overdue for retirement, and Patterson's made such a mess of his career the sooner gone the better.

But why other than pure partisan hackery would Cokie Roberts spend her Monday morning spot talking about them and not mention that Ensign, Vitter, and Sanford still have jobs? Ensign paid off his mistress's family, Vitter was involved with a prostitute, and Sanford was MIA from his job for days on end. These guys still have the backing of their party? Family values much?

Cokie can always be counted on to live up to the old joke by Driftglass:

Dick Cheney is caught setting kittens on fire and throwing them at homeless veterans. What are the first three words out of Cokie Robert's mouth?

"But the Democrats..."

Next she'll be explaining how much Republican scandals help Mitt Romney. Sigh.

Malice in Wonderland - Outside the Tea Party, she avoids looking at the writing on her hands...Roses Ensign, Sanford, and Vitter look on from their well-fertilized garden...the White Rabbit (McCain) all of a sudden thinks time is running out.

Larger versions are linked (because they're big files) in this post.

PS Doesn't Malkin make a lovely Red Queen?

Open thread below...

Matthew Yglesias: Canada turns a blind eye to torture. So does Lithuania...

Margaret and Helen: Thanksgiving letter to the family, 2009

The Agonist: A Tale of Two Belles

Rising Hegemon: The terrorists who will be tried in NYC are not comic book Super Villians

pandagon: "Jungle Fever” is still eating away at some bigoted brains 40+ years after Loving v. Virginia.

Democurmudgeon: Republican candidate hangs out in a bar and complains to the only bartender who'll listen

Mock Paper Scissors: Day Seven of the Vitter-Bardwell Watch

TBogg: Does Joe Lieberman have any goals beyond promoting Joe Lieberman?

Instaputz: OY. Another gal who can't write is expected to produce a book for an audience who can't read? Sarah Palin will plotz!

Rude Pundit: Hoo boy. Pat Buchanan's paramilitary heroes are to teabaggers what a gay rights parade is to that parade's extra special leather contingent.

Evil Slut Clique: Think Before You Pink, a comprehensive overview.

Mike is at a music gig this week; send tips [with subject heading ROUND UP] temporarily to bluegalsblog AT gmail.

From the aptly-named blog "We Saw That", an excerpt from David "Diapers and a Call Girl" Vitter's re-election email.

Recently I held a conference call with some of my key supporters and grassroots leaders around the state. During the call we discussed issues currently being addressed in Congress. Also, looking ahead to 2010, I would like to use these calls to reenergize and reorganize the statewide campaign network which worked so hard and was so successful in my 2004 Senatorial election.
[...]
We'll also talk about forming a statewide network for the David Vitter for Senate 2010 campaign. As we get closer to my 2010 campaign for reelection I'll be hosting more conference calls and meetings, attending rallies and festivals, and cheering our teams on at football games around the state.

Ah, life is good. Hopefully, the football games aren't on Tuesdays, Vitter's preferred day to... ahem, "meet up" with call girl Wendy Cortez. I wonder if Vitter will get help in his campaign from fellow family values Republicans Larry Craig and Mark Foley?

Senator David Vitter fell victim to a humiliating incident today. No, it wasn't the town hall meeting he held with LA residents discussing his hypocritical involvement in the "DC Madam" prostitution scandal. It was after the meeting when his driver backed into a parking sign while quickly fleeing the press.

Download | play Download | play

Fender-benders aside, Vitter finds himself in some hot water now that Deborah Palfrey is going to trial and he's been named as a potential witness. As News 9 reports, Vitter may even invoke his 5th amendment rights. We'll be sure to follow this one.