[Txsleuth]

eeeeeevil...I love you passion..and always enjoy reading your rants.

Where I have a problem is that I have been reading the whole thread today..and I have read several of samantha's posts re: Foley...and the way I read them, IF Foley had not sent the over-friendly e-mails to pages...and the disgusting (I haven't read them) IMs to pages...

He would be the kind of Representative we would all LOVE to have..gay or not gay.

Having said that...I posted the other day that these people are ELECTED by their constituents...and they are ADULTS..which means that they shouldn't need babysitting, and I am pretty sure that the job description for Speaker of the House does NOT include, reading the personal correspondence of all 500 something Congress people...and from what I have read...when told of Foley's "friendliness" towards pages...he was told by Hastert through aides to STOP..and Foley said he would.

Until/unless more comes out that would implicate Hastert or any other Congressperson in a concerted effort to not deal with Foley, KNOWING about the IMs...I just don't see how we can sit back and watch the security of our country be in jeopardy...because of "political gotcha" games.

I remember it was just about 10 days ago...that the dems thought the NIE report would take down Bush and the GOP....I haven't even heard a word about that report since then.

IF we all just think of NOW, this next month..and that election...there will be plenty of time for self-flagellation by the Republican Party..and conservatives.

[eeevil conservative]

I think you are taking a very good approach to the entire thing...and I LOVE reading you posts too! YOU GET JUST AS PASSIONATE !!!

there is still more to come out on this... if you read the story at the link-- I think it is reasonable to believe that MAYBE Haster could have handled this better...

I guess my stand is that protectin kids requires being aggressive and pro-active about potential dangers as well as obvious ones.....and as for babysitting- no- Hastert should not HOVER over people at all... no way- they are elected, and they are adults....but I believe there were other red flags before the emails (or IM's) were ever written, let alone exposed...

I am awaiting all the facts to come out before I accuse anyone of wrong-doing...But I do want BETTER than what we have had....

as for Foley-- I know MANY local elected officials that vote the way I would want them to, but they are NOT statesmanlike people that I want in office to represent me...

It is sad-- being an elected official use to have some integrity with it.. now it is all pure politics...maybe I am old-fahsioned... I want there to be some real people behind the rhetoric of family values... I want to trust that the one representing me doesn't have anything in his life that can be used agains them to influence their votes...(like being blackmailed as was attempted to be done to Foley...)

I am just not willing to say voting the way I want them to vote is good enough....and close my eyes to the rest....

not saying that that is what you are doing.. so please don't take that wrong...

[Alas Babylon!]

Agree 100%. I'm at the point where whatever the drive by media says is wrong, I'm for, and whatever they're for, I'm against.

While I do like to think through the issues and logically arrive at a reasonable conclusion, I've found the above method fairly accurate these last few years.

[OldFriend]

Foley's consituents were well aware of his proclivity. They embrassed him and re-elected him every time.

I suspect that BLACKMAIL is at the heart of this fiasco.

To blame Hastert is unconscionable.

[OldFriend]

Duh, my spelling is not embraceable.

Foley's constituents EMBRACED him.