Political news has been especially full of sex recently.There’s Eric Massa, the disgraced New York congressman who outrageously and hilariously managed to stun Glenn Beck by flaunting his impropriety with staffers. There’s California State Sen. Roy Ashburn, who publicly came out the closet last week after a long career stymieing gay marriage proposals and generally fighting homosexuality every chance he got. Then there’s John Edwards, the months-old news of whose affair still makes headlines now and again.And these are just three of the most prominent recent examples. Sex scandals are becoming the standard “dishonorable discharge” of politics, as common a route out of office as retirement or electoral defeat.What is it with these politicians? Why do so many of them fall from so high because they simply can’t contain their impulses? I’ve got a theory. This theory explains why men in the highest echelons of power get caught so often in some kind of sexually damning scenario.Some politicans aren’t heterosexual, bisexual or homosexual. They’re egosexual.Meaning they love themselves above all else.I’m not old enough, experienced enough or cynical enough to apply this theory to every politician, but only the most idealistic (or idiotic) would deny some majority of politicians have horrendously inflated egos. Their life goal is power and attention, and they will sacrifice whatever it takes in pursuit of that objective.There are, of course, degrees. Not every politician is egosexual because not every politician has let his or her ego seep that pervasively into his or her psyche.But, for the worst of them, sex is merely a physical impulse that has to be satisfied quickly and lovelessly so they can get back to big, important attention-getting things.This explains why so many of them are caught and exposed and why the circumstances in which their dalliances occur are so head-scratchingly, obviously sleazy.Don’t get me wrong — sex scandals are sometimes blown way out of proportion. The discovery of an affair (or worse) usually means instant death for a politician’s career, but sometimes an affair is just an affair.We don’t — or rather we shouldn’t — elect people for their outstanding moral fiber. Few children look at a state senator or mayor and say “I want to grow up to be like them!” — especially in our current political climate.We elect — or rather we should elect — public servants because they are skilled negotiaters and able leaders who are able to see the people’s business done as efficiently and beneficially as possible.That said, a democracy means people get to vote their conscience based on whatever issues they deem important. And, even for those of us who don’t think sex should influence voting decisions, there are certainly exceptions.Ashburn has proven he is willing to compromise his very sexuality for the sake of votes and popularly.Closer to home, Sen. David Vitter’s involvement with prostitution rings became a national scandal. Vitter’s indiscretions are particularly loathsome because of his campaign rhetoric. Vitter got elected on a platform of personal responsibility and moral integrity. By his own political language, he is supposed to be a moral leader for the state he represents, and his actions loudly and blaringly proclaim him a hypocrite by that measurement.He may have changed his message, but the scar remains — Vitter has proven he’s willing to hawk some cause for votes regardless of his personal convictions. He championed morality while simultaneously conducting a systematic campaign of lechery.Sometimes sex in politics is blown out of proportion, but — especially in this case — it really matters.Matthew Albright is a 21-year-old mass communication junior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_malbright.—————Contact Matthew Albright at [email protected]