Politcal sex. Corruption sex. A real sex scandal.

The personal sex lives of politicians and elected or appointed public officials should be irrelevant to the American people. Period.

But what is a "personal sex life?" It's not a political one. It's not a sex life in which sex is tied to political influence; it's not a sex life in which sexual gratification is a political tool, a bribe essentially, inveigling its way into the realm of law-making and policy-making.

Yet, that is what seems to have happened in the emerging Republican sex scandal:  sex bought Republican political influence.

I've never encountered the phrases "political sex," "political sex lives," or "corruption-sex." But I think the phrases might do well to contrast  the sort of sex-related topics that voters should see as irrelevant, like:
--the number of marriages a politician has had,
--whether or not a politician is sexually attracted to the same or opposite sex or both, or
--the age of a politician's spouse or domestic partner.

Corruption sex is different. Corruption sex gratifies the politician but rapes the voters, sexually abuses the American people. Particularly hideously in the case of the emerging Republican sex scandal, "the American people" being treated as sexual pawns may include our troops. The scandal involves, according to Harper's, at least two defense contractors seeking to buy the influence of "current and former lawmakers on Defense and Intelligence committees—including one person who now holds a powerful intelligence post."

When the President of the United States has sex with a young intern of no influence or relevance politically, it demonstrates poor judgment in sexual matters; but, it is sex as sex. It would be unethical, in my opinion, for the President to publicly lie about it; but, it would be ridiculous for the American people to treat the episode as a criminal matter, or for the media to, say, fan the flames of "scandal" (remember the holier-than-thou columns by Maureen Dowd during the Lewinsky "scandal," fearing for her dear daughter having to hear about sex on the nightly news?)

But what we're seeing emerge now is not sex as sex, but sex as corruption: sex in exchange for political favors.

The questions this time around aren't about the color of a dress, but about significant and technically public implications. It will be interesting to see who cares.