Hastert No-Shows Major Interview; Anonymous Hastert Staffer Falsely Claims Interview Was Never Booked
Hastert No-Shows Major Interview; Anonymous Hastert Staffer Falsely Claims Interview Was Never Booked
House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) was scheduled to be interviewed tonight by Chicago radio host John Williams. His previous radio appearances had been exclusively with conservative sympathizers like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. Williams is a moderate who planned to ask tough questions.
But Hastert never showed.
This evening, National Review’s Kathryn Jean Lopez published this face-saving post at The Corner:
A top source in the speaker’s office tells me: “We never booked WGN. Am not aware of a call.”
But according to the show’s producer Matt Bubala, who spoke to ThinkProgress tonight, the interview was very much scheduled, and Hastert staffers apparently were not telling the truth about why Hastert bailed on the show.
Bubala said the statement by the anonymous Hastert staffer was a “flat out lie.” He says that Hastert’s deputy press secretary Chris Taylor emailed him midday — before Kirk Fordham’s revelations were made public — requesting an interview with Williams for tonight. As the scheduled time for the interview approached, Bubala said, Taylor called several times claiming that Hastert was on an important call and likely might not be available in time for the interview. But according to Bubala, an employee for WGN’s sister television station said that while Hastert was supposedly on a telephone call, a WGN cameraman was filming Hastert arriving at and entering his home in Illinois.
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No showin for that interview, uh boy.
October 4th, 2006 at 10:40 pmCut & Run, Hastert !!
October 4th, 2006 at 10:42 pmDavid Schuster reported tonight on Olbermann that Hastert wouldn't make it another week and would be forced to step down. This was according to Republican insiders.
The mainstream media is now doing its job. The powers that be at the major networks (and in other high places in corporate America...you know, the folks with the real power in this country) have clearly decided that they've seen enough of these fascist pigs that are running our country into the ground.
Bush will be impeached and he will face war crimes trials, if he doesn't have to be committed first. Mark my words, this nightmare is coming to an end.
October 4th, 2006 at 10:43 pmOMG!
And the lies keep coming!
I haven't been crazy about this story. Seemed to get everyone's "jiggy" going. (Thanks, Will Smith)
But to simply no show to an interview with that lame-ass excuse; you know this is big!
(no, NOT talking about Foley's privates! Jees, you guys...)
October 4th, 2006 at 10:43 pmHastert will be resigning as house speaker within the next few days. This is great! They're resigning faster and faster.
October 4th, 2006 at 10:49 pm2 down, 13 to go.
October 4th, 2006 at 10:52 pmOh, if only the MSM were this unrelenting on issues that truly affect us. Still, one can hope that this is a sign of things to come.
October 4th, 2006 at 10:52 pm#3..."Bush will be impeached and he will face war crimes trials, if he doesn’t have to be committed first."
Bush will first try to declare that he has been mentally deficient from residual brain damage brought on by years of cocaine addiction and then check into a (luxurious) rehab center to garner public sympathy. If that doesn't work he'll say that during his administration he was suffering from delusions brought on by post-traumatic stress disorder from his years in the service. Plan C is his attorneys having him declared legally insane.
October 4th, 2006 at 10:57 pmGive Denny a break - he is ahving a very bad day/week/month/decade/new millenium/life...
Here are a few choice GOP bumper stickers we can stick on his backside in the morning
October 4th, 2006 at 11:01 pmThat was poor judgment on Hastert's part. WGN is the biggest radio station in Illinois, and John Williams is in the prime "drive time" slot. The negative publicity from this will add to the consternation of Illinois voters (I hope).
For PR purposes, he should be out there at every opportunity answering charges and defending himself. Instead, he visits Limbaugh, blames the democrats, or the gay community, and then hides in his home.
Denny Hastert is "cutting and running." He can dish it out, but he can't take it. Jeez, these Repugs are all alike -- put them in a bag, shake 'em up, pour 'em out and pick one, they're all the same.
It seems that the party is abandoning Hastert, and I, for one, will not be sorry to see him go - should that actually occur.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:02 pmThe young guy running against him is an honest guy, a fresh face in politics with new ideas. Illinois and the nation would be better without Hastert and with John Laesch instead.
I hear that Denny likes the sausage.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:02 pm#3 and #8
You guys are both wrong. Chimp-In-Charge will claim he knew nothing about Foley/Hastert mess until he read it in the morning papers on the day he decides to talk about it.
He will never be tried for war crimes because the torture and abuse of prisoners bill he forced down the throat of congress last week has language absolving him and the rest of the neocons from being tried here in the US, or in any court in the world, for any crimes related to the war in Iraq, Afghanistan and else where.
Sorry, the only solution is an impeachment and then charging him, Chaney, Rove etc. with treason against U.S.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:07 pmThe president will never be tried because, despite the best efforts of liberals, defending America from terrorists is not a crime.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:10 pmI don't get this part. How is it legal for any leader of any country to declare himself exempt from war crimes? Wouldn't a world court say no? Wouldn't a world court declare that a law they passed to protect themselves is exactly what they can't do? Doesn't a world court have more power and wider jurisdiction than any country's laws when it comes to war crimes?
October 4th, 2006 at 11:17 pmSO now Denny's not just a pig, but also a chicken?
October 4th, 2006 at 11:18 pmProgs, don't let your hearts get broken again. You and you buddies in the media are overplaying your hand again. Listen to Lanny Davis, he's the only voice of reason you have. You remember how bewildered republicans were when Clinton's poll numbers stayed high throughout the impeachment. That's the same bewilderment you will be experiencing Nov 8th. This overexuberance will not turn off republican voters, it will turn out republican voters.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:20 pm#14
October 4th, 2006 at 11:20 pmAlso an ass.
ThinkProgress is censorign dissent again. Frauds. Hypocrites.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:21 pmHey paul, so...you are a fan of the pedophile? Or is this all political for you?
October 4th, 2006 at 11:21 pm#!5...even Republicans are predicting a sweep by Democrats. Even Ann "neocon pundit whore" Coulter said on "The O'Lielly Factor" last night that this is the Democrats' year.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:23 pmJPark likes his boys under 10.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:25 pm13,
You'd think so. I suspect the answer can be found in the way that this admin has approached international institutions and agreements. With contempt and ridicule. Witness the rightwing effort to undermine the U.N. and weaken the Intntl Criminal court, make "quaint" Geneva convtns, etc. The Bolton apptmnt is the perfect example.
As an IT person, let me say this: suppressing the error message doesn't fix the problem. They will be brought to justice.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:27 pmThis overexuberance will not turn off republican voters
Comment by paul
I am not sure but I think that Paul is saying that conservative voters are being turned on by pedophilia and will vote for Repubs in the election....but I could be wrong.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:29 pm#20 JPark likes his boys under 10.
Comment by Run+and+Cut
That must be why he likes you R&C
October 4th, 2006 at 11:31 pm#20 JPark likes his boys under 10.
Comment by Run+and+Cut
That must be why he lies you
October 4th, 2006 at 11:33 pm#21, I hope so. Bush & Co. can pretend to ignore world court laws as long as their are no consequences to pay, but when it comes down to it they should have to answer to the world court as any other country would. They're playing a game that they think they can win because they're making their own rules but the rules have already been made. I hope Bush gets prosecuted before Bolton has time to change all the laws to Bush's benefit.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:36 pm#22...ROTFLMAO!!
October 4th, 2006 at 11:37 pm#20 Where did I give you that idea? See, we here at TP are NOT for that. I am not sure what circles you run in, you sick little bastard.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:39 pmNo offence JPark...
October 4th, 2006 at 11:39 pmAs this whole thing unwinds, I really want to go and rent "Advise and Consent." I remember the movie from long ago, and it seems to be very topical during this situation.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:42 pmC&L is reporting that not only is Foley being labeled a Democrat on Fox News, but also on AP wires. In addition, Hastert is being labeled a Democrat from Illinois.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:47 pmIsn't it curious that the "liberal media" is making these mistakes at this time? Oh, they correct them, after a while, but like all corrections, they are not noticed.
Did anybody see on Scar Country Mr O'Donnel ( West Wing Producer) saying that in the next week, the Foley scandal is going to open up even wider and revelations will come out about a Gay repub. ring congress and may be other shenanigans to put it midlly.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:50 pm#32 Actually, I am a bit surprised that the AP is doing it. They get more pathetic by the day.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:51 pmMarie, this is a disgusting example of the years and years of Republican party influence on the media. Someone did something wrong = Democrat.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:51 pmDid anybody see on Scar Country Mr O’Donnel ( West Wing Producer) saying that in the next week, the Foley scandal is going to open up even wider and revelations will come out about a Gay repub. ring in congress and maybe other shenanigans to put it midlly.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:53 pmHow is it legal for any leader of any country to declare himself exempt from war crimes?
Doesn’t a world court have more power and wider jurisdiction than any country’s laws when it comes to war crimes?
Both good questions - and I too would like to know the answer.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:54 pmThe boy-king declares himself above the law. Who said?
I'm with you there JPark. I can accept homosexuals for who they are, but a pedophile should be castrated immediately. No second chances.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:55 pmWhat leads you to believe they're exempt? They want to be, but they don't rule the world....
October 4th, 2006 at 11:59 pm#38 Damn right. I will put aside my misgivings and kick hot female Florida teacher ass if she molests my son too.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:59 pmI forgot that in 2002, less than a year before Bush's invasion of Iraq, Bush withrew America's name from the International Criminarl Court.
October 4th, 2006 at 11:59 pmShamed Republican was 'abused as teen'
Disgraced Republican Mark Foley said through his lawyer yesterday he was sexually abused by a clergyman as a teenager, but accepts full responsibility for sending explicit emails to teenage male congressional aides.
Mr Foley was molested between the ages of 13 and 15, lawyer David Roth said.
He declined to identify the clergyman or the church, but Mr Foley is Roman Catholic.
more:
October 5th, 2006 at 12:00 amBush's reason for withdrawing America from the International Criminal Court was because of the possibility that an American might unfairly be brought before it. He already knew who that American would be.
October 5th, 2006 at 12:04 am42, Ratfasp,
Exactly. just because they unsigned the icc, doesn't exonerate them from the frameworks of international law. This is why they'll sneak Bolton in w/ another recess appntmnt. It won't work, their ship is already sinking.
October 5th, 2006 at 12:12 am“a WGN cameraman was filming Hastert arriving at and entering his home in Illinois.â€
I’m gonna kinda edge out on a limb a tad bit and speculate that the next utterance out of Hastert will have something about “spending time with family†in it……
October 5th, 2006 at 12:14 amThis week their ship seems to be sinking faster than they can bail. I just hope it keeps springing more leaks.
October 5th, 2006 at 12:16 am#45....ROTFLMAO!!
October 5th, 2006 at 12:17 amWait a tic, are you inferring that Hastert or his staffers would lie about something like that?! You sir, have no shame!
October 5th, 2006 at 12:19 amAmerica's Least Wanted
Hastert was on WLS (Chicago's home of Limbaugh) this morning hitting softballs lobbed by their local dj.
Williams is an in you face liberal (like me), but not well known because his time slot is taken over by the cubs 6 months a year.
the other WGN djs are fairly conservative, and I'm sure a washington staff member was not aware of the situation.
too bad...it would have been a great mp3
October 5th, 2006 at 12:20 amA lot of attention has been paid to the subject of Foley being gay but little has been paid to a cover up. Forget Foley being gay and envision young women as his targets. Then have Hastert withhold any information he got over a year ago. Even if it were sexual harassment at work, it would be heinous. It's always the cover up, not the actual malfeasance. In this case, because of the laws created by people like Foley and Hastert, it may be a crime; and don't plead ignorance about the cover up.
This smacks, by the way, of the same type of cover-up that the Catholic Church has now disavowed. It cost the Church millions of dollars and resulted in great shame. Hastert & Co. are as smarmy as the Church was in their cover-up. One, he and Reynolds and Boehner and any others who covered up need to go in shame. Two, a fund needs to be created for the interns affected by all this, carved out of Hastert’s personal fortune, or a lawyer needs to be appointed to charge Hastert with conspiracy and perjury, and to sue for injuries and damages. Three, the interns or pages need to sue the papers for covering up a crime, conspiracy, and sue the hell out of them. If those who perpetrated this, and helped to conceal it, are taken care of, the Republican Party can claim clean hands. Remember, this is not the rank and file, this is the Leadership of the Party.
The real conservatives are calling for a separate party. I hope to join it. The "spend and spend" and "create bigger government" party that is known as the Republican Party evidently endorses smarmy Foley and Hastert who protect us from those other guys, including the foreign terrorists and the homegrown gays. In the short run, rather than indulge in wish fulfilment thinking, we may have to vote Democrat to balance off the existing Republic greed machine, but then we need to get it together to truly create a Conservative Party, with true Conservative ideals.
October 5th, 2006 at 12:22 amThere is an anecdote in Woodward's book, State of Denial, where when Jay Garner left Iraq and was in the White House, Bush slapped him on the back and asked him if he was ready for Iran?
October 5th, 2006 at 12:24 amThere was also another recent quote (I think it was Abramoff) who said in a very matter-of-fact-manner in early 2002, that the White House was already planning the upcoming war in Iraq.
Bush gets his ideas, and then his cabal prepares the way.
The man is insane, a megalomaniac who has led us into an illegal war and if voters won't punish him, then the world court should.
He is a meglomaniac and the way he treats our soldiers is as if they are nameless, faceless toy soldiers and that there is an endless supply of them at his disposal for as many wars as he wants to start. No president should have the right to do this.
October 5th, 2006 at 12:31 am"Sex offenders are not petty criminals. They prey upon our children like animals and will continue to do it unless stopped. We have a moral responsibility to do everything in our power to protect our kids from these animals." (Rep. Mark Foley in 2005)
The male Pages who Foley molested, or tried to do so, have stopped him!
October 5th, 2006 at 12:35 amShame and fear. If this gluttonous bastard still has emotions, I imagine it is the shame of what he covered up and the fear of the repercussions of his actions. Any self-respecting human would be so filled with shame and fear right now that they would crawl under a rock. Maybe they will all crawl under a rock and never come back. This November better be a watershed event.
http://www.getsomejosh.com - check me out!
October 5th, 2006 at 12:44 amjust after that torture bill [3139?] was passed by both houses, i remember hearing someone that seemed knowledgeable on air america radio say that a battery of constitutional scholars and attorneys were already researching avenues of challenging the law before the supreme court. the comentator, whose name i cannot recall as i record this, mentioned that this group strongly believed that the actions of congress and the administraion on this matter were definitely unconstitutional and that they intended to pursue the matter vigorously. that was about a week ago and i have not seen or heard anything since.
October 5th, 2006 at 1:01 amLadies and Gentlemen, I am sickened tonight, much as I have been for the past 5.5 years. What happened to our country?? Aside from the the fact that we invaded and occupied a country that was no threat to us, we sold our jobs overseas so we all live on Walmart wages, we gave up health care, pensions and unions, we passed abill to allow torture, we now allow illegal wiretapping of American citizens, but now we also protect pedophiles to hold a congressional seat and take political donations from this person??? This is no longer America - goodbye Norma Jean
October 5th, 2006 at 1:16 amIt is time to revolt - to take our country back - to stage non-violent sit-ins, but alas, those of us who would do it now have to make a living and perhaps we are a little too old, a little too tired, *sigh*
October 5th, 2006 at 1:21 amBush will be impeached and he will face war crimes trials, if he doesn’t have to be committed first. Mark my words, this nightmare is coming to an end.
The "Nightmare may be coming to an end", but the "night is darkest before the dawn". It's always been about despiration, and and Cheney/bush gets ultimately despirate, so will the nightmare become more intense. They better have these guys as handled as they did Nixon in the end when he was ready to order nukes dropped in the mid-east.
October 5th, 2006 at 1:31 amHastert can resign or run the very real risk of being blamed for taking down the Party in the House and Senate.
If he doesn't resign, the only way to get him out of at least the leadership role is a Democratic takeover in Congress....something the GOP can't want people in every state of the country thinking as they head to the polls.
He's up for election, too, remember. His seat could be in greater jeopardy if he stays.
As for Iran, a nuclear carrier left Norfolk, Virgina a few days ago and should be arriving off the shores of Iran by October 22nd. Rove's October Suprise?
October 5th, 2006 at 1:47 amJohn William of WGN Radio is to me is a wimpy liberal and that's why I stopped listening to him. I do have to admit that I haven't listened to him for about one year, and maybe he has gotten bolder. The Kathy ( O' Malley ) and Judy ( Markey ) Show ", also on WGN is much more liberal than Williams.
October 5th, 2006 at 1:48 amplace your bets on whether Hastert resigns by the 15th.
October 5th, 2006 at 1:58 am#12 Do you think it's possible that Bush and his group of Greedy Old Perverts could be declared "Enemy Combatants" and maybe just "disappeared"?
October 5th, 2006 at 2:05 amThat would be REAL justice if they could be force to face the same situation they so enjoy forcing others to live with.
Isnt there some way we can keep Republicans from molesting our children? They have to be stopped.
October 5th, 2006 at 2:18 amAhahahaha!!! From Josh Marshall:
Sorry wingnuts: the whistleblower was a Republican.
October 5th, 2006 at 2:43 amWhile all of you good liberal progressives are busy exercising your self-righteous indignation about man on "boy"...what to call this? You can't call it sex because apparently none happened. You can't accurately call Foly a pedophile because he didn't have sex with any of them, at least as far as we know. And "child"? 16 is not considered a "child" in most of the world. Of course you'll name call and label me pervert and blah, blah, blah, your ignorant American sexual hysterical bullshit, but you people need to calm down. I don't like, nor endorse what Foley has done. It was stupid and inappropriate. I don't want to defend him either. I think he was right to resign and I think he should be punished for...for....for....sending dirty emails to young men? Was this Page hurt? Was he and others distraught, upset, psychically destroyed? What their doing it learning the hard way, in that awkward, embarrassing, anxious way that most of us learn, just exactly how the world works. Boy, have they gotten a lesson in politics! It's what they wanted, isn't it? Well, Foley ought to be punished for sure, but for lying, for hypocrisy, for destroying people's trust, for saying one thing and doing another, for presenting himself as a champion of chidren't "safety" and then doing the very thing he was supposedly against. The damage he inflicted on these young people wasn't sex, it was hypocrisy. His lies. That is far more damaging than mere dirty talk. He has consistently misrepresented himself to his constitutents like McGreevey did. I am loving it that the Republican leadership is destroying itself over this. I want the creeps gone too, but there's a lot of words being tossed around here, "pervert" "pedophile" "gay" blah, blah, blah, none of which are applicable. If the Page had been a 16 year old girl, would people be calling him a "pervert"? I don't think so. He gets what he deserves but make it for what his acutal crimes are. Lest you mistake me for a Republican or Libertarian white washer, I'm to the left of most of you here.
October 5th, 2006 at 3:09 amHastert, perhaps you might tell us how much dollars you have taken from the Butcher Ethiopian Prime Minister to block HR5680 from the congrss floor.
Hope it's is sufficient for your retirment.
October 5th, 2006 at 4:20 amA while back I read that Hastert is hooked up monetarily with Turkey. If anyone reads about the war these days, Turkey is furious with the Iraq kurds. Hastert has high stakes in this so I feel like he does not want to step down from the leadership role more because of this issue than anything else. He is a fat slob without conscious that Republicans should want removed as far as possible from sight. I hope the human being in his district, American citizens, do not approve of his sloppy ,undecent behaviour as house leader. Vote Hastert out of DC for the good of America
October 5th, 2006 at 6:18 amThis can't end simply with Mark Foley, Kirk Fordham and Dennis Hastert being out of jobs. Everybody in the Republican leadership (including any in the Senate) who knew about this before the news broke last Friday MUST step down and/or resign from Congress. Respect for an office of public trust must be upheld; those that kept this quiet destroyed that trust.
October 5th, 2006 at 7:45 am#65. WoodyCPM. I'm conservative, but you are right on the money. It is no issue to me that Foley is gay. His offense is serious bad judgement. The pages are 16 and had a subordinate work relationship to Foley. Foley has been humiliated, resign, and will be investigated. The problem, here is that, progressives are so desparate for a change in government, there overreach is effecting there ability to reason. Almost exactly like the same as the republican singular focus on the Clinton-Lewinsky affair, this Foley scandal is blinding everyone here to the real issues. Look at all the latest TP posts. Hastert. People are still dying in Iraq, freedoms are being traded for security, wealth is being distributed. Don't get me wrong, I'm a conservative. I hope you all continue down this path. When you call me pedophile and get more and more righteously indignant (conservative wantabees), it makes me more and more confident republicans will hold the house and senate.
October 5th, 2006 at 8:22 ampaul, how confident will you be that Republicans will be if the Foley crimes also bring down Hastert, maybe even Shimkus. I live in Shimkus' district. I don't think that even this could result in a loss. But if another bombshell drops regarding how much he knew, he could get swept out with Mr. Speaker. So, the Republican party is looking at spotting the Democrats at least 1 and up to 3 seats before we even start talking about legitimate races. Anyone know if Vegas has odds on who controls the House next January?
October 5th, 2006 at 8:56 amhastert is a gutless arrogant bully who is used to getting his way. this man does not deserve to be third in line of presidential succession.
October 5th, 2006 at 8:57 ammove his belongings to the curb and kick his ass out.
Re: Dennis Hastert,
October 5th, 2006 at 9:05 amDavid Remnert in his illuminating profile on Bill Clinton, “The Wanderer†(The New Yorker 06-09-16) quoted Rahm Emanuel as mentioning “a recent report in the Chicago Tribune which revealed that the Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, began his career in Congress with a net worth of three hundred thousand dollars and now has assets of six million, owing largely to an almost fantastical increase in the value of land near a highway project that he helped push through Congress.â€
I do not remember this article instigating a “White Water†exposé at the time the Chicago Tribune ran the article on this obvious pork, nor at the time Hastert replaced Delay. Does it always take sexual activity to arouse the media or has the population become inured to graft and corruption?
beulawitch, thanks to the fact that we no longer operate with a Federal budget surplus, the country can't afford the $40 million it takes to investigate a Whitewater-esque scandal. Too bad.
October 5th, 2006 at 9:25 am# 65 & 69, if Foley wasn't successful, it certainly wasn't for lack of trying. He tried to set up assignations at his home, at the Republican Convention, perhaps some other places. The fact that these assclowns won't even police themselves on the values that they pretend are their 'core values' shows the hypocrites that they are.
October 5th, 2006 at 9:32 amWGN's John Williams is certainly NOT a liberal. At best he is a moderate. Early on I enjoyed his program, but more recently, I have accused him via Emails of becoming more conservative over the years and he admitted it. He says he tries to be moderate, but he sees himself becoming more conservative. The entire station programming is highly conservative, and the only liberal (and funny) programming is the Kathy and Judy show in late morning.
October 5th, 2006 at 9:46 amI have Emails from management as well as celebrities from WGN that back up what I say here.
Coward!!!
October 5th, 2006 at 9:51 amDon't get too exited about the MSM goin' all "blue" on this. These electronic ambulance chasers will run ANYTHING legal to get higher ratings and NOTHING sells like a sex scandal.
October 5th, 2006 at 9:57 amBeaulawitch
October 5th, 2006 at 9:59 amThat story about Hasterts obscenely increased wealth over a shady land deal in his district made the Tribune for a couple of days and then the story just went away. The Tribune (and the Times, and the Herald, I might add) are all peas in the same pod - they all are conservative, they all slant news for their candidates, and there is little representation for the Democrats' point of view except in how it relates to the Republican.
I have written three letters to the editors in the past three days, demanding to know why they do not even acknowledge that there is a candidate running against Hastert.
[...] Hastert No-Shows Major Interview; Anonymous Hastert Staffer Falsely Claims Interview Was Never Booked [...]
October 5th, 2006 at 10:22 amFoley's pecker pricked a pack of pickled pages
October 5th, 2006 at 10:31 amI just got an email claiming that, while the emails were sent while the page was a minor, the sexually explicit IMs were sent when he was 18. (There was nothing in the emails that was even strong enough for the press to report on even though they had the information.)
I'm not sure about the accuracy if the data, but if this is true that the IMs were between consenting adults then this is a non-scandal, right progressives?
October 5th, 2006 at 10:42 am@67:
"A while back I read that Hastert is hooked up monetarily with Turkey. If anyone reads about the war...."
No, you must have misread. Hastert is actually hooked up intravenously to turkey.
Sorry, couldn't resist.
October 5th, 2006 at 10:54 amRepublicans have been doing a lot of Run and Cut durring this past week...they have been running around aimlessly cutting one another's throats!
October 5th, 2006 at 10:56 amMake sure you take all the weapons from his house, and don't leave him alone. Asshole reichwing hack.
October 5th, 2006 at 11:15 amI just got an email claiming that, while the emails were sent while the page was a minor, the sexually explicit IMs were sent when he was 18. (There was nothing in the emails that was even strong enough for the press to report on even though they had the information.)
Claiming ! OK, so if I send an e-mail to a friend "claiming" that George Bush has 72 former virgins locked in his ranch in Crawford to service him on his many vacations, then this should have any sort of validity in a discussion?
There was nothing strong enough in the e-mails for the press to claim anything sexual and risk lawsuit - but they cowardly did nothing about identifying them as inappropriate.
October 5th, 2006 at 11:15 am87 -- Sorry PLC, but the burden of proof is not on the defense. Those accusing Foley of being a predator need to show that the IMs were with a minor.
And BTW, they did do something about the emails. They identified them as inappropriate and told Foley to knock it off.
October 5th, 2006 at 11:34 amBush declaring himself exempt from war crimes charges is exactly what Pinochet did in Chile before he left office. Pinochet had himself declared a Senator for life, thus immune from prosecution for ordering torture and killings of Chileans. It didn't work. The Chilean courts threw out the bogus law, and charged Pinochet.
Beware, Bush, beware.
October 5th, 2006 at 12:05 pmI wonder if any wrestling coach jobs are available in the tri-state region? Believe I read that a position is available in CRAWFORD, TEXAS. Also read that the local people don't "cotton" to northerners or YANKEEEEES ,as the local folk like to refer to anyone outside their county. Since HASTERT is so CHRISTIAN LIKE and so devoted to his values ($$$-$$$) he would be a shoo-in for the position (pardon the pun) References can be found at GROVER NORQUIST---TOM DELAY---KARL ROVE---DON RUMSFELD---VP CHANEY---MR. ABRAMOFF---and the finest christian of them all----the holy of holies---RALPH "more money " REED.
October 5th, 2006 at 12:17 pm88 - Concerned+Conservative
Nice try. You're ignoring pertinent facts, and giving Foley a pass. Foley had a 10-year history of sending inappropriate, explicit emails and IMs. This was known. Excusing what Foley did by saying he was told to "knock off" the emails ignores the persistent propositioning for sex contained in the IMs (again, reported and known by the page in question, and previous pages). Why were the managers of the page program in the regular habit of warning incoming page classes to beware of Foley? This persistent predation can't be excused or explained away by one simple warning to Foley about emails, which had no effect. It ain't just the sex, anyway - it's a matter of trust. Foley was a 52 year old Congressman dealing with teens. His behavior is unacceptable however it is sliced. "Burden of proof" is a legal term. This isn't in the courts (yet). In the court of public opinion, it stinks like hell. Would you prevaricate like this if Foley were a Democrat? BTW, the age of consent in Florida, Foley's home state, is 18.
October 5th, 2006 at 12:18 pmTorture for Hastert
October 5th, 2006 at 12:27 pmCovering up pedophilia should be a crime right up there with terrorism. I believe the only way to get Dennis Hastert to talk is to apply the torture techniques now approved by the Republican Congress
This proves what I ahve suspected about Hastert; not only is he a criminal, he is a coward at that.
October 5th, 2006 at 12:44 pmThe progressive populists should not rely on the current Republican meltdown to restore them to power. Voter memory has a half life of about a week. Instead the progressive-populist movement should trust the inner nature of most of the electorate's BASIC GOODNESS.
They should courageously speak out against the strangle hold of corporate power. They must bite the hands they have permitted to feed them.
They should stand on the TRUTH behind any platform plank and be prepared to be defeated on it rather than to try to spin it to some false perception of majority public opinion.
They must discredit the religious right who have hijacked Christianity from the vast moderate and liberal majority. THEY SHOULD CLAIM JESUS' QUALITITES AS A BENEVOLENT, COMPASSIONATE, AND TRUTHFUL LEADER. NOTE: James 2: 26 states that â€Even as the body without Spirit is dead, so too is faith without works dead."
THE ENTIRE "WORKS" OF THE BUSH-CHENEY ADMINISTRATION IS A TOTAL REPUDIATION OF THE LIFE, TEACHINGS, AND DEMONSTRATED VALUES OF JESUS. The should use examples of Bush’s works and pair them with the scripture they violate. Here is a site that offers examples that attempt to do just that:
http://www.ot-mp.net/notes.html#DIGRESSION%20OM%20JESUS%20AS%20A%20LIBERAL
Then welcome the LANDSIDE that will bury this disgraceful administration, its architects, and they lying, cheating, and selfish values they appeal to.
October 5th, 2006 at 2:03 pmLOL, read the timeline of events. Why did reporters sit on these E-mails for over a year? Who sent the lib group these E-mails and why did THEY sit on them? People, Foley is scum but this lib group and these lib "journalists" clearly sat on this and unleashed it at a precise time to hurt the GOP in the November election.
Hastert and the GOP are spearheading the investigation and Foley is out and under scrutiny from authorities.
Too bad there was none of this outrage from the left when Stubbs was caught screwing an underage male who worked as a Page. He kept his seat and got reelected. Of course the libnuts will say that's the past, it's irrelevant blah blah blah. It shows how they apply scrutiny and ethics to situations. If the accused is a democrat, defend him, ignore it, smear the accuser. If it is a republican, go for the throat!!!
October 5th, 2006 at 5:58 pmPoor Jay
I know you want a Bush impeachment hearing. It will never happen. The main reason is because Bush didn't break ANY laws. He got authorization from the congress to go into Iraq, the 9/11 commission concluded that intel wasn't made up, and a fed court just ruled his wiretapping program is and always was legal.
And if the democrats even try it, they will not only not get the White Hiouse back, they will lose even more seats in congress.
I for one am hoping they try it, it will be a huge laugh watching those fools go down.
October 5th, 2006 at 6:05 pmDemocrats are at again with the biggest pervert of them all BILL CLINTON and screwing young fat interns. What a joke , Pelosi and her ghoulies have nothing better to do but make lies up before an election! If the American people can't figure this blunder out than there shouldn't be an election!
October 5th, 2006 at 6:41 pmPITIFUL DEMOCRATS
#82
October 5th, 2006 at 7:48 pmLOL!! :)
Clinton's being pleasured by a 22 year old intern is not the same as a middle aged man propositioning teenagers. Clinton is an adulterer - Foley is a predator.
October 5th, 2006 at 7:53 pmThe Republiscum are enablers.
I hope you are right Jay
October 5th, 2006 at 9:14 pmMarie, sorry but Foley never touched anyone but himself unlike Clinton and his pedophile friend Reynolds whom he pardoned before he left office.
Oh, and let's not forget Jerry Stubbs who also actually had sex with an underage male page and didn't resign didn't get booted, he got reelected. Apparently you can get away with actual rape if you are a democrat.
And have the democrats offered any alternative plans to protect this country or win in Iraq? they keep harping on this non issue to cover up the fact that they have no plans or strategy on ANY issues.
Hell, we had at least one of these "victims" admit he was 18 at the time he got these Ims and that he knew who Foley was and was playing along as a joke. If these actions were so serious, why haven't any of the parents or the pages themselves ever pressed charges?
Bottom line: Foley never touched anyone and yet he is out, under investigation, the ethics committee is looking into who knew what and when, and NONE of this happened when Studds actually raped a male page.
Typical double standard of the left wing
October 10th, 2006 at 1:49 pmHow to plan and manage a successful business event
I am currently planning a major regional event here in the UK. If you have to plan a prestigious event yourself, you might appreciate my guide on the aspects of arranging an event, from start to finish!
March 23rd, 2008 at 1:28 pm