On the October 2 edition of Fox News Live, Fox News political analyst Tammy Bruce, in a discussion about the resignation of former Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) and whether there is a double standard held by the media against Republicans -- but not Democrats -- who become embroiled in scandal, stated: “All I want, frankly, is a gay person in office who is not a sexual compulsive. I mean is that too much to ask for?” Bruce, a self-described “openly gay, pro-choice, gun owning, pro-death penalty, voted-for-President Bush progressive feminist,” made her remarks in the wake of reports that Foley had engaged in sexually explicit communications with one or more male congressional pages and subsequently resigned his seat. Later in the discussion, while defending the notion that a double standard exists in Democrats' favor, Bruce also mentioned the Monica Lewinsky affair without noting that Lewinsky was an adult.

As the Los Angeles Times reported, the FBI is investigating whether Foley “violated federal law by sending sexually explicit instant messages to at least one teenager who had served as a congressional page.” As Reuters noted, Foley, the former co-chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, was “author of the key sexual predator provisions of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, which President Bush signed in July."

From the 10 a.m. ET October 2 edition of Fox News Live:

SCOTT: Inside the Beltway, Democratic leaders in the House are shifting their attacks from former Congressman Foley to the GOP leadership that, of course, is still in place. Democrats demand to know whether Republicans knew of Congressman Foley's illicit text messages to underage boys. But wait a minute, what about the old saying, “People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones?”

[...]

SCOTT: So, is there, Tammy Bruce, a double standard?

BRUCE: Well, here's the -- one issue is politically getting into that -- is that there's wondering what the Republicans knew and when they knew it. The timing of this release should surprise people, considering Hastert passed this on to the attorney general last fall. The fact is I want to know what the Democrats knew and when they knew it. But the reality is, is that the Republicans themselves, and we can use the 1983 congressional page scandal as an example. The Republican in that was caught with a 17-year-old female page and the Democrat, Gerry Studds, was caught with an underage male page. The Republican did not win re-election, Gerry Studds was re-elected repeatedly. He literally turned his back on Congress, and he was censured, so I think it's a matter of what Republicans expect of themselves with Foley's reaction -- was not defiance, it was resignation and rehab. And in the instance of Democrats, I think of people like Bill Clinton and Gerry Studds is an example, set the bar lower for Democrats than the bar which is at a normal level for Republicans and what they expect from themselves.

BOB BECKEL (Democratic strategist): Is that to say that we're like the lower form of life form, low on the food chain. Gerry Studds, by the way -

BRUCE: No, not at all. It's about what moral expectations and who your constituency is.

BECKEL: Well, but moral expectations, Tammy, it depends on where you are. Gerry Studds was from an area of Massachusetts, Cape Cod, where there is a very substantial gay community. Let's remember what Edwin Edwards once said about being re-elected in Louisiana --

[CROSSTALK]

SCOTT: So, Bob, wait a minute.

BRUCE: Being homosexual has nothing to do with attraction to children.

BECKEL: I agree.

BRUCE: And I think that there's an argument --

BECKEL: I agree.

BRUCE: -- that of course you're going to have Democrats being elected in from populations within urban areas where there's an entire mix. The difference is, is that Democrats unfortunately -- we need to expect. All I want, frankly, is a gay person in office who is not a sexual compulsive. I mean, is that too much to ask for? I don't think it is.

BECKEL: Barney Frank is an example.

SCOTT: Well Gerry, Bob, Gerry --

BRUCE: Well, Barney Frank is also had his young, his problems with young --

BECKEL: Well he has --

BRUCE: -- people out of the office.

BECKEL: -- but as Edwin Edwards said the only way you ever get beaten --

BRUCE: C'mon.

BECKEL: -- is, Edwards said the only way he could get beaten is either a dead woman or a live boy, and that was Louisiana.

BRUCE: Oh, and only if you're a Republican with a live boy, apparently not if you're a Democrat.

BECKEL: I'm not sure, I'm not sure.

SCOTT: You know what, I could get -- I didn't get any of my questions in.

BECKEL: Aw, John, we're sorry.

BRUCE: Sorry, sorry, dear.

SCOTT: We'll do it again soon, I guess next Monday. Thanks.