'Kissing Congressman' Vance McAllister won't resign (at least, not yet)
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During an interview with the Monroe News Star Monday night, Rep. Vance McAllister (R-La.) said he "doesn't intend to resign" despite the release of a video showing him kissing a woman who isn't his wife.
McAllister, who ran as a sort of "family values" candidate, has apologized. But beneath the obvious observations about hypocrisy and betrayal, etc., the incident — and his stated intention to remain in office — raise some interesting thoughts and questions.
First, I'm reminded of how important local newspapers are when it comes to holding politicians accountable. In this instance, it was the Ouachita Citizen that first published the incriminating video. A few months ago, it was the Bergen Record that broke the Chris Christie "Bridgegate" story. What happens when these papers go away?
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Second, what should we make of McAllister's decision not to resign? Without knowing much about his re-election prospects — and without making any sort of value judgments — it occurs to me that politicians who stubbornly fight (think Bill Clinton) probably have a better chance of rehabilitating their image than those who "do the honorable thing" and resign in disgrace.
Winston Churchill once famously observed that "nations that go down fighting, rise up again; those that surrender tamely are finished." For better or worse, I sometimes think the same is true of politicians.
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Matt K. Lewis is a contributing editor at TheWeek.com and a senior contributor for The Daily Caller. He has written for outlets including GQ Politics, The Guardian, and Politico, and has been cited or quoted by outlets including New York Magazine, the Washington Post, and The New York Times. Matt co-hosts The DMZ on Bloggingheads.TV, and also hosts his own podcast. In 2011, Business Insider listed him as one of the 50 "Pundits You Need To Pay Attention To Between Now And The Election." And in 2012, the American Conservative Union honored Matt as their CPAC "Blogger of the Year." He currently lives in Alexandria, Va.
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