Glance at our homepage headlines because the rumors swirling around yet another GOP politician caught up (for the moment, at least) in a gay-sex scandal, are, well... kind of fascinating.

Quick summary: Spokane police got a weekend report that Curtis who had been in town for a GOP "strategy session" had sex Saturday night with a man who later tried to extort money from him in exchange for keeping the encounter secret.

But keep in mind, whatever you hear, that the Vancouver-area state representative, Richard Curtis, R-La Center, is not gay. Nope. He did not have sex with that man.

Curtis explained it all this afternoon to his hometown newspaper, The Columbian,

"I committed no crime," Curtis said Monday afternoon. "I did not solicit sex. I was trying to help somebody out."

Have you noticed how they're all so helpful. Larry Craig was just trying to help clean up the bathroom stall when he leaned down to pick up a piece of toilet paper. Mark Foley? He just cared so deeply about the children.

But at least, Rep. Curtis has learned from the Craig affair that it's good in these situations to chat with an attorney.

"Look, the rest of this will all come out," he said. "I can't say anything more until I have talked to my attorney. I have never been in this situation before."

But, of course, this has nothing whatsoever to do with the Craig affair because, after all,

Curtis talked briefly with Columbian Editor Lou Brancaccio at about 4 p.m. Monday and denied reports of a sexual relationship.

"I am not gay," he told Brancaccio. "I have not had sex with a guy."

On that point, according to The Columbian, Curtis's fellow Vancouver-area state rep, Jim Moeller, who is gay, backs him up.

State Rep. Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver, one of five openly gay members of the Washington Legislature, said he has never heard any questions about Curtis' sexual orientation.

"Richard appears to be a happily married man to me," he said.