Different treatment?

Pam Spaulding has a post up on the continuing implosion of Sen. Craig, and multiple calls from Republicans for him to resign. She notes:

You have to wonder what Craig is thinking right now as all these fundies and Republicans turn on him. He certainly has to notice that Diaper David Vitter didn't experience calls from folks on the Hill to vacate. Could it be about that whole GAY thing, Larry?

As I note in a comment on that thread, I don't think it's "the gay thing." At least, not entirely. It's mostly about the power thing. There's a reason Mitt Romney can call "I am not gay" Craig 'disgusting' while expressing sympathy and support for "Diapers" Vitter, and it's not just because of the gay thing.

The governor of Idaho is a Republican. So if Craig steps down, a Republican will be appointed to replace him. So there's going to be a Republican in that seat until the next election, whether or not it's Craig.

But the governor of Louisiana is a Democrat. So if Vitter steps down, it means the GOP will almost certainly lose a seat in the Senate.

Therefore, Craig is expendable in a way Vitter is not.

Yes, they're piling on, making every cheap point they can, and are obviously playing to the homophobe wing of the party. But if Craig's seat [no pun intended] weren't securely Republican, we'd undoubtedly be hearing plenty about compassion, avoiding a rush to judgement, and so on.

Also, there's a good post over at Sullivan's that's worth reading. And there was another post, somewhere else, that I've just spent 20 minutes trying to find again so I can give credit where it's due. And I can't. Point being:

There are many pressures putting someone into the closet, and many keeping someone there. There are many privileges that go with it, privileges that are foregone when one comes out; indeed, one can lose one's support system, seemingly one's entire life.

But that does not make it necessary to build a career on trying to turn gays into second-class citizens, as Craig seems to have done.

But ultimately, it's a question of maturity. Of facing facts, about oneself and about the world. And facing facts with integrity is sometimes difficult, sometimes scary, and sometimes carries a price. But it has to be done. Someone who isn't willing to face basic facts, but is willing to tell the thousand lies a day a closeted life demands, at some point calls their own integrity into question. And is not fit to lead.

Update: Found the link. Scroll down a bit, it's in one of the quote boxes. The original blogger is Glenden Brown.