Conservatives Push False Talking Point Defending Hastert’s Handling Of Foley Scandal
Conservatives Push False Talking Point Defending Hastert’s Handling Of Foley Scandal
Top conservatives have fanned out on television to defend House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s role in the Foley scandal.
A key talking point: when ABC made Foley’s sexually explicit communications public, Hastert “dealt with it immediately” by going to Foley and telling him, “Resign or be expelled.” Both Ken Mehlman and Ed Gillespie said Hastert’s bold ultimatum to Foley was something not seen “in thirty years in this town.”
In fact, their entire story is a fabrication. Hastert could not have issued an ultimatum to Foley after the sexually explicit instant messages were made public, because by that time, Foley had already resigned. ABC did not make Foley’s sexually explicit communications public until Friday, September 29, at 6pm ET. Foley had already resigned three hours earlier, at around 3pm ET.
As ABC producer Maddy Sauer has described, Foley decided to resign not after an ultimatum from Speaker Hastert, but after ABC called his office on Friday morning and read Foley staffers the instant messages they had obtained. According to Sauer, Foley’s office called ABC an hour later and said the congressman would be resigning.
Speaker Hastert himself acknowledged that he had no role in Foley’s resignation in his first statement on the issue on Monday:
When [the instant messages] were released, Congressman Foley resigned. And I’m glad he did. If he had not, I would have demanded his expusion from the House of Representatives.
Full transcript video:
HASTERT: When Congress found out about the explicit messages, Republicans dealt with it immediately and the culprit was gone. [10/5/06]
HASTERT: I, first of all, learned of this last Friday, when we were about to leave Congress for the break, to go out and campaign. And that’s the first time that I heard of the explicit language. When it happened, Republicans acted. And the guy’s gone. [10/5/06]
HOEKSTRA: I mean, we were all disgusted by what we found out last week Friday. But we also need to remember that what we did do on Friday is the speaker, the leadership and the House Republican conference, we spoke with clarity. It was a defining moment for us. We said, Resign or be expelled. Mark Foley left the House of Representatives within hours of this information becoming public. [10/6/06]
MEHLMAN: The fact is, what Denny Hastert did is something that we haven’t seen done in thirty years in this town in Washington DC, and that is he said to a member of congress, either you go or we’re going to make you go. That happened the moment that Denny Hastert found out about this. [10/6/06]
GILLESPIE: In fact, voters are starting to understand that speaker Hastert reacted very strongly. As the father of a 16-year-old son, I appreciate him going to Mark Foley and saying, “You either resign or you’re going to be expelled.” That would be the first time in thirty years. [10/6/06]
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119 Responses to “Conservatives Push False Talking Point Defending Hastert’s Handling Of Foley Scandal”
See, Denny was on the case all along, and we thought he was just putting partisan politics ahead of the safety of those pages.
October 6th, 2006 at 6:22 pmRepublican Leadership - The most bullshit you can find anywhere. They should bag it and try to sell the stuff…..
October 6th, 2006 at 6:28 pmO villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!
October 6th, 2006 at 6:28 pmMy tables,–meet it is I set it down,
That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain;
At least, I am sure, it may be so in Denmark:
Well, well. It looks as if Congressman Foley (R-Neverland) got a visit from Dr. James Dobson at the rehab clinic today…
October 6th, 2006 at 6:28 pmHastert is a lying sack of shit.
October 6th, 2006 at 6:31 pmTo quote Olbermann’s dead-on commentary last night, since it seems so fitting here as well:
“It is not our freedom, nor our country-your actions against the Constitution give irrefutable proof of that. You want to preserve a political party’s power. And obviously you’ll sell this country out, to do it.”
October 6th, 2006 at 6:32 pmDeconstruct
Reconstruct
Regurgitate
OK fellow Rape-Public-Cans get out there and spin.
October 6th, 2006 at 6:34 pmGlory, glory halleluja,
October 6th, 2006 at 6:34 pmglory, glory, halleluja
glory, glory, halleluja
and the liers keep marching on (straight to hell)
Hastert’s bold ultimatum to Foley was something not seen “in thirty years in this town.†- - Uh huh. Denny “The Manatee” Hastert is another chapter for Profiles In Courage.
October 6th, 2006 at 6:35 pmAny and all reporters wortth a grain of salt should only ask one question 1,000 over til he answers.
“Why won’t you swear under oath to what you have stated”?
October 6th, 2006 at 6:36 pmI’d even call it a double “false talking point” because they act like it was a strong, decisive and bold move by Hastert. But the thing with politicians and the heads of major companies is that nobody ever gets “fired”. They always sep down or retire with some lame excuse about “spending mroe time with family” or something. But the fact is that they were told to step down/retire or be fired.
This isn’t a strong, decisive move to offer such an unlitmatum…it’s business as usual.
October 6th, 2006 at 6:38 pmConservatives Propagate False Talking Point Defending Hastert’s Handling Of Foley Scandal - - Nope TP, your first inclination and headline here were correct:
New Right-Wing Foley Talking Point Is A Lie
October 6th, 2006 at 6:39 pmWow, talk about rewriting history, and fast! Such carefully crafted lies that aren’t really lies…”Republicans dealt with it immediately and the culprit was gone” Technically true, but the obvious implication is totally false.
October 6th, 2006 at 6:43 pmWait a minute. That means that my calendar is wrong. All this time i’ve been thinking that it’s 2006. It turns out that this year is 2005.
Well clearly it’s 2005 because that’s when Hastert first learned of the “naughty emails”
Adjust your calendars boys.
October 6th, 2006 at 6:45 pmMelhlman out in the public?!! They are supposed to keep that closet queen hidden away during these dangerous times of closeted homosexuals.
Tell us Mr. Mehlman what is the GOP position on homosexuals?
October 6th, 2006 at 6:51 pmone thing’s for sure - when these criminals put their heads together and come up with something, they play it for all it’s worth…
October 6th, 2006 at 6:52 pmhell or high water, they don’t give a damn…
they count on the people’s ignorance, that’s obvious…
.
Republicans-proudly defending the indefensible Wait… it’s all the fault of the libural press and Bill Clinton, and Democrats, and… and… and…
October 6th, 2006 at 6:52 pmTell us Mr. Mehlman what is the GOP position on homosexuals?
Comment by Heterodoxy
*snort* I gotta hear this one…
October 6th, 2006 at 6:54 pmCan we get some contact numbers & e-mails for these lying despots?
HOEKSTRA
MEHLMAN
GILLESPIE
Anyone?
October 6th, 2006 at 6:54 pmI recently felt that the only card ReichWingNuts had left to play was fear.
Alas, they’ve never fail to also play the Liars Card.
Fools. To hell with them all!
October 6th, 2006 at 6:58 pmOT, but. I’m glad to see that the TP forum is exploding. I see at least two new names that I do not recognize each day (Alzheimer’s anyone?). Could TP insert a bloger count somewhere into the header?
October 6th, 2006 at 6:59 pmOctober 6th, 2006 at 7:06 pm
Like I said yesterday what new spin would they try today. I wish someone could come up with a list of the different Spins the repugs have put on this, from it was Clintons fault, to well Clinton slept with an intern, to Soros, to……….
October 6th, 2006 at 7:11 pmThe Foleygate scandal metastasizes as Mehlman and Gillespie enable Hastert to enable Foley. They will only lose their own creditability and dig the hole deeper. Who would have guessed that Mehlman and Gillespie were all part of the vast left wing conspiracy? ;-)
October 6th, 2006 at 7:13 pmGOP = FLUFFERS FOR FREEDOM. snort. I hope I don’t sued for copyright( or is it copulation?) infringement.
October 6th, 2006 at 7:14 pm“The GOP: Turning Over a New Page in ‘06”
That’s the Republican party for you.
October 6th, 2006 at 7:15 pmServices Rendered
By billmon on Humor
This one’s too good not to share.
Hastert: I want a good, thorough probe.
Jeff Gannon: OK. That’ll cost you $250.
October 6th, 2006 at 7:23 pmAh, now we get to watch this scandal go right down the conservative memory hole, folks. The usual steps have been followed.
First, you confuse the public.
Then you insist that up is down.
Then you blame the Democrats.
Cheers.
October 6th, 2006 at 7:26 pm#20…
I’m sure we haven’t truly seen the fear card yet. You’re right, that is what they resort to when there is nothing left. Watchin Jon Kyl’s ad here in AZ, he says the terrorists “reject tolerance, crush dissent, and justify murder in pursuit of political power.”
So I believe that would the Bush administration a terrorist organization. Finally! It all makes sense!
October 6th, 2006 at 7:26 pmGood news everybody. As you all know, both of my parents are cards carrying christian republicans.
The day before yesterday, I got an e-mail out of the blue from my mom stating that she was floored by the scandal that the republicans are in right now. My mom said that she thought Bill Clinton was the most dispicable person on the planet for what he did, but this Hastert guy blows that out of the water. My mom is of course learning right now that she isn’t really a republican. She knows now that she only votes republican because she is against abortion, so votes republican on that basis. She is against abortion, because she loves children.
Guess what this scandal did?
Opened her eyes to the lies.
But, even better news, is the fact that I got an e-mail from my dad today stating that this scandal reeks of cover-up and that these bums, including Hastert need to be run out of office and Washington.
I am very happy right now.
While Bush and the republicans did a lot to divide this country and my family, Dennis Hastert and the republicans have brought us all back together.
Things are really looking up with my parents now against the republicans.
Now, all I need to do is talk to my across the street neighbor and everything will be fine in the neighborhood, since everybody else is moderate and will vote these scumbags out without help.
Cheers!
October 6th, 2006 at 7:29 pmCongrats Spudge!
October 6th, 2006 at 7:33 pmHey SpudgeBoy that’s awesome. Maybe now they will listen to one of their own children. It’s battles like these that progressives must fight as hard as they can. I know from my experience that changing the minds of your parents is far too difficult. Some parents, mine included, don’t seem to realize that they did a wonderful job in creating adults that can think critically for themselves.
I’m having a beer for your victory.
October 6th, 2006 at 7:35 pmIn my view, the fact that the Speaker knew of the “overly friendly†e-mails from Foley directly to a minor and dismissed it as benign, “please don’t do it againâ€, shows the Speaker’s clueless understanding of a predator’s behavior. That alone, even if we give him the benefit of being a man of integrity and trust he never saw the text messages, is enough for him to step down. The Speaker should have known better and demanded a full investigation of Foley’s behavior when he learned of the “innocuous e-mail messages†from a US Congressman directly to a minor.
October 6th, 2006 at 7:36 pmSo Hastert’s buddy Boehner is coming to our school next week to stump for one of our dispicable Repub. candidates. We’re planning a nice welcome for the guy who thinks party loyalty is more important than sexual predation. Can’t wait.
October 6th, 2006 at 7:37 pmOn Hardball tonight, some wacko GOP Congressman sya that “there is only one question to ask (about the Foley scandal). What did the Democratic leadership know and when did they know it.”
These guys are lunatics. Only tey can twist this story around like that.
Oh, and don’t get too excited about the Dems winning Foley’s FL seat. Mahoney is a self described “conservative Christian” http://polibuzz.blogspot.com/ 2006/ 10/ foley-fallout-spotlight-on-tim-mahoney.html
October 6th, 2006 at 7:39 pmThanks Zooey and Yikes!
I am so friggin’ happy right now. To bring my parents back from sheeple land has been a huge battle for me and to have it turn out successfully is a great feeling.
October 6th, 2006 at 7:39 pmHON. MARK FOLEY OF FLORIDA IN THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 6th, 2006 at 7:54 pmTHURSDAY, JULY 22, 2004
Mr. FOLEY: “Mr. Speaker, today, we live in a new age and it is becoming increasingly apparent that our laws must meet the challenge of protecting our children in the face of new threats and new technology, while allowing me personally to prey on underage male Congressional pages for years on end.
-The Internet is a powerful tool that has brought new opportunities for education, commerce and self-empowerment to millions of Americans. However, it also provides a new medium for pedophiles to reach out
to our most vulnerable citizens, America’s children, and for that I am most grateful to you.
-This has become a growing problem and, in 2002, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported that online child pornography and/or sexual exploitation are the most significant cyber-crimes against children, but since we can call in Louis Freeh or our other guys anytime, and since we have had so many of our lapdogs, apologists, propagandists, whores, and robotic mouthpieces in place and well paid running all major media for so long, I am not really worried in the least.
-I commend the efforts of Court TV and its CEO Henry Schlieff, Al Roker and the production team behind AI Roker Investigates: Katie.com for bringing attention to online sexual predators. Court TV’s active role in shedding light on the issue of “Internet deception” will help protect America’s children and raise
much needed awareness to parents across the country, but we can still neatly cover our asses if and when the need should ever arise.
-As cochairman of the Congressional Missing & Exploited Children’s Caucus, I join you in celebrating July 28 as Internet Safety Day in the hopes of bringing stronger awareness to the deceptive crimes against children that are being perpetrated on the Internet while effectively obscuring the criminal war we are waging with our valiant American soldiers lives in order to protect the corporate oil monopolies grip on American energy supply, and simultaneously obscuring the fact that you have so very graciously enabled me to perpetrate those same crimes against children, and for that, again, I cannot thank you enough.
-While we work in Congress to give law enforcement the tools to protect our children like the highly successful national deployment of the AMBER Alert system, the most important weapon of all is showing parents how to keep a watchful eye on the activities of their children, because corrupt Republican Pedophile Congressmen know best about that subject; knowing the people who come into contact with their children in their neighborhoods, schools and online; and using plain common sense, plus a whole heaping helping of graft, coverups, lies, distortions, distractions, deception, and outright fraud.
- Finally, Mr. Speaker, Thank You so much again personally for all of your help with all of these items of vital importance for our Republican vision of Americas future, where megarich Republicans own everything and everyone, hunting them for sport like Dick Cheney does, or sending them off to die in wars to protect oil corporations, like Dick Cheney does. While ideals like Freedom, Democracy, and Decency are important to Republicans, the most important value we all share is to support and enable Dick Cheney to do whatever he wants, because Dick Cheney is a wise and wonderful leader, a real he-man, and really, really rich.
“Resign or be expelled” has not happened in __30__ years? Cozy club up there.
“The GOP: Turning Over a New Page in ‘06â€
That made my day.
October 6th, 2006 at 7:59 pmbussbomb - what school is that?
October 6th, 2006 at 8:00 pmdo i remember you as illini?
spudgeboy - your story gives me hope for some in my family…
October 6th, 2006 at 8:01 pmbut i’m not holding my breath…
Well, it’s sort of true. He’s saying that he only saw the necessity to deal with the Foley incident once it was in the media. Otherwise, he would have been happy to just leave it.
That’s actually even worse.
What a wretched loser of a man.
October 6th, 2006 at 8:13 pmplease excuse - buzzbomb
October 6th, 2006 at 8:13 pmCongrats Spudge, if your folks are fed up, there may be some hope yet. My step-father is a life-long card-carrying Republican from a large family of Republicans and he’s fed up too, and will for the first time in his life will vote Democratic.
October 6th, 2006 at 8:23 pmTP, your headline should have been: “Hastert, Republican Leadership Use Time Machine.”
October 6th, 2006 at 8:38 pmSpudgeBoy
So, let me synoptsize
You’re saying that your parents, Bible thumping Christians, anti-abortion, have suddenly decided that Republicans are bad and dems are good, because Foley has fondled multiple pages?
First question - what does their views on abortion have to do with Foley’s gay fondling of interns?
I just don’t see he connection.
Now I’m a beyond left-leaning independent, I”m so far left i think the left are the right. So don’t bother to dismiss with “you’re just a perverted leftist”
October 6th, 2006 at 8:44 pmSpudgeBoy
It’s taken a moment but now I’m getting it - I’m thick as a brick
You’re gay, and you’re happy that finally your parents have understood that the Republicans are bad to hate gays. But is that really the reason that Republicans are bad - because they allow gays to hide, closeted.
THe sick thing about the Republicans is they (and by they it appears it is gay Republicans doing this) they encourage gays to hide in the closet and in return receive perks.
SpudgeBoy - are we seeing the underbelly of the trading of sex for perks with Homosexual pinings because men tend to keep the power inside the group. WHen men victimize women on the contrary, the women never get power.
October 6th, 2006 at 8:57 pmI put NOTHING past the Repugs, so I believe an attempted rewrite of history is totally possible, but can anyone cite an incidence of Gillespie or Mehlman or anyone launching this load of crap?
I can’t find anything online or in transcripts indicating a launch of this talking point.
I’m have sadly joined the ranks of “trust no one” and verify “EVERYTHING”.
Yours Truly,
October 6th, 2006 at 9:01 pma Prior Pollyanna
katy- I’m from minnesota, he’s stumping for rep. Gil gutneckt. Why anyone would want Boner to stump for them is beyond me. Oh wait now i remember, Gutneckt is a freakin’ moron.
October 6th, 2006 at 9:03 pmReally a bummer isn’t it! Get over it! Not over it yet is it.
October 6th, 2006 at 9:10 pmSons of Tureen,
That was almost completely incomprehensible, and insulting to SpudgeBoy. Please check yourself into a mental health center.
October 6th, 2006 at 9:12 pmWhat the hell is Sons of Tureen talking about? That post is beyond bizarre.
October 6th, 2006 at 9:25 pm>
Not sure what’s hard to understand. Many thumpers believe that Republicans are a superior species because they give (real or feigned) attention to “moral” issues like abortion, intelligent design, prayer in schools, homophobia, etc. Non-Republicans, by process of elimination, are supposed to be morally inferior beasts.
If it doesn’t shake the faith a little to see your favorite party engaged in activities like decieving the nation into war, invading a country that was not an immediate threat and had not attacked us, killing tens of thousands of people, engaging in blatent torture, spying on our citizens, possibly defrauding the voting system, undermining the constitution and rule of law, generating unprecedented debt for future generations, sewing the seeds of America-hate throughout the world through both misdeeds and neglect, and preventing legitimate medical research that ultimately can save the lives of millions, you must be made of stone.
Beyond that, if it still doesn’t shake your faith a little to see your favorite party’s leaders giving aid and shelter to a sexual predator with a penchant for young boys, and your favorite party’s leaders and media sycophants covering up and spinning excuses about their failure to act - to try to explain the unexplainable, rather than taking responsibility and taking actions that are ethical and moral, then you are dead from the neck up.
So the connection to abortion is that too many people have been duped on the basis of that or similar singular issues, to vote for immoral slime who don’t care anything about protecting life except to the extent that it helps them get elected and stay in power.
I hope this explanation helps.
October 6th, 2006 at 9:26 pmSons of Taurine had some weird stuff before too. He is consistent.
October 6th, 2006 at 9:30 pmNEW YORK — Two former executives at a government-funded youth group that improperly gave money to the liberal radio network Air America pleaded guilty Thursday to misappropriating the nonprofit’s funds.
Charles Rosen, a former executive director at the Gloria Wise Community Center in the Bronx, and his former assistant director, Jeffrey Aulenbach, entered the pleas in Bronx County Supreme Court, shortly after being formally charged with grand larceny and obstructing governmental administration. Rosen also pleaded guilty to forgery.
The charges involved falsified documents the men filed with city, state and federal agencies in an attempt to cover up both personal expenses and the Air America Radio loan.
Separately Thursday, New York City’s Department of Investigation released a report saying the men helped loot the Bronx-based charity of at least $290,000 by authorizing checks to themselves and other executives to pay for home renovations, furniture and new cars.
October 6th, 2006 at 9:35 pmI give into and gladly endure the minor pain that the pleasure of this moment, the slime release timed it seems just so, evokes when I reflect on the larger pain in my whole being that this administration has wrought!
October 6th, 2006 at 9:38 pmSonsofTureen’s biggest problem is that he thinks he is a liberal and we are all liberal scum.
October 6th, 2006 at 9:43 pm#56.
Any AR execs? Get back to us when you’ve got something, brandi. Or is this guilt by association? ‘Cause if we’re goin’ down that route, Hastert+Foley= party of conservative perverts.
October 6th, 2006 at 9:43 pmShorter Denny Hastert: “You can’t quit! I censure you1″
October 6th, 2006 at 9:47 pmbrandi’s story in post 56 is about some scum bags that ripped off Air America. What a bunch of a holes. They were probably republicans that were trying to screw Air America over. Jerks.
October 6th, 2006 at 9:49 pmhttp://edition.cnn.com/ 2006/ WORLD/ meast/ 10/ 06/ iraq.main/ index.html
Iraq: 4000 dead policemen
October 6th, 2006 at 9:52 pmDenny Hastert (Fellow Alum) = Sold out to power, sadly remembered as such.
October 6th, 2006 at 9:52 pmSpudge Boy, I see she didn’t post a source.
I’m guessing world nut daily.
October 6th, 2006 at 10:02 pmAll this reminds me of ‘The Blues Brothers’…when John is on his knees with Carrie Fisher begging with every lame excuse he could think of…then droppes her like a rock when she falls for it…
October 6th, 2006 at 10:07 pmHaster and gang..’It wasn’t me…I was sick….nobody told me ….
here is my problem with this. Are journalists so STUPID that they aren’t familiar enough with the facts to challenge these idiots when they make claims like this? Or, don’t they think it is their responsibility to let their audience get factual information?
Why is it that I always seem to know more of the facts than the journalists do? Isn’t it their job to keep up with the facts?
October 6th, 2006 at 10:08 pmhere is my problem with this. Are journalists so STUPID that they aren’t familiar enough with the facts to challenge these idiots when they make claims like this? Or, don’t they think it is their responsibility to let their audience get factual information?
Why is it that I always seem to know more of the facts than the journalists do? Isn’t it their job to keep up with the facts?
October 6th, 2006 at 10:08 pmThese people lie with a straight face. The moral party.
October 6th, 2006 at 10:16 pmI hereby demand that all Republican congressional leaders resign.
Great. Now, when one of them resigns, I’m taking full credit.
Feel the power.
October 6th, 2006 at 10:25 pm…brandi brings good news…
grand larceny,obstruction, and forgery are serious crimes… these men are being taken care of by the justice system… rightfully so…
…and AirAmericaRadio is sounding and getting better than ever…
October 6th, 2006 at 10:51 pmain’t no stoppin’ it now!
What can we possibly expect from someone who spells Brandi with an i?
Pffft.
October 6th, 2006 at 11:05 pmAs much as I would love to see this pinned as an outright lie, he has wiggle room in his statement. The first statement is just a less emphatic statement of the second. Here’s what happens if you put the two together.
I dealt with this immediately. I gave him my ultimatim. He resigned, and I’m glad of it. If he hadn’t, I would have kicked him out, and I’m glad I didn’t have to do all of that.
As much as I want this to be a lie (and as much as it might be), the grammar here unfortunately gives him the benefit of the doubt.
Come on people, read with your brains.
October 6th, 2006 at 11:18 pmRepublican Strategy as devised by Rove and Cheney
October 6th, 2006 at 11:20 pm
The arrogance of power convinces these Republican scum that anything goes in order to retain that power. America must slay the Monster on November 7.
October 6th, 2006 at 11:32 pm#30 spudgeboy,
October 6th, 2006 at 11:39 pmI am pleased for you. I know you have long been trying to convince your family that they were mistaken.
It took something like this, more than anything else that preceded it, to cause a change of mind. If this has given more good people like them pause to consider their political party, there will be something positive to come from this scandal.
Well it warms my heart to see so many pissed-off, disgruntled Yanks. Up here in Canada, we all thought that you were sleeping. Good job. Next on the agender: Take back your country.
October 6th, 2006 at 11:40 pmRight on Spudge! Having followed your posts for months now, I almost feel like I know you! Has to be a nice feeling to see some light shining in there.
October 6th, 2006 at 11:45 pmLooks like Brandi go stuck working Friday night, what’s wrong honey, no date? And yes, I am at work too, ;uckily can surf while taking money in.
Brandi with an I! Ha! Probably signs it with a little smiley face too!
Brandi with an I! Ha! Probably signs it with a little smiley face too!
Comment by SKdeA
More likely a teeny little heart. :P
October 6th, 2006 at 11:49 pmOh-six, pick up sticks.
Oh-seven, all Republicans going to Hastert-Heaven…
Cheers.
October 6th, 2006 at 11:49 pmWhy is it that I always seem to know more of the facts than the journalists do? Isn’t it their job to keep up with the facts?
Comment by anon
Surely your facts prove otherwise? =)
October 6th, 2006 at 11:49 pmWe know what Hastert didn’t know about Foley before Hastert found out he didn’t know!~
October 6th, 2006 at 11:54 pmWhat????xxx
All this is true but somehow I see a replay of 2004 election here. There is an issue and the Republicans are attacking not the Democrats’ weakness but what should be their strength with innuendos and falsehoods. Yet not one Democratic strategist, blogger or elected official is doing the cable show circuit pounding away their advantage and drilling home the fact that Foley is Republican and the leadership kept quiet and maybe even benefitted financially by their silence. If they do not use the opportunities when they come knocking the Democrats will not only lose their advantage but also lose the election and become irrelevant as a political party. Americans like winners and fighters, right now the Democrats appear far from being either. Neither the online whining of Mediamatters, or Thinkprogress or any of the gazillion liberal bloggers will finally help out if the people who should vote don’t see the Democrats on tv fighting back.
October 7th, 2006 at 12:26 amIt doesn’t matter the right wing american taliban will vote them back in office. They beleive in the end of the world. I think they are starting to make it a self fulfilling prophecy. We should all be worried. I think they would call it The UNITED THEOCRACY OF AMERICA.
October 7th, 2006 at 12:28 amHastert never told Foley to resign, because he had already done so before fatso Denny had even found out about it > GOP lies are putrid!
October 7th, 2006 at 12:35 am…Yet not one Democratic strategist, blogger or elected official is doing the cable show circuit…
Comment by p***edoff — October 7, 2006 @ 12:26 am
gee - and how many dems do you think have been invited on these shows?
maher was great tonight… john kerry regrets being a nice guy in ‘04…
October 7th, 2006 at 12:49 amand robin williams! …my face hurts from smiling so much! feels good!
.
Obfuscation?
By Republicans?
Say it isn’t so! Say it isn’t so!
October 7th, 2006 at 12:52 am“gee - and how many dems do you think have been invited on these shows?”
it does not matter how many dems have been invited and how many times, they should say it at every opportunity they get. Politics these days is more about perception than about the truth. If the dems want to defeat the Republican noise machine then they have to make some noise of their own.
October 7th, 2006 at 1:04 amp***edoff - i agree the dems need to speak up and speak out…
but you blame the dems for not “doing the cable show circuit”, and i point out the fact that the corporate owned right wing media is shutting them out… that’s all… and it does matter…
i’m done tonight…
October 7th, 2006 at 1:21 amg’nite all… say your prayers…
#76 we are trying to take it back - honest.
It a challenge when you can’t convince people that rhetoric doesn’t equal truth. For example; Karl Rove is agnostic (which is fine by me), but he knows how to push the religion button in the small minds that get their news from Fox. He doesn’t have to believe in religion to know how to script the talking points. Some call it cynical, he thinks it’s about political expedience.
Then there are those who refuse to see the freefall of American stature in the world, deaths in Iraq, decline of the middle-class and the damage done by screwing with the vital balance in the our 3 part government. Their refusal to see is based almost entirely in avoiding having to admit their side isn’t perfect. They prefer to go with the “well, a Democrat did something bad” defensive. Childish? Yes. But so is thinking Dubya hasn’t lied and that those impoverished people in New Orleans deserved what happed because they didn’t get in their non-existent cars, drive north and check into a hotel with their non-existent money.
Good heavens, some folks down here still listen to Rush Limbaugh after he hypothicized the Foley thing is a Dem plot - as if 3 years ago the Dems put pages up to luring Foley into predatory behavior and saved the bomb until now.
We’re trying to take back the country but it’s not gonna be easy.
FWIW
#72 - Foley resigned because ABC was exposing him. Hastert gave him NO ultimatum - initially he just claimed he would have… Grammer can’t change that part.
“When [the instant messages] were released, Congressman Foley resigned. And I’m glad he did. If he had not, I would have demanded his expusion from the House of Representatives.”
#82 - When have you seen a Dem on a show where the host or the 3 on 1 right wing balance would let the Dem complete a thought? Hells bells, Chris Wallace tried to make Clinton stop talking when it became clear Bill had plenty to say. (Afterward the media accused him of a “meltdown” instead of discussing the content of his answers.)
October 7th, 2006 at 1:26 amOh…you huys gotta read this !!
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/ apps/ pbcs.dll/ article?AID=/ 20061006/ NEWS/ 610060335/ 1033/ NEWS01
October 7th, 2006 at 1:27 amstraypup - why?
U R not going to believe these msgs
Columnist Chris Coursey imagines an IM conversation between John Mark Karr and Rep. Mark Foley
there’s quite enough REAL sickness…
g’nite now
October 7th, 2006 at 1:31 am#89- maybe the media did accuse President Clinton of a meltdown (after all the media does have rallying around their own), but that is immaterial, but what Clinton did do is (1) he reinforced very strongly the Foxnews bias (2) made Chris wallace look like a clown and most importantly (3) had the administration running all over the place trying to refute him when in fact they could not (Woodward’s book came out in a few days and just proved him right). What he did was to show the way and set an example and what the rest of the dems need to do is follow that example at every opportunity, which given this windfall they are not.
October 7th, 2006 at 1:36 amI would like to applaud comment No. 54 above. That is right on. I’m struck by how outraged people are about the Foley scandle (which is terrible, no doubt) but not nearly as upset about how that same congressman, and most of his colleagues voted to start an unjust war against a country that didn’t actually threaten, and in the process, kill (not molest) thousands of young children. Foley was on a congressional committee to protect children but I guess that didn’t apply to Iraqi children. Of course it didn’t. When it comes to protecting life, there’s a double standard, or is that a tripple standard?
Matthew S
October 7th, 2006 at 1:38 amWell, they are shifting it now. This meme is not about the dems leaking it because that didn’t work, but an outright lie about what Hastert allegedly did because they believe that Hastert going now is much worse than Hastert staying. Notice that it is all on Fox where this is going on.
I read the transcript excerpts of Matthew’s show with a couple of hacks on it–he clearly was skeptical, even though if you read Media Matters you would get it otherwise.
I think they are showing just how desperate they are.
I think the dems should slap this one down because it is a patent falsehood. Until today no one was pushing this `30 year’ thing.
October 7th, 2006 at 2:15 amCheck this out these guys are unbelievable. Blame the DEMS for the “moral” party being not so moral.
GOP prods Dems over Foley scandal
October 7th, 2006 at 2:17 amhttp://www.cnn.com/ 2006/ POLITICS/ 10/ 06/ foley.fallout/ index.html
p***edoff,
I know Pres. C accomplished soooo much in that exchange - including giving me a reason to live - politically anyway. He’s a force of nature though AND they let him work one on one.
Everytime I see a Dem on TV, they are being double teamed - at least - I’d love to see them hit hard on ANYTHING but frankly that’s not easy in that environment.
October 7th, 2006 at 2:28 am#95 I may scream.
Basically the Repugs are saying:
“Gee, we had a predator and ABC outed him, the reporter says a Repug gave him the dish - but let’s forget about that and demand the Dems tell if they controlled the space/time continuum so it would come out near election time?”
Unflippingbelievable. Well, no, I guess it’s par for the course.
I love the references to Rep. Gerry Studds. He was censured in 1983 for a sexual relationship with a 17 year old page in 1973 AND was reelected 6 more times. The former page stood up with Studds in ‘83 and said it was a private matter between the 2 of them. I don’t condone or honestly even approve of what Studds did. But Studds and Foley are apples/oranges. The Foley cover-up is where the real 2006 firestorm arose. (I don’t remember anything about the Studds thing - it’s before my time…sort of.)
October 7th, 2006 at 3:00 am#97 What’s sad is the right wing christians I mean American Taliban will probably vote these sorry sos’s back in office. After all they probably believe it’s the “moral” thing to do.
October 7th, 2006 at 3:24 amThe GOP leadership must take the American public for complete idiots. It was easy enough to find out that the GOP Talking Points are a fabrication of the facts. Let’s hope the MSM points this all out, but don’t count on it.
New GOP Motto: “Putting Party before Pedophila”
October 7th, 2006 at 4:20 amThank you for having the courage to actually tell the truth about this. It means a lot to those of us who are watching with disbelief every day about how wrong this whole thing is.
I made a picture that says “Hastert is a Lying Bastard” that everyone who wants to is welcome to use! Truth hurts.
http://www.reactorcharge.com/hastert.jpg
October 7th, 2006 at 4:30 amOctober 3, 2006 — Informed sources in Tallahassee, Florida have told WMR that Governor Jeb Bush was fully aware of ex-Rep. Mark Foley’s conduct with underage male pages but sat on the information to protect Foley and another top GOP Florida official, Attorney General Charlie Crist, who is currently running for governor to replace Bush. Today, Jeb Bush said he had not previously known about Foley’s behavior with the pages before being informed by House Speaker Dennis Hastert in a letter dated October 1, 2006. Bush said he was “dismayed and shocked to learn about Congressman Foley’s unacceptable behavior.”
However, according to our Florida sources, the FBI and Justice Department informed the Florida Governor’s office, Attorney General Crist, and the Florida AG’s Child Protection Cybercrime Unit at least a year ago about Foley’s predatory emails and instant messages. WMR was told that Crist’s conflict-of-interest in the case stems from Crist’s and Foley’s involvement in gay sex parties, some of which took place during 2003 in trendy Coconut Grove, Florida.
Informed Florida sources claim that up until now, Crist and Jeb Bush have been able to keep a lid on the once-divorced Crist’s life style, touting his conservative Christian credentials, but that the Foley revelations will severely impact the Crist gubernatorial campaign. The links between Foley and Crist are certain to harm Crist with his conservative backers who admire Crist for his anti-gay rights stance. Floridians begin early voting on October 23.
http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/
October 7th, 2006 at 5:57 ama pedophile helping a pedophile if you think for one minute that this foley is the only pedophile in you gov think again the pervert conventions runs your idiot gov,, good luck with that
October 7th, 2006 at 7:18 amMo Do on Mark Foley. I was beginning to wonder when one of the NY Times’ op-ed columnists would get around to writing about this.
October 7th, 2006 at 7:35 amHasters’s on staff dispute his account of what happened. Read this article released this morning.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15163986/
October 7th, 2006 at 10:25 amYou know what the most amazing thing is? Hastert was a teacher. If somebody from the teaching profession isn’t going to protect the youth who will?
October 7th, 2006 at 10:29 amGood heavens, some folks down here still listen to Rush Limbaugh after he hypothicized the Foley thing is a Dem plot - as if 3 years ago the Dems put pages up to luring Foley into predatory behavior and saved the bomb until now.
Uhh. . .folks are still listening to Rush “Tough on Drug Offenders” Limbaugh AFTER the pill-poppin’, doctor shoppin’ prick was busted by 5-0 and confessed to having a teeny drug problem. They don’t call ‘em dittoheads for nothing! ;-P
October 7th, 2006 at 10:34 am#96- you see the problem lies that most dems who are called to these shows are, for the lack of a better word, too gentle to talk up to these people. In the end the either end up looking like wimps and make the entire party look weak and unsure. I would rather have a blowhard out there making outrageous statements than back off under pressure. The worst that can happen is that they won’t get invited back. Btw do you have any idea who those blonde women are who appear on FNC as dem strategist…they look like plants to me and even if they are not maybe someone in the DNC should either stop hiring them.
October 7th, 2006 at 10:52 amThe bottom line is this is a bona fide scandal which requires being talked about everyday. The Republican leadership quite possibly took hush money to protect a child predator. Unfortunately for the lack of an articulate and loud voice on the Dem side this message is getting lost in the obfuscation and innuendos being generated by the Republican noise machine. All it takes is one elected official from the Dem side to go and say forcefully that the problem is a Republican problem because they control the house, the person involved is republican and any financial transaction involved is done on their side. It does not matter how outrageous the allegation is because by the time it is proved or disproved the election will be over. This is something that the Republicans know and use, unfortunately Democrats play too nice for that. This is politics where perception matters more than the truth.
Everytime I see a Dem on TV, they are being double teamed - at least - I’d love to see them hit hard on ANYTHING but frankly that’s not easy in that environment.
This is a known and admitted fact in media circles. It’s not just Dem politicians, either. This policy also applies to any pundit or expert who’s invited to speak on the mainstream news shows in any situation where there is a bilateral perspective.
Why don’t the Dems point out this double-team tactic and turn it into a talking point the way Repub’s’ve made “liberal media” a catchphrase?
And why do I pay taxes to support these numbskulls who can’t seem to do anything but wring their hands?
October 7th, 2006 at 10:59 amI have been listening to the Talk Radio echo chamber, I don’t usually but now is as good a time as ever. I refuse to have TV in my home so I occasionally have to get a touch point on a particular bit of news.
Please know that if any gay bashing results from the Mark Foley incidents that it will be from the usual hypocrites that keep that tool at hand.
What we need to address here is the Trawling and PREDATION for les than innocent sexual intention, be it homo or hetro.
We do not know that an act of sexual misconduct arose out of any of Mark Foley’s pleasant little chats that have been documented. We do have reason to believe that the intent seems to be there to create a sexually charge atmosphere between himself and some of the young pages. That is the smoke of this event.
Mr. Foley was a functioning, public gay man who mingled in the social setting of Palm Beach County and Washington D.C. as such. That is not the error here. That he was interested in the development of young minds for noble Congressional service is not even an affront. What is an affront is that he chose to tend that hot frame of seedlings to tease out those who were receptive to his advances for mutual sexual gratification, either in the illegal near term or as soon as they turned 18.
Alcohol as a reason for the behavior is a weak crutch and an illogical ploy to dismiss the egregious behavior. Mr. Foley is a brilliant man who did not need benefit of a university education. So, no matter the quality of his thinking or his able abilities of mind, he is one down from most of his colleagues because he is a mustang. He came up through the ranks without a university degree.
Further, Mr. Foley is a gay man who comes with all the baggage that entails. He is two down.
Mr. Foley is a rapacious pleaser and compensator. To fit in with his chosen political party he had to be twice or three times as aggressive and effective in all the organizational and political chores he took on.
Mr. Foley was also a second bench man when it came to his representative status. There are two House districts that run through Palm Beach County. One is the 16th; that is Mr. Foley’s. The other is the 22cd; that is someone else’s. The 16th takes in the west side of the county. The 22cd takes in the narrow coastal enclave that is centered on the City of Palm Beach. So, in Palm Beach Count, Mr. Foley was definitely second string.
Palm Beach and Lake Worth are different from the rest of the world. It is an enclave that is driven by the peculiar needs of its peculiar residents. They are “old money” super rich, they are new comer super rich. There are resident TV preachers who have made theirs and are now taking their ease. There is an inordinate representation of sexual preferences in the Palm Beaches and its attendant shore side colony of drones and worker bees.
Mr. Foley is very much a product of his surroundings. Those surroundings being wealth - great wealth. New money is one thing, but old, great wealth is preferred. There is the grand collection of epicureans, dilettantes, rapacious sexual appetites and predation on the shore side herds of willing.
Mr. Foley may have come with a predisposition for his sexual preferences. When they emerged in Palm Beach County, you can be sure that they were noted and tended by interested parties.
Back to alcohol. Drink is the salve that soothes the hurting and deprived ego. It is the great compensator for social division and isolation. Mr. Foley did not come by his preferences out of the blue. He was accessible and willing. It became a learned behavior. He in turn made inroads with the accessible and willing. The pages under his care came with all the potential that is to be found in the rest of the population. They are intelligent – they have a capacity – they are smart – they are able to develop their capacity. In addition they are accessible and some are willing. Mr. Foley needed only to cull the herd.
To kill the discomfort of what he knew was a game played on the razor’s edge, he drank. Now he is willing to hide behind that as his alibi.
My educational background is one of research and writing. My onboard skills are those of keen observation and a deep capacity for details. The only ax that I have to grind here is that the relevant issues come to the fore and that the true nature of the circumstances prevail.
Lantern Bearer
Please, be attentive, be intelligent, be reasonable, be responsible.
You have no business to believe me.
October 7th, 2006 at 11:15 amI ask you to believe nothing that you cannot verify for yourself. . .
If you have not a critical mind, your visit here is useless.
G.I. Gurdjief
Breaking News. Foley resigned a week ago. Move along, nothing to see here.
October 7th, 2006 at 1:18 pmHere is the indepth history
http://www.tbrnews.org/Archives/a2531.htm#001
October 7th, 2006 at 1:38 pm110:
Are you now the TP hall monitor?
Don’t go near the boys bathroom Paul, I heard Biff and Wormy want stick your head in the toilet.
October 7th, 2006 at 2:27 pmJudicious,
Sure! Okay! Okay if you say so!
All I know is that Bill’s wife can JUDICIOUSLY start packing for the move to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Republican-bashing will be sooooooooo much fun. And I thought there wasn’t a God. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
Dubya’s brain is a quart low. Several quarts. In fact, the entire engine is gone. It’s not only sad for him, but it’s sad for the country.
Dubya doesn’t have a moral compass.
John
October 7th, 2006 at 3:25 pmThe definition of gross negligence is turning a blind eye. There is more and more evidence - including admissions at the highest levels of knowledge of some very suspicious conduct by Foley - showing that is what the leadership in the House did for quite some time with respect to Foley’s evil pederasty.
What makes it worse is that there was a clear motive to not find out with lots of opportunities to learn more not taken. The motive of course was to not damage the Republicans’ precarious chances for maintaining a majority in the House, and with it Hastert’s Speaker position and all the other leaders’ majority positions.
It’s a close call, but either way, given how abhorrent the conduct was, I think the Republicans have to go. No excuses this time. If we voters reelect them, we will show Republican politicians by our actions that next time they can take a chance at doing evil without having to worry too much about the consequences.
http://www.rawstory.com/ news/ 2006/ Majority_think_Hastert_tried_to_cover_1007.html
October 7th, 2006 at 3:26 pmThere is a rumour spreading like wildfire around the blogs that Hastert lives with his top aid and his wife lives in a hotel and that he is gay. Will be interesting to see how this plays out. If the GOP
didnt demonize gays and promote themselves as the party of “family values” it wouldnt matter but they set themselves up for a fall.
check huffpo,daily kos, and americablog for more info
October 7th, 2006 at 4:05 pm[…] Conservatives Push False Talking Point Defending Hastert’s Handling Of Foley Scandal […]
October 7th, 2006 at 6:51 pmIn fact, their entire story is a fabrication. Hastert could not have issued an ultimatum to Foley after the sexually explicit instant messages were made public, because by that time, Foley had already resigned.
Maybe you’re a bit unfair. Maybe Hastert knew before the ABC story came out that Foley was a sleazebucket hypocrite sexual predator. Could be. Maybe someone should ask him how he knew this in advance….
Cheers,
October 7th, 2006 at 9:55 pmThere is no maybe about it Arnie, Hastert was told about it years before ABC broke the story and did nothing.
Yes, that is MUCH better.
GOP leadership unfair to unsuspecting pages!!
What don’t you understand about this story. It’s pretty straightforward. And if Hastert had apologized, siad he thought the reports were sniping before but should have investigated earlier……maybe he could have stopped the hemmorhage. But no, he used a CLintonianesque defense (them guys is out to get me) and has now sealed his fate.
Personally, I don’t give a rats behind if he resigns or not….he is done as leader of the GOP in Gongress, no matter HOW the election turns out.
If you can’t see that then you don’t understand the American people.
October 7th, 2006 at 10:08 pmThere is no maybe about it Arnie, Hastert was told about it years before ABC broke the story and did nothing.
Yes, that is MUCH better.
GOP leadership unfair to unsuspecting pages!!
What don’t you understand about this story. It’s pretty straightforward. And if Hastert had apologized, siad he thought the reports were sniping before but should have investigated earlier……maybe he could have stopped the hemmorhage. But no, he used a CLintonianesque defense (them guys is out to get me) and has now sealed his fate.
Personally, I don’t give a rats behind if he resigns or not….he is done as leader of the GOP in Gongress, no matter HOW the election turns out.
If you can’t see that then you don’t understand the American people.
October 7th, 2006 at 10:08 pmNow, thats the kind of moral values I like to see! This sure will get the gay/lesbian community behind the GOP this election term. Gee, I didn’t think they could do it, but they sure did.
October 8th, 2006 at 4:55 pmWow… Another whopper.
October 9th, 2006 at 3:08 pm