A Political Affair

A Political Affair

By Rachel Birdsell

South Carolina Republican Mark Sanford, not to be confused with Fred Sanford, defeated Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch in a special election to determine who would fill a vacant seat in the U.S. House.

If you remember, Marky Mark is the one who took his funky bunch down south so he could get his groove on with his Argentinean mistress, Maria Belen Chapur, who is now his fiancee.

But, Mark couldn’t settle for just a run of the mill, globe-trotting, extramarital affair.

He used taxpayer money to take the trip down to Argentina and claimed that he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. Well, that’s one euphemism I haven’t heard before.

As distasteful as South Carolinians found Sanford’s dalliance and prevaricating ways, they found electing a female Democrat even more distasteful.

Plus, he apologized and claimed that “I am an imperfect man saved by God’s grace,” which translated into Republicans feeling as though he deserved a second chance.

Oddly, I can seem to remember several Democrats who Republicans felt weren’t worthy of a second chance.

Does the name Bill ring a bell? Remember the impeachment over his affair?

How about the name Weiner? All he did was send a picture of his covered body part with the same name and he was excoriated by Republicans across the country. He was a lecher, a deviant, a perv and most unworthy to hold office of any kind. He wasn’t deserving of a second chance, because how can a person who had the audacity to tweet a photo of the outline of his underwear-clad junk to a woman he didn’t know be trusted to hold political office?

I think it’s funny, peculiar not haha, that the party that preaches family values is rather insincere about family values.

In fact, the only reason I can come up with for the Republicans being forgiving when one of their own is caught with his pants down but not a Democrat is because they’re a bunch of hypocrites.

Personally, I don’t care if a politician has an affair as long as it doesn’t affect his or her ability to serve.

If a married man or woman chooses to cheat on his or her spouse or significant other, it’s no one’s business besides the parties directly involved.

However, when a politician uses tax money to travel halfway across the globe to be caught in flagrante delicto, I start having a problem.

I think most taxpayers would rather their money be spent on things like infrastructure and education than on “hiking the Appalachian trail.”

I also think we’d all be better off if we focused less on how much politicians are getting screwed and more on how much they’re screwing us.

Rachel Birdsell is a freelance writer and artist. You can drop her a note at rabirdsell@gmail.com or at facebook.com/RachelABirdsell

Categories: Commentary