No Child's Behind Left

[BlogBox]

This week's hot blog topics: Mark Foley's Catholic Priest Abuse Get-Out-Jail-Free card trumps his previous excuse, "I strongly believe I'm am alcoholic!"; Bush told Condi to be "playful" with Rumsfeld (short skirts and boobies?); unlike teen pages, Santorum should be probed; Karl Rove is up to his neck in Abramoffian goo; and overseas homework slaves are on every kid-in-the-know's wish list. Plus much, much more. Enjoy!

Foley Follies

It's important to keep in mind this week that the Republican House of Representatives' congressional page sex scandal is not (repeat: IS NOT) about being gay. Occam's Razor's Edge (one of the greatest all-time blog titles, isn't it?) says it best:

As for what Mark Foley is I have no idea. I do not know the man or have knowledge of his sexual history. I know that it was no secret that he is gay. I do not know if he was a pedophile or maybe, and if anything more likely, a hebephile, a person attracted to post-pubescent children under the age of 18. The facts will tell us the answers here. But is important that because a male public figure was sexually suggestive and salacious with teenage boys that we do not demonize gays. Homosexuals in this country and on this world in general have suffered enough. We must not make them suffer further indignity by accusing them of things that are false.

Occam also has highly informative links to the facts, the definitions, and the stereotypes being tossed out by cable news hairdo wingnuts and their... um, guests. Definitely bookmark-worthy! By the way, if being gay caused Foley's penchant for fondling, why didn't I see any headlines about that child murderer in Pennsylvania executing little girls because of his heterosexuality?

If you don't have time to read the thousands of blog posts (updated daily as new facts emerge) about former Congressman/pedophile, Mark Foley, Think Progress has the three YEAR timeline and the links, and they're updating round the clock. Also, PabloOnPolitics offers a chilling point of view on the Foley front:


By the way, TPM's Muckraker, citing Roll Call, has identified 11 (Count 'em! 11!) Republicans whose tightie whities are twisted up in the Foley Republican Fondling scandal:

As of Saturday evening, nearly a dozen House GOP lawmakers and staffers have acknowledged that they knew of the initial batch of non-sexually explicit messages from Foley to a 16-year-old former House page, some of them for a year or more. These include (House Speaker Dennis) Hastert (IL); Majority Leader John Boehner (Ohio); National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Reynolds (N.Y.); Reps. Rodney Alexander (La.) and John Shimkus (Ill.); Mike Stokke, the Speaker's deputy chief of staff; Ted Van Der Meid, Hastert's counsel; Paula Nowakowski, Boehner's chief of staff; Jeff Trandahl, the former Clerk of the House; and another Hastert aide and Alexander's chief of staff, according to public statements and GOP insiders.

Fact: They all knew about Foley and did nothing. Had he been a Democrat... well, News Hounds knows exactly how FOX News would've handled this story.

The sickest, most twisted behavior award in the Foley NCBL (No Child's Behind Left) saga goes to Republican Representative Tom Reynolds, who hid behind a human shield of children in order to avoid answering questions at his press conference. Buffalo Geek has the sordid details.


Heavy sigh.

A Perfect Storm Brewing?

SFGate's blogger, Andrew S. Ross (The Ross Report), thinks Republicans are finding themselves smack dab in the eye of a perfect storm four weeks before the mid-term elections. Ross' post is chilling, but be sure to stay for the comments. Here's one from skillzy:

You paint a picture of a decadent, fractured regime that, faced with pathetically scant opposition, has begun infighting to satisfy its own malevolent nature. All the while, the quixotic leader prances about on a modern day crusade - as if oblivious to the turmoil at home which may yet prove to be his undoing. Reflection and criticism for him are inconsequentialities that can only obstruct getting the job done.

The frightening thing is: will this overwhelming body of evidence be enough to persuade the terminally hoodwinked people of this nation that they have been led up the garden path yet again by the sinister forces now controlling the GOP?

Good question, skillzy. As for those sinister GOP forces... after Balloon Juice blogged about the simplicity of the Foley sex scandal ("Making It Simple"), commenter Steve says:

"It's possible the GOP spin-meisters will find a way to murk up the issue - but it's going to have to be more clever than the Redstate 'whoever exposed this is equally guilty!' angle."

That "equally guilty" crap has worked for BushCo thousands of times on every issue under the sun, but buggering little boys may be the perfect shit storm nexus even they can't spin. Another commenter zeroes in on the predictable Republican scandal control formula, suitable for all occasions. PB writes:

First, they said that all the facts weren't in. Then, it wasn't time for criticism. Then, they weren't going to play the blame game. Later, they said that they could not comment on an ongoing investigation. And finally, they said it was old news.

Your BS flag should start waving every time a Republican claims "all the facts aren't in yet." Since when did they ever let "facts" stand in their way? Case in point...

National Security Samba

Who leaked super-secret, most assuredly classified intelligence to lobbyist Jack Abramoff? Jorndorf at Kos has the text of Jack Abramoff's email to someone called 'octagon1,' in which the disgraced convicted Bush Buddy wrote:

From: Jack Abramoff
To: 'octagon1'
Monday, March 18, 2002 8:31 AM
Subject: RE: Sunday

I was sitting yesterday with Karl Rove, Bush's top advisor, at the NCAA basketball game, discussing Israel when this email came in. I showed it to him. It seems that the President was very sad to have to come out negatively regarding Israel, but that they needed to mollify the Arabs for the upcoming war on Iraq. That did not seem to work anyway. Bush seems to love Sharon and Israel, and thinks Arabfat (sic), is nothing but a liar. I thought I'd pass that on.

First impression: Abramoff knew that Bush was planning an invasion of Iraq a year before "shock and awe." Second: Someone had to leak this intel to the lobbyist. And third: 'Arabfat' was obviously not a typo.

Read the rest of Jorndorf's post, which goes on to include what Bush said about the Middle East just a few days before this email, as well as how this particular email content confirms the Downing Street Memos (written at the same time). Somehow I don't think Abramoff will be charged with treason, do you?

Meanwhile, the national security samba continues with Bob Woodward's revelation that our MALE president told Condi Rice, his FEMALE National Security Advisor, to be "playful" with Rumsfeld. Shakespeare's Sister translates: "Yeah, be playful - you know...wear shorter skirts, show a boobie!"

And the corporate media crickets chirped.

Everyone Wants One: Buy Your Kid A Homework Slave!

Yes, Virginia, you really can outsource your homework to India, and your parents will gladly fork over the low, low price of $2.50 an hour for an online tutor. Mish has the entire analysis of this new & improved tutoring biz and he explains why this editorial cartoon (posted on his blog) is no longer funny:


While the kids are online with their new homework slaves, Mom and Dad can spend some quality time watching Housing Bubble TV on the family's second widescreen laptop. By the way, the bubble is the only thing that's kept the entire Bush economic miracle (trans. pending disaster) afloat for five years. But I digress... Hurry! BBN (Bubble News Network) has an entire lineup of great new shows, brought to you by Paper Money, who has compiled a whole slew of housing bubble videos onto one webpage. Pop some corn and have a look. Need more housing bubble video fun? Laughter and tears abound in the MTV-ish "Mr. and Mrs. Homebuyer" music video posted at The Real Estate Bloggers. Oh, and kids... cross "Become A Republican Congressional Page" off your 16th birthday wish list.

Hey, Let's Probe Santorum!

Add Santorum Cybergate to your list of anti-Santorum sites. They've been exposing fecal-faced Little Ricky since 2004. Also on Santorum's tail this week (tee hee) is Angry Bear:

The Clinton Depression?

OxBlog has been listening to Rick Santorum so we don't have to.

Santorum: You probably remember well when Bill Clinton and the Democrats passed the largest single tax increase in our nation's history in 1993, $293 billion. That sent our nation into an economic slump.

OxBlog: I still have nightmares about the Great Depression of '93. The bread lines grew longer every day. I wore out the soles of my shoes, walking up and down the length of Manhattan looking for an honest day's work. Wait a second. That was 1893. What the ***** is Santorum talking about? The '90s were great.

Yes - average annual real GDP growth equal to 3.7% is awful, whereas the average annual real GDP growth since Bush took office (2.6%) is great! Employment (payroll survey) during Clinton's eight years in office grew by a mere 23 million. Since George W. Bush took office, employment has grown by an amazing 3 million.

Let the probing commence!

Thank A DUer!

Many thanks to zonkers, whose response to a link posting former Congressman Mark Foley's (R-Pedophilia) diatribe against pedophiles (YouTube video of Foley on America's Most Wanted), was short and sweet:

Kick. Youtube 4ever. The revolution will be uploaded.

To cool user name for encouraging all of us to revisit Marbury v Madison:

The oath of office, too, imposed by the legislature, is completely demonstrative of the legislative opinion on this subject. It is in these words: "I do solemnly swear that I will administer justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to the rich; and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge all the duties incumbent on me as _____, according to the best of my abilities and understanding, agreeably to the constitution, and laws of the United States." Why does a Judge swear to discharge his duties agreeably the constitution of the United States, if that constitution forms no rule for his government? If it is closed upon him, and cannot be inspected by him?

If such be the real state of things, this is worse than solemn mockery. To prescribe, or to take this oath, becomes equally a crime.

When the U.S. Attorney general (Alberto Gonzales) wipes his butt with the U.S. Constitution, the ghost of Marbury v Madison needs to do some serious haunting, y'all.

And finally, thanks to CatWoman for posting that YouTube has banned Michele Malkin. Quick. Call the waambulance.

Let's recap: your kids and grandkids' safety is ignored around the globe, in Bush's military, in Bush's courts, in Bush's schools, and even in Bush's own congressional page program. Hmm. Seeing a pattern yet, Bush lovers? BushCo has given new meaning to the term "Stranger Danger," haven't they? And it's really been heartbreaking this week reading wingnut excuses like "16 year-olds are considered consenting adults in many states" and "those emails could've been easily forged by Democrats to make Republicans look bad." And how about Monica Lewinsky's positively Merlinesque age regression this week, used to excuse Foley's fondling? She was a college graduate, for cryin' out loud. Monica's problem was never the big dog. Hers was that Republican with a tape recorder, Linda Tripp, who wanted to sell a book... but now sells sausages on the side of the road in Virginia.

That Republican Kool-Aid must really be tasty! Keep fighting back and exposing the hypocrisy, y'all. And keep sending me those great blog links!

-- Delilah Boyd

[trogdor]

1. What if you had a daughter that age?

That's what I've been asking wingnuts all week. No answers yet. The premise is that if you were a dad with a <18 daughter and some dirty old man was IMing her in a similar manner as Foley, you'd want to reach for the nearest blunt instrument with which to beat the SOB into a bloody pulp, your state's age of consent be damned.

[radfringe]

2. product branding?

BTW: this toon will be on Comic Sherpa tomorrow (Saturday)http://www.comicssherpa.com/site/feature?uc_comic=cscwc

a few of my other toons have hit some RW nerves and I've gotten not exactly hate-mail, more like "insult" mail... sooo, I'm wondering if I'll get even more tomorrow...

[PurpleChez]

3. Is Linda "Oink Oink Oink" Tripp really selling sausages roadside?

I loved seeing John Goodman play her on SNL. The likeness was uncanny.

[dunderhead]

4. Our playful prez

Woodward did NOT report that Bush advised Rice to get "playful" with Rumsfeld. The New York Daily News messed up and misread one of the State of Denial excerpts in the Washington Post, which said that Bush himself got "playful" with Rumsfeld to try to get him to return Rice's calls. Bush is a jerk, but you should still correct this post.