The Rhetoric of the Foley Scandal

[RobinsontoDuncan]

I doubt anyone here is in question of my political leanings, but I have to admit, I really wish this Foley story would go away.

I think the policies in Washington for the last 6 years ought to motivate the public far more than this singular act of misconduct, and to me this seems more like Monica Lewinsky mudslinging than real political debate...which I loathe, because it allows the now ignorant American public to focus in on the Stupidity on talk radio instead of the important issues.

Politicans are corrupt, and once in power care only about power...no fucking shit, are you serious?

But far more desturbing to me is the homophobic rhetoric being thrown around here and at daily kos with regard to this issue.... something that really disturbs me. The implications being (because it is mainly comming from the Liberals) that both sides with go to homo-bashing the second it is politically valuable...what bullshit.

Hell even Boutons is getting in on the fun


no fucking shit! How about having gone after homosexual predator pedofile Foley with the same energy and venom that you went after Clinton for legal, heterosexual sex?

Im sure you could have stopped at pedophilia to make your case.

[spurster]

This story isn't going away because the GOP has been pounding on the Democrats for being soft on terror, but now we find out the GOP has been protecting child predators.

[Ozzman]

I know...It's like.....He resigned, he's gone, it's over.

[RobinsontoDuncan]

Hmmm... but you see, I think that the war on terror debate was won because the country does what it always does in times of crisis...it shifts to the right, every time we seem to pay the price for it, be it with regard to civil rights or debt incurred from military build up (or the rare combination of a massive amount of both since 2001-present), and in any case this is a far more legitimate thing to focus on...i.e. which side can provide fpr security, than something like this foley matter.

It's Monica all over again, seriously I don't understand why the voting public eats this shit up... oh well.

[boutons_]

"he's gone, it's over."

No, it's not over.

The "family values/evangelical-pandering" Repugs hypoctrically hid this homosexual predatory pedophile in their ranks for 5 years. The FBI is on the case of the coverup, and that will go on for months.

The Repugs have been instigating this viciously polarized, vindictive, smash-mouth, bed of no-compromise politics for 15+ years, and now they can lie in that bed.

[SA210]

"he's gone, it's over."

No, it's not over.

The "family values/evangelical-pandering" Repugs hypoctrically hid this homosexual predatory pedophile in their ranks for 5 years. The FBI is on the case of the coverup, and that will go on for months.

The Repugs have been instigating this viciously polarized, vindictive, smash-mouth, bed of no-compromise politics for 15+ years, and now they can lie in that bed.
Amen to that.

[Guru of Nothing]

I could swear I posted a witty reply to this thread.

Sucks for you.

[Ozzman]

"he's gone, it's over."

No, it's not over.

The "family values/evangelical-pandering" Repugs hypoctrically hid this homosexual predatory pedophile in their ranks for 5 years. The FBI is on the case of the coverup, and that will go on for months.

The Repugs have been instigating this viciously polarized, vindictive, smash-mouth, bed of no-compromise politics for 15+ years, and now they can lie in that bed.


It SHOULD be over.

Why the hell can't they drop the public's eye to more important matters? Why the hell couldn't they have just kinda...not sat there and had every second of the media and people's eye on that stuff rather than, say, North Korea's nutzy koo-koo dictator testing a Nuke? with Clinton? Why is this such a huge scandal? I men, Clinton had his, which was un-necessary as well. The media is flawed in their idea that What-the-fucks-his-name Foley sending suggestive e-mails is more important than North Korea or Iran, which it is NOT.

What I am saying is that there are much more important issues at hand than government officials having sex.

Yes, what he did was wrong. people get caught with this shit all the time! Do I really care that Bill Clinton had sex or that this foley fuck did some really perverted shit? NO, I DON'T! I'm saying, MOVE the FUCK on!! HE's a homo pedophile pervert, And I don't care about hearing about it. Hell I don't really give a damn what Clinton did either. I care about getting rid of N.Korea's and Iran's eventually-to-be nukes.

You tell me which is more important for the world. Foleys pervertedness or N. Korea's Nuclear program?

[RobinsontoDuncan]

and the homopobia continues, in a thread i made just to point it out...i suppose it just goes to show you that no one really reads posts anymore

[101A]

I'm betting R2D has a point, here. Are there femail pages (yes). 'Think they've ever been hit on by congressmen? Bet they have, and more. Anybody writing about THAT?

Has homophobia ALL over it - in fact, as far as I can tell (although honestly I'm not following this closely), all substantiated emails and contacts have been with guys over 18; which, I thought, was NO BIG DEAL.

[Spurminator]

Kudos to you R2D for not blindly playing along with the partisan game. That some on the Left are hoping to capitalize politically on the perceived homophobia of the Right is almost as unfortunate as the homophobia itself.

It's Monica, Swift Boat, National Guard all over again.

[boutons_]

sure it's homophobia and gay bashing, hypocritcally pandering to the evangelicals and religious extremists.

Some famous religious nutcase said the other day that ALL gays are predatory pedophiles.

[johnsmith]

"he's gone, it's over."

No, it's not over.

The "family values/evangelical-pandering" Repugs hypoctrically hid this homosexual predatory pedophile in their ranks for 5 years. The FBI is on the case of the coverup, and that will go on for months.

The Repugs have been instigating this viciously polarized, vindictive, smash-mouth, bed of no-compromise politics for 15+ years, and now they can lie in that bed.


When are we going to fight?

[RandomGuy]

I know...It's like.....He resigned, he's gone, it's over.

Well that part of it is over.

Now we just have to figure out if there was a "coverup" and if politics really did play a part in that coverup, as increasingly seems to be the case.

Honestly, I hate to give in to cynicism, but given the general GOP behaviour pattern of "winning at any price", I honestly wonder if this wan't covered up for political reasons, as it fits that pattern.

[RandomGuy]

When are we going to fight?


I wouldn't let it get to either of you that much. It isn't healthy for your heart in the long term to let this kind of stuff rile you up to that level.

Well-meant and freely given.

[boutons_]

RG,

Have you noted how Foley has pushed the much more serious and dangerous Woodward book and NIE out of the headlines ?

Foley is Rove's "october surprise"? :lol

And now the Repugs are being seen to be outraged and so vociferously, onstentatiously, bombastically, self-rightesouly rooting out the Repug bad apples(s).

Iraq anyone?

Jan - Sep 2001 Repug NatSec inaction anyone?

[RobinsontoDuncan]

sure it's homophobia and gay bashing, hypocritcally pandering to the evangelicals and religious extremists.

Some famous religious nutcase said the other day that ALL gays are predatory pedophiles.


And you don't have a problem with that?

[JoeChalupa]

I don't remember any conservatives screaming "let's move on" during the Clinton scandal. No, a special prosecutor was assigned and millions of tax dollars were spent on a bullshit case about adultery. But now that the shoe is on the other foot>
How quickly some forget.
Reason why I think this won't go away so quickly is because the republican party preaches so much about "moral values" and how they are more Christian than democrats or liberals and now they are stuck with this scandal that for me, is a plain old political cover up. Simple as that. Now they just want us to forget and move on?

IMO, they brought it upon themselves and now must ride out the storm.

And as far as our national security I have NO doubts that a democrat, liberal is you want to call them that, would do just as good if not better job. I have not fallen for the republican rhetoric that they can secure America better.

Nope, ain't buying it.

[johnsmith]

Anyone besides me think that the fact that a debate is raging over which is worse, Clinton cheating on his wife in the oval office or a dude that loves young boys is a problem? Fuck, the people we have running this country are the biggest jackasses in the world. Dem or Rep.

[JoeChalupa]

^I concur.

But for me, a imoral liberal, soliciting sex with a minor is worse than sex with another consenting adult even though it was adultery.

But that is just me and since I'm a liberal I have no morals anyways. :rolleyes

[RandomGuy]

RG,

Have you noted how Foley has pushed the much more serious and dangerous Woodward book and NIE out of the headlines ?

Foley is Rove's "october surprise"? :lol

And now the Repugs are being seen to be outraged and so vociferously, onstentatiously, bombastically, self-rightesouly rooting out the Repug bad apples(s).

Iraq anyone?

Jan - Sep 2001 Repug NatSec inaction anyone?

uh, no.

Your logic here is a bit flawed.

The GOP would much rather have an easily dismissed book to deal with than something like this that outrages their base.

The GOP's strength is the strength of its single minded "moral majority" base. Erode support from that base and you REALLY hurt the GOP more than a book that most of the base won't read.

As scummy as I think Rove is, I think if you were to ask him which he would rather have in the news, his answer would be the woodward book.

[RandomGuy]

I don't remember any conservatives screaming "let's move on" during the Clinton scandal. No, a special prosecutor was assigned and millions of tax dollars were spent on a bullshit case about adultery. But now that the shoe is on the other foot>
How quickly some forget.
Reason why I think this won't go away so quickly is because the republican party preaches so much about "moral values" and how they are more Christian than democrats or liberals and now they are stuck with this scandal that for me, is a plain old political cover up. Simple as that. Now they just want us to forget and move on?

IMO, they brought it upon themselves and now must ride out the storm.

And as far as our national security I have NO doubts that a democrat, liberal is you want to call them that, would do just as good if not better job. I have not fallen for the republican rhetoric that they can secure America better.

Nope, ain't buying it.

I think the Bush presidency will finally put to rest the MYTH that somehow the GOP is better at national security.

The GOP just simply sucks at running governments.

[101A]

I think the Bush presidency will finally put to rest the MYTH that somehow the GOP is better at national security.

The GOP just simply sucks at running governments.

I think the Bush presidency and the subsequent whoever's presidency all after the Clinton presidency which followed Bush the elders presidency will finally put to rest any notion that the US government doesn't suck, and it doesn't matter much who is "running" it.

[RobinsontoDuncan]

I don't remember any conservatives screaming "let's move on" during the Clinton scandal. No, a special prosecutor was assigned and millions of tax dollars were spent on a bullshit case about adultery. But now that the shoe is on the other foot

And as a liberal that has had to deal with the fall out of that idiocy for the last 10 years, I'm sorry but I wish our side of the aisle would leave these types of politics alone. Ultimately I dont think it is really democrats in DC that are going haywire with this shit, it's more the media (which I never really believed was liberal, and I still don't, i think sex sells, and the media is eating up this shit because it's a product they can move.)



Reason why I think this won't go away so quickly is because the republican party preaches so much about "moral values" and how they are more Christian than democrats or liberals and now they are stuck with this scandal that for me, is a plain old political cover up. Simple as that. Now they just want us to forget and move on?

I'm sure they do want you to forgive and forget, and I don't have any problem pointing out that there was a political cover up, I just wish that 1st Americans would take a look around, check out the state of the world, and vote the republican party out of power because it has been doing a bad job, not because it has suddenly come to light that one of their own is a homosexual. As a liberal I hate the fact that Republicans use fear of homosexuals to win elections, and now...democrats are using fear of homosexuals to win elections? WTF?




And as far as our national security I have NO doubts that a democrat, liberal is you want to call them that, would do just as good if not better job. I have not fallen for the republican rhetoric that they can secure America better.

Nope, ain't buying it.

Well that makes two of us

[JoeChalupa]

^Well said. :tu

[Nbadan]

And as a liberal that has had to deal with the fall out of that idiocy for the last 10 years, I'm sorry but I wish our side of the aisle would leave these types of politics alone. Ultimately I dont think it is really democrats in DC that are going haywire with this shit, it's more the media (which I never really believed was liberal, and I still don't, i think sex sells, and the media is eating up this shit because it's a product they can move.)

Democrats play these games largely because they know sex scandals sell with the media. Just look at all the other scandals that got scant attention or are brushed aside by the M$M as 'liberal conspiracies'. When liberals get something that stick they really have to drive the nail home and unfortunately, you get circumstances like gay-bashing.

[Nbadan]

Misplaced investigative priorities by Congress and the M$M? You tell me

Republicans spent 140 hours investigating Clinton's Christmas list and only 12 hours on investigating the abuses of Abu Ghraib. (http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/11/20/congress_reduces_its_oversight_role/)

Republicans spent $40 million investigating Clinton's involvement with Whitewater and only $12 million investigating the crime of 9/11. (http://www.readysteadybook.com/Article.aspx?page=craigunger)

And I'll bet that they haven't even investigated the Anthrax Attacks at all.

I'm glad the thugs in charge and the their M$M lapdogs got their priorities straight.

[boutons_]

Dammit, Dan, you keep quoting/posting these devastating anti-Repug articles.

You're gonna make us anti-Repugs look bad. you're so annoying! :lol

[RobinsontoDuncan]

Democrats play these games largely because they know sex scandals sell with the media. Just look at all the other scandals that got scant attention or are brushed aside by the M$M as 'liberal conspiracies'. When liberals get something that stick they really have to drive the nail home and unfortunately, you get circumstances like gay-bashing.


Well then, what the hell is the point Dan? Aren't we just like them?

[Yonivore]

Democrats play these games largely because they know sex scandals sell with the media. Just look at all the other scandals that got scant attention or are brushed aside by the M$M as 'liberal conspiracies'. When liberals get something that stick they really have to drive the nail home and unfortunately, you get circumstances like gay-bashing.
Wow! That's some admission. I'm speechless...

Unfortunately for the Democrats, the Conservatives aren't buying their brand of crazy this week. Don't expect the Foley scandal to change the election any.

[JoeChalupa]

It ain't going to change my vote.

[boutons_]

"Don't expect the Foley scandal to change the election any."

Yoni hasn't been talking to the Repug leadership who thinks Foley will hurt them bad on election day. But how dare the Repug leadership doubt shill Yoni! :lol

Yoni not speaking the truth? Holy shit! When did this start? :lol

================

"it's over."

Even the severely Repug-compromised "ethics" committe doesn't think it's over:

Hastert Aides Interest Ethics Panel

Staff Members' Knowledge of Foley's Actions With Former Pages in Question


By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, October 12, 2006; A06

With House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert denying personal knowledge of former representative Mark Foley's activities, investigators for the House ethics committee are bearing down on three senior members of Hastert's staff to determine when they learned of Foley's actions and whether they passed on their knowledge to the speaker.

The three -- chief of staff Scott Palmer, deputy chief of staff Mike Stokke and counsel Ted Van Der Meid -- have formed a palace guard around Hastert (R-Ill.) for years, attaining great degrees of power and unusual autonomy to deal with matters of politics, policy and House operations. They are also remarkably close. Palmer and Stokke have been with Hastert for decades. They live together in a Capitol Hill townhouse and commute back to Illinois on weekends.

( oops! Sounds pretty gay! :lol Illinois is where "Log Cabin"/Pooper Shoot Abe Lincoon was from! :lol )

It is that relationship that has made investigators so interested in their knowledge of Foley's contacts with teenage male congressional pages, especially allegations that his chief of staff personally appealed to Palmer in 2003 to confront the Florida Republican. Foley resigned Sept. 29 when news reports indicated he had sent electronic messages to a former page.

"It would be very hard to believe if Palmer knew that kind of detail, he wouldn't have acted upon it, and it's hard to imagine Scott Palmer would have spared the speaker that knowledge," said one former Republican leadership aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of jeopardizing his lobbying contacts.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/11/AR2006101101639_pf.html

================

Scandal Sidelines Hastert, Reynolds

GOP Leaders Cut Campaign Appearances

By Juliet Eilperin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, October 12, 2006; Page A06

Weeks before the Nov. 7 elections, the Mark Foley scandal and its aftermath have already had a visible effect on Republican prospects: Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds (R-N.Y.), the two men leading the GOP efforts to keep power in the House, have both been largely sidelined from the public campaign.

( Hastert is too fucking, embrarrassingly fat already. No campaign grub for him! :lol )

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/11/AR2006101101672.html

===========

Always amusing to show Yoni shilling 180 degrees from the truth. :lol

[Spurminator]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/11/ap/politics/mainD8KML9DG2.shtml

Poll: Most Say Politics Beat Page Safety
Polls: Most say politics trumped concerns about pages in Mark Foley scandal

Oct. 11, 2006
By The Associated Press
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(AP) Most Americans say the House Republican leadership worried more about politics than the safety of congressional pages in the case of disgraced former Rep. Mark Foley, according to polls. Most also say Democrats would not have handled the situation better.

Republicans have come under criticism for their response to Foley, who sent sexually explicit messages to teenage male pages. GOP House leaders have faced questions whether they acted promptly to deal with the Florida congressman.

People were split on whether House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., should step down, with just under half saying he should, according to several polls.

Among the other findings:

_More than half in several polls said Hastert tried to cover up what he knew about Foley.

_Almost half in an Associated Press-Ipsos poll said recent reports of scandal and corruption would be very important in their vote.

_Two-thirds said the GOP leadership did not take the e-mails seriously enough when they first learned of them, according to a CBS-New York Times poll.

_Six in 10 in an ABC News-Washington Post poll said the Democrats are pursuing the case for political advantage, not to raise concerns about the page program.

The results come from AP-Ipsos, ABC-Washington Post, CBS-Times and Newsweek polling done in the last week. The polls questioned from 1,000 to 1,500 adults and had margins of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points to 3 percentage points.





No surprises here. Though I seriously doubt point number 2 means what it implies. I'm guessing most of the "half" that said the scandal would be very important to their vote weren't planning to vote Republican anyway.

A better question would be "Will this change your vote?"

[Ozzman]

( oops! Sounds pretty gay! :lol Illinois is where "Log Cabin"/Pooper Shoot Abe Lincoon was from! :lol )


Anyone who insults Abe Lincoln should not have the Dignity to call themselves an american. Perhaps you never learned that he was your general in your civil war? That WASN'T for the confederacy. Of course, he even resembles a repub so therefore he is evil.....Fucktard.

[JoeChalupa]

Honest Abe. :tu

[SA210]

Misplaced investigative priorities by Congress and the M$M? You tell me

Republicans spent 140 hours investigating Clinton's Christmas list and only 12 hours on investigating the abuses of Abu Ghraib. (http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/11/20/congress_reduces_its_oversight_role/)

Republicans spent $40 million investigating Clinton's involvement with Whitewater and only $12 million investigating the crime of 9/11. (http://www.readysteadybook.com/Article.aspx?page=craigunger)

And I'll bet that they haven't even investigated the Anthrax Attacks at all.

I'm glad the thugs in charge and the their M$M lapdogs got their priorities straight.
Ouch!

The Republicans are weak on terror.

[boutons_]

http://www.uclick.com/feature/06/10/12/tt061012.gif


http://www.uclick.com/feature/06/10/12/po061012.gif


http://www.uclick.com/feature/06/10/12/sc061012.gif

[Nbadan]

Another FAUX News Poll...

10/12/06 FOX News Poll: Few Would Change Vote Due to Foley Scandal


NEW YORK — There has been little change in the past two weeks regarding intentions for the upcoming congressional election; by a 9-point margin, voters say they would vote for the Democratic candidate for Congress over the Republican if the election were held today, compared with an 11-point margin two weeks ago. Only 11 percent of voters say the congressional page scandal will be extremely important to their vote, although nearly half see the scandal as part of a larger pattern of Washington abuse of power rather than an isolated incident.

These are just some of the findings from the latest FOX News Poll.

The job approval rating of President Bush is down slightly compared with the previous poll. Currently, 40 percent of voters approve of his job performance and 56 percent disapprove. Two weeks ago, 42 percent approved of his performance.

About three in 10 voters approve of the job Congress is doing, while 63 percent disapprove. A majority of Republicans (54 percent) approve of the job Congress is doing, while the same is true of only 24 percent of independents and 14 percent of Democrats.

If the election were held today, 50 percent of voters would vote for the Democratic candidate in their congressional district, while 41 percent would vote for the Republican. Most Democrats and Republicans would support their party’s candidates. Independents are more likely to vote for the Democratic candidate by a 48 to 33 margin.

Partisans will be partisans to the bitter end I guess, but the wide-margin independent preference for Democrats could be enough to tip the house over to the Demos, that is, unless enough independent-minded voters are black-listed by a future Kathrine Harris or Ken Blackwell, and Diebold, ES&S and Sequoia run a semi-clean election (Yes, thats asking a lot I know).

[PixelPusher]

Another FAUX News Poll...

10/12/06 FOX News Poll: Few Would Change Vote Due to Foley Scandal
[B]


Partisans will be partisans to the bitter end I guess, but the wide-margin independent preference for Democrats could be enough to tip the house over to the Demos, that is, unless enough independent-minded voters are black-listed by a future Kathrine Harris or Ken Blackwell, and Diebold, ES&S and Sequoia run a semi-clean election (Yes, thats asking a lot I know).

The key phrase this November will be "likely voters", as in who actually shows up to vote.