And if it all turns out to be true, then the South Carolina Republican Party is a pansexual smorgasbord of smut, a Plato's Retreat for the pious, the judgmental, the Olympic hypocrites of morals and public policy.
We already know about Mark Sanford, the social conservative, C Street groupie Luv Guv who took his Christianist spiritual advisor to New York to help him break up with his Argentine Firecracker only to ditch the prude dude for a quick hotel hookup, before abandoning his job and family Father's Day Weekend to fly off to Rio to not break up again. His wife and sons have moved out, and he has mainly been occupied explaining to Rotary Clubs why he shouldn't have to resign or be impeached.
Heterosexual adultery...check.
Then Anaconda, on Saturday, promised a Monday sex scandal scoop. So did gay activist Mike Rogers at Blog Active, who promised a "Monday outing."
Anaconda's tale was of Kristin McGuire, Governor Sanford's pick to head the State Board of Education and a pious Christianist of the first water who advocated teaching intelligent design in the schools even as she home schooled her own children. McGuire abruptly resigned. Anaconda says McGuire resigned after it became known, she had a predilection for publishing steamy Internet sex tales, as well as a talent for lap dancing other Republican officials (allegedly, again, one one occasion, in First Lady Jenny Sanford's office). Exactly which allegations are true, admitted and/or denied remains a bit murky.
Heterosexual moralist Christianist woman with a contradictory private side...check.
Sic Willie's tale of home school hypocrisy was, almost immediately, trumped by Rogers' declaration that SC lieutenant governor Andre Bauer is gay.
Closeted alleged Republican homosexualist officeholder parroting antigay positions...check.
Short of another SC animal husbandry case, what's left?
Reaction in the conservative blogdom has been all over the map.
Savonarola turns out to read Sodomite blogs when the need arises, and offered his own blind item::
This story about Andre Bauer is probably only the beginning. Look for rumors about a certain Lexington Senator to be "fleshed out" in the days ahead, too.
The Garnet Spy, was all over the story early on, styling himself Clarence the Clean Pig while pronouncing the Bauer's political career over:
There is a story out on more than one blog that’s gonna get a lot of attention. It’s about South Carolina Lt. Governor Andre Bauer.I won’t entertain a link to the story or even mention what it’s about, but I will say that I don’t care whether it’s true or not. I care only about honest representation from our public servants.
Indigo Journal wondered about the- well, the everything about the McGuire story. Earl Capps asked, who is Kristin McGuire and why should anybody care what she does in her spare time?
Wolfe Reports took that same line.
Voting Under the Influence said the whole subject is out of bounds unless one can prove an impairment or neglect of performing one's official duties, but that gay activists are pathetic:
Since the beginning of politics, there have been politicians who have had sex scandals. There also have been activists who like to take vague information and twist it to their point of view being validated. For whatever reason, gay activists seem to be among the strongest at taking vague information and “outing” someone. They usually try to “out” prominent politicians, such as Alexander the Great or Abraham Lincoln. The reason is simple and human. If one feels unaccepted by people, the natural reaction is to find someone who is highly regarded and say, “hey, this guy is just like me.”
(Who knew Alexander the Great was a "prominent politician"?)
Waldo's sitting these two out. Both stories are poorly sourced, Rogers' especially. It doesn't say much for a story's foundation that its author says, "Trust me, I've been 100% right till now." Neither has cracked the Grownup Media.
The McGuire story will fade in no time. She was just a side of red meat plopped down into the Board of Education to placate the socons.
The Bauer story will take a bit longer to fade, not on its merits, which seem to warrant the Scotch verdict, "Not Proven," but because Bauer's flirting with running for governor and if the Luv Guv falls, he gets a big leg up on the competition. Rogers' outing adds nothing to previous rumors about Bauer's sexual orientation; all other things being equal, the appearance of the story three weeks before a GOP candidates' debate in Newberry suggests someone's trying to scupper Bauer's chances with a "John McCain has a black baby" flyer.
"It's all applesauce," Waldo muttered, before returning to his typewriter.
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