This whole incident involving Sen. Larry Craig has once again shone the bright light of hypocrisy upon a GOP officeholder and once again spineless party members are scrambling for cover.

Unfortunately, too many individuals who rely upon the good faith of the American people for their jobs are willing to sacrifice moral principle for the sake of some political security. This is revealed by those who immediately blame the "system" or the "media" for allowing Democrats to get away with such shenanigans, but suddenly turning into Miss Manners when a Republican is accused of the same.

Is there a double standard at work here? Yes. But such complaints conveniently ignore the fact that the Foleys, Vitters and Craigs of the world have violated the public trust by failing to live by the standard they have endorsed.

Republicans lose credibility when we call out the other side for their moral failings yet look away or rationalize when one of our own is caught red-handed. We must decide whether or not we believe moral leadership to be an essential qualification for public service, and that standard should be applied equally.

I believe that moral leadership is essential and that it should remain so. Therefore, I also believe that when any elected official fails to meet this standard he should do the right thing and resign his position, regardless of the political consequences.

I was raised to believe that public service is an honor and a privilege, not a right. When a public servant stands convicted of immoral acts, he undermines public confidence in our nation's moral leadership. When such individuals get by with no more than a slap on the wrist, it then sends an implied message that such offenses are acceptable, thereby undermining the rule of law and the moral fabric of our communities.

Republicans should not fear holding themselves to a higher standard than their Democratic counterparts. Indeed, consistency on the issue is what gives the public confidence in our ability to manage the government. A lack of consistency, however, undermines public faith in our governance. In short, if we can't keep our own house clean, how can we ask the voting public to trust us in keeping the statehouse clean?

I think our house is overdue for some cleaning.