Posted on 10/12/2006 12:47:55 PM PDT by PajamaTruthMafia
WASHINGTON - The rancorous debate over disgraced ex-Rep. Mark Foley hit a new low yesterday when a GOP congressman said indiscretions with a male page were nothing compared to Sen. Ted Kennedy's Chappaquiddick incident. Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.) was trying to defend GOP House Speaker Dennis Hastert when he took aim at the Massachusetts Democrat.
"I know the speaker didn't go over a bridge and leave a young person in the water, and then have a press conference the next day," Shays told The Hartford Courant.
"Dennis Hastert didn't kill anybody," he added.
Kennedy was driving on the exclusive island near Martha's Vineyard when his car went off a bridge into a creek in July 1969, killing Mary Jo Kopechne, 28.
Kennedy pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, but claimed he did not know the woman was in the backseat and faced no other charges.
The remark may have reflected partisan sour grapes since Kennedy last week helped raise money for Shays' opponent, Dianne Farrell. The Democrat is well within striking distance of ousting Shays.
"We don't know what [Hastert] has or hasn't done," Shays said. "But [Farrell] had a fund-raiser for Sen. Kennedy, and we know what he did."
Kennedy's office called it "a desperate attack."
President Bush, meanwhile, weighed in on Foley, calling the Florida Republican's e-mails to an underage male page "disgusting behavior." But Bush stuck by Hastert and predicted the Foley scandal would not be enough to flip control of Congress to the Democrats.
"This Foley issue bothers a lot of people, including me," Bush said at a press conference. "But I think when [voters] get in that booth, they're going to be thinking about how best to secure the country from attack, and how best to keep the economy growing."
This did not help this RINO.
I like Laura Ingham's idea of playing "Bridge over troubled waters" every time the U boat commander gets up to speak.
Not in my opinion. But then, I'm not a democrat. I'm sure they wish they could bury this one way deep but it keeps rearing its ugly head. Anyone else would have done time in the slammer for what he did.
What scandal? Except for the main stream media, I don't know anyone who is talking about this or anyone who cares one way or the other. This will have little if any impact on the election, although if Republicans do lose seats the pundits and talking heads will blame Foley.
"Kennedy pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, but claimed he did not know the woman was in the backseat and faced no other charges."
Didn't know the woman was in the backseat?
I smell a political coverup for a rich, famous and influential congressman.
No, but it's been a long time coming for it to be said, out in public, just like that. Kennedy's a disgrace and deserves what he's got coming. His balloon payment for his deal with the devil is just about overdue.
Say it loud, say it proud. Teddy has been given a pass for too damn long.
VERY GOOD LINE, I`M STEALING IT
Kerry...."I resemble that remark!"
I love the way that going after Republicans with hammers and tongs, falsely accusing them of being everything from liars to Nazis to the real planners of 9/11, is just fair game, rough-and-tumble political rhetoric. But if any Republican ever dares to answer by pointing out what Democrats have actually done (from failing to accept bin Ladin on a platter to drowning mistresses to buggering underage interns), then politics has "hit a new low" and that Republican should apologize and resign immediately, or better yet, commit suicide in shame for slandering those poor Democrats. Welcome to the glaring double standard of the American left, by which I mean the Democratic Party and its PR wing, the mainstream media.
I did'nt think Shays had it in him to say something like this!He's right,every time Foley comes up,bring up Kennedy or now,Reid!
He disses Bush at every turn, screw him and his seat,
I am so proud of Shays for doing this but I think he could have handled it a little better. He should have know the media would crucify him and this would open him up to charges that he isn't the "bipartisan moderate" he proclaims himself to be. What he said will be totally taken out of context. I would have said "Ted Kennedy and Diane Farrell should not be lecturing anyone one about GOP scandals or cover ups when the Democrats have had plenty of their own. The Foley scandal was regrettable but he is gone and the party is handling it. What is reprehensible is for Farrell, Kennedy, and other Democrats to be leveling these scurrilous charges that the GOP is somehow soft on those who prey on children. Nothing could be further from the truth."
Just my 2 cents.
doesnt hurt
I, too, wish the Republicans wouldn't play so nice.
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