Just Resign, Vito

Vito Fossella and mistress Laura Fay
(NY Daily News)

As if it could not get worse for Staten Island/Brooklyn U.S. Representative Vito Fossella. After being arrested for drunk driving in Alexandria, Virginia with a BAC of 0.17 (more than twice the state's legal limit), he compounded his mistake by not calling his wife or an aide or a friend to pick him up from the drunk tank, but his mistress, with whom he has a child.

Fossella came out today and admitted that he had an affair with the woman, Laura Fay, and fathered a 3 year old daughter with her. For whatever reason, his original court date to take place next week has been canceled and will occur in June. Hopefully there will be no more revelations of Fossella's misbehavior until then, but given this man's undisputed moronic decision making, no one can truly be sure.

The old proverb goes: you shouldn't throw stones if you live in a glass house. Fossella does not like living by this rule. In an April 17, 2008 letter Fossella, along with other members of Congress, sent a letter to HBO demanding an apology from Bill Maher who said some offensive things about the Catholic Church, stating that the Pope used to be a Nazi (kinda true, he was part of the Hitler youth, though claims to have been morally opposed to it) and wears funny hats (they certainly are not mainstream), but then crossed the line discussing pedophilia and the church (though there is evidence that the church has been involved in a massive cover-up.) In the letter, which Fossella signed, it states:

Mr. Maher crossed the line of decency by insulting the Pope, mocking the Catholic religion and Catholics and diminishing the importance of the Catholic faith.

Given Fossella's recent escapades (endangering others by driving drunk, cheating on his wife and fathering a child out of wedlock while he has three of his own children at home), I think one could easily replace "Mr. Maher" with "Mr. Fossella" (minus the insulting the Pope part.)

This is just another example of a person claiming to be something when, in reality, he or she cannot own up to his or her own actions. My advice to Vito Fossella is do not pull a Larry Craig, go the way of Eliot Spitzer and resign with a shred of dignity left. By resigning you are at least admitting that you have done not only your family wrong, but your constituency wrong as well. Staying in your seat and possibly running for re-election (though I am sure that the Washington elders of your party will try to make sure you do not even fathom the idea of running again) will only keep you in the spotlight and, unfortunately, your family as well. Do the right thing and step down, if not for your sake then for those around you.