So what does "weathering a hurricane," and "sending a pic," have to do with disgraced Congressman Mark Foley (R-FL)? They were all attempts to entice a young congressional page inappropriately, which led to a receipt of resignation by Speaker of the House Dennis Hassert today.

Members of Foley's Party champion themselves as upholding the values of the majority of Americans but time and again that veil is exposed and the truth revealed. It's all good to talk about family values, but in practice, conservatives rarely follow what they preach. There's been no real secret about Mark Foley, he's been questioned for years in regards to his sexuality, and was an ardent supporter of equal rights for LGBT Americans, which hardly tows the Republican Party line. Instead he deceptively, and in creepy fashion, exposed himself as essentially a predator for under aged teens. That concerns me on many fronts.

First, the biggest salvo that our political opponents on the Right throw out as evidence that LGBT Americans don't deserve equal rights and representation is because their ranks are full of pedophiles. Former congressman Foley, regardless of what Party he is from, stokes that stereotype. One bad apple in this case can't, and shouldn't, spoil the entire bunch. Like the rest of America, each community has its fair share of bad apples, and sexual orientation is not a deciding factor on that front one way or another.

Second, this continues to bring to light that politicians act like something they really aren't in order to get elected. Foley decided to keep his sexuality a secret instead of just being true to himself, and allowing his constituents to vote on the merits of the true soul of the man. Gay Americans shouldn't be afraid to run for higher office, but to think you can hide the fact that you are gay from the cameras is ridiculous. Americans are desperate for real people to be real honest, regardless of whether they have skeletons in their closets. Foley is exposed as being gay and a pedophile, Allen is exposed for being a racist, Delay is exposed as a criminal, and the list goes on. Bottom line is these people are human beings, and I have yet to meet someone who doesn't have a skeleton or two in the closet. Whether you like it or not it will be exposed, and if you don't do it sooner, it will come out later. Might as well be on your own terms instead of someone elses.

Finally, we've got to stop believing that politicians, entertainers, and other high profile people are somehow above all the problems that everyday people face. We are all human, which means we all share similar problems. Because these individuals have a more high profile status, and scrutinized more then the average Joe and Sally American, their seems to be this sense amongst the masses that these folks are above all of these issues and they aren't. Perfection doesn't exist, and if you think it does you need to get yourself checked out.

Having said all of this, I'm glad to see congress has purged another criminal from its ranks. Now we have a little more then 400 left to go.