As a Republican, it would be somewhat satisfying to believe that hypocrisy in politics is practiced exclusively by Democrats. Most of us conservative pundits spend plenty of time in print and on-air showcasing example after example of hypocritical Democrats and their latest antics.

Sadly, the sordid tale of Sen. Larry Craig is a grim reminder that there’s no shortage of Republican hypocrisy, either.

In moral terms, it’s impossible to distinguish between the scandals of Larry Craig and Sen. David Vitter, a Republican from Louisiana. As everyone knows by now, Sen. Craig’s downfall was the alleged game of footsy he played with an undercover police officer in a men’s restroom.

But Sen. Vitter’s transgressions are equally immoral, totally illegal, and entirely reprehensible. After his phone number appeared in the phone records of the infamous “D.C. Madam”, a high-priced prostitution ring, Vitter professed regret, shame, and remorse and returned to the well of the Senate to a thunderous ovation.

What am I missing here?

Vitter’s supporters claim that his case is different from Craig’s for a variety of reasons. He admitted what he did, they reason. He accepted responsibility for his actions.

So does that mean if Sen. Larry Craig had admitted having happy feet in a filthy bathroom and said he was sorry, that his colleagues would have given him a standing ovation and he’d be allowed to keep his job?

Not likely.

Forget trying to make comparisons between homosexual and heterosexual scandals. While plenty of people find trying to pick up another man in a bathroom a lot worse than paying for sex from a high-priced hooker, what should matter to the GOP is doing the right thing.

Instead of trying to rank either scandal on some kind of David Letterman-type Top Ten list, I’ve got to believe that in our hearts, we know that both men did wrong. Continued...