Indiana state representative Phillip Hinkle is the latest anti-gay politician to be caught with his pants down. The story goes that the 64-year-old Hinkle, who has voted for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, met an 18-year-old man on craigslist and offered him $80 for a “good time.” The whole thing went to hell, apparently, at Hinkle’s hotel room when he confessed to the kid that he was a politician. (Given the crop of politicians out there today, I suppose that’s no surprise.) Instead of paying for sex that never happened, Hinkle ended up bribing the kid with a BlackBerry to keep him from talking. If you want to shut someone up, give him a telephone—that’s thinking like a Republican.
Okay, I’ll admit it: I love stories like this. There’s very little in today’s political landscape more satisfying than the exposure of hypocrites. Whether it’s Mark Foley’s attempted seduction of teenage pages or Larry Craig’s foot-tapping in a men’s room, I’m there on the front lines, cheering for more. (I should see if I can borrow some pom poms from Marcus Bachmann.)
When you sell your soul to the devil—i.e., the Religious Right—you have to pay a price. Welcome to the check-out stand, assholes.