Resign, Mr. Speaker

The Washington Times ^ | 10/3/2007

[Taggart_D]

The facts of the disgrace of Mark Foley, who was a Republican member of the House from a Florida district until he resigned last week, constitute a disgrace for every Republican member of Congress. Red flags emerged in late 2005, perhaps even earlier, in suggestive and wholly inappropriate e-mail messages to underage congressional pages. His aberrant, predatory -- and possibly criminal -- behavior was an open secret among the pages who were his prey. The evidence was strong enough long enough ago that the speaker should have relieved Mr. Foley of his committee responsibilities contingent on a full investigation to learn what had taken place, whether any laws had been violated and what action, up to and including prosecution, were warranted by the facts. This never happened....

[HawaiianGecko]

Personally I like reading Tony Blankley articles, but this one just doesn't make sense to me. There is a vigilante attitude running around over this and it will make the GOP look worse if they don't pull on their reigns.  Under no circumstances could Hastert disenfranchise an entire congressional district that elected their preferred representative six times based on what he knew.

What was he supposed to do?  Say, "I think Foley is a homosexual and we all know that homos are prone to hitting on underage kids."  I'm sure that would have gone over real well for about 50 news cycles.  "But we have emails that he asked this kid to dinner!"  For crying out loud I got engraved invitations to dinners from professors and never once thought they were hitting on me.

If the Boy Scouts can be excoriated for trying to keep homosexuals from leading children into the woods, how on Earth is Hastert suppose to can (no pun intended) a duly elected official?  Blankley says "House Speaker Dennis Hastert must do the only right thing, and resign his speakership at once."  Who the heck says that's the 'only' right thing to do?  The right thing to do is find out who sat on these email and instant messages. They are the ones who put these kids in danger.

There's a groupthink happening that seems to say, "No one can blast Foley for his transgressions because he's a queer and doing so would be politically incorrect... so ... let's go after Denny Hastert and lynch him. We'll show the public who has the moral high ground."

If we want to demonstrate who has the moral high ground how about standing up for our most fundamental beliefs, like waiting for proof and a court to convict people.

This damn Nancy Grace attitude I see running through my party is pathetic. 

[what's up]

Picture your 16 year old boy getting a long, wet kiss goodnight by Mark Foley on your doorstep tonight

BLECH!

All this time I've been avoiding reading the sordid text from the IM'S.

I really don't want to read more of the same from FR posters, thank you very much.

[Cold Heat]

I think I struck a raw nerve....

This simply illustrates the mentality of some....And the reason for Blankley's column and the continuation of a self destructive Republican party..

[Theophilus]

...would have insisted on Hastert's resignation by branding him homophobic

If this incident doesn't make you homophobic, what will?

[WolfRunnerWoman]

"Even if so, then he's too stupid to lead the party..."

Too Right!

[Mister Da]

Sorry! Some folks do better with pictures than with words.

Thanks for the non-partisan reply. Fishing has been good today. Partisans are biting especially well. Always in season & no limit!:)

[Mister Da]

You can always tell when a post hits home.

[Cold Heat]

The only thing you hit was the "stupid button!"

[muawiyah]

Did Hastart kiss your kid or what?

[muawiyah]

You are getting all huffy because you're laying there at night dreaming about Hastart kissing your kid ~ which he didn't.

In fact, Hastart acted INSTANTLY once he saw what Foley had really been up to.

Still, I doubt you'd been satisfied to any greater degree if Hastart had shot Foley right between the eyes in the Well of the House.

[muawiyah]

It may not be a Nancy Grace mentality. Rather, some highly placed homosexuals (who are simply not known for being homosexuals) may well be angry with Hastart for immediately askng for Foley's resignation, which he did.

I would imagine they'd rather Hastart stand aside while Foley fought it out with the House ethics committee (like Rep. Studds who was actually engaged in sexual intercourse with a kid who actually was a page at the time.)

Now that we know the Director of Personnel at the Washington Times was a gay pedophile, we might well ask how many more of the top level staffers over there suffer from the same problem. Maybe Tony or Wes would like to go before a court, get sworn in, and provide us with a statement eh?!

[bmwcyle]

Close your doors Washington Times. We already have the Washington Post.

[VictoryGal]

> When it comes to Foley...so what.

> He was a fool to resign.

The man tried to keep his sordid mess from coming out. When he realized he couldn't, he resigned. The ONE right thing he did.

The man was chairman of the Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus. Do you think he would have been a fool to resign THAT too?

Honestly, I can't believe what I'm hearing from so-called conservatives.

> He hasn't done anything that isn't encouraged in the common culture.

Really. I guess the hundreds of articles, news stories, arrests, etc. in this (albeit mostly fallen) culture against sexual predators upon children just never happened, huh?

Foley makes me sick to my stomach. I'm glad he's suffering the scorn of the nation. I want him to feel it deeply. He's a scumbag.

[muawiyah]

Hey, the Times guys aren't antisemitic yet, so there's still a little difference.

[bmwcyle]

I stopped reading it when Prudent gave Hillary a fluff piece back in the 1990's.

[Mister Da]

"Still, I doubt you'd been satisfied to any greater degree if Hastart had shot Foley right between the eyes in the Well of the House."

If Hastert had done the above & I were on the jury, I would vote to acquit until I was struck by lightning. He didn't.

[Dolphy]

Blankley says "House Speaker Dennis Hastert must do the only right thing, and resign his speakership at once."

Insanity. I won't act like a child and threaten my vote but this is a side of the right that sends me running when they ask for my time or money.

[muawiyah]

Guess we all ought to keep that in mind for future jury selections in Virginia ~ hey, we got a lot of folks like that here ~ highest per capita execution rate in the 48.

[Minutemen]

I understand. I was not implying that Mr. Hastart wrote the emails. If the matter of Foley's emails were indeed brought before Hastart earlier in the year (as he stated they were)then he is negligent in not doing anything about it.

P.S... I am not a lover of Democrats, I do not tolerate derelition of duty by any so-called "public servant".

[mountainfolk]

Your last two sentences reflect my view of this situation with Foley. Give us proof of what has been claimed and proof of who knew what and when did they know it. Also, keeping in mind that the House Speaker is elected by the other congress persons, it is their call to ask him to resign. I consider all of the Republicans dumping on our party before the facts are known as self severing, for whatever their reasons. Has a day gone by that resignation of somebody in the administration or the Republican party has not been called for by RATS and their enablers? The hate Bush crowd is trying to put Republicans in the position of thinking they must not fight back for fear of being viewed as condoning Foley's behavior. The RAT party condoned phone sex with young Monica by the 51 yr old married President of the US and is now in an uproar over text mesgs by a 50 yr. old congressman to boys not much younger than employee Monica. Republicans have to work hard to win their races and not be distracted by RAT efforts to try and hopelessly bog down this election.