A TANGLED WEB...

DENNY HASTERT


It seems that House Speaker Denny Hastert can't seem to keep his stories straight. On Monday he said this (via ABC News Blog):

On Monday, Hastert said: "I think Foley resigned almost immediately upon the outbreak of this information, and so we really didn't have a chance to ask him to resign, and I left at the very end of the session, almost, before the very last vote."

Then Tuesday on Rush Limbaugh's radio program, you had this to say:

But during Tuesday’s radio interview with Rush Limbaugh, he seemed to change his story, saying: "We found out about it, asked him to resign. He did resign. He's gone." He then repeated that line in a Tuesday interview with Sean Hannity.

Really, Denny, you're talking about a span of 24 hours. Can you not keep your story straight for even that long? I tell ya, it sure is tough when you're forced to constantly lie as one fib after another keeps flying back into your face.
Sir Walter Scott (or was it Joe Pesci in JFK) who once stated, "Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive." Has anyone started a Denny Resignation Watch yet? With the way his story keeps changing, I would think that he cannot hang on for long.

A CHANGE WILL DO YOU GOOD

MARK FOLEY


Wow, it's been quite a couple of days for you, Mark Foley. You resign from Congress after it comes to light that you've got a thing of pages, you enter a rehab facility for "alcoholism", and on Monday your lawyer releases a bombshell that you're gay and that you were molested by a clergyman about forty years ago. Dude, you got more done in a couple of days then most folks do in a week, and now, just to make your life a little more lively, you've now switched your party affiliation to Democrat?! WHAT!?! Well, that's what it said on Fox News, and we all know they never lie, right? Just check out the photo below (props to The B-Side and Democratic Underground):



Boy, that's some subtle work by the Fox News guys, isn't it? I know that the GOP operatives over there have been trying to deflect attention from the controversy by bringing up some Dem scandals, but to actually try some hack subliminal ploy is quite a reach. Just when you think they can't sink any lower...

WELCOME TO CRAZYLAND, POPULATION:

RICK SANTORUM


As I am in desparate need of a quick break from all things Foley, here's some quick fun, courtesy of everyone's favorite man-dog love advocate, Rick Santorum (via OxBlog):

You probably remember well when Bill Clinton and the Democrats passed the largest single tax increase in our nation's history in 1993, $293 billion.

That sent our nation into an economic slump.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that I spent much of the early 90's studying and partying (and not always in the order) while in college, but I do not seem to recall an economic slump. Sort of the opposite, actually. But it's not like one should depend on little Ricky for unbiased historical perspective. Oh well, only a few more weeks before we don't have to deal with this guy any longer. I can make it.

WIN BEN STEIN'S SOUL

BEN STEIN


Ben Stein provides his take on the Mark Foley controversy:

On the one hand, we have a poor misguided Republican man who had a romantic thing for young boys. He sent them suggestive e-mail. I agree, that's not great. [...] I hope it won't come as a surprise to anyone that a big part of male homosexual behavior is interest in young boys.

Of course, it's okay for him to say things like this because some of his best friends are gay:

Don't get me wrong. My very best friend is gay. I have many gay friends and they are great people. But how the Democrats, the party of gays, can be coming down this hard on a [member of Congress] who's gay is simply beyond belief. One of my top, favorite congressmen, Barney Frank, is openly gay. Might he say a word in defense of his fellow gay [member of Congress] right about now?

Hmm, that's a great point, Ben. Why doesn't Congressman Frank stand up and defend his fellow gay colleague? Oh, yeah, that's right. Because Barney Frank isn't a sexual predator looking to molest underage children! It's completely infuriating that he thinks the two are compatible as if gay = boy lover. And I wonder, since his best friend is gay, if he's ever confronted him on how much he loves young boys. After all, it is a big part of gay behavior. And one would think that since it is, perhaps Ben should report his best friend in order to keep the children of the world safe from the millions of gays who are all about the young boy lovin'.

Oh, and in Ben's world, stalking an underage boy is the moral equivalent of participating in consenual, though inappropriate, sex:

On the other hand, we have a Democratic party that worships (not likes, WORSHIPS) a man named Bill Clinton who did not send suggestive e-mails as far as we know, but who had a barely legal intern give him oral sex kneeling under his desk in the Oval Office [.]

Jeebus, asshole! Do you honestly believe this? Are you so blinded by your ultra-partisan views that you cannot see the difference between the two? What Clinton did was wrong on a number of levels. What Foley has done is wrong and ILLEGAL on a number of levels. If you really refuse to see the difference, then there is no helping you.

THEY WERE ASKING FOR IT

MATT DRUDGE


You just knew it was coming. You knew that there would be some classless jerkface who would make the argument that the 16 and 17 year old male pages were actually to blame for Mark Foley's problems. After all, isn't that how it always works with pedophiles - it's the kids' faults for being so damn seductive.
And this is almost exactly what one Matt Drudge said. Here is one clip transcript, courtesy of Jane Hamsher at Firedoglake:

And if anything, these kids are less innocent — these 16 and 17 year-old beasts…and I've seen what they're doing on YouTube and I've seen what they're doing all over the internet — oh yeah — you just have to tune into any part of their pop culture. You're not going to tell me these are innocent babies. Have you read the transcripts that ABC posted going into the weekend of these instant messages, back and forth? The kids are egging the Congressman on! The kids are trying to get this out of him. We haven't got the whole story on this.

First of all, "beasts"?! What the hell is that? Next, he's seen what "they're doing on YouTube" and all over the internet - am I the only one who is wondering my Matt Drudge is trolling around YouTube looking at what underage kids are doing? In fact, much like the first documented email from Foley to an underage boy should have raised big red flags, I'm sort of thinking that what Drudge is saying here is raising all kinds of red flags with me. Seriously, this is really kind of creepy. Then he continues by outright blaming the kids for egging Foley on. Um, I can dangle a lure all day in the water but it's not my fault if the fish decides to take the bait; and that's even giving Drudge the benefit of the doubt that the kids were actually trying to bait Foley.

Drudge continues on this insane path with more "blame the boys" nonsense:

You could say "well Drudge, it's abuse of power, a congressman abusing these impressionable, young 17 year-old beasts, talking about their sex lives with a grown man, on the internet." Because you have to remember, those of us who have seen some of the transcripts of these nasty instant messages. This was two ways, ladies and gentlemen. These kids were playing Foley for everything he was worth. Oh yeah. Oh, I haven't…they were talking about how many times they'd masturbated, how many times they'd done it with their girlfriends this weekend…all these things and these "innocent children." And this "poor" congressman sitting there typing, "oh am I going to get any," you know?

I again refer you to my previous statement. It doesn't matter if they were offering Foley a million dollars to talk dirty to them, adults cannot and should not and must not engage in any sort of questionable behavior with underage boys. End of story. That Drudge is actually using this as a jusitification demonstrates two points - that the GOP and their mouthpieces will go to any lengths to hold onto the power they've held in the House for the past twelve years and that there is no way that anyone should ever leave a little boy in the same room alone with Drudge, lest they tempt him with the sexual wiles.

THE CUT-AND-RUN PARTY

BILL FRIST


Never rains but it pours; at least, that seems to be the case for Republicans these days. A brief recap - the Foley mess and subsequent coverup controversy that may actually lead to the resignation of House Speaker Denny Hastert; the fact that Condi Rice was briefed by George Tenet about the looming threat of al Qaeda on July 10, 2001, yet she failed to mention this under oath in front of the 9/11 Commission and it adds credence to the notion that the Bush administration didn't spend enough time on terror issues pre-9/11; the possibility that the GOP might lose control of either one or both houses of Congress. And now this; sit down because it's a doozy: Bill Frist thinks it would be a good idea to allow the Taliban back and incorporate them into the fledging Afghan government. Everyone remembers the Taliban, right? They're the guys who actually "provided aid and comfort" to the fellas who flew a couple of planes into American buildings and killed 3000 people on 9/11. Yeah, that's right! The Taliban is the government the so-called coalition of the willing overthrew back in 2001. And now Frist thinks it's a good idea to let the come on back. From the International Herald Tribune (h/t Daily Kos):

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Monday that the Afghan guerrilla war can never be won militarily and called for efforts to bring the Taliban and their supporters into the Afghan government.

The Tennessee Republican said he had learned from briefings that Taliban fighters were too numerous and had too much popular support to be defeated by military means.

Amazingly, this guy is the leader of the Republican Party in the Senate and a presidential hopeful in 2008. For the so-called Party of National Security, this sounds an awful lot like cutting and running. This right here could win the Democrats both houses of Congress. For years we Dems have been calling bullshit on their national security credentials. Bill Frist has gone and made our case for us. We could not ask for a bigger gift. Honestly, from a political standpoint, this could not have been a better couple of days for the Democrats. The talking points alone have made it all worth it. Everytime a Dem appears on television, they should start each interview with a recitation like, "Well, the GOP wants to cut and run in Afghanistan and surrender to the Taliban; the GOP protects and enables sexual predators; the GOP has a pre-9/11 mindset; the GOP is soft on fighting the real war on terror." I could go on, but I get the feeling that the GOP will do something else even stupider in the next day or so that will make these problems look like molehills to the coming mountain.

ON THE PROWL

MARK FOLEY


News has been flying for the last few days and it just keeps getting worse and worse, both on a political level for the GOP and on a personal level as we seem to be getting more and more glimpses into the mind of a sexual predator.
The latest is that Foley apparently attempted to meet with one of the boys, which is sort of a big deal. Why? From ABC: "Federal law enforcement officials say attempts by Foley to meet in person could constitute the necessary evidence for a federal charge of "soliciting for sex" with a minor on the Internet. "

Here is some of the inappropriate exchanges from the latest instant messages released. (Foley's handle is Maf54):

Maf54: I miss you lots since san diego.
Teen: ya I cant wait til dc
Maf54: :)
Teen: did you pick a night for dinner
Maf54: not yet…but likely Friday
Teen: ok…ill plan for Friday then
Maf54: that will be fun

The messages also show the teen is, at times, uncomfortable with Foley's aggressive approach.

Maf54: I want to see you
Teen: Like I said not til feb…then we will go to dinner
Maf54: and then what happens
Teen: we eat…we drink…who knows…hang out…late into the night
Maf54: and
Teen: I dunno
Maf54: dunno what
Teen: hmmm I have the feeling that you are fishing here…im not sure what I would be comfortable with…well see

Of course, this stuff is relatively tame compared to his conversations regarding masturbation techniques with an underage boy, but it does not make them any less frightening. And the GOP leadership knew that this sort of thing was happening. Apparently they were only hoping to keep things quiet. After all, power is everything to them and they will say and do whatever is necessary in order to retain that power. Even if it means protecting a sexual predator like Foley.

NO BIG DEAL

TONY SNOW

Attention! Attention!! The new GOP talking points are out! Hot of the presses!

White House Press Secretary Tony Snow was the first to introduce them as the Republicans try desperately to put the cat back in the bag in regards to the Mark Foley controversy/coverup. Knowing full well that a scandal of this nature could potentially keep turnout down among evangelicals (the bread-and-butter of the GOP base), the Republican apparatus kicked into high gear in a transparent effort to minimize the political fallout that could end up costing some high-ranking House members their jobs.

Bearing in mind that the best talking points are the simplest talking points (cut-and-run Democrat, Kerry is a flip flopper, tax-and-spend liberals), Snow began the effort to downplay the entire controversy by calling the whole thing "simply naughty emails". He implied that this scandal was minor in the grand scheme of things when he said, "I hate to tell you but it's not always pretty up there on Capitol Hill and there have been other scandals as you know that have been more than simply naughty emails." So, emails and explicit instant messenging exchanges between a member of Congress and underage boys is no biggie in Snow's (and one would assume by extension, the White House's) world. The fact that the GOP House leadership has been aware of Foley's predatory ways for over five years yet did nothing about them is barely a blip on the radar according to Snow.

To Republicans, power is everything. They would rather coddle and protect a sexual predator than risk potentially losing control of the house. Since they like talking points so much, how about if we start referring to the GOP as the party that protects pedophiles. Or the party with no soul.

I'LL HAVE AN ORDER OF OUTRAGE, HOLD THE HYPOCRISY

NEWT GINGRICH

Dare I say, Chris Wallace's Fox News Sunday show may actually be must-see television. After having his ass handed to him by President Bill Clinton last week, he had a somewhat more friendly guest on this week, Newt Gingrich. The main topic of discussion was the Mark Foley controversy, and more specifically, the cover-up by the House GOP leadership. When asked by Wallace if the leadership should have done more, Gingrich's reply is easily an early favorite for line of the year: "... I think had [the House Congressional leadership] overly aggressively reacted to the initial round, they would have been accused of gay bashing."
Yes, you can pick your collective jaws up off the floor now. The party that has spent the better part of ten years doing everything in their power to make gays second class citizens, from the Defense of Marriage Act back in 1996 all the way to this summer's failed attempt to amend the United States Constitution in order to codify discrimination of gays into one of the most important documents ever written; the GOP has been anything but concerned with being accused of gay bashing. In fact, it seems that the exact opposite is more likely the case. This is a red meat issue for the GOP's base - to bash gays is to secure votes. Whatever it is that Newt's trying to pedal isn't going to fly with anyone. Really, it was just a few days ago that Colorado Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave called the fight against gay marriage the most important issue facing America today. Not the Iraq war or the millions of uninsured Americans, gay marriage is the most important issue.

So, Newt, do us all a favor and put away that heaping load of chutzpah you just dropped on us and do not insult our collective intelligence by suddenly being concerned about bashing gays. This case has nothing to do with being gay and everything to do with the Republican leadership aiding and abetting a sexual predator.

DAMN BLOGGER

Been a crappy day for my posting today. Blogger has eaten two of my posts for some unknown reason. It appears to working now, but I'm beat at this point and have no interest in attempting to rebuild my articles this late in the day. I should be able to polish up an abridged version or two tomorrow morning so come by and check it out.
Also, tough day as my Saints lost today for the first time this season. A couple of costly errors ultimately lost us the game, including a Reggie Bush fumble in the red zone and a missed kick by John Carney. Final score was 21-18. Oh well, it was a short week on account of the team playing on Monday night so they probably didn't get in as much prep as they would have normally liked. Coming next Sunday, we'll be facing a team in complete disarray in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and we'll be playing them in New Orleans so the crowd should be fired up.
I've also spent most of the the weekend writing a business plan in my head for work. My boss is sort of looking to reassign me, but what he wants me to be doing doesn't actually exist as a job yet. It's sort of my job to build my new job from the ground up. I've got some concepts and such floating around in my head, but I've got to get some stuff down on paper in order to really formulate some ideas. One upside to this is I think I'm going to get to spend a few days up in New York City on the company dime doing research and a trip to NYC is always a good thing. Haven't been there since April so I've been itching to make a trip of late.
When I wasn't watching football or procrastinating about writing a business plan, I was knee deep in GRE vocabulary. I've been told on numerous occasions that having an extensive vocab can really benefit in the verbal section so I've really be working on it. The Princeton Review book I've been using has about 500 words that have appeared on past GREs so I'm busting my tail trying to get as many words as I can down cold. Only 23 days left until the test, but I'm making solid progress so I think that I'm in decent shape. Talk to me in three weeks when I'm freaking out about not being ready.
Quick political stuff - wow, this Mark Foley thing just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Now it looks like House GOP leaders knew about Foley's "penchant for sexual predation" for the past five years, yet they did nothing about it. This sort of thing simply cannot bode well for the so-called party of family values.
Anyway, I'm going to bed. Hope everyone has a good week.

BAIT AND SWITCH

BOB WOODWARD


Dan Bartlett, Bush's White House counselor, was making the rounds today on the Sunday bobblehead shows in an effort to minimize the effects of Bob Woodward's new book, State of Denial. The book is supposedly (I have not read it myself) a scathing attack on just how messed up on every level Bush's folly in Iraq is. Apparently, it is so tough on the Bushies that Bartlett not only had to go make the morning rounds in an effort to refute the book, but they've also taken the time to issue a press release (from the White House itself) called "Five Key Myths in Bob Woodward's Book". At this point, almost six years into his presidency/reign, there have been many many books written about what a debacle this nation finds itself in because of Bush's leadership, but this is the first book, at least to my knowledge, that actually required the administration to openly address what they feel are myths about the book. Either Woodward is a really bad journalist who got a lot of things wrong (which I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and say is false) or he nailed them so well that they were left with no choice but to try and spin this and minimize the book as much as possible.
Over the last few years, Woodward has been no friend to the left of the political spectrum. His two prior books that explored "Bush at War" were highly complementary of how Bush was prosecuting the "War on Terrah". His last book, Plan of Attack, got rave reviews from no less a personage than Condi Rice and the aforementioned Bartlett. Think Progress has some quotes:

CONDOLEEZZA RICE: He is terrific. He’s a great journalist, and I look forward to reading it. He’s talking about a pretty complex set of discussions about military issues and diplomatic issues, and I’m sure it will be — be fantastic. [CNN, 4/25/04]

DAN BARTLETT: I think Bob Woodward has done a pretty — particularly good job of describing how complicated of a process it is for a commander in chief to do two real important but sometimes conflicting responsibilities. [CNN, 4/25/04]

BARTLETT: We’re urging people to buy the book. What this book does is show a president who was asking the right questions and showing prudence as well as resolve during very difficult times. This book undermines a lot of the critics’ charges. [Washington Post, 4/21/04]

JOHN KING, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: But what is most striking is that, here at the White House, they say read the book. They believe it shows — it paints the picture of a president who asks the right questions, the tough questions, before going to war and then decided that he was right in launching that war. [CNN, 4/19/04]

So, in the span of two years, Woodward went from being a "great journalist" to a hack with an agenda. Doesn't quite jibe, does it? Which leads me to the whole point of this exercise - did Bob Woodward bait-and-switch the administration? Did he write two "pro-Bush" books in order to really gain the trust and access that comes with sucking up to the Bushies? Did he then use that gained access and trust in order to write what would be the definitive book on all that is wrong with the Bush White House? I also noticed that it's awful serendipitous that the book has been released less than a month before the midterm elections. I don't have answers to the above questions since, but it sure does make one wonder. Regardless, I think that one thing is certain - he won't be writing anymore "insider books" about this White House. They do not tolerate criticism under any circumstances, much less what I am sure they see as a betrayal. The only way Woodward gets into the White House now is through the tour.

IF MARK FOLEY WAS A DEMOCRAT

FOX NEWS and MARK FOLEY


I was putzing around News Hounds and found this hilarious piece. For those not in the know, News Hounds' tagline is "We watch FOX so you don't have to" and they're an invaluable tool for those interested in the latest rightie spin but lack the stomach to take Hannity and O'Reilly haranguing at people. The post in question muses of what Fox News' coverage would have been like if sexual predator Mark Foley had actually been a Democrat.
On Friday House Speaker Dennis Hastert was on Neil Cavuto's show program talking about the stock market "rally". During the interview, passing mention is made of Foley having just resigned and Hastert's response is very low key, something about it being the right thing to do. The host (substitute host David Asman) then ends the "discussion" with very measured and reserved comments like "we don't know the details" so we really shouldn't do any sort of wild speculation at this point - which is actually the right thing to do if you're a respectable news organization. And, of course, Fox News is nothing of the sort, which lead the author of the piece, Melanie, to consider what might have gone down in the Fox News room if Foley was a Dem. I quote the speculation in its entirety:

THIS IS A FOX NEWS ALERT! Again, we have a FOX NEWS ALERT! We have just learned that Florida DEMOCRAT, Congressman Limp Wrist, has been forced to resign his House seat, effective immediately. Again, this is BREAKING NEWS, it just happened a little while ago and we're working on getting all the details for you as soon as possible but since it's BREAKING NEWS we have to go with what we know so far. What we know is that, again, BREAKING NEWS HERE, several days ago, as we've been telling you all along, it came to light that DEMOCRAT Wrist has been corresponding via email, in some very suggestive, sexual ways, with a teenage BOY page at the Capitol. Not knowing how to handle the situation, since, after all, Wrist is a POWERFUL, INFLUENTIAL and PROMINENT DEMOCRAT, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and DEMOCRAT Chair of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, the BOY wrote to another congressman, saying he was totally and completely "freaked out" and that what Wrist wrote made him downright "sick." Poor kid.
Our own Greta Van Sustren is on her way to the Capitol building right now and we hope to have a live feed from her in a few minutes. I'm also hearing in my ear that we are trying to get the BOY in for a live interview in the next few minutes -- again, we're working under BREAKING NEWS conditions here -- and we hope to have that LIVE INTERVIEW regarding this crisis for the House DEMOCRATS - for you in this hour. Stay with us. We'll get back to House DEMOCRAT leader Nancy Pelosi, we'll see what she knows about what appears to be developing into a sex scandal involving a House DEMOCRAT, later.
Meanwhile, we'll have lots more -- more live guests and more details as they come in -- we're going to stay with this story affecting House DEMOCRATS for as long as it takes -- more on this BREAKING NEWS after this. Stay with us. This has been a FOX NEWS ALERT. Back in a minute.

Ah, it's good to laugh. Too bad this is pretty much exactly how it would go down if Foley really were a Dem. Van Susteren would be camped out in front of that kid's house (that is, if she can tear herself away from Natalee Halloway) and Hannity would be calling for Foley's public castration and subsequent lynching while yelling that all liberals are soft on sexual predators.

Meanwhile O'Reilly would have Coulter on and she would be angry at her parents for choosing to make her a girl by cutting off her small hermaphroditic proto-penis when she was a baby since she knows that if she had one she'd have a better shot attaining some sort of human contact from a guy like Foley since no man in their right mind will go near the Adam's-appled harpy. All this and more, coming up on Fox News. Stay tuned!