Posted on 07/10/2007 2:49:32 PM PDT by Baladas
WASHINGTON -- Larry Flynt is claiming credit for outing Sen. David Vitter's connection to the so-called D.C. Madam.
The Hustler magazine publisher said his staff called Vitter's office Monday, saying they knew his telephone number appeared on a list from Deborah Jeane Palfrey's escort service.
"Vitter ran to the Associated Press in an attempt to get ahead of the story," Flynt's office said.
In a statement released late Monday night, Vitter said he "received forgiveness from God" and his wife several years ago.
Vitter, whose telephone number was disclosed by Palfrey, said he is sorry for a "serious sin" and that he has already made peace with his wife.
"This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible," Vitter said in a printed statement. "Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling. Out of respect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there - with God and them. But I certainly offer my deep and sincere apologies to all I have disappointed and let down in any way."
Vitter lives in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie with his wife and four children.
Palfrey, meanwhile, has been accused in federal court of racketeering by running a prostitution ring. Palfrey contends, however, that her agency, Pamela Martin and Associates, was a legitimate business.
Four days after a federal judge lifted the restraining order, Palfrey posted on her Web site thousands of pages of phone records dating from August 1994 to August 2006.
The list is only phone numbers -- no names.
She said she posted the records because she believed pirated copies got out, and she wanted to insure the integrity of the information.
Palfrey also said she wants to find witnesses for her trial.
Federal prosecutors claim Palfrey ran a prostitution ring that pulled in more than $2 million over 13 years.
But she said Pamela Martin and Associates was a legal adult fantasy service.
Palfrey and her attorney have said the list contains up to 15,000 people and could shake up Washington by revealing high-profile individuals.
A Harvard graduate and Rhodes scholar, the 46-year-old Vitter was elected to his current office in 2004, becoming the first Republican from Louisiana elected to the Senate since Reconstruction. He represented Louisiana's 1st Congressional District in the House from 1999 to 2004.
In the House, Vitter succeeded GOP Rep. Robert Livingston, who was in line to replace Newt Gingrich as speaker until Livingston admitted to extramarital affairs and quit Congress. Livingston had been a critic of President Clinton, calling on him to resign over his affair with Monica Lewinsky.
From what I’ve heard, Senator Vitter has been up-front and only delivered
“straight talk” about his indiscretion.
Even on the Lou Dobbs show, a bunch of guests (talk-show hosts) said
that Vitter had been direct and owed up to his actions.
My verdit:
NOT GUILTY!!!
by reason of honesty and transparency!
Speaking of blackmail, does Vitter have a security clearance? If so, was Vitter required to disclose this info to the Feds? And if so, did he?
I believe the sin outed Larry Flynt.
Good question!
As much as i like David Vitter, I think he needs to step down.
I wonder how the “Fairness Doctrine” would work on something like this?
Someone else’s sins always need punishing. Flynt and the RATS hope to end this man’s career by appealing to rigid conservative condemnation and demands for his resignation.
Maybe we should just take a deep breath and assume he is basically a good man, husband and father who committed a common sin. Both Flynt and the RATS will go crazy. Note they never out their own.
You'll probably be flamed for that. I'd still vote for him, if I lived in Looziana.
Most Dems and Pubbies seem to agree on one thing about Monicagate - it was all about sex. Well, it wasn't to me. It was about perjury and obstruction of justice by the President in giving testimony before a federal judge in a sex discrimination lawsuit. That justifies impeachment, IMHO. Philandering, which we've had plenty of in the White House and Congress in the history of the Republic, doesn't.
So did Larry pay out that money he was offering for any dirt on a Republican?
Scarborough is in the DEMOCARY CAMP now.....NO Democrat will be outed.
If it makes you subject to blackmail, it does. I like watching liberals' heads spin around, when I remind them that 100% of what we know about the Clinton-Lewinski affair was what she freely admitted, and what he did not deny, and that we have NO idea if she blackmailed him to do something on behalf of Israel for her to stay silent. Since they are usually Israel-haters, that really makes them wince a bit.
Also, if it distracts you from your governmental mandate, then it's a problem. I tell my lib friends and acquaintances, that since I never voted for Clinton, it wasn't my agenda that he failed to deliver on during his second term. I laugh that I'm glad he did it, because that prevented him from making law changes that I wouldn't have liked, that they would have loved.
If they're still listening, I tell them that it was a standing joke on the late-night circuit that George W. Bush was some sort of coke-snorting party animal, just as Bill Clinton's infidelity was made fun of during the 1992 campaign. However, if a videotape surfaced, showing Bush to be drinking and buzzing out on blow, the Republicans would have instantly repudiated him, unlike the Democrats that rallied around Clinton while he was lying to them with an "I did not have sexual relations with that woman" off his sneering lips.
At that point, they pretty much shut up and leave.
No. He most definitely does NOT need to step down over this. He has admitted his sin, gotten forgiveness from his wife and God. Enough. As a resident of Louisiana, I would be deeply upset if we lost yet another true conservative to this type of admission. We lost Livingston in the House and we had two Dem Senators forever: Breaux and Landrieu - and it was an uphill battle all too often. Leave Vitter alone! He’s on our side! Now that we finally have a Republican who’s not a RINO, and we’re down to just one Dem. Senator, don’t call for us to go back to Square One, please!
Yeah Flynt only goes after Republicans and never “lifts the sheets” on Dems. Funny how that Big Head of his thinks.
First things first. If he had flown out to one of those ranches that they had in the Nevada desert, not only would this have been legal, but, no one ever would have found out about it.
And actually, until a few years ago, if he had done it in this state outside of one of our major cities, it also would have been legal. I would also like to point out that the crusade to end legal prostitution was carried out by the same people who fought the chain gang system, for prohibition, in other words, early 20th century “progressives”.
And while Vitter certainly didn’t show the best judgement, usually, high profile madams don’t turning over their client lists. In general, because their business is based entirely on trust. This madam broke the trust of her clientele, so she has little to no business ethics, which is actually, pretty rare in that industry. Vitter has a good record, he deserves to stay in office and people need to learn to stop getting in other people’s business.
I think conservatives should also stand for moral values. He’s also been connected to a New Orleans brothel, so it was not a one time lapse of judgement.
I have had a clearance since 1981. I don't recall ever having that question asked directly. ??
Sounds like you’ve done a lot of research on the subject.
I was curious if anything like this would happen. A while back I got a FR mail from aother poster asking me if I heard anything about David Vitter having an affair. I never heard it before and brushed it off as a rumor campaign. I guess this was bound to happen.
O, Please tell me, is Larry the Flynt without SIN?
O pity the one, who wallers in the slimy pits of MORDOR,
and Clinton castles, and being boosum buddies with GOLLUM!
hhhssssssss! I sing yo a song, Larry, titled :You Are So Pitiful to Me, or whatever.
Bullfrog
O, Please tell me, is Larry the Flynt without SIN?
O pity the one, who wallers in the slimy pits of MORDOR,
and Clinton castles, and being boosum buddies with GOLLUM!
hhhssssssss! I sing yo a song, Larry, titled :You Are So Pitiful to Me, or whatever.
Bullfrog
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