Of course, they are victims of no one but themselves, but we now have the second outing of a prominent Washington figure who did business with Deborah Jeane Palfrey’s Washington prostitution ring (the first was Deputy Secretary of State Randall Tobias, who resigned in April). He is David Vitter, the Republican senator from Louisiana – a married man with 4 children and enough of a social conservative to get a perfect 100 rating from the National Right to Life Committee and the Christian Coalition and a 92 rating from Focus on the Family. It’s not the first time this has come up for Vitter, who had to fend off claims by a prostitute in Louisiana that he had an 11 month affair with her prior to the last election. His website makes note of the fact that he and his wife are both lectors at their church. And here is his response to being outed:

“This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible,” Vitter, 46, said in a statement, which his spokesman, Joel DiGrado, confirmed to the Associated Press.

“Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling,” Vitter continued. “Out of respect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there — with God and them. But I certainly offer my deep and sincere apologies to all I have disappointed and let down in any way.”

I guess I’ll give him credit for not trying to BS his way out of it. But this is yet another example of a guy preaching “family values” during the day and leading a seedy double life outside the glare of the camera. Why this should surprise anyone is beyond me. The best part: this is only the beginning. Palfrey has now turned over 10,000 names and phone numbers to the news media and they’re gonna start dropping like flies. And I’m going to report them all with great glee and laughter.