Investor’s Business Daily asks “what did Democrats know, and when did they know it?” Today IBD looks at the Democrats’ hypocrisy and sleaziness in trying to use Foley’s sick behavior to their political advantage:
It’s of course clear that Foley, a Republican representative from Florida, resigned for good cause. We don’t defend him or his inexcusable behavior — good riddance.
But it didn’t take long at all after Foley’s resignation for the Democrats to call for an investigation of the entire Republican leadership in the House, charging that GOP stalwarts knew early on that Foley, as they like to say in the rehab business, had a “problem.”
Democrats have begun losing their once-significant lead in the polls, and a mere five weeks remain until the midterm elections. Is this scandal the Democrats’ own “October Surprise,” meant to throw the GOP into a tailspin shortly before the vote?
Recent polls show Democrats aren’t doing very well on several key issues. What better way than a good, old-fashioned sex scandal to get people’s minds off such things as the importance of winning the war in Iraq, our ongoing vulnerability to terrorist attack and the necessity of keeping the Bush economic boom going?
As it is, Republicans deny knowing about the explicit text messages that Foley sent to a 16-year-old congressional page back in 2003. In repudiating Foley, House Speaker Dennis Hastert called the messages “vile and repulsive.”
Despite this, the immediate take by Democrats and much of the mainstream media was that this was a classic example of Republican hypocrisy — talking “morals” and “values” while all the time shielding a child predator. But it was nothing of the kind.
If anything, the episode reveals the Democrats’ hypocrisy about their own behavior. The fact that Foley resigned virtually within minutes of being told that ABC News had copies of his salacious e-mails and text messages indicates he at least felt shame for his actions. Can the same be said for Democrats?
Sadly, it doesn’t seem so. How else can you explain the following?
• In 1983, then-Democratic Rep. Gerry Studds of Massachusetts was caught in a similar situation. In his case, Studds had sex with a male teenage page — something Foley hasn’t been charged with.
Did Studds express contrition? Resign? Quite the contrary. He rejected Congress’ censure of him and continued to represent his district until his retirement in 1996.
• In 1989, Rep. Barney Frank, also of Massachusetts, admitted he’d lived with Steve Gobie, a male prostitute who ran a gay sex-for-hire ring out of Frank’s apartment. Frank, it was later discovered, used his position to fix 33 parking tickets for Gobie.
What happened to Frank? The House voted 408-18 to reprimand him — a slap on the wrist. Today he’s an honored Democratic member of Congress, much in demand as a speaker and “conscience of the party.”
• In 2001, President Clinton, who had his own intern problem, commuted the prison sentence of Illinois Rep. Mel Reynolds, who had sex with a 16-year-old campaign volunteer and pressured her to lie about it. (Reynolds also was convicted of campaign spending violations.)
Political parties that reside in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. Read the rest of the editorial.
Update: Noel Sheppard at Newsbusters links to a Washington Post article that actually acknowledges and details the double-standard between Democrats, who get away with their scandals, and Republicans, who pay serious consequences for theirs.
He’s slime.
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Why do you still support Clinton and even elect his wife to the Senate? She covered up for him. Using Lee ‘s standard, the dems are slime.
LoveAmerica Immigrant
The Dems are the party of genocidal abortions on demand!
Women and children need not apply..
by the way …troops killed are the children of someone…we are at over 2700 of them killed..
Please don’t write how Republicans care about the children of our nation……
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Most of the parents of the troops are quite infuriated that the Dems compared their kids to the Nazis and Pol Pots while they are doing the propaganda service for the terrorists who dragged our two solders behind a truck.
Using your own standard, the Dems are truly despicable given their willingness (Lee is an example) to smear our military and compare them to the terrorists.
Oh yeah sir Sheik yer Booty…I love irony..you take your name from an album by Frank Zappa..
here is what Frank thought
“The Republicans stand for raw, unbridled evil and greed and ignorance smothered in balloons and ribbons.”
-Frank Zappa
More tit for tat..
No room for women in the Dems???..
Reproductive Choice is about an individual..in this case a woman..who believe that government does not control their bodies…
I am a praying man..and I do pray for laws requiring men over 40 to be forced to have a vacectomy.
Of course if such a law was passed no man would say “The government has no right to control my reproductive system” or maybe all men would say
“Hey, if a law is passed controlling my reproductive system I won’t object.”
If you folks want to make the Republicans the party of forced birth…and the Dems the party of choice…fine
If only the left would have the brain and balls to fight terrorism, crime, etc like they fight the GOP. Dems care about elections n power, little else.
They gave Studds a ‘standing O’ 3x, and he boned the page. They pardoned Mel Reynolds, they excused Barney Frank, and now they want to act as if they care?
Besides, has Foley committed a crime? If so, send him to Starke, for HARD time. No evidence yet, and 2 lib rags didnt think those emails were all that bad. As soon as IM info was going to come out, Foley resigned, and GOPs started to hammer him. Dems will always run cover for their bda guys, like William Jefferson caught ‘cold’ handed, and still drawing a check.
This is no different than libs claiming they care about the soldiers, and how 2700 is too many to lose. That 2700 also happens to be the same number of innocent babies the dem abortion platform murders every day.
The Dem Double Step!
Right on Gianni!
Another good question has came up.
How many networks did the democratic operatives ‘shop’ the IM/EM’s to before they found Brian Ross and when did the shopping spree start?
It is a fact they were shopped around (maybe it’s harder to find a slime merchant in the antique MSM than we thought) , so dig and find out to who, when they were shopped, and what was the deal, Money?
No room for women in the Dems???..
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Do you remember the dem women who were called trailer trash and personally attacked for daring to accuse the Dem hero Clinton of sexual harassment and even rape?
I still remember patricia ireland and Susan Estrich defending Bill Clinton against the alleged rape of Juanita Broadrick. Yup, a alleged rapist is OK with the Dems as long as he is pro-choice.
You can’t claim to care about women/children and support the Dem at the same time. Unless you don’t understand the real meaning of hypocrisy.
Do You mean the husky voiced Clitonian apologist Susan Estrogen?
Why yes, The very definition of an abused hypocrite.
By the way , Susan McDougal is another example of Clintons abused kept in line peccadillo’s..He’s so groovy.
Nogo postal
I am a praying Man, and I pray for laws requiring men over 40 to be required to have a vasectomy
In the 1st place what or who are You praying on??And Im over 40 and Your not getting anywhere near My apparatus..
Lee claims:
And nothing – NOTHING – that the Democrats have done compares to Foley’s gross malfeasance.
So Gerry Studds having sex with an underaged page and getting re-elected is a lesser offense compared to Foley’s sexually explicit IM’s?
You really are desperate if you’re going to make a claim like above, hoping people won’t read the examples of Democrat malfeasance provided to comparison. Sorry, but actual sexual activity with an underaged person is a worse offense than sending IMs in most sane people’s views.
Oh wait, I forgot: you’re not sane. You’re a hate-filled impotent little weasel who will lie and obfuscate in an attempt to destroy people. But cheer up: at least you’re not a sexual predator like Foley… or Studds.
Of course, your personality type is the kind that leads witch hunts, purges and so on but that’s only if you have power. Else you’re stuck making remarks about what you’ll do when you do have power on blogs and web boards.
You forgot to mention that Jefferson had sex with his slave and Caligula had sex with his sister, then killed her.
I’m not sure if either of these guys were Democrats, but it sure puts things in perspective.
In the Studds case (which happened in 1973) a Democratic controlled ethics committee voted to reprimand him and a Democratic controlled house censured him.
In the Foley case, Hastert covered-up the facts, or ignored his responsibilities, so it is the Republicans that can’t live-up to their “Family Values” pledge.
In the Studds case (which happened in 1973) a Democratic controlled ethics committee voted to reprimand him and a Democratic controlled house censured him.
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Hastert refered him to the FBI for criminal investigation and Foley is out of congress. What have the dems done: the kept bouth studd and Barney Frank in the ranks and Frank is still here now.
Clinton pardoned a convicted child-abuse and the Dems still cover up for him and elect his wife to the Senate. They even want to make Clinton the head of the UN.
it is the Republicans that can’t live-up to their “Family Values” pledge.
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So you admitted the Dems can’t make the “Family Values” pledge? In fact, the actions of the Dems showed that they are quite willing to tolerate sexual abuse of women/children. Can we intellectually honest enough to agree on this?
No one is defending Foley at all. Hastert was briefed on email messages which were tame enough that even the FBI didn’t feel it warranted action.
The IMs came later. Obviously the kid saved the IMs, then turned them over to someone which he should have. When that happened and who he turned them over to is what hastert is asking. If it happened last November, why wait until now to reveal the problem? Why not take action back then?
Nogo postal…change your name to gone postal
Lee…No wonder the Republicans are losing the War on Terror – you’re nothing but a bunch of pansies.
Looks like you were doing some attacking yourself.
NeilS
“I,m not sure either of these Guys are democrats, But it sure puts things in perspective.“
If they had any perspective they would’nt be democrats..
“..briefed on email messages which were tame..”
If the emails were so tame, why did Hastert tell Foley to knock it off?
Foley wrote, your friend has a hot body; can you send me a picture?
BarneyFife2000,
Not only are you pathetic as a troll, you are a terrible liar.
Both of your statements above are patently false.
If the emails were so tame, why did Hastert tell Foley to knock it off?
Barney…again…..you’ll have to ask the FBI. I don’t do investigations.
If the emails were so tame, why did Hastert tell Foley to knock it off?
For fear of political embarassment at a crucial time. Such as this.
Dont blame Barney, He’s doing the best Lewinsky He can with limited knowledge..Thanks Barn!!
So far, we don’t see the liberals intellectually honest enough to admit that the Dems are in the sewage wrt sexual abuse of women and children.
No can claim to care about women/children and support the Dem party at the same time.
Al Franken can!
Let’s set an over/under on the number of days before Hastert resigns? I saw 2.5 days. Any takers?
Barney,
Let ‘s set a time when the liberals and dems on this forum will be intellectually honest enough to admit that the Dems are in the sewage wrt the welfare of women and children?
When will the Dem leadership in the house tell us the truth about when they knew of IM and why they didn’t bring it to the attention of the authorities? Also when will they tell us why they dishonestly use the leaked NIE report as a basis for their Iraq cut-and-run policy?
next week, 10 years from now, never? Any takers?
BarneyFife2000 is looking for another Fitzmas!
Please hold your breath until Hastert resigns! Literally, hold your breath.
Just heard an investigator say they tried to log on to talk to Foley (or check his IP) and found that it was on line. This is beginning to stink even more. Is someone else (a democratic operative) posting using Foley’s screen name. Surely the facility is’t allowing Foley on the internet…
Lee should use his prefrontal cortex. Period.
Lee runs on a gaglia. Period. Just fires off BDS synapses.
At least some Republicans are admitting where the responsibility lies in all of this…
(Bloomberg) — House Majority Leader John Boehner said House Speaker Dennis Hastert was responsible for how Mark Foley’s sending of inappropriate e-mails was handled, creating a public split among the two top Republican leaders.
“I believe I had talked to the speaker and he told me it had been taken care of,” Boehner, an Ohio Republican, told Cincinnati 700 WLW Radio this morning. “In my position, it’s in his corner, it’s his responsibility.”
Note that he said “…it’s his (Hastert’s) responsibility.” Well, that’s one honest Republican — who by this admission makes the rest of you out to be just opportunistic liars.
What’s amazing is how much you all are willing to lie for your cause! I guess you just can’t trust (almost) any Republicans these days.
What are We lying about You buffoon??Somebodyelses opinion?
Grow up!
Frankly, Lee, your incessant willingness to call people (Republicans in particular, that is 10’s of millions of people, Lee) liars says much more about you than it does about Republicans.
What’s amazing is how much you all are willing to lie for your cause!
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Thanks again for admitting the truth about the Dems whether you know it or not. You are still not honest enough to admit that the Dems are in the sewage wrt women/children.
When did the Dems know about it and why did they hide it? There needs to be an investigation into the Dem covering up the evidence which can help protect other children. The reason we need an investigation is because the Dems have just been caught lying about the leaked NIE. I am just using your own standard now Lee.
Sheik,
That ‘s Lee. He is in the sewage with the Dems. So all he can do is to spout their filth. That ‘s all he and they can do since they have no positive agenda.
Maybe Lee could try out for Americas dirtiest job’s?? Since His affiliation with Au Pair America Went sour.. poor chap.
Foley wrote
Lee projects with:
What’s amazing is how much you all are willing to lie for your cause!
Irony alert.
Ahhh, Republicans, the party of accountability.
Was that a feather that just knocked me over????
Let me help out the Republicans: Just keep repeating these 2 things.
1) We’re the party of family values.
2) But Clinton…
Believe me, it’ll work (and has been on morons for 10+ years).
I think on this subject one of the questions will be what did the NYT/WaPo/LAT/ABC News know and when did they know it. Apparently ABC and WaPo knew about this back in January.
Now, if they would drop their “moral indignation” for a second they might ask themselves why they sat on a story of this nature for nine months placing other children in danger. It couldn’t be that their political affiliations got in the way of avoiding young people at risk, could it? If it were any other person, like a teacher, they would have run this story way back in January. The broad brush they are so willing to tar others with may just end up tarring them, too.
Also, if this turns out to be an entrapment operation by operatives affiliated with the Democratic party they all may be liable for legal action themselves. Entraping someone for political or monetary gain is not a legal activity despite the “lofty” motives.
My guess is that the Democrats will quietly try to avoid any congressional investigation into this whole matter.
Believe me, it’ll work (and has been on morons for 10+ years).
Yeah, it’s been beating them in the polls for a while now.
The Dem equivalent, of course, is “the GOP is sleazy, and awful, and dishonest, but the Democrats gave up even pretending to be any of those things years ago!”
Also, if this turns out to be an entrapment operation by operatives affiliated with the Democratic party they all may be liable for legal action themselves.
Oops.
Mr. Ross dismissed suggestions by some Republicans that the news was disseminated as part of a smear campaign against Mr. Foley. “I hate to give up sources, but to the extent that I know the political parties of any of the people who helped us, it would be the same party,” Mr. Ross said, referring to Republicans.
Robert,
You’re even more of an idiot on this thread than you were on the other one.
If you had more sense than a rock, you would not try to compare accountability between Dims and Republicans.
Reps hold their own accountable. Dims make excuses for their own miscreants (or they have Clinton pardon them) and keep them in office, often elevating them to even HIGHER positions. Unaccountable: Kennedy, Frank, Studds, Reynolds, Byrd, etc., etc., etc.
Brian,
Thanks for posting from the dishonest NYT. Anyone with some intellectual honesty must admit that the NYT is nothing more than a propaganda organ for the dem party and the terrorists at this point.
The dishonest campaign of the Dem wrt Foley just shows that decent and well-informed American simply cannot vote for the Dem. Their behavior wrt the leaked NIE and now Foley is simply too despicable.
Sheik,
The dems have nothing but DISHONESTY for their political campaign. This one is just a continuation of their dishonest campaign. They cannot honestly admit who they are and what they are for. So they have to deceive and lie. That ‘s their way to win power.
I will not believe the e-mails or im’s are authentic until I see the network headers with them. Anyone with a typewriter can ‘make up’ emails just ask Dan Rather about forged documents.
The faggot Foley did nothing illegal, just immoral.
the NYT is nothing more than a propaganda organ for the dem party
I thought they were the NAMBLA/ACLU/terrorist newsletter. Those flip-floppers!
I will not believe the e-mails or im’s are authentic until I see the network headers with them. Anyone with a typewriter can ‘make up’ emails just ask Dan Rather about forged documents.
The faggot Foley did nothing illegal, just immoral.
If you don’t believe the emails or IMs are real, on what basis are you accusing Foley of doing anything immoral? Could it be that he admitted it?
And they say Dems are in denial. Sheesh.
Reps hold their own accountable.
*sigh* DeLay, Cunningham, Ney, Burns, Sherwood, Norquist, Abramoff, … tell us more about how the Reps hold their own accountable. I’m sure we all love a good fantasy.