***NOTE: Read Caciques Part II where I argue that Congresswoman Sanchez’ scandal is not only about adultery but also about corruption***

I had really hoped that the Loretta Sanchez Scandal was going to be a baseless rumor that Congresswoman Sanchez would put to rest.  I was wrong.  I tried to contact Congresswoman Sanchez’ press person three times but to no avail.  I made it clear that I was an independent blogger in Chicago that was worried about the  damage that this rumor had begun to have on her reputation as a Latina leader.  I even said that our Chicago readers were eager to hear her side of the story.  But my calls have been unanswered.  Her office did not even offer a “no comment at this time.”  As Gustavo Arellano has already made clear, they just aren’t speaking to anyone.

Given the numerous adultery scandals that have cost many men key positions (e.g. Sanford’s national chairmanship, Eliot Spitzer’s governorship, John Edwards’ candidacy), Sanchez would be one of the first (if not the first) women to be taken down by an adultery scandal; thus, how she responds to these accusations could be precedent-setting.  For a while now, pundits have been talking about the fact that women seem never to be involved in these scandals.  Bill Maher believes that’s because men are more unfaithful/promiscuous by nature.  Others, such as Naomi Klein, think that most people just don’t think to look at women’s infidelity because there just aren’t that many women in office.  In any case, Sanchez’ choice to be silent on this issue is creating enough potential energy that should it evolve as the Edwards story did ( I don’t meant to imply that there is a sex tape out there. just that his scandal started as a blog rumor too), not only will her career be destroyed but a new door for female public officials will be opened, one that invites the kind of public scrutiny of their private sex lives that until now only men have enjoyed.