By JONATHAN TILOVE
c. 2011 Religion News Service

WASHINGTON (RNS) The president of the Christian conservative Family Policy Network sent Sen. David Vitter, R-La., a letter Monday (June 20) calling on him to follow the lead of former Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., and resign rather than leave Republicans and conservatives open to charges of hypocrisy.

Vitter admitted to a “serious sin” in 2007 after his phone number was found in the 2001 client records of a D.C. madam, when he was a member of the House.

Weiner resigned after first lying about and then admitting to “inappropriate” online communication with various women.

“There are a lot of people that I think are committing outright hypocrisy and are forced to do so as long as he (Vitter) remains in office,” said Joe Glover, the president of the Family Policy Network, based in Forest, Va. “I don’t think the senator should put those folks in the untenable position of having to pragmatically defend his presence in the Senate.”

Vitter’s office had no immediate comment.

In an article posted on the group’s website Tuesday, policy analyst Alexander Mason writes that “the public’s perception of Vitter as a sleazy, hypocritical Christian only served to tarnish the name of Christ among unbelievers.”

The Family Policy Network is probably best known for its confronting attendees at gay pride events with, as they put it on their website, “the truth that Jesus Christ can set them free from homosexuality” through the network’s “Hope for Homosexuals” project.

(Jonathan Tilove writes for The Times-Picayune in New Orleans.)