I know I'm gonna piss off some people with this, but it's my blog, so I'm going to vent.

I read today that Newt Gingrich has admitted that he was having an affair at the same time that he and other Congressional leaders voted to impeach Bill Clinton. My reaction? "So what?" Bill Clinton was not impeached for having an affair, he was impeached for lying under oath, or perjury. I've heard it argued that it was okay for him to lie, because it was not a fair question to begin with. Wrong. One of his employees (not just a federal employee, but a White House staffer) charged that the President had requested sexual favors from her and when she refused, she had been demoted and removed from her position in favor of another woman with whom he was having an affair. If true, this is a violation of federal labor law, not just for government officials, for any employer. There are people sitting in jail for doing this. Such an accusation MUST be investigated to determine if charges should be filed. As part of this investigation, the President was asked to testify under oath. He swore, under oath, that he did not have sex with "that woman - Monica Lewinsky." Now, I don't care if Bill did the entire Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders squad on the Lincoln Desk with a box of Cohibas. I don't even care if he goes on David Letterman, looks directly at the camera, and says the same thing. But when he says it to a judge, under oath, during a legal investigation, he didn't just step over the line, he ran across it like a sprinter.

I seem to remember, but don't hold me to it, hearing read a transcript from Gingrich's first divorce trial in which he DID admit, under oath and for the record, having an affair. It was devastating and, considering the district he represented, could have meant the end of his political career. But he answered the question honestly. Why? Because our system of jurisprudence required him, and everyone who gives sworn testimony, to do so. If his career had been ruined, it would not have been because of the question, but because of his actions. Newt understood that. I haven't heard anything that makes me believe that Bill does to this day.

To those who say such questions are unreasonable prying into people's private sex lives, I say "Fine, then change the law." But you can't just ignore it until you get around to changing it. And before you write your Congressman or Congresswoman, think about the owner of the restaurant down on the corner who fires the single mother of two because she won't fool around, in favor of the hottie who promises to give him blow-jobs in the storage room. Do you really want to end the only protection that single mother has? The President and the restaurant owner have to abide by the same laws. The President is "First Among Equals." He does go to the head of the line. But he is not above any other citizen. If you would prosecute the restaurant owner, you MUST prosecute the President or face your own hypocrisy.

Newt Gingrich had an affair? So what? He told the truth about it.