So, rumors are swirling that John McCain had an affair with Vicki Iseman, a lobbyist with business before his Senate committee. At the very least, they seem to have had an inappropriately close relationship - close enough to cause his own staff some indigestion.

Lord knows McCain isn't the first politician ever to have an affair. He's not even the first "saint". His relationship with Iseman certainly should raise some eyebrows, but it's hardly unprecedented. And while the sex angle will be the focus for much of the coverage of this story, that really should not be the concern for Christians.

Jesus said: let him who is without sin cast the first stone when asked about a woman accused of adultery.

But the Bible has some pretty harsh things to say about people who take bribes or tell lies.

I'm not sure the Biblical writers had a situation like this in mind - and it's yet to be demonstrated that McCain is guilty of anything more than poor boundaries - but this should be the guide for Christians, I think. The social compact is no less important than the marriage covenant. Should McCain be found to have misused his office, we can and should hold him to account. That's not judgmental, it's prudential - and ethical.

Update: Tristero points out a nuance in the original article:

A female lobbyist had been turning up with him at fund-raisers, visiting his offices and accompanying him on a client’s corporate jet. Convinced the relationship had become romantic, some of his top advisers intervened to protect the candidate from himself — instructing staff members to block the woman’s access, privately warning her away and repeatedly confronting him, several people involved in the campaign said on the condition of anonymity.

Senior aides work more collegially with the politicians they support, but can you imagine telling a sitting US Senator to stay away from somebody over and over again? And as Tristero says, what does that say about McCain's judgment?