Oct 01 2006
The Republicans Are In Trouble In The House
The Reps are in trouble in the House and it has nothing to do with the overblown Woodward book (geez, you me to tell us everyone doesn’t agree on everything in the Federal government Bob? Whodathunkit) or with the Iraq war. It has to do with the loss of honor for the Congress that is being displayed and which mirrors Clinton’s lack of honor for the oval office. The Reps are no more scandalous than the dems, in fact I would say much of their current problems come from copying Democrat actions and activities from when they ran Congress. But the Randy “Duke” Cunningham and Bob Ney scandals on birbery were the first signs of trouble (they followed the role models of Bob Torricelli and the infamous House Post Office scam of the 1980’s).
Again, this is not a Rep only problem (Menendez and Jefferson come to mind), but we expected the Reps to behave better than Dems when confronted with these issues. And in some ways they have – Republican Ney resigned why Democrat Jefferson (cool $100 grand in the ice box) is running for re-election.
But the revelations about Foley and his sick acts is stunning. Here we have a child predator in the midst of Congress, heading efforts on expoloited and abused children, and the House leadership does nothing about this man for months? The man knew all the methodologies for finding and trapping sexual predators, so he was in a unique position to know best how to avoid detection. But when he was detected his ‘comrades’ didn’t take this dangerous person out of commission, they hid it?
House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) was notified early this year of inappropriate e-mails from former representative Mark Foley (R-Fla.) to a 16-year-old page, a top GOP House member said yesterday — contradicting the speaker’s assertions that he learned of concerns about Foley only last week.
Hastert did not dispute the claims of Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds (R-N.Y.), and his office confirmed that some of Hastert’s top aides knew last year that Foley had been ordered to cease contact with the boy and to treat all pages respectfully.
Reynolds, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, became the second senior House Republican to say that Hastert has known of Foley’s contacts for months, prompting Democratic attacks about the GOP leadership’s inaction. Foley abruptly resigned his seat Friday.
The small good news out of most of this is it is Republican leaders taking the lead in condemning the act of hiding Folely’s actions. And we all know the Dems are just being political opportunists. They would like to see the efforts of terrorists made easier by exposing our national security for political gain, so their new found interest in protecting America verses running it are a sham. But the Reps have no excuses. They took oaths to protect the people and its laws. And those who hid Foley’s crimes covered up crimes. I cannot see how the conservative base can be expected to energetically get out and vote when we have these actions.
At least now maybe it is clear why Hastert and others ran to William Jefferson’s defense against when his office was raided by the FBI, on court order, for evidence of bribery. I guess the House leaders have become above the law in their minds. Not a good sign at all. People forget Monica Lewinski was an under 18 intern when Bill Clinton exploited her. But the liberal base seems able to throw all that aside and still support their side in cold, calculating regularity. Conservatives do not have this cuthroat gift to allow the exploitation of someone for political gain. At least I think that is the difference between the two bases. But one thing is for sure, even this devout conservative independent is questioning why to put in effort for a party that hides someone like Foley. I am now more against the Dems (they will surrender to l Qaeda as sure as the Sun rises in the morning) than I am for Reps. The only saving grace in all this is the steady and honorable President Bush – who deserves History’s accolades
AJ: I’m a registered Independent.
I gave up on the Democrats when George McGovern became their favorite son.
The surrender as quickly as possible to anyone who will take your sword approach, advocated by McGovern, Jimmy Carter, and turned into a lifestyle by John Kerry was enough for me.
I gave up on the Republicans, when the day Bill Clinton became President, they suddenly became the party of “peace”, and even though it was George H. W. Bush who had gotten us into Somalia, the Republicans immediately attacked Clinton and said it was his fault!
The hypocrasy was stunning and mindboggling in it’s suddeness.
Since that time, I’ve basically had no use for either party.
They’re both corrupt, they’re both full of themselves, and they’ve both lost their way.
That said, our inane TWO-party system, frankly doesn’t give us much choice; so, I’m left to either “waste” my vote, or find the one “hot-button” issue, that matters to me, and vote based upon that!
My “hot-button” issue is simple: Are you an American, do you love your country, and will you protect it?
That’s the issue I use, to decide who I will vote for in National elections these days, and have in fact used, for the past 25 years; ever since, coincidently, JIMMY CARTER…….wonder why, huh?
So, it’s obvious, for example, why it was easy to vote against JOHN KERRY in 2004!
Now, we have the whole Foley-Hastert issue!
What a mess; frankly, I could give a damn about the Republicans.
Hastert has NEVER impressed me, but what are our alternatives: Nancy Pelosi? You’ve gotta be kidding me!
But, thanks to their stupidity, and arrogance, we sadly, and pathetically, could very well end up with Nancy Pelois is speaker, over this completely unnecessary and assinine Foley issue.
Foley is a sexual predator, good riddance!
Hastert, and the other Republican leadeship; what did they know, and when did they know it?
That’s the question, but if it’s even close that they knew, and covered it up, to HELL with them.
The frustrating thing, of course is that IF the surrender-first-and-surrender-hard-party the Dems, do take control of one/both Houses of Congress, the country is honestly SCREWED for the next two years.
They are so radical, so out of line, so dishonest, so Anti-American/Hate-America first these days, it’s almost inconceiveable that correct thinking American public could vote them into office, despite the many and obvious flaws of the Republicans.
I shudder, just at the thought of it……………………………
The best case scenario is that the Reps manage to retain both Houses, by ONE seat each; and the Dems spend the next two years, amply showing the American public exactly how Dhimmified they’ve become, to the point they get slaughtered in the ’08 elections….
Ah, one can only dream……………
Again and Again, a vote for any Democrat is a vote to allow the Communist Party of America to fulfill their agenda.
http://www.cpusa.org/article/articleview/769/1/135/
No American, who cares about America, should vote for any Democrat in this upcoming election.
Aj:
I think Foley should have resigned long ago and I am not in any way excusing his actions, but I think some people are going off the deep end here.
So far as I know when first approached about this the House leadership only knew about “over friendly” emails, not the IM’s. The parents did not want the matter pursued and there was really nothing Hastert could have done about it, he could not make Foley resign. He is not his employer.
In retrospect he should have forced him from any posts of real consequence and asked him to resign, but I think there is something else going on here now that might not have been apparent then. And I think it has to do with the elction.
There are hundreds of people in the House of Representatives and the truth is they are human just like the rest of us. They do bad things, they make mistakes.
Do not misunderstand me, Foley put himslef into the situation and the leadership failed to grasp the full extent of the problem but declaring the whole House to be sick because of it is like saying all teachers are sleeping with their students or all CEOs are crooks.
And you know what? I do not think that a 16 year old is a child.
I think it is creepy and nasty and unethical for a 52 year old man to have anything to do with a 16 year old, but I just do not feel comfortable calling them children.
My mother was 17 when she married my Dad and they were together until his death. We let people operate motor vehicles at the age of 16 because it is thought they are mature enough to handle the responsibility. That does not make this ok, at the very least Foley’s behavior was immoral and unethical..but this young man was not a preschooler.
Daleinatlanta said:
“I gave up on the Democrats when George McGovern became their favorite son.”
This was of course the first candidate nominated by the radical”formerly soveit sympathizers” after they merged into the liberal democrat party. Thereby formalizing their “Progressives” takeover of the Liberals. These Progressives are more correctly known as the “hate America first” crowd. footnote: FDR was somewhere “in-between” these two groups.
“I gave up on the Republicans, when the day Bill Clinton became President, they suddenly became the party of “peaceâ€, and even though it was George H. W. Bush who had gotten us into Somalia, the Republicans immediately attacked Clinton and said it was his fault!”
I don’t think this is a valid reason for giving up on Repubs, (there are plenty of other perfectly valid reasons to do so)
As you well know Pres GHW Bush only committed US troops to Somalia as a UN effort to ensure food distribution. Much later after Clinton took over, is when the mission changed.
“They’re both corrupt, they’re both full of themselves, and they’ve both lost their way.”
It would be hard for anyone to disagree with that statement. But I’m not too sure that you won’t find the same traits and attributes amongst the “independents” also.
It gets down to a more basic, dems hate America, Repubs don’t.
and finally: about the Dems “They are so radical, so out of line, so dishonest, so Anti-American/Hate-America first these days, it’s almost inconceiveable that correct thinking American public could vote them into office, despite the many and obvious flaws of the Republicans.”
So, I have to agree with you. It just gets down to the basic. We need to keep the Repubs in charge just because there is no legitimate alternative.
PAGAR, I don’t need to quote anything you said. You obviously understand the true situation. You hit the nail on the head. My admiration for your insight.
TERRYE, I don’t often agree with you, but your comments above are right on. One “pervert” in the group doesn’t make the whole organization suspect. The presumption of innocense must prevail. I think once the “facts” of Foley were known, he was gone.
but best of all Terrye, this sentence:”My mother was 17 when she married my Dad and they were together until his death.”
My wife was 16 when we married and that was 46 years ago and we love each other today as much as back then.
But I will concede that I don’t think ‘ALL’ 16 year olds are that mature. Girls tend to be more so, at that age. But anyhow, congrats to your parents.
Has the Foley Scandal Gotten Worse?…
What did they know, and when did they know it? Those are the questions being asked about GOP House leaders about what they knew about accusations about improper emails and instant messages regarding Rep. Mark Foley’s conduct towards Congressional pag….
Testing
Hmm, I left a comment after TERRYE and before testing and it didn’t show up.
I ate it.
Awww, TERRYE, but I said you wrote a great comment.
especially,
“My mother was 17 when she married my Dad and they were together until his death.” My congrats to your Mom. Sorry about your dad
I married my wife when she was 16, and that was 46 years ago and we still love each other very much.
However everyone is not as mature at 16 as she was. Girls mature a little sooner than guys.
PAGAR , I also said your comment was right on. You truly understand the situation.
“People forget Monica Lewinski was an under 18 intern when Bill Clinton exploited her.”
That’s probably because she was 22.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monica_Lewinsky
What Terrye said (not about eating the post).
Before I was aware of the Instant Messages, and had seen just a couple of the e-mails, I bought into the “no there there” view and I’m not an easy sell. It looked as though Foley was using a personal touch to be well-thought-of politically (“Oh, yeah, he’s a real people person, nice guy, and not full of himself like most of ’em”), by doing a personal follow-up when former pages requested a recommendation.
That explained the request for a photo, age, how they liked the Page Program, etc., all SOP file information when a recommendation is requested and sent out. A bit too chatty maybe, but that seemed like just a style thing, and an adult trying to sound as though he “relates.” Nothing over the edge.
If, as it appears, that’s all the House leadership was aware of, it doesn’t look as though anyone other than Foley on the Republican side was remiss. My own take at seeing the one kid’s comment about (the e-mails) being “creepy,” I thought was an overreaction, and likely that the kid had found a Democrat willing to make it worth his while to make a mountain from a molehill.
The Leadership warning to “cut out the e-mails” seemed appropriate and sufficient, based on the available information. It’s highly doubtful that any of the Republican members had an inkling about the other messages, if for no other reason than their own political instincts and self-interest.
If we all recognized immediately that this may well be the death knell of GOP majority, it’s a certain bet that wouldn’t have escaped any of the GOP House members. Even if not one of them gave a rat’s patoot about the pages and their welfare, they sure as the devil wouldn’t have crossed their fingers for a year hoping no Dems got a whiff of it, every one of them would know with certainty it was a bomb waiting to explode … and, it did. Self preservation alone would have demanded knocking Foley out a year ago, and having a replacement serve out the term who would’ve been in place for this election.
And that, together with the swift howls of indignation from the left, suggests there likely were Democrats aware of the real nature of those messages, who were biding their time until just under the wire for maximum political benefit.
I am one year older than Daddy was when he died. So maybe it was good he married my Mom when she was so young, after all his life was short. But it is true, people mature differently.
You married your wife when she was 16? Well I guess that makes you a craddle robber too. But if you are still together after 46 years then you obviously knew what you were doing. How many people can say that?
MerryJ1, I hope the possible scenario you wrote about is the truth. But only something like that could clear the leadership a little.
NOTHING clears Foley(and I’m not saying you were trying to defend him) There is no excuse for what he did. It may not have technically been illegal, but he sue needs medical help anyhow.
“Steady and honorable” George Bush is as reflective of American
corruption as the evils of Congress Strata concedes, and all are indicative of why America has no right to intervene on the other side of the globe, spreading its corruption and decadence which Strata
prefers to call “democracy.”
The last living judge of Nuremberg opined that under int’l law Bush should be prosecuted for war crimes. “After Downing Street” memos
shows British intelligence Chief Dearlove was quite aware that Bush and his team cherrypicked intelligence to effectualize an already decided invasion of Iraq. afterdowningsteet.com.
Some honor.
Foley is but one example of Americana the Islamic world is trying to
keep out of their domains. Even formerly moderate/secular Turkey
grows creepingly Islamic, witnessing the effects of American intrusion where not desired.
Ken, the depth of your ignorance become more evident with every post you make.
Greeting there in France.
Ken has a double standard. He’s not for peace. He’s for war. He just wants the other side to win.
He even hates Madeline Albright, probably because she supported the U. N. sanctions.
Ken doesn’t mind when Saddam kills hundreds of thousands of his own people.
Ken doesn’t mind when Saddam attacks his neighbors.
Ken doesn’t mind when Iraqi agents make trouble in other countries–even in America.
It’s no secret that the American Indian Movement was getting “substantial contributions” from the genocidal Saddam for its anti-American activities until some idiot AIMster queered the deal by praising Ayatollah Khomeni during the Iran-Iraq war.
http://legendofpineridge.blogspot.com/2006/09/surprise-wardo-is-for-sale-not-that.html
CEO’s don’t have sex with subordinates…it’s an imbalance of power.
Notice how clinton dissed the sexual harrassment issue. He had a certain form of sex with an intern while he was being sued for sexual harrassment. ..we have a long row to hoe with terrorists….and the clintonistas.
I am praying for the survival of those who see the truth of these two.
We will again see what the American people are made of….in November. I hope they have “wised up” since ’92 and ’96.
October Surprise…
Tutti continuavano ad aspettare un dirty trick di Karl Rove in vista delle elezioni di novembre. Ma questa volta la “sorpresa” potrebbe fare molto male ai Repubblicani. Un deputato della Florida, Mark Foley, si è dovuto dimettere dopo che l’FBI ha …
Madeliene Albright, who would have never uttered such cruelty
about Israeli children of course,was famously quoted as boasting
that killing Iraqi children by the tens of thousands was “worth it”
in direct reponse to a medical report blaming the sanctions for such.
No, I am not a fan of this Israel-firster.
Can Snapple show a quote where he opposed the killings by Saddam during the long period when he was America’s ally and sanctioned by Rumsfeld to attack Iran?
And Snapple has me confused with Republican April Glaspie who told
Saddam America did not care if he invaded Kuwait.
Hey Frenchie,
you said:”Madeliene Albright, who would have never uttered such cruelty
about Israeli children of course,was famously quoted as boasting
that killing Iraqi children by the tens of thousands was “worth itâ€
in direct reponse to a medical report blaming the sanctions for such.”
Let me point out that you are blatently dishonest with that statement.
There is no way you can get those words from her actual quote. She, in fact, did not say:that killing Iraqi children by the tens of thousands was “worth it†and if you think she did, cut and paste her exact quote here.
This is typical of neolibs, re-phrase a statement to what you wish she had said and then quote her as saying it. Totally dishonest. Why am I not surprised.
Give Jacque our regards.