WTF IS it with these guys?

You know, Democrats like Barack Obama might want to rethink that "Let's try to appeal to 'values voters' by being moral scolds" strategy, given who the Republicans are turning out to be.

Another one:

Randal D. "Randy" Ankeney, the convicted sex offender who just a few short years ago was a rising GOP star in Colorado, is being held on a $1 million bond in Larimer County.

Ankeney, 35, who was arrested Wednesday, is facing five counts of sexual assault on a child, three counts of sexual enticement of a child and one count of sexual exploitation of a child. The felonies, if he is convicted, could send him to prison for life.

The charges come less than 15 months after the former attorney, head of Gov. Bill Owens’ economic development office in Colorado Springs and graduate of the Republican Leadership Program, was released from prison after serving a two-year sentence for attempted sexual assault on a child.

Cara DeGette
At the time of his first arrest, in 2001, Ankeney was serving as the El Paso County co-chairman of Owens’ reelection campaign and was being groomed for a seat in the state legislature. His network of connections ranged from Bill Hybl, the powerful chairman of the El Pomar Foundation and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, to Colorado Springs developer and school voucher advocate Steve Schuck, to current state Sen. Andy McElhaney and state Rep. Bill Cadman.
Former friends liked to point out that Ankeney was so committed to the Republican Party that he named his dogs Reagan and Nixon.

[snip]

When he was first arrested in 2001, Ankeney resigned his $63,000-a-year economic development post. At the time, Hybl said he was “shocked.” Owens’ then-spokesman, Dick Wadhams, reported "the governor is sickened by the charges."

But, as detailed in the Aug. 30, 2001 Colorado Springs Independent, numerous other Republicans attempted to distance themselves from Ankeney when queried about their relationship with him.

In the case, Ankeney, then 30, was accused of picking up a 13-year old girl up after he had met her on the Internet using the moniker “coloradofella.” The girl told police he took her to his home, in central Colorado Springs, got her drunk and stoned on marijuana, convinced her to take off her shirt and took photographs of her. When she passed out on the couch, she awoke to found Ankeney on top of her, kissing and fondling her. The girl told police that she feared Ankeney would rape her, but that he eventually let her up, apologized and told her that if she told anyone about the episode "he would ruin her life."

He then dropped her off near a Wendy’s fast food restaurant, in the middle of the night.

Nice fucking guys these Republicans have working for them, eh? Just think about this the next time a Republican gets up and gives a press conference or a rant on the House floor about morality and family values.