"Family values" apparently don't apply to Newt Gingrich. Marianne Gingrich, the second of Newt's three wives, sat down for a rare interview with Esquire and talked about Newt cheating in their marriage. The article said, "When Marianne confronted Newt about his cheating, he had just returned from a speech where he spoke of the importance of family values. Yet he asked her to simply tolerate the affair. She refused, and asked him how he could give high-minded speeches while simultaneously running around on his wife. "It doesn't matter what I do," he answered. "People need to hear what I have to say."

Well, so much for family values when it comes to the Newster. But this really raises two larger issues. First is the obvious one, that some politicians particularly on the right, believe that the end justifies the means, and will lie enthusiastically to accomplish what they think is a noble goal. The second is the issue of morality, which is where this will most seriously bite Newt in the butt.

While liberal morality usually focuses on society - we can't call ourselves a moral people if there are hungry among us, homeless among us, or sick among us - Conservative morality usually focuses on the individual. Because conservatives are more interested in, and worried about, who's is sleeping with whom, and how, and when, Newt's conservative bas - which largely doesn't give a damn about the hungry, homeless, or sick among us - will probably be quite upset that he cheated on both his ex-wives while giving high brow speeches about family values and lead the prosecution of Bill Clinton for having sex in the White House.