Progress Sucks -- Particularly For Florida Democrats

Apparently there are voting problems in Florida already. According to the Miami Herald article linked below, early voting has revealed a glitch that is causing votes for Democrats to suddenly become votes for Republicans.

Hmmmm, does this sound familiar?

That's why I say, give me paper ballots. That's right, paper. With electronic machines, a simple hack can change thousands of votes. But if you want to stuff a ballot box with paper votes, you have to do just that, and it's an awful lot easier to catch.

I know, it's the Computer Age, but there is a reason why they still print books. They are portable and they can be permanent in a way that an electronic record can't be. Once the words are printed on the page, it is very difficult to change them without it being obvious. And you have to do each printed book individually to change more than one.

I may sound like an old fuddy-duddy, but until they figure out a way to make these machines work right and in a manner that is transparent and secure, give me paper. Hell, a hanging chad affects one vote, a faulty machine puts thousands in question. I'll take the chads any day.

Glitches Cited in Early Voting

The True Reason Rush Attacked Michael J. Fox

Why did Rush Limbaugh attack Michael J. Fox? Is it because he hates sick people? Maybe, I don't know. He might.

Is it because he can't stand when actors get involved in politics? No, he never had a tirade over Tom Selleck or Charleton Heston when they did ads or waxed poetic about the virtues of being a gun-toting Republican.

The real reason Rush accused Michael J. Fox of "acting" to exaggerate the effects of his Parkinson's disease in an ad supporting stem cell research is because the ad works and that's bad for his leash holders, the Republican party and the religious right.

According to HCD Research and Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion: "A new national study revealed that American voters' support for stem cell research increased after they viewed an ad featuring Michael J. Fox in which he expresses his support for candidates who are in favor of stem cell research."

To make matters worse for Rush and his handlers, the study showed that: "Republicans who indicated that they were voting for a Republican candidate decreased by 10% after viewing the ad (77% to 67%). Independents planning to vote for Democrats increased by 10%, from 39% to 49%."

Those are damning numbers in vital races like the Missouri race for the U.S. Senate between Jim Talent (R) and Claire McCaskill (D). This race is separated by just three percentage points in the most recent polls. An ad like this can change a lot of minds in a short period of time and that could mean the difference between a Republican Senate and a Democratic one.

That's why Rush took a cheap shot at Michael J. Fox, because like his Republican handlers, he's desperate. The one party rule this country has endured is in jeopardy and the folks who have enjoyed it the most are pulling out all the stops to protect it.

Rush did it because that's his job. He exists to say the outrageous things that Republican politicians wish they could say but can't. He's the work-around the censor gene that politicians have in their bodies that is supposed to protect them from themselves. When the Republican's are thinking disparaging, ugly thoughts about minorities or gays or ill actors who support Democratic candidates and ideals, they can't say anything. But Rush can...and he does.

Now, even if you think Rush is an over-weight, drug addicted idiot, the seed has been planted that something nefarious is going on with these ads. Rush has done his job, and it is up to time to see if it can grow in the fertile minds of American voters. So, on behalf of your right-wing puppeteers, I'll just quote the movie Babe:

"That'll do pig, that'll do."

(To read more about this study go to:Voters Increase Support for Stem Cell Research After Viewing Michael J. Fox Ad)

Holy Crap That's Funny

This is a hysterical flash animation parody of Michael Jackson's "Beat It" by Walt Handelsman (that's him at the 2004 Republican Convention) that makes fun of the whole Foley scandal. This is a must share.


NEWSDAY Flash Animation Editorial

Thanks to my friend Ken for the tip.

I Love The Silly Season

One of the things I have always enjoyed about campaign season are the whack jobs and weirdos who come out of the woodwork. Every four years there was a guy who would come to Iowa to run for President. He would ride his bicycle across the state campaigning. Nice guy. A little strange, but nice.

Now we have Mary Carey, the porn star, running for Governor of California. Actually, she just dropped out of the race to care for her sick mother, but hey, it was fun while it lasted. And I just read this story today about another woman who was trying to capitalize on her "frontal assets" in the race for Governor in Alabama.

Crazy? Maybe. But you have to love the choice she is offering voters.

"More of these boobs ... less of these boobs (picture of incumbents)"

"A" for effort and entertainment value Ms. Nall. Good luck in 2008.

Alabama Libertarian runs for governor on boobs vs. boobs platform

An New Unsubstantiated Rumor In PageGate

Let me be clear about something...I HATE rumors. The single greatest threat to the credibility of the blogger community is the reporting of rumors. When wild rumors are spreading across the Internet, bloggers are seen as whack-jobs grasping at straws in some paranoid feeding frenzy fueled by preconceived notions and political/social bias. And I certainly don't want to be involved in that sort of thing.

That is why I'm not writing about this:

From the DailyKos.com

Really, I'm not. Just like I'm not writing about this either:

From Wonkette.com

The Skinny Dippin', Pill Poppin' Padre Made Me Do It.

SARASOTA, Florida (AP) -- A Roman Catholic priest said he had an inappropriate two-year relationship with former Rep. Mark Foley in the 1960's that included massaging the boy in the nude, but he did not specifically remember having sex, a newspaper reported Thursday.

The Rev. Anthony Mercieca, 72, described several encounters that he said Foley might perceive as sexually inappropriate, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported. They include massaging Foley while the boy was naked, skinny-dipping together at a secluded lake in Lake Worth and being nude in the same room on overnight trips.

Mercieca said there was one night when he was in a drug-induced stupor and there was an incident but he couldn't clearly remember, the newspaper reported.

As far as I'm concerned, consenting adults can do what they want, but a middle-aged priest hopped up on pills giving nude massages to a 13 year-old boy is just wrong.

Is this supposed to make me feel sorry for Foley? Probably, and it worked. I feel sorry for Foley. This Catholic priest fondled Foley and probably did worse but claims not to remember. Foley is a victim too.

I'll add him to the list.

But let us not be distracted by this sordid picture of a young Mark Foley being victimized by a man of authority. This isn't about what happened to Foley 40-plus years ago. And this isn't just about the many young Congressional pages approached by Foley over the years. This is about the failure of the Republican leadership to appropriately protect the pages in their charge. This is about the Republican leadership choosing politics over ethics. This is about the Speaker of the House and others covering up the disgraceful behavior of a fellow Republican so as not to lose his seat in the upcoming election.

So, read the story. Have a moment of pity for Mark Foley. Then remember that regardless of the abuse that Foley may have suffered as a child, it does not excuse Speaker Hastert and the others for their complicity in a cover-up that put children at risk from a pederast. Dennis Hastert looked the other way because it was in the best interest of his party to do so and for that, he and his party should be punished on election day.

Priest tells paper of inappropriate behavior with Foley

Thanks to my friend Carl for the tip!

And The Winner Is....

The crack team of T-Dude comedy critics have reached a decision. And the winner is...Doteffects! And the winning caption is:

"In Texas, all the pages are as big as the Perch in my lake."

Doteffects gets a $20 donation to the congressional race of his choice and my lovely Chicago Bulls baseball cap.

Honorable mention goes to Greg with his entry:

Bush: "Mine's this big, I swear."

Foley: "I heard it was this big."

Thanks to all who participated.

Scalia and Mr. Peabody

As we take a break from Foley, the elections and the failings in US foreign policy, let's take a moment to reflect on the comments of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, President Reagan's appointee to the Supreme Court.

In a televised debate with American Civil Liberties Union president Nadine Strossen, Justice Scalia made it very clear that he doesn't expect the Constitution to be anything more that what was written and intended at the time of it's adoption. This means that, in Scalia's opinion, the right to an abortion, significant portions of the right to privacy, and the use of racial quotas for school admissions are all questionable.

Justice Scalia knows more about the Constitution than I do, but I do know one thing, I do not want to live in a country whose laws and rights are being set by a bunch of slave owning white guys who haven't taken a breath in 200 years. They couldn't fathom the societal, scientific and technological advances we've experienced since the Constitution and the Bill of Rights were first drafted. The problem back then wasn't unwanted pregnancy, it was keeping children and mothers alive. Back then guns weren't the tools of youth gangs, they were a combination grocery store and ready-made military. And back then, we counted minorities as fractions of people when we conducted our census.

The Constitution is a living document. And it's crafters recognized that it cannot identify each and every right afforded citizens of the United States. In fact, that was such an important point that the 9th Amendment actually states: "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."

The Constitution does not specifically give women the right to an abortion, but it doesn't say she doesn't. In fact, in the 9th, it says that absence of a right does not deny it's existence. This is where the gap exists between the left and the right on the political spectrum.

Scalia tries to bridge this gap by sticking to the original words and intent of the crafters. But short of jumping in the Way Back Machine with Mr. Peabody, I don't see how he can hope to determine the true intent of a group of men long dead.

Instead, I would prefer that our Justices look at the theme clearly articulated in the Constitution, the rights of the individual over the rights of the government, and balance the interests of the country accordingly and appropriately for today.

I don't think the British are coming any more, I don't think we have to worry about the military forcing me to take a roommate, and I'm quite sure that Thomas Jefferson isn't going to pop-up from the grave to tell me that flag burning and abortion are wrong. And even if he did show up, I suspect he'd spend more time riding in cars and surfing the net than he would worrying about the role of government in reproductive rights. So Justice Scalia, on behalf of those of us living today, I'd ask that you spend more time thinking about us and less time thinking about dead people.

Scalia Defends Positions in TV Debate

"I'm Not Here With Him...But Thanks For The Cash"

This is Peter Roskem. Peter is a Republican running for Congress in Illinois. Peter called his opponent a "cut and run" Democrat. Peter's opponent can't run. She has no legs. She lost them in Iraq fighting for her country.

Peter was at a fundraiser with President Bush yesterday. President Bush raised $1.1 million. Peter will get some of that money. Peter is grateful, but not too grateful. Afterward, this is what Peter said:

"I've been very vocal in my separation and criticism of the administration."

Pick a lane Peter.

And get that foot out of your mouth, you don't have to keep chewing on it to prove you still have one.

Bush: Country 'better off' with Hastert in power

Don't Disagree With The Veep -- You Might Get Cuffed

Having once worked in the Executive Branch and on national campaigns, I have nothing but respect for the difficult job the Secret Service does. Putting your life on the line everyday to protect the President and others is an endeavor so noble; it should be rewarded with the highest praise and honor. Yet, for the most part, the Secret Service lives in the shadows, with little or no fan fair. That is why it pains me so when I read stories like this one.

Criticizing Cheney to His Face Is Assault?

Apparently on June 16, Steve Howard, an American citizen with no criminal record had the audacity to stand two feet away from VP Cheney and calmly say "Your policies in Iraq are reprehensible." After he made this statement, he walked away. Ten minutes later while standing with his eight year-old son, he was handcuffed by a Secret Service agent and hauled away to jail.

I don't know for sure what happened, I wasn't there, but I can't blame the Secret Service. I know from experience that their intentions are not political. They are given a thankless task that they can only perform to the best of their abilities in the hope that the unthinkable never happens on their watch.

But I can blame the Bush Administration's systematic erosion of our civil liberties in the name of fighting terrorism. The agent had no choice. This administration has repeatedly engaged in rhetoric that either claims or implies that disagreement with their Iraq policy is somehow un-American and detrimental to the security of our nation. Therefore, anyone with the courage to calmly question our elected leaders performance must be a potential threat that needs to be examined.

These are sad days. People are dying every day in Iraq, our world is growing more dangerous and more volatile, and the very first right afforded to us under the Constitution is being eroded to the point that a simple statement of disagreement with our direction as a nation is being perceived as a potential threat.

Please, don't blame the Secret Service. They do a job that few have the courage or the honor to perform. But do take a moment and reflect on what this means for your rights as a citizen of the greatest country on earth. Suddenly, the country that defined freedom for the world is rethinking its position and personally, I'm not real happy about the direction we seem to be going.

Fall Guy Selected? Check.

As I warned readers earlier this month when the Foley scandal broke, you need to watch out for the "blame the ex-staffer" strategy.

Feebies To Interview Fordham...Butts Pucker All Over Capitol Hill)

ABCNews is reporting that on Thursday, former Foley chief of staff Kirk Fordham, will tell the House Ethics committee that he told Scott Palmer, Hastert's chief of staff, about Foley's efforts at Congressional page turning.

A source with firsthand knowledge of events says that this coming Thursday, Kirk Fordham, former chief of staff to both Foley and more recently Rep. Tom Reynolds, R-N.Y. will testify that a few years ago he was told by then-House clerk Jeff Trandahl that Foley had been stopped while trying to enter the pages' dorm in an apparently intoxicated state. The source said Fordham will testify that he recalls this being the event that convinced both him and Trandahl to warn Hastert's office, with Fordham designated to have the conversation with Hastert's chief of staff, Scott Palmer. The source said that both aides had been watching Foley's behavior with pages and that Fordham had counseled Foley to watch his behavior.

The source tells ABC News that Fordham will testify that he alerted Palmer that Foley had a pattern of displaying inappropriate behavior toward pages. Asked about Fordham's claim that he met with Palmer in approximately 2003 to warn him about Foley's behavior, Palmer said in a statement, "What Kirk Fordham said did not happen."

You combine this revelation with Hastert's comments yesterday where he promised that any staffer who had covered up information about Foley would be fired and you get one more open position in the Speaker's office.

Don't worry Scott, I'm sure they'll give you a parachute, if the Republicans do one thing well, its take care of their own.

ABCNews: Foley's Reputed Visit to the Page Dormitory

Chicagoland Republicans Imply Members Can't Be Trusted

Illinois Congressman Ray LaHood (R-18th) and Republican gubernatorial candidate Judy Barr Topinka have both taken an interesting approach to the page scandal, they think that Congress can't be trusted with the care of kids.

Topinka believes it's time for the page program to end, saying, "I don't know that 16- and 17-year-old kids really and truly ought to be in the heavy climate of Washington."

She wasn't alone in calling for an end to the 150-year-old page program, which brings high school juniors to Washington, D.C., to live, work and study.

Congressman Ray LaHood told NBC 5 last week the program should at least be suspended.

"Is it a program that reflects the 21st Century Congress? I think it's not," LaHood said. "That's a little much in terms of power around these kids. They probably ought to be at home."

Heavy climate? Too much power? Are you freaking kidding me? These kids weren't victims of the program, they were victims of neglect. If this had happened in a program where kids went to Washington DC to do mission work with religious leaders, would the Congress be calling for an end to mission work? If this had happened on one of the thousands of high school trips to DC every spring, would the Congress be banning field trips?

The only thing wrong with this 150 year-old program was the Republican leadership's failure to respond to the problem. You cannot blame the program and expect people to believe you. You can not blame the staffers in the offices of these Congressmen who failed to act. You can only blame those who put the political fortune of their party ahead of the welfare of these kids. To do anything else is an insult to the victims and the people you represent.

Read the whole article here: WMAQ-TV/MSNBC

A Scary Mental Picture

The following excerpt is from a report from AFP today:

Newsweek reported Sunday that Foley's former chief of staff will tell investigators that in 2002 or 2003, he told House Speaker Dennis Hastert's influential chief aide, Scott Palmer, that Foley had been found drunk, lurking outside the page dormitory after curfew one night.

This thing just gets uglier as it goes on. First we have slightly uncomfortable emails requesting pictures, then we get very sexual exchanges between pages and Foley, and now we have a report of Foley trolling around drunk outside of the page's dorm after curfew.

This guy was obviously out of control. And he was not an accident waiting to happen, but an accident happening over and over again before the eyes of the Republican staff and leadership.

Hypocrisy, thy party is Republican...and hopefully, hell is coming to breakfast this November.

Caption This Contest!

"You should have seen the page that got away!"

You come up with the best (ie funniest) caption for this photo and I'll send you a genuine Chicago Bulls baseball cap as a prize. On top of that, just to show what a great guy I am, I'll make a twenty dollar donation to the congressional campaign of the winner's choice. We'll give it a week, all entries must be posted in the comments section of this entry by October 14. All entries will be judged by me and that judgement will be final.

And listen people, if you think this is some high brow contest, you're crazy. The winner will be lucky to get the damn hat, so no bitchin' about the outcome! And if you happen to win and you don't check back after the contest is over to see that you've won, then don't complain when I don't know how to get a hold of you.

Thank you to the DailyKos for bringing this fine piece of Reuters photojournalism to my attention. If you don't read the DailyKos -- you should.

My Name is Forrest Gump, People Call Me Forrest Gump

I ask that you read the following example of why it is important to read all the way to the end of news articles:

Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, wrote a letter supporting Hastert, saying it was inappropriate to ask for the speaker's resignation when similar scandals in the 1980s prompted a "dramatically different standard."

Barton was referring to Democratic Reps. Gerry Studds of Massachusetts and Dan Crane of Illinois, both of whom were censured after having sexual relationships with 17-year-old pages. Crane lost his re-election bid, while Studds survived the scandal.

"No Democrat demanded prescience from Speaker Tip O'Neill, and no Democrat shouted for his resignation. Neither did any Republican," Barton wrote. "The focus was on the members who created the problem, as it should have been and as it should be now."

Joe? Hello Joe? I have a question for you: Are you stupid or something?

Studds -- you have to love the name -- had a single sexual relationship with a 17 year-old male page. He and the page (over a decade after the incident) stood side-by-side and told the media that the sex was consensual. Studds came out of the closet, admitted his actions were inappropriate, was censured by the Congress, and then got re-elected 5 more times.

Crane was accused of having a consensual sexual relationship in 1980 with a 17-year-old female congressional page and was censured by the House in 1983. Crane admitted to the charge and issued profuse, tearful apologies. He was defeated in his bid for re-election and returned to dentistry.

Mark Foley is accused of making sexual advances toward, and engaging in cyber sex with, any number of teenage congressional pages over a period of at least eight years. And it is more and more evident that Republican leaders of the House knew about it for as long as three years and chose to do nothing in order to protect their majority position.

To recap: Studds had consensual gay sex with 17 year-old page, got censured, got re-elected five times.

Crane had consensual sex with 17 year-old page, got censured, lost re-election bid.

Foley engages in a nearly decade long predatory string of often unwanted sexual advances and cyber sex activities with male congressional pages and the Republican congressional leadership -- who know there is a problem -- do nothing in order to protect their party's majority in the House of Representatives.

No offense Joe, but just how stupid do you think the voters in your district are? You don't think they see the difference between a Congressman doing something stupid and wrong, getting caught and paying the price and a cover-up that protects a congressional pederast while placing the interests of the Republican party ahead of the children they were charged to protect?

Joe, life might be like a box of chocolates, but the reason Hastert and the others tried to sweep all this under the rug was because they knew what they were going to get once the voters found out about Rep. Foley's years of trolling for sex with congressional pages.

So, do us all a favor Joe, keep your mouth shut and let the investigations decide the fate Hastert and the others. Hopefully, they'll get what they deserve.

CNN: GOP prods Democrats over Foley scandal

And That Would Be A Bad Thing?

As the Republicans circle the wagons, they are bringing in the old guard to shore-up support. But this little ditty really puts me off.

""He really ought not be a sacrificial lamb," former Secretary of State James Baker III said Friday.

"If they throw Denny Hastert off the sled to slow down the wolves, it won't be long before you'll be crying, 'Hey, you've got to throw somebody else over because they knew about it too,'" Baker said.

From AP: Foley Scandal Investigations Heating Up

Really? Anyone who knew about this and did nothing would be thrown to the wolves? You say that like it's a bad thing! I don't care if you are a Democrat, a Republican or a black, gay whale for Christ; if you knew about Foley's teenage penis census and did nothing about it, then you deserve to be fed to the wolves. Slowly. With a lot of special, deep, surging pain.

Three More And Counting

Despite what the Drudge Report is saying, it appears that Foley the Fondler has been at this for quite some time. Three more Congressional pages have come forward saying that Foley approached them with sexual messages via the Internet. And my, isn't he consistant. The Fondler has a real fasination with the sizes of the page's members. In fact, in one reported exchange, he not only asked the page about the size of his penis, but asked if he could report on the sizes of other pages.

I think Foley should have been a census taker instead of a Congressman.

These latest reports date back to 1998, for those of you who are math challenged, that's eight freakin' years this has allegedly been going on. For eight years a Republican Congressman with a record of fighting to protect children has been approaching teenage boys with sexual advances, including telling one page that if he was ever in Washington DC, he could stay with the Congressman provided he engaged in oral sex with him.

Personally, I don't care if Denny the Rotund Speaker of the House is sorry. If there is one shred of evidence that anyone in his office knew that this type of thing could be going on, then I want him gone. In fact, if there is any evidence that the Republican leadership even thought this could be going on, then I think it is pretty safe to assume that they decided to put the Party first, and the children in their care second -- and they should be punished for it.

From ABC: Three More Pages Come Forward

(Hastert Photo from DGA.org)

Hastert Blues

My friend Patti has been listening to Speaker of the House Hastert over the past several days, prior to his finally taking some responsibility for the whole Foley the Fondler affair, and she said he was a hair's breadth away from breaking into his John Belushi/Jake Blues imitation:

"No I didn't. Honest... I ran out of gas. I, I had a flat tire. I didn't have enough money for cab fare. My tux didn't come back from the cleaners. An old friend came in from out of town. Someone stole my car. There was an earthquake. A terrible flood. Locusts. IT WASN'T MY FAULT, I SWEAR TO GOD."

This is a video edit waiting to happen. Please, someone who knows how to do it. Take that great scene from the Blues Brothers when Carrie Fisher finally has Jake Blues pinned down in the tunnel and paste Hastert's face on Belushi when he gives that speech. Pretty please?

Feebies To Interview Fordham...Butts Pucker All Over Capitol Hill

Oh man....here come the G-Men! Fordham is going to be singing like Christine Aguilera -- high and loud. He knows that the standard operating procedure in DC is to fry the small fish so that the fat ones can live and he isn't going down easy I'm sure. This isn't your basic white collar DC screw-up where you end up with a slap on the wrist and a book deal. This has the potential to be truly ugly. Man, I'm sure the lawyers are having billing wet dreams all over this sucker. Federal investigations, congressional investigations, likely state investigations...those lawyers will be as excited as Mark Foley at a Boy Scout Jamboree.

Can I say that? I guess I just did.

Anyway, you just know that Fordham is going to punt that blame right back as quickly as possible. He's claiming he informed the rotund Speaker of the House's staff as long as three years ago. If that's true, then Hastert might well be sending a few of his people packing as he lightens the load on his sinking ship. I'm not saying this is really going to happen, but watch out for the "blame the ex-staffer who is no longer here" ploy, that's a Washington favorite.

From CNN: Aide: I warned Hastert's office about Foley

UPDATE The Ethics Committee has issued 40-some subpoenas after their first meeting on the Foley matter. I wonder if each one of those comes with an easy-payment schedule from your lawyer?

Let The Feast Begin!

They are starting to eat their own.

For the first course, we have Kirk Fordham, the former Chief of Staff to Foley the Fondler (and current Chief of Staff for Republican Congressman Tom Reynolds) being fired today for reportedly begging congressional leaders not to take allegations against Foley to the Congressional Page Board.

Now this is where it gets fun. First it was reported that Fordham quit. Then it was reported that he got fired for his efforts to keep the allegations from the Page Board. And now Fordham is saying that just the opposite is true and that he actually raised the alarm about Foley with Congressional leaders and is being used as a scapegoat to protect Speaker of the House Hastert.

ABC has also reported that Fordham tried to negotiate a deal with them for an exclusive on Foley's resignation. In exchange for the exclusive, Fordham wanted ABC to promise not to publish the content of the sexually explicit instant messages Foley wrote to a male teenage page.
(See my previous post Foley's Disgusting IM's)

ABC refused the deal.

Whatever the truth is, it is clear that everyone thinks there will be hell to pay on this one and like rats, they'll eat their own to survive.

Here is the text of Fordham's resignation statement as reported by ABC News:

"I have resigned today from Congressman Tom Reynolds’ office. It is clear the Democrats are intent on making me a political issue in my boss’s race, and I will not let them do so.

"I want to clarify a few things: When I sought to help congressman Foley and his family when his shocking secrets were being revealed, I did so as a friend of my former boss, not as Congressman Reynolds’ Chief of Staff. I reached out to the Foley family, as any good friend would, because I was worried about their emotional well-being.

"At the same time, I want it to be perfectly clear that I never attempted to prevent any inquiries or investigation of Foley’s conduct by House officials or any other authorities.

"Like so many, I feel betrayed by Mark Foley’s indefensible behavior. Again, I will not allow the Democrats to make me a political issue in my Boss’s race, and I will fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation."

Whatever dude, you'll land on K street somewhere and make a million. And don't worry, I suspect you won't be the only one looking for work when this whole thing is said and done.

Now...who's up for seconds? I have a lovely Speaker of the House roasting in the oven as we speak.

Why I Hate FOX News

If you'll just take a look at this screen shot, you'll see that the "professional journalists" at FOX have identified the REPUBLICAN page-chasing Congressman from Florida as a Democrat. I know, when thinking conspiracy, consider stupidity, but there is a part of me that believes they knew exactly what they were doing...or just assumed it couldn't possibly be one of their beloved conservative brethren who pursued gay sex from a teenager via the Internet.

Thanks to my friend Carl for the tip.

Rep. Foley's Disgusting IM's to a Teenage Boy

After reading this, everyone will understand why he quit so quickly. What people won't understand is why the Republican leadership -- Rep. Hastert etc. -- who apparently got wind of this kind of thing over a year ago, didn't do something about it? Afraid of losing the seat over a Congressman's fascination with the seats of your male Congressional Pages?

If putting young people at risk from a sexual predator for political gain isn't enough to get you thinking about the motivations of the Republican leadership, then you must have already drunk the Kool-Aid.

From MSNBC: Joe Scarborough wants to know why Hastert didn't do anything


Photo from HuntingtonNews.net

Here is a photo of Congressman Foley with a bunch of young boys. I wonder what that flag is covering up.




If you want to read the actual disgusting exchange between a teenage boy and a 50+ year-old elected official -- go ahead -- but you will be creeped/grossed out.

From ABCNEWS: READER DISCRETION STRONGLY ADVISED: Foley's Exchange With Underage Page