Okay: done with disclaimers. First, whether the pages were male or female, 16 or 50, the theme seems to be that there’s a power differential at play, meaning that Foley has an unfair and oppressive advantage (in ways that are NOT supposed to be part of the job description). You can call it pedophilia (although clearly there is disagreement on this site about whether that term is appropriate); you can call it sexual harrassment; or you can call it something else. No matter what you call it, it consitutes an abuse of power. Second, the fact that these abuses of power are routinely covered up seems hugely problematic to me…and unfortunately these routine cover-ups also seem to occur time and again, at the hands of both GOPs and Dems. (Maybe one party covers up more or less but I’m not going to split hairs. To do so would be exactly counter to the point I am trying to make). And so, the problem does not seem to start and end with the resignation of one person or the censure of one party. There seems to be a large systemic issue here. Does anyone else notice the hostility and division that exist in this country (hostility and division, not simply “difference of opinion” or “heated debate”)? With such fissures, with both GOP and dems attacking each other for power and control, using whatever tactics they can to smother their opponents and reign, cover-ups are a necessity, simply protecting your “own.” In the midst of this cold civil war, the people and systems we are counting on to lead our so-called society are side-tracked; their attention is divided; their agendas are set by a desire to empower themselves, rather than by the desire to empower the people of this and other countries. I don’t think that politicians are born this way (certainly, not all of them), so what happens? And how do we improve things?

Pelosi said that GOP leaders were protecting Foley to protect his seat. Really? What were the democrats doing when they ignored Stubbs? What were they doing when they ignored Barney Frank? Oh, and let’s not forget Clinton commuting the sentence of convicted pedophole Reynolds.

Foley was asked to resign as soon as the scandal broke, Hastert and Bush have called for a criminal investigation which is being done. yet democrats accuse the GOP of protecting Foley. How? The pages saved the IMs and e-mails and could have or maybe even did send copies to demo leaders in the house. What could the house leadership have done to stop democrats from getting copies of these e-mails/IMs? If the family of the victim wanted charges pressed, how could the GOP stop them? This “scandal” has about as much legitimacy as Plame gate or the Dan Rather AWOL memo. Foley is a creep and may be prosecuted unlike his dem counterparts who got a pass and a presidential pardon.

Foley was asked to resign after the scandal broke. Where was the call for Barney Frank or Stubbs to resign? Why did Clinton commute Reynolds sentence? and why did Ross release the story now when he had it on a shelf for over a month?

I’m wondering when the right is going to start deflecting blame for the alleged Foley coverup by comparing the situation to last year’s Jim McGreevey scandal. But to make this argument, you would have to implicitly accept the ridiculous premise……

But Newt is not in favour of the truth being told. He is afraid for Hastert that people may accuse the House Majority Leader of “gay bashing.” It is Newt that brought up the idea of “gay bashing” in relation to Hastert. Is this a Freudian slip? Has the Majority Leader been known to “gay bash” in some other instance? Is Hastert, in Newt’s eyes, not a fair man? Is Hastert a week person who resorts to predatory behavior like “gay bashing?”

I believe Newt protests to much! Now we have a case of Newt and Hastert “with no clothes.”

No one has made any excuses for Foley. — ThinkNoDissent

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With all due respect, TND, I very much beg to differ! By stating his opinion that this is largely a gay issue — as if Foley’s overtures to underage male pagers were nothing more than a harmless flirtation between two willing participants — Gingrich is trying with all his might and main to make excuses for Foley. Does someone really need to remind you again that in this country, any individual under the age of 18 is not legally considered an adult and is therefore by definition still a child?!?

And did Newt think that anyone but his mouth-breathing swastika-wearing base would buy his latest line of “It’s all the Liberals’ fault!” horseshit anyway?

Besides, gay bashing would win points with Republican voters. That would not be a disadvantage, but a solidifying of his base.

flip flop !
stop predator stop !