Steve, you're the sitting-in-your-basement-in-pajamas guy, while I'm a working stiff G. Perhaps you could follow this post up with some links to any comments these groups may have made about Spitzer or McGreevey?

It would be interesting to see if there are any connections between these so called "pro-family" groups and the "friends" or "C street fellowship" that Sanford (and also Ensign) were believed to be involved with.

Maybe they are keeping their mouths shut because their compatriots kept knew about and kept secret the affair(s) that Sanford was having. Also may not be a good thing for someone to be digging to find that say, the FRC knew about the affair before it went public.

Has Promise Keepers offered any comments yet? Or will they be reincorporating as Promise Breakers?

A classic strategy of the religious right. When they should be speaking out about the bad behavior of some members of their herd, they always take the high road. They seal their lips with superglue. This way they provide much needed cover for the real sinners in this society, ensuring the continuation of their bat-sh!t craziness.
Minorities, immigrants, LBGT persons, Muslims, etc. are not the real sinners. The real sinners are in their midst. And they know it.

I would guess the "Family Research Council's" relative silence is due to the fact that Mark Sanford has been a valuable ally to the Council in its goal of eradicating public schools.

The christian right wing is the do as I say not as I do crowd.

Lyle Lovett, God Will

Who keeps on trusting you
When you've been cheating
And spending your nights on the town
And who keeps on saying that he still wants you
When you're through running around
And who keeps on loving you
When you've been lying
Saying things ain't what they seem
God does
But I don't
God will
But I won't
And that's the difference
Between God and me

So who says he'll forgive you
And says that he'll miss you
And dream of your sweet memory
God does
But I don't
God will
But I won't
And that's the difference
Between God and me

At least they are not wasting their breath praising him. I also noted their silence when the "Reverend" Phelps and crew tried to wreck Matt Shepard's funeral. No one condemed Phelps when he and his followers, their non-reaction betrayed the uglyness in their souls. Phelps was not funny or even interesting just mean. And the Republican political class and the Republican religious caste did not care enough to say a damn thing.

Rush and the Christian Republicans could never condemn Sanford because then they'd look like they gave a damn about the point of view they promote. But they don't, they keep saying these values things, but in the end, they don't matter to them. It's just a means to get more money and power.

They almost destroyed the country when they ran on that "values" platform and did not have the guts to apologize. (correction Alan Greenspan admitted he was wrong.)

So now when they speak, its like listening to gibberish because they do not have logic, science, or history on their side.

Look, the Bible is very clear about adultery: it doesn't count if it's in a different zip code. Clearly the FRC's silence reflects this.

The question was asked about the FRC and Eliot Spitzer. Why come out and denounce Spitzer, when your FRC publication can include a comment from Cathy Ruse, while writing about Spitzer wanting more permissive abortion laws, that those who seek less restrictive laws do so out of self-interest.

I also noted their silence when the "Reverend" Phelps and crew tried to wreck Matt Shepard's funeral.

Of course they were silent. The Religious Right doesn't like the way Phelps & Co. come off in the media, but they do agree with him.

I would dearly like adultery to be removed from topics of outraged conversation by all groups. The thought of these politicians having sex makes me lose my appetite.

You can't make fun of members from the party of God! Besides, jebus himself died so that Mr. Sanford could be forgiven. It's not that he hasn't also got a terse but soft spot for homos (at least according to his earthly entourage) but they're going to burn for eternity if they "do it" probably whether or not they say "sorry jebus" at the very last second or dying breath! You can't make this stuff up.

I'd bet the silence of the religious right is because of their belief that God forgives the sinners who have been saved, and Mark Sanford is a charter member of their group.

Even to say anything puts them into a dilemma. Are they consistent in their demand of family values from everyone, or are they consistent in belief in their religious doctrine that those who have been saved are forgiven their sins.

Decent reporting from NPR all day as Terry Gross was all over "The Family" and their nefarious hold on the levers of power, a health care beatdown of Mitch McConnel, and also local report about a factory in New Bedford MA closing and moving to Puerto Rico... They make backpacks for U.S. Soldiers.

They truly believe (Sanford et. al.) that they can do no wrong because God is on their side. Apocalyptic Party indeed.

Stop that panty sniffing, grinning cat.

The problem is the moralizing, not the hypocrisy. The hypocrisy is an easy target, but egging on their judgmental tendencies is in and of itself problematic if not hypocritical.

Sanford wasn't a crap Governor because he's a douchebag, he was a crap Governor because he played to people's prejudices and let his simple-minded ideological presumptions override what was best for his State. The problem with moralizing isn't just that it is harder to live a perfectly virtuous life than it is to talk the talk, it is that it conveniently de-humanizes the subject of the moral criticism, as with "welfare queens," slutty gay men, or other right-wing stereotypes of moral failure used as strawmen to defame groups and divide the country.

Steve Benen, don't feed that dynamic. The problem is not just with the hypocrisy, but the preening moralism that poisons all our political discourse. Sanford was guilty of preening moralism, as are all his old pals on the religious right. Mark Sanford has no right to judge me and use me as political prop even if he does manage to remain faithful.

We have the majority, so let's stop playing in their frame, OK?

Agreed with "nice strategy", 'cept that I'd go one further and point out that the moralizing comes not from a set of beliefs, but from the desire for money and power. These folks don't really believe the crap they pretend to believe, so hypocrisy isn't even an issue, and for them to criticize Sanford would only serve to diminish their power and their revenue stream.

Ha Ha Ha, I told y'all that most of these marriages by the GOP was a sham - I said the women were 'props.'

I told you based on the fact that you never really see the wives until election or a scandal. All you have to do is look at most of the GOP sleeping in their offices at the Capitol. The ones that hardly ever go home.

Here's a corny joke-

question: What did the potato chip say to the battery?

answer: If you're EverReady, I'm Frito Lay.

disputo - I think you're wrong when you say "these folks don't really believe the crap they pretend to believe." I have many, many members of my family who are big supporters of Focus on the Family, of which FRC is an offshoot. Believe me, they absolutely do believe what they claim to believe, from the rank-and-file right up to the leadership.

A willingness to support the "right" positions (anti-abortion, anti-gay rights, anti-sex ed, pro-school prayer, etc.) covers a multitude of sins with a lot of these people.

The ends justifying the means, and whatnot.

carolatl: disputo - I think you're wrong when you say "these folks don't really believe the crap they pretend to believe." I have many, many members of my family who are big supporters of Focus on the Family, of which FRC is an offshoot. Believe me, they absolutely do believe what they claim to believe, from the rank-and-file right up to the leadership.

Correct. Let's not make the mistake of confusing the actual movement with the politicians and media propagandists that pander to them.

Du9lvi