Tom Reynolds R-NY, forthright and upfront about Mark Foley.
For those not in the know, Tom Reynolds was one of the congressmen who knew about Mark Foley’s escapades months, if not years before it came out. This is Republican leadership in action dodging questions, and hiding behind children.
I guess they just don’t make leaders like they used to:
Interesting statements by Rush Limbaugh as reported by Think Progress. Basically Limbaugh is pointing out that kids have a way of making fun. And it is not unheard of for teenagers to participate in a little gay bashing or perhaps find it funny to “lead on” someone over a chat room session. I didn’t think I would ever find myself saying this, but Rush kind of sorta has a point.
However, that does not excuse Foley and more importantly does not erase the fact that the Speaker of the House tried to cover things up in hopes that the issue would go away. Democrats and those on the left should be careful to not let self righteous indignation get in the way and cloud our message. It is a battle of talking points and the Republicans are scrambling to try and spin this anyway that they can that muddies the issue. And by “issue” I mean that it is the cover up stupid. That is the point and the main impetus behind the firestorm. Not to mention that the right has so cynically gay bashed, and spewed political hate that this scandal is all the more delicious because of the hypocrisy.
Far be it for me to defend predatory pedophilia and sexual harrassment in congress. However, I will point out that pederasty was an accepted practice in ancient Greece. One only has to read Plato’s Symposium and look at the relationship between Socrates and Alciabides to understand pederastic practices in ancient Greece.
Foley has shamed himself and his party. His political career is over. The real culprit is Hastert and the other enablers in congress who were willing to say or do anything to preserve power and cover up a troubling episode to save face. The sex talk and chat messages between Foley and his pages are profoundly boring. But what is fascinating to us is that the Republican leadership will go to any ends to lie and cover up any incident that might present egg on their face. The attitude of power at any cost is the real threat to our democracy because it begs the question of what other nefarious deeds and arrangements have so corrupted the congress that they feel emboldened to lie and obfuscate without end.
It is the coverup stupid.
Put that in your talking points memo and smoke it.
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