Congressman Christopher Lee, a representative from New York, recently stepped down amid scandal. The scandal erupted after an online gossip website posted a shirtless photo of the congressman and an email exchange between himself and a woman. Lee had responded to a Craigslist ad the woman posted seeking male companionship and soon thereafter sent the now infamous shirtless photo.
On the surface, one’s initial reaction might be a “”So what?”” Yes, sending a shirtless photo that could best be described as a “”Myspace pic”” is certainly conduct unbecoming of a congressman, but should he really have to step down? Yes, he is childish, and certainly inappropriate, but aren’t there more problematic things that would lead to resignation? Compound that with the fact that he is married with a child, and things change just a bit.
Lee is only the most recent controversy-riddled congressman to get elected in New York. New York has become a haven for the election of shoddy congressmen, just look at their history. The quick survey of memory brings three to the forefront. First there was Adam Clayton Powell Jr. (D-NY), who refused to pay a New York court-ordered fine, misappropriated congressional travel funds and paid his wife for work she did not do. The best part about Powell is that he got re-elected after this scandal.
Next comes Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), who was found by the House Ethics Committee to have committed ethical violations. In short, Rangel failed to comply with several tax laws that led to him improperly renting multiple apartments and using his office to raise money for a facility at a university in New York.
Lastly, our recent memory reminds us of Eric J. Massa (D-NY) who stepped down amid allegations that he inappropriately harassed a male aide, and then claimed that a reappearance of cancer was the reason for his resignation. He later acknowledged that he did have an inappropriate interaction.
Lee is the second New York congressman to step down in less than a year, and odds are, we’ll get another one soon. Now, what Lee did was most certainly inappropriate, but can we say we expected anything less of a New York congressman, Democrat or Republican? If Lee was not married, I would suggest that he just change parties and try to appeal to the youth. We all know that sometimes you just have to take the shirt off and flex the guns. If the girls have got their tickets to the gun show, let them look. But if you’re married, keep ‘em in the holster. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you signed over the permit for your shoulder cannons when you got married.
I truly hope Lee can right the ship and fix this wrong that he has inflicted upon his family. If not, saddle yourself up with a colorful tank top and bust out the frayed American Eagle cargo shorts, Mr. Lee, and start building yourself a library of pictures. That way, the next time a female wants to see your pythons, you don’t have to break away to the bathroom to let them out of their cage.
— Storm Byrd is a political science sophomore. He can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.
