[Rabid Dog]

That is an excellent observation. Conservatives do tend to eat their own once controversy hits. So what if Bennett gambles as long as he isn't robbing banks, pimping, dealing drugs, etc. to support his habit.

[The Duke]

Conservatives = Klingons

[democratsstealvotes]

I emphatically agree. He works for his money and if he wants to gamble (My husband and I do), that's his business--if it's okay with his wife. Conservatives sometimes need to get a life! Las Vegas is a blast!

[PISANO]

Conservatives tend to eat their own.......

A truer statement can not be made and NO WHERE else is it MORE apparant then on this board. Freepers bash virtually every conservative in a leadership post from GW (assualt weapons ban), Senator Lott (constant bashing) to his replacement Senator Frist (24/7 filabusters). Freedom is great and expressing one's opinion (as I am doing) is wonderful but we all must remember that we will reap what we have sown.

[Mamzelle]

Who's eating Bennett? Bennett needs to knock off the High-Rolling behavior, or find himself not taken seriously as a voice for the traditional virtues. But if his book sales are hit because of this, that's not eating, that's plain market doing its job.

Conservatives don't have to support those conservatives whose behavior embarrasses.

Newt got caught behaving badly, and had to rehabilitate. No one is indispensible.

[RightOnGOP]

I haven't read the entire thread, but maybe many here feel like myself: a hypocritical Republican is worse than a normal (lying) Democrat. Cannot stand a GOPer with a Dem-like problem of any kind, just makes us easier targets for the Dems to paint with the same broad brush as some of their own...."well, you can't criticize me (the Dem) because you (the GOPer) did it too.....etc etc etc"

With some other scandals, I have little/no respect for the GOPs with the pants problems. Example, Bob Livingston did not deserve to become Majority Leader after criticizing Bill Clinton for a pants problem of his own. Newt Gingrich can put together some of the most scholarly debates for conservative causes, but I will never think the same of him after his (two) infidelity problems.

Now, with respect to Bill Bennett, my own opinion of him will change NONE. Gambling is not illegal, he did not bankrupt his family, and it was HIS money. One of the reasons that the left loves this story is because it gives them a chance to say what Bill Bennett SHOULD have done with HIS money........

[6ppc]

Conservatives do tend to eat their own once controversy hits.

We tend to hold true to our values, unlike Democrats who will drink their Kool-aid no matter how bad the taste.