NPR’s Tamara Keith fired the newest salvo within the media’s ongoing try to suggest that scandalous habits is a largely Republican downside, and demand that Democratic politicians are likely to resign extra typically after being caught in misdeeds, as a result of their social gathering is way more moralistic and exacting on their very own facet than is the GOP.

Keith used the embarrassing story of newly elected Republican Rep. George Santos and his myriad lies to make a model of that argument – that GOP shamelessness guidelines the American political panorama, on Wednesday’s Morning Version. (Beneath are excerpts from NPR’s rearranged, text-friendly transcription of Keith’s authentic report, you can take heed to right here.)

There was a time when disgrace was a robust pressure in American politics. That point just isn’t now.

Congressman George Santos is the embodiment of how instances have modified.

For extra stalwart phrases on integrity, Keith turned to retired liberal Democrat Sen. Patrick Leahy.

This isn’t the way in which issues used to run, mentioned Patrick Leahy, who just lately retired after 48 years as a Democratic senator from Vermont.

“The truth that he’s nonetheless here’s a product of this time,” Leahy mentioned. “Once I got here right here, Republican or Democrat, his personal social gathering would inform him you need to go.”

In 1999, Senator Leahy voted to not impeach Invoice Clinton for mendacity below oath concerning the Monica Lewinsky affair. He not solely voted to maintain habitually mendacity Clinton, he bragged it was a daring second of historic continuity. Invoice Clinton wasn’t talked about on this NPR story of shameless politicians.

Keith tersely described the crime that put Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner in jail, and used him as a extremely questionable spokesman for political integrity.

Somewhat greater than 10 years in the past, Weiner tweeted out an up-close picture of himself in boxer briefs. He lied about the way it occurred, and it solely bought worse from there. He in the end resigned. Weiner later served time in jail for texting obscene materials to a 15-year-old.

“I nonetheless at the moment have individuals who cease me on the road and say, ‘you already know what, you in all probability might have survived that scandal if you happen to simply put your head down,'” mentioned Weiner.

Weiner does not agree. For one factor, Democratic management made it clear he needed to go….

These nuzzlings-up to Democrats have been a build-up towards unmasking Donald Trump below the headline “Trump was a grasp of exhibiting no disgrace.” Keith then went to Montana.

Then got here Greg Gianforte, a Republican candidate for Congress in Montana. He body-slammed a reporter on the eve of a 2017 particular election, and received anyway. He later pleaded responsible to misdemeanor assault. Earlier than lengthy, Trump had turned it right into a punchline, imitating the motions of a physique slam on stage at a rally in Montana.

Gianforte simply saved on profitable and now he is the state’s governor.

….

In 2019, then-Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, confronted a scandal about decades-earlier dressing up in blackface. A who’s who of Democrats demanded that he resign, however Northam persevered and finally the controversy light.

Northam is an exception of a Democrat who gutted it out, mentioned Tim Miller, who labored on Jeb Bush’s presidential marketing campaign. Miller mentioned the political shamelessness is asymmetrical as a result of Democrats and Republicans face completely different levels of public strain.

Keith unwittingly demonstrated how the media performs to Democratic politicians and a Democratic viewers:

For Republican politicians, mentioned Miller, it may be simpler to hold on. “Donald Trump and the conservative media echo chamber has made powering by rather a lot simpler than it was once,” he mentioned.

No point out of Democratic Senators Ted Kennedy (MA) or Chris Dodd (CT), neither of whom resigned for his or her actions together with making an (ahem) “waitress sandwich” at a Capitol Hill restaurant in 1985. Extra just lately, Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax survived two sexual assault allegations to retain his place in Democrat Ralph Northam’s administration. The still-sitting Democratic governor of New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham shelled out $150,000 to settle a sexual harassment declare in opposition to a former marketing campaign staffer.