Shock and savage criticism broke out against Vice President Mike Pence this week when comments from 2002 resurfaced, sparking outrage—not over some scandalous encounter, but over his resolute commitment to his dear wife Karen.

The backlash broke out over a quote from 2002 reposted in a Washington Post report, quoting the Hill: “In 2002, Mike Pence told the Hill that he never eats alone with a woman other than his wife and that he won’t attend events featuring alcohol without her by his side, either.”

In a town where innuendo and unfaithfulness is no stranger, critics circled around Pence’s very personal decision to keep the potential for temptation and accusations at bay.

Author of the Post article Ashley Parker tweeted the article out on Wednesday morning with the reference to the Hill:

Later the same day she tweeted again:

Internet outrage and reports from the left blasted the Vice President over his practice that was very briefly brought up in the Post.

The Atlantic characterized the Pences’ policy as “misguided,” while at the same time displaying “an admirable awareness of their own human weaknesses.” It referred to Pence’s decision as the “Billy Graham rule,” noting that the practice is common among evangelical Christians. The article slams the practice as sexist, particularly in the church.

Slate brutally assailed Pence as sexist and lacking respect for women in response to Pence’s practice in his own marriage: “This kind of thinking does point toward a pretty radically retrograde mindset on the part of its adherents, one that doesn’t respect women as humans with thoughts and skills to contribute but rather sees them primarily as sexual temptations.”

The Washington Examiner tweeted an article calling Pence’s commitment “clearly harmful to the many women on his staff”:

The Examiner article noted the reaction of Mother Jones Editor-In-Chief Clara Jeffery to the Post article, who leaped so far as to conclude, “If Pence won’t eat dinner alone with any woman but his wife, that means he won’t hire women in key spots.” While Jeffrey’s rant questioned whether women had served in high positions in his “campaign, administration, private practice, radio show or think-tank?,” the article lists eight women currently on the Vice President’s staff, including his Deputy Chief of Staff, Jen Pavlik. However, the article’s headline, “Pence’s dining habits clearly harmful to the many women on his staff” does not elude to the several women on staff that are listed at the close of the piece.

The Post headlined their article, “Karen Pence is the vice president’s ‘prayer warrior,’ gut check and shield.” The article details the close relationship between Mike and Karen Pence from the beginning days of their relationship and marriage to his campaigns for and election to Congress, his years as Governor of Indiana, to the vice presidential campaign and his early days in that office.

A correspondent for the Times of London went so far as to compare Pence to Muslim Brotherhood officials:

Knee jerk outrage continued online, reaching so far as to compare Pence’s practice to Islamic Sharia Law:

Katie Pavlich pointed out that there are 50,000 accounts in Washington, D.C. alone on the marital infidelity dating site Ashley Madison.

Breitbart News’s Frances Martel tweeted:

Meanwhile, Thursday afternoon, Karen Pence tweeted out a watercolor painting that she created and presented to an art therapist:

On their anniversary last year, then-Indiana Gov. Pence tweeted a photo of the couple’s wedding:

The original 2002 Hill article being referenced in this week’s lefty outrage originally came not long after the deadly sex scandal involving former Democratic Rep. Gary Condit of California and his intern Chandra Levy, whose disappearance lit up headlines across the country. Levy disappeared in 2001, but the deceased young woman’s remains weren’t found until a year later, according to ABC News, which wrote last October about Condit breaking his 15-year silence on the story. In an interview with TV’s Dr. Phil, he claimed he never had an affair with Levy and had nothing to do with her death. “She came by my condo once,” maybe twice, he told Dr. Phil. Condit is now peddling a book based on his experience.

Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDiana