An interesting irony in the lightning speed of Rep. Chris Lee’s resignation is that it signals the consolidation of a strong honor code unique to Republicans.
Politicians and the public at large have less reason than ever to doubt the conservative movement has zero tolerance for irresponsible behavior in its ranks.
With the aid of internet gossip squads and Dems who dependably troll for such scandals, the GOP is better positioned to be taken more seriously by its conservative members and, by extension, all voters.
There are four indicators of this. First is the relative tameness of the New York congressman’s transgression compared to most Washington scandals.
Second is the record speed at which Lee resigned. Third is that Democrat criticism was largely preempted. Finally, the message loud and clear to conservative politicians is “one strike and you’re out.”
The Chris Lee incident seems a sad, minor-league footnote in the recent history of Washington scandals, and may even hold a record for being the tamest.
Indeed, Lee betrayed his family and the public trust when he replied to an internet personal with cringe-worthy adolescent banter and a shirtless photo.
Yet the image doesn’t have the same “gravitas” if you will, of President Clinton conducting the business of war by telephone while simultaneously engaging in sexual activity with a young intern in the Oval Office.
Neither does it compare to Rep. Barney Frank’s male lover running a prostitution ring out of their shared Capitol Hill residence.
It even seems a stretch to compare Lee’s scandal to former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford trysting with his Argentinian lover while telling wife and kids he’s hiking the Appalachian Trail.
All of the above should have resigned their offices immediately. Yet Lee was the only one to do so.
Sanford seems to be the last in a line of disgraced Republicans who hallucinated that he could indefinitely hide the obvious.
Democrats Clinton and Frank, by contrast, weathered their respective storms with hardly a blip on their respective legacies.
The speed of Lee’s resignation, three hours from the moment the story broke on a gossip website, appears to mark a turning point in delineating standards of behavior for conservatives versus liberals.
It sends a strong message that there is clear honor code for conservative politicians with penalties firmly in place.
How much of Lee’s decision was dictated by his own conscience and how much by the GOP leadership? We don’t know, but either way it reflects an honor code that is unique to one side of the aisle, preempting criticism by the other side.
A curious discrepancy is the large dose of democratic immunity for those who carry the “D-passport,” with no room for error on the other side.
Yet, the left puts itself in a far murkier light since they so rarely feel bound by a well-defined code of personal responsibility.
Instead they feel positioned to call all the shots, holier-than-thou, on what constitutes hypocrisy. If you vote correctly in their eyes, it seems the world is your playground. If not, you can expect to be investigated, labeled and sent packing.
But a sense of honor requires that we not treat people as playthings or promises as empty words. All thoughtful voters know by now that conservatives cannot easily hide their personal misdeeds and betrayals of public trust.
They can be called on the carpet far more dependably than their counterparts across the aisle.
Stella Morabito is a Maryland freelance writer focusing on issues of society, culture and education.
