The Washington Times has called for Hasfert to resign. Bay Buchanan is furious and wants someone’s head on a pike. The right wing of the GOP is enraged by the Foley scandal and the by now obvious cover-up that’s been going on for years.
The Wall Street Journal tried to slime an excuse – Republicans didn’t want to offend gays hence their silence on Foley. Yeah right, like the right wing bigots in Congressional leadership care much about that particular constituency.
Rep. Tom Reynolds (R-NY) is massively damaged by this. He’s the chair of the RNCC and will probably not be re-elected. His chief of staff is directly linked to the cover-up, and Reynolds has been remarkably bone-headed in handling this.
That’s what’s fascinating here, the reaction of Republicans has been unbelievably stupid and mismanaged. They’re accusing each other of lying, changing stories, and there’s been none of the usual calculated evasions one usually finds in situations like that. Instead, they are running scared. Why?
There must to be more to this than we know. Else why the terrified and bumbling response of the neocons who generally are polished and skilled liars. Yet now, every time they open their mouths, they make it worse. Maybe Foley’s not the only one.
Some hard right blogs say this was a conspiracy, that forces unknown sprang this right before the election quite deliberately in hopes of destroying Republican chances to hold on to both houses. I say, it’s no conspiracy at all, that quite obviously, that’s precisely what’s happened. Considering the petrified response from Republicans, this particular heat-seeking missile may have multiple warheads. and we’ve only seen the first few detonations.
AmericaBlog and TPMMuckraker have massive, excellent coverage as does conservative gay columnist Andrew Sullivan (who renounced Bush et al a while back.)
Jon Stewart said it best on his segment on this on the Daily Show. “Equating a 52 year old congressman who preys on 16 year olds with being gay, may be one reasons the GOP is accused of gay-bashing.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/10/03/stewart-on-the-capitol-hi_n_30815.html
Did this congressman ever do anything other than send emails or messages to teenage pages? I thought the left was supposed to be against punishing people for thought-crimes.
Down with the bourgeoisie’s hypocritical and reactionary anti-sex crusade!
So Fred, it’s ok by you if a powerful 52 yo man asks a teenage boy how big his dick is? No abuse of power or position there?
What about freedom of speech? Did Foley ever so much as touch one of these boys? Did he ever force them to do anything, or even to read his emails or chat messages?
Make no mistake: this case will be used to whip up religious, irrational anti-gay bigotry and further increase the dictatorial powers of the police state. The fact that you are jumping on the bandwagon with the Democrats you claim to oppose for this anti-gay witch hunt shows your opportunism.
Hmm, another Lefter-than-thou blogger denounces Polizeros because we don’t fit their definition of what a proper Leftist should be. Darn.
That some will use this to bash gays doesn’t mean Foley isn’t troubled (to put it mildly) and that the House leadership didn’t cover it up.
Cover up what? Private emails of a sexual nature? Where is the crime?
The reactionary, anti-gay and anti-worker content of this witch-hunt is not an accidental, secondary aspect. It gets to the core of the matter. The state is seeking to expand its powers to criminalize thought and speech, and is leveraging this campaign by whipping up homophobic hysteria. You are jumping on the bandwagon.
No one said it was a crime yet, although given the terrified reaction of Republicans, one wonders what’s coming.
It is however creepy and sexual harassment, no different from a boss asking his secretary what her bra size is, something that would get him fired in most companies.
John Avarosis of AmericaBlog and Andrew Sullivan are both gay, blogging lots on this, think Foley is wack, and are hardly homophobic.