In yesterday’s “Nine Nibbles,” I indicated that I’d ordered my copy of the “D.C. Madam’s” phone records. At the time, Ms. Palfrey planned to release 13 years worth of her escort service’s phone records on CD to those agreeing to her terms of disclosure.
Last night, Senator David Vitter (R-La.) acknowledged that his name appears on these records, albeit from a period preceding his 2004 run for the Senate. This is not, however, Vitter’s first “red light escapade,” according to Louisiana Conservative.
Surprising as Vitter’s “confession” may be to some, I find it wholly self-serving. By all appearances, Vitter intended to remain quiet about his activities until contacted by agents for Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt who informed the Senator that his number appeared on these records.
It’s that very kind of false sincerity that makes brilliant today’s move by Ms. Palfrey to fully release the records online. Her company’s clients were, in many cases, big name politicians who professed to family values in public while engaging privately in the very actions which they condemned.
Yesterday I exchanged a nice series of emails with Ms. Palfrey following her receipt of my request for her phone records (not then available online). Ms. Palfrey noted that my web sites don’t seem like a forum which focuses on corruption in politics, a point which I had to concede. I gave up long ago any hope of unmasking corrupt politicians: like those tiny insects you occasionally find under a rock, they’re just too good at fleeing whenever exposed.
That Ms. Palfrey has taken on this task is nothing short of impressive to me. Faced with criminal charges and accused of trying to “make life miserable” for those who used her company’s services, Ms. Palfrey’s position seems to be quiet clear and old fashioned: judge not lest ye be judged.
Therein lies the irony: despite politicians regularly making use of Ms. Palfrey’s escort service, she alone is facing criminal charges. Why isn’t the law cutting both ways on this?
Palfrey describes her company as engaging in ‘erotic fantasy’ without illegal sex. If that is the case, then there is no plausible legal basis for bringing criminal charges against her. If she did run a prostitution ring, then her clients — including Senator Vittner — broke the law, too.
Regardless of whether sexual activity took place or not, I find Vittner’s hurried apology to be curiously timed. He said nothing until Larry Flynt’s agents contacted him: would he have remained silent indefinitely had Hustler’s publisher not had leverage? If so, what does that say about the rest of Vittner’s moral fiber? About those as-yet undiscovered politicians now sitting back and conducting polls on Vittner’s approval rating before deciding themselves whether to confess?
If you’ve got investigative or computer skills and would like to help Palfrey’s team uncover the cowardly politicians, download the phone records and get to work. It may be the only chance you get to screw a politician just as good as he’s screwed you.