We all know there is a double standard when it comes to judging Republicans versus Democrats. Nowhere is this seen more than in what is labeled “family values,” where Republicans are portrayed as squeaky clean, Christian, upright and such, leaving them wide-open for the Saul Alinsky’s Rule 4: “Make opponents live up to their own book of rules. ‘You can kill them with this, for they can no more obey their own rules than the Christian church can live up to Christianity’.”
Democrats receive a pass for such indiscretions, as we saw with B.J. Clinton over the encounter with Monica Lewinsky, Barney Frank whose roommate at one time ran a homosexual prostitution ring out of their shared apartment and several others.
Republicans, on the other hand, are demanded and expected to be squeaky clean and any indiscretion from a Republican is immediate grounds for removal, as we saw with Florida’s Mark Foley and Idaho’s former Representative, Larry Craig.
The GOP is all too willing to comply with demands to oust even the most effective member of the party for any indiscretion or impropriety on their part.
Amy Biviano
Republicans using indiscretions to taint a Democrat opponent end all too often with the Republican being left with egg on their face, but that doesn’t stop them from trying and often making mountains out of molehills, losing sight of important issues while they focus on something from long ago that has no real bearing on today.
Such is the case now in Washington State 4th Legislative District race between incumbent Republican Matt Shea and his Democrat challenger, Amy Biviano.
Let me say here that I do not live or vote in the 4th District and if I did, my support would go the Matt Shea. But whoever is trying to trump up this issue against Ms. Biviano is hurting Shea more than they are her.
It seems news is out that 17 years ago, Ms. Biviano, when a 20 year-old student at Yale joined in with several other young ladies to be photographed topless for a Playboy Magazine “Women of the Ivy League” photo spread.
“Revealed” by right leaning Western Center for Journalism (photo on their site with strategic blacking out), not addressed by WCJ, as they point to her demands for Shea to reveal his past divorce and label her a hypocrite for not revealing her past, is just who at WCJ was digging through the very “soft porn” magazine they condemn others for reading?
Republicans tried a few years ago using far left liberal Playboy against aging Democrat Congressman John Conyers that did not gain any traction and went nowhere.
Biviano emailed her response on the revelation to the Pacific Northwest Islander admitting it was indeed her and adding that she would not do so today, outlining both the negative and positive results of her youthful college action.
Like others, she has matured, married and has a family and is a long time Liberal Democrat activist in a strongly conservative district.
Shea issued a statement condemning the use of the 17 year old spread, but disappointing to read in the very first sentence, “I am saddened by the release by a national media outlet of my opponent’s involvement in pornography.”
That comes across to me as an unnecessary slap included in his “condemnation.”
Matt Shea is clearly the better candidate to represent the Spokane District. Amy Biviano is not who we need sitting in the legislature. But not because she once revealed her boobs in a photo shoot long ago. She is not suited because of her leftwing views and support for leftist policies that led us down this path of economic ruin we remain mired in.
Whether anybody, Democrat or Republican once appeared in Playboy or even if they buy and read it today has no bearing on our economy.
Many weeks ago I was approached by a Democrat friend of mine (yes, even I have Democrat friends) and asked to look over some photos of the daughter of a Democrat candidate and give my opinion if they should be taken down as too revealing or hurting the candidates chances in the election.
I saw an attractive young lady wearing a bikini bathing suit who, like other young ladies, is proud of her feminine figure. I said to my friend then that I saw nothing untoward in the photos and if someone ran across them and tried to use it in the campaign I would speak against such a tactic.
I see little or no difference in this effort to use a 17 year old photo shoot against someone who is more likely to lose on issues.
If anything, this tactic is more likely to gain support for the Democrat Biviano as she now becomes the victim.
Republicans can win elections if they focus on issues and point out how the current Democrat majority has led the state into such an economic nightmare.
Ms. Biviona’s breasts have no affect on our economy today. Her liberal views do.
Let’s focus on what is important.
