Time to go.
Last week we learned that a fine, upstanding and moral Republican Congressman was actually an immoral, hypocritical creep. Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) had been sending naughty e-mails and lurid IMs to former congressional pages. Foley resigned from Congress, declared himself an alcoholic and immediately checked himself into rehab.
It annoys me that this happened for a couple of reasons. First, I’m troubled that we put creeps like this in office. At least Foley is now gone and out of the picture but what type of environment has Congress become that something like this could occur in the first place… and this isn’t the first time. Secondly this has taken the national debate away from immigration, tax reform and foreign policy and replaced it with something that you would expect to only see in some prime-time SOAP opera. This partisan circus is just not good for the country.
Now, up until today I was hoping this would just go away. As badly as Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-IL) may have handled this problem I didn’t see a need for more than just an investigation. Yeah, he’s been a do-nothing Speaker but I didn’t see this being enough for him to step down. Like I said, though, up until today.
What has changed today is Speaker Hastert’s own words:
Hastert asserted that any Republicans urging his ouster are playing into the hands of Democrats and blamed his problems on the media and Democratic operatives, even suggesting former President Clinton might somehow be involved.
“All I know is what I hear and what I see,” he said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune on the eve of the ethics meeting. “I saw Bill Clinton’s adviser, Richard Morris, was saying these guys knew about this all along, If somebody had this info, when they had it, we could have dealt with it then.”
This man is not a leader. That has been apparent from almost the begining. However, the above quote shows him to be, not only ineffective, but a man out of touch with reality. Dennis, it’s time to go.
Politics, US | Larry D. Burton | 05 October 2006 |
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By Felix Miller, 10/6/2006 @ 10:48 am
I agree with you on all points, Larry.
Do politicians learn nothing from these repeated crises, which are caused not only by the acts of the principal offender, but further exacerbated by concealment and denial?
Clinton apparently learned nothing from his several “bimbo eruptions” while still in Arkansas, and ended up impeached. He should have paid attention when Gary Hart taunted the media to catch him in adultery. They did.
And, of course, the most devastating blow, Watergate. A “second-rate burglary” is bungled. Instead of simply owning up to his subordinates’ involvement, Nixon lie by lie destroyed his presidency.
I most of all agree with your point about where the attention of congress, and the voters, should be. There are many and complex issues that need airing. One more example of sexual hijinks and coverup should not be the primary topic right now.
By Cat, 10/8/2006 @ 8:47 am
We as a nation tend to let sex hijack our best interests. What makes me giggle is trying to blame Clinton. Is it that reflex now? “Its all Bill’s fault! He MADE me cover this up! He FORCED Foley to send those IM’s!”
Please.
I’m far more interested in Georgie’s destruction of the Magna Carta, our slow waltz into oblivion fighting an impossible war (against the same culture that tied up the Soviets enough to make them vulnerable to economic destruction… and hence to lose the cold war) and of course, the rather fun and little remarked on fact that the Nixon Team is back together as the main advisors. Yet another sex scandal is the least of my worries.