Your Cheating Heart: Why Pols Don't Practice What They Preach

July 11, 2007 — -- Once again, a public figure known for his staunch position on family values has been caught philandering, and once again, the public is left wondering how these guys keep getting themselves into these messes.

After admitting to using escort services provided by Deborah Jeane Palfrey, known as the D.C. Madam, Sen. David Vitter, R- La., became the latest public figure to get caught preaching one thing and practicing quite another.

It is a combination of hubris and denial that allows politicians and other public figures to say one thing and do the opposite, psychologists told ABCNEWS.com.

Vitter made a name for himself as a vocal social conservative and champion of family values.

Speaking last year in favor of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, Vitter said, "It's often said, but it's very, very true, and it is worth repeating -- marriage is truly the most fundamental social institution in human history."

But in a statement released Monday, Vitter issued an apology that made those previous remarks seem farcical.

"This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible," Vitter said in a written statement. "Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling. Out of respect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there with God and them. But I certainly offer my deep and sincere apologies to all I have disappointed and let down in any way."

Vitter is certainly not the first politician to get caught in a sex scandal, nor is he the first public figure to proclaim the sanctity of the family while cheating on his wife.

Liberals and conservatives are equally adept at talking out of both sides of their mouths. Former President Bill Clinton was perhaps the nation's most well-known philanderer, but even his most vocal critic, Newt Gingrich, later admitted to cheating on not one but two of his wives.

Psychologists offer several reasons why politicians and other public figures, such as ministers, say one thing and do the opposite.