Oklahoma Democratic Party Calls on Senator Coburn to
Denounce Hypocrisy of Republican Senator Vitter
Blind Allegiance to Republican Colleagues
Must End for the Good of the Nation

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Republican United States Senator David Vitter of Louisiana, who recently admitted his phone number appeared in the telephone records of the alleged “D.C. Madam”, Deborah Jeane Palfrey and who has been accused by the New Orleans Times-Picayune of being a client of prostitutes when he was a state legislator in the late 1990s, has found tremendous support from his Republican colleagues over the last two weeks.

Even Oklahoma’s own junior Republican, U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, who is well-known as one of the most zealous and vocal social conservatives in the U.S. Senate, has been quick to defend Vitter, despite his fondness to champion the importance of so-called Republican ‘family values’. “Have you ever done anything wrong? So have I.” said Senator Coburn, who was seen walking Vitter to and from a Republican Senate luncheon where Vitter first addressed his colleagues on the matter. Coburn went on to add, “I’m happy he’s back at work”. Senator Inhofe has continued his silence on what proves to be another Republican scandal.

“It is time for Republicans, like U.S. Senators Tom Coburn and Jim Inhofe, to denounce this immorality and stop blindly supporting Vitter because he is a fellow Republican. Republicans have fooled the American people into believing they care about family values and the sanctity of marriage, yet one after another are identified as the hypocrites they truly are,” said Oklahoma Democratic Party Chair Ivan Holmes.

What is truly ironic is that disgraced former Republican Congressman Bob Livingston of Louisiana, who was in line to be the next Speaker of the House in 1998, resigned from office after his own sex scandal, which allowed Vitter to become his successor. At the time, Vitter said that Livingston’s resignation was a “very powerful argument that Clinton should resign as well and move beyond this mess,” according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Prostitution is clearly an illegal act in both Louisiana and the District of Columbia. As a result of Senator Vitter’s disregard for the law and morality, the Oklahoma Democrat Party joins with the Louisiana Democratic Party calling for the end of this hypocrisy by asking Senator Vitter to do the right thing and resign immediately.

“We cannot allow our elected officials to break the law and continue to represent the American people. Senator Vitter is not above the law and should not remain in office,” said Holmes.

Senator Vitter is not the only Republican elected official to recently face moral controversy. In September 2006, Republican Congressman Mark Foley was caught sending inappropriate emails and instant messages to under-age male congressional pages from 1995-2006. This scandal eventually led to Congressman Foley’s resignation from his congressional seat. To add to the hypocrisy, Foley was chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children and had previously proposed legislation targeting sexual predators against children.

“Here is yet another example of ongoing Republican immorality, corruption and hypocrisy. America cannot afford the scandals of the Bush Administration, along with Republicans in Congress, like Duke Cunningham, Tom Delay, Mark Foley and David Vitter,” declared Holmes.

“The recent actions of Republican politicians are unacceptable and Americans should not have to accept members of Congress that engage in such behaviors as prostitution and sex crimes against minors. Republicans should listen to their own rhetoric by following the law, doing the right thing and resigning,” concluded Holmes.

To join in calling for the resignation of Senator David Vitter, please sign the petition at www.ipetitions.com/petition/VitterResignation or call on Senator Inhofe and Senator Coburn to do the right thing by visiting www.senate.gov or calling (202) 224-3121.