34 days. . .
There are 34 days until the most historic mid-term elections of our lifetime, and if last week showed us anything, it was how for Republicans, partisan politics and an insatiable desire to maintain power trump all else.
Last Friday, Republican Congressman Mark Foley of Florida abruptly resigned his congressional seat amid questions surrounding his inappropriate emails with a former teenage House page. While House Republican leaders had known about this situation for months, they had done nothing.
Parents across the country are more concerned than ever about protecting their children from such online predators, but the Republican leadership did the unthinkable and demonstrated that they cared more about protecting one of their own incumbents than young people who had been entrusted to their care. These actions have gone beyond just an abuse of power into a betrayal of trust that strikes at a parent's worst fear.
Just as Speaker Hastert and Republican House Leaders have chosen partisan politics over protecting children, President Bush has chosen slogans over strategies in Iraq. The Rubber Stamp Republican Congress has continued to ignore the daily struggles and needs of the American people. From skyrocketing health care costs to the runaway home heating costs from a special-interest energy policy. From the horrific response to Hurricane Katrina to the denying millions of people the hope of stem cell research, the Republican Congress has turned its back on the very people who elected them.
This is why we must win and take America in a new direction.
We are in the best position in over a decade to do that, to put a Democratic majority in Congress, as dozens of proud Democratic candidates nationwide are within striking distance of a Democratic majority. The DCCC has been able to put hard-hitting ads on the airwaves and thousands of people on the streets with our message of change. A change this country desperately needs.
This election is far from over. The House Republicans know that they are in trouble and they will not lie down without an ugly fight. But a fight is what they will get. Democrats will not lie down and let them put the abuse of power before the safety of Americans. Please stay in the fight for the last 34 days.
posted by John Good @ 7:40 PM
15 Comments:
It is beyond easy to denounce Congressman Foley for his sexually charged emails and instant messages to teenage males who worked as pages in the House of Representatives. He was right to resign. I hope he’s prosecuted.
“Any legislative leader that knew ahead of time and did nothing should resign,” said Rep. Sherrod Brown. Then came Sen. Dick Durbin pointing the accusatory finger at the GOP leaders: “The fact that they didn’t stop him, the fact that they didn’t bring in law enforcement -- I think they have to be held accountable.” Both ABC and CBS asked Tony Snow on Monday morning whether Republican House leaders should resign.
Stop. Since when have the Democrats ever insisted a politician be held accountable for a sex scandal involving a staffer, let alone the politician’s party leaders? Take Senator Durbin. Did he vote on any impeachment counts against President Clinton for perjury or obstruction of justice over Clinton’s sexual relations with intern Monica Lewinsky?
Did Democrats – the party of feminism, the party that hates sexual harassers – demand accountability when President Clinton was accused of putting Kathleen Willey’s hand on his crotch as she asked for a job? Or demand accountability when President Clinton was accused of dropping his pants in front of Paula Jones and asking that state employee to kiss his genitalia?
You know the answers. Let’s continue, it gets a hell of a lot better.
Did Democrats – who must have chortled at the 1996 GOP convention when NBC anchor Tom Brokaw suggested the Republicans don’t think much about “women’s issues” like rape – demand answers from President Clinton when Juanita Broaddrick tearfully recounted to NBC in 1999 how Bill Clinton raped and brutalized her in a Little Rock hotel in the late 1970s?
Go beyond Clinton to see the media-Democrat complex and its partisan standards on sex scandals. On August 25, 1989, The Washington Times revealed Rep. Barney Frank’s male-prostitution scandal. Frank’s lover, Stephen Gobie, ran an illicit gay sex ring out of Frank’s home and Frank fixed his local parking tickets. Did Frank resign? No. Was there a wave of media pressure on this lawmaker with law-breaking going on in his own home? No. He’s still in the House today.
The press was equally complicit in the politics of silence. The New York Times and the Washington Post did a few stories on inside pages in August, no partisan disaster. The three networks left a vacuum of silence from August 26th until September 12th, when CBS and NBC, but not ABC, mentioned the ethics committee decision in brief, almost meaningless anchor items. Not one ran a full story.
In 1994, news emerged that Democratic Rep. Mel Reynolds had a consensual sexual relationship with Beverly Heard beginning when she was 16. That's right 16! Heard said Reynolds gave her cash at each meeting and supplied her with his pager number and apartment keys. In taped phone conversations, they even plotted group sex with a 15-year-old Catholic high school girl Heard had said wanted to have sex with him. The infamous Reynolds reply: "Did I win the Lotto?" He asked Heard to take photos of the girl’s private parts. Reynolds was convicted of criminal sexual assault, obstruction of justice, and solicitation of child pornography. The networks barely touched on this story as it broke in 1994, and ended with conviction in 1995, which is why you don’t even remember it.
Did the Democrats believe in holding Reynolds accountable? Bill Clinton pardoned him as he left office in 2001. He then went to work as a consultant for Jesse Jackson.
Don’t forget 1983, when Republican Rep. Daniel Crane and Democratic Rep. Gerry Studds were censured by the House for sexual affairs with teenage pages (Studds with a male). Crane was defeated in a Republican primary; Studds arrogantly continued in Congress another thirteen years. On July 14, 1983, when the House ethics committee recommended action, ABC’s Peter Jennings made sure the viewers at home knew Daniel Crane was a hypocrite, who vowed to stand up for the “God-fearing” people when Congress considered legalizing most sex acts in the District of Columbia. He had no embarrassing old quotes for Studds.
The hypocrisy here is as nauseating as the Foley e-mails and IM 's not to mention you people.. You want to make this a political football but that standard does not apply when it's members of your party.
One standard for you twits and whatever makes you feel powerful and significant for the rest of us.
Did he vote on any impeachment counts against President Clinton for perjury or obstruction of justice over Clinton’s sexual relations with intern Monica Lewinsky?
That, my friend, was a witch hunt. While morally wrong,it was a matter between two consenting adults. You guys just wanted to get Clinton on anything you could, no matter how trivial.
The other "accusations" were just that. No convictions or actual proof of any sexual misconduct.
The Washington Times revealed Rep. Barney Frank’s male-prostitution scandal.
I don't remember anything about that. If do remember Republicans making a huge issue out of Frank's sexuality.
The networks barely touched on this story as it broke in 1994, and ended with conviction in 1995, which is why you don’t even remember it.
So. . .Reynolds was wrong, and was prosecuted. Your point?
Did the Democrats believe in holding Reynolds accountable? Bill Clinton pardoned him as he left office in 2001. He then went to work as a consultant for Jesse Jackson.
George Bush (the older asshat) pardoned many of the Watergate people on his final day in office. Many of them now work for the current idiot-in-chief. Again, your point?
He had no embarrassing old quotes for Studds.
Perhaps Studds never uttered any embarrassing quotes. Ya think?
You want to make this a political football but that standard does not apply when it's members of your party.
Funny. That's the way we view you too. And everytime one of your guys fucks up, all we hear is "But, but. .Clinton got a blowjob!" or other remarks about past discretions by Democrats.
Nobody gives a rat's ass except for you kool-aid drinking hard-core neocons with an axe to grind. You're all angry and defensive now because the press is beginning to tire of the lapdog role they have played for this administration over the last six years and are actually beginning to report the news again!
To quote you. . .Let’s continue, it gets a hell of a lot better.
Enjoy the long downward spiral. . .
The Washington Times revealed Rep. Barney Frank’s male-prostitution scandal.
I don't remember anything about that. If do remember Republicans making a huge issue out of Frank's sexuality.
You're showing either your lack of willingness to accept the truth or your ignorance. Maybe you were still shitting down your leg when that happened. Google it.
Nobody gives a rat's ass except for you kool-aid drinking hard-core neocons with an axe to grind.
Ya see Johnny, when we start using facts and they pale your drum beating all *you people* can do is resort to childish name calling.
It's going to be a rip-roaring time November 8th. Come by the GOP celebration and I'll buy you a kool-aid.
Ya see Johnny, when we start using facts and they pale your drum beating all *you people* can do is resort to childish name calling.
You aint "paling" anything, hombre. You're just being defensive and pointing fingers over things that nobody but you gives a shit about.
Oh. And thanks for making me the focus of your evening. I feel all warm and tingly now. Maybe I should run for Congress on the GOP ticket. . .
It's going to be a rip-roaring time November 8th. Come by the GOP celebration and I'll buy you a kool-aid.
Sorry, I have other celebratory plans at Dem HQ. And I gave up kool-aid when I turned 5.
Wow... someone needs to switch to Decaf!
Angry white boy has his knickers in a knot I see. And spends too much time focusing on sexual scandals, from the unfounded charges and whatnot.
What, no listing of other republican sexual scandals?
What about Clarence Thomas?
Newt Gingrich? Henry Hyde? Mike Bowers? Bob Dornan? Rush Limbaugh? John Warner?
And that is just naming a few...
Republicans... the party of adulterers, crooks, and pedophiles.
Like most Bushusefools stupid white boy is selective in his history.
The Grand Old Pervert Party has a long history of pedophilia. Scroll down to watch a PBS special that was pulled right before it was gonna air. They (and by that I mean real government, the secret one) uses children as a way to control people they target.
Most of the time the MSM protects them from any type of public knowledge of immoral sex (pedo or otherwise). Once in a while a little bit of truth comes out. Jeff Gannon was an example of the MSM ignoring the facts. Hundreds of off the record visits by Gannon to the White House were not investigated by the MSM.
They can hide the bodies in Iraq and Palestine. They can ignore the dissolution of Liberty. But when it comes to child sexual abuse, Americans pay attention. This goes way deeper than they want to reveal. That is why Rep. Reynold's Chief of Staff, who was Foley's Chief of Staff was sent saturday to stratergize a cover up with Foley. They said he was "advising" on his own time.
For years they have assassinated Democratically elected Leaders, committed bloody coup after bloody coup, sold weapons, run drugs and tortured people. Sexually abusing kids is just another way they do business.
The truth is awful. Not facing it and correcting is worse.
Peace.
John, you need to leave Danny alone! Danny can't help it if he doesn't see the difference between adults and children.
Don't forget, John. The only defense the Rethuglicans ever offer is the old schoolyard version of "well he did it, too!"
Perhaps we should just allow Turkey and his compatriots to waffle in their fear of losing their precious power base in Washington. Think about it, Danny Turkey doesn't have anything to be angry about right now. The Neoconvicts have all the current power. But after November, when they at least lose control of Congress, Danny will finally have something to be angry at. That should actually make him happy.
I suppose Danny never ranted about Democrats who were caught with their pants down. I bet he never said one bad word about a Democrat ever! Of course, if he did, then perhaps he needs to hold his tongue over the other side saying many of the same things he used to say. Or maybe he wants a 15 year old page to hold his tongue for him.
Actually, go ahead and let Dan and his buddies make a list of all charges leveled against Democrats since Bush took office in '01. THEN, we will compile a list of Rethuglicans who had charges leveled against them. And then once and for all, we can prove that the list of Neoconvicts is a LOT longer. I bet Danny will suffer from Penal envy!
You guys crack me up. You're so easy to get to upset. One day you might be able to engage in real debate instead of the ceaseless repetition of your talking points and rants against Bush and the GOP.
Here's a dandy of an example of your dirt digging.
Bob Woodward has recently released a book for publication which states that Richard Tenet warned Condi Rice about the terrorist threat in America back in early 2001?
If Tenet had done so, why has it taken 5 years for anyone to hear about it? Sure, all sorts of conspiracy freaks were out there saying things like this years ago but no one could prove it. Where is the proof now? Given that every minute of every day of people like Tenet and Rice are dutifully accounted for, where are the records for this “meeting?”
So, how come these IM's have been around for years and all of sudden they now pop-up? Let me be very clear—what Mark Foley engaged in was perverted and sick. He should go to jail if found guilty of having sex with young boys. If he harassed them sexually, he should go to jail.
Remember Mel Reynolds, Democrat from Illinois? He wasn’t simply emailing 16-year-olds: he was having sex with them.
And Democratic hero Bill Clinton pardoned him in Clinton’s corrupt last minute pardon. And there was NO outrage by Democrats. Yet Democrats want to put Foley in jail because of emails and instant messages?
Doesn’t this prove the point that you liberalscum don’t care about the accusation or actions, all you care about is if someone is a Democrat or a Republican. You don’t want to jail Foley because of his Internet activity, you want to jail Foley because he is a Republican and disagrees with your politics.
And the liberal media never blamed the whole Democratic party.
Reynolds even tried to re-run for his seat after getting out of jail.
Why this sudden desire to go after Foley, huh? How hypocritical is that? Since Dems are morally relativistic, you’d think that boy, girl, goat, or dog, it would not matter to them. They would defend the pervert.
Furthermore, the Democrats supported homosexual behavior. They are always defending groups like the ACLU and NAMBLA saying people have rights to sexual relations as long as it is consensual. They defend teachers who have sex with underage children.
You’d think they’d be clamoring to defend a homosexual predator attempting to satisfy his sexual needs.
But that’s not what’s going on, is it?
Sheesh
Boots! Boots! Boots!
Angry Boy...dude, you have "angry" in your name and still blame us for being upset before you? OK, I get it, we're in Jr. High again chickenhawk, oh shit, I mean, buttlicker!
You need to lay off the mountain dew dude...seriously, when are you going to Iraq? We...your country needs you.
Funny thing about Bob Woodward, his previous two books were listed on the White House web site. Back when he was praising Bush he was a dedicated and a thorough journalist with integrity. Now that he's bashing the Bush administration, he is a pariah with no ethics. Sheesh, what makes you guys think you can have it both ways?
Let me crash your party.
It seems to me that all would agree that any politician who engages in any sort of sexual activity with minors should be punished to the full extent of the law (even if they wrote part of the law). I am sure that goes for both Democrats and Republicans alike. So - no bickering there.
Wouldn't this be a true statement:
No matter the corruption, Democrats would try to minimize the damage caused by Democrats just the same as the Republicans would would try to minimize the damage caused by Republicans. True? True. This also works in reverse. The Dems will highlight Repub's falicies just as the Repub's will highlight the Dems falicies. It's called politics.
So, the fact that this time it's the Republicans, doesn't mean the Dems are complete angels. It just means that the party who strongly identifies itself with religous beliefs and family values just shot the hell out of the mid-term elections - this time.
There. Now don't you all feel better?
Well...Studds name speaks for itself And angrydude...these subjects can easily be discussed with civility. I just personally found out in these comments about Barney Frank...oh I knew he was gay...but I wasn't aware of the "other"...but that was before my time. But...angrydude...it ain't cool to go name calling on someone else's blog...no sir it's not! And again...we aren't concerned so much with where consenting adults place their genitalia...we are concerned with those that concentrate on that which belongs to a juevenile. Whether it is physical in nature...or abuse found online...(Foley is Fucked)...in an odd sort of way...and so my angry dude friend...are the conservatives!
Stan:
I am with you partner...
Your summary is very good.
Mike Sylvester
Fort Wayne Libertarian
lp mike - Thanks! I appreciate your comments! I am relatively new to posting comments and adding reports. There are some vicious people on these sites and sometimes I wonder if I just shouldn't leave a comment! It's good to know that I can join the crowd without standing out as someone who doesn't belong posting comments.
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