CA Assemblyman Michael Duvall is the Latest Act in Conservative 'Summer of Love' Tour, Winning GOP Hypocrite of the Week Award

Michael Duvall

Whew, is it getting hot in here?

Yes, it seems that if 1967 was the Summer of Love for the liberal hippies, then 2009 must be the summer of love for conservative hypocrites.

As a most apropos opener to the season, John Ensign stretched the limits of hypocrisy when he refused to resign after having an affair, even though he was more than happy to demand the resignations of colleagues in similar situations. The very next week we honored Gov. Mark Sanford, whose bizarre Latin lover case captivated the nation for the brief few moments we weren't thinking about healthcare reform. Then, when that wore off, we heard about the strange blackmailing attempt of Tennessee state Sen. Paul Stanley, who apparently believes it's OK for a married father of two to make porn with his legislative intern, but it should be illegal to show that porn in your minivan as it speeds down the highway. Just when you thought the summer couldn't get any hotter, Sanford's pal and South Carolina Board of Education Chair Kristin Maguire turned out to be a rather talented smut writer in her free time.

But it looks like the GOP hypocrite machine has been saving the best (or is it worst?) for last.

Thanks to the wonders of modern recording technology, we now know all the "messy" details of California Republican Assemblyman Michael Duvall's lurid extramarital affairs. Duvall, a staunch supporter of all things family values, was caught in front of a hot mic giving nasty details of his sex life to a fellow lawmaker before an assembly meeting. The overweight 54-year old married father describes his escapades in so much detail, one feels sorry for his fellow Republican Assemblyman Jeff Miller, the man he's sitting next to. Hasn't Duvall heard the phrase "too much information?"

One source even told a local news station that while many people are quite uncomfortable with Duvall's insistence on the topic of conversation, it's very difficult to get him to stop talking about his "sexual conquests."

Yuck.

According to the local television station KCAL, which broke the story, Duvall was having two affairs, each with a married woman who works as a lobbyist. One works for a Sacramento utilities company, and Duvall is a leader on the state Utilities and Commerce Committee.

Duvall resigned his assembly position shortly after the news broke. But just because he's stepped down and summer is over doesn't mean the lurid sexual affairs of family-values politicians are coming to an end. In fact, an extension of this summer of love might just come out of California, according to the L.A. Times' report on the atmosphere in Sacramento:

As TV camera crews chased lawmakers through Capitol corridors for comment on the scandal Wednesday, the place was abuzz with gossip: other lawmakers with lobbyist mistresses, inappropriate invitations to romantic dinners, married legislators and industry officials canoodling at fundraisers and after-hours mixers.

Duvall, some said, just happened to get caught.

However, there may be a special element that makes Duvall stand out among the hypocritical philanderers. His relationship with the energy lobbyist sheds a new light on votes he's cast against requirements that energy companies be forced to use more renewable fuels. Watchdogs and California state legislators are calling for corruption investigations, which may explain Duvall's latest claim. He insists that just because he resigned, doesn't mean he actually had an affair (or two).

A statement on Duvall's Web site (a site titled "Duvall For Assembly 2010," amusingly enough) clarifies thusly:

I want to make it clear that my decision to resign is in no way an admission that I had an affair or affairs. My offense was engaging in inappropriate story-telling and I regret my language and choice of words. The resulting media coverage was proving to be an unneeded distraction to my colleagues and I resigned in the hope that my decision would allow them to return to the business of the state.

Riiiight. Just telling stories. Would that be like the story of marital fidelity you tell your family? Or is it more like the family values story you tell your constituents? Save it, Duvall: We've heard this one before.

Remember our motto: So many Republican hypocrites, so little time.

Catch up with you soon.

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This is Michael Duvall's first GOP Hypocrite of the Week Award. Welcome to the club. You can see a list of all previous nominees here.