If the Foley scandal was a TV series today would be the day when a disgraced waterskiing pedophile barely noticed as he skipped over a styrofoam shark.
Let’s see…
* Tom Reynolds holds a press conference where he apparently tries to shield himself from unfriendly questions with several dozen small children. Considering the topic matter, doesn’t that qualify as recklessly endangering the well-being of minors? For most of us, maybe not. But this is the traditional-values crowd we’re talking about here, not liberal kids raised on a steady diet of Jackson nipples and South Park.
* Mark Foley held up a defense appropriations bill so that he could have cybersex with an underage kid. Satire, RIP.
As Josh Marshall points out, the saddest thing is that any of the three or four other top stories this week would spell a major crisis for the Republican party. You have the Woodward book and semi-related news about ignored Tenet briefings, plus the NIE declaring that the Iraq war made terrorism worse. To put that in perspective it feels sort of like one team getting called for pass interference, roughing the quarterback, facemask and spearing in a single play. Great for us Democrats, but could you space these out a little more? It’s a bit much to chew on at once.
***Update***
Via a commenter:
Buffalo, NY – Republican Tom Reynolds rented out a daycare facility today as he surrounded himself with kids and families, using them as protection from tough questions about specifics into the Foley messages. Most in the crowd were local republican operatives such as former legislator Elise Cusak, Erie County Conservative Party Chair Ralph Lorigo and Niagara Republican chair Henry Wojtaszek.
They mean that figuratively, right? Normally I woudl take it for granted that Reynolds did not actually rent a daycare for a press conference. But these are not normal people, these are not normal times.
maf54
have u guyz heard about dianetics?!? lol
Lee
Ok, this is past ‘ewww’ and into ‘gross’.
From Drudge:
Foley had cybersex during House vote
Tim F.
Lee,
That is the second link in my post.
Gary Farber
“As Josh Marshall points out, the saddest thing is that any of the three or four other top stories this week would spell a major crisis for the Republican party.”
I pointed out that this is actually happening. No “would” about it: is.
Punchy
The problem with your concern, Tim, is that few of us believe that everything is being dumped all at this moment. IOW, there’s SO much more for the next 4 weeks that this early series of salvos is only the appitizer.
When you’ve attempted to hide SO MANY lies, obfuscation, bullshit, and corruption, when the dam breaks, it BREAKS.
Too many burned and bitter people ready to sic revenge, and I feel like those emboldened are not turning back.
Urinated State of America
All this right after the GOP was strutting around bragging how their torture & indefinite detention bill showed how manly they were and wimpy Democrats were pwned by Terraists.
It’s like the universe can only tolerate show much hubris in one spot before it collapses in on itself to form a singularity of FUBAR-dom.
Lee
ooops, sorry.
Read it from drudge, then mosied over here. Did not notice that link was the ‘already been there’ color.
Steve
That Reynolds press conference is just unbelievable. One of the weirdest things I have seen in politics.
How could it come across to ANYONE as anything other than an absurdly phony stunt?
RSA
How could ANYONE forget conservatives shaking their heads sadly, during the Clinton impeachment, and asking, “How are we to explain what these words mean to our children watching TV?” I don’t recall Reynolds calling for children being present in the audience in Congress during the hearings. . .
John D.
It’s better, if this link is to be believed.
I’m assuming they are speaking metaphorically, since it would truly be the end of satire if he actually did rent out a daycare.
Tsulagi
Leave it to the Republican manly men to hide behind children. Isn’t that what they say cowardly terrorists do? That you need them to protect you from such folks? I think they’ve spun around one too many corners.
Richard 23
This reminds me of The Dead Zone. Near the end the President (Martin Sheen) shields himself from a potential assassin by holding up a baby. I can’t remember if that had a happy ending or not….
Geoduck
Appearantly the “daycare center” comment was metaphorical, and the press conference was held at a local college. Still pretty creepy and stupid.
The Asshole Formerly Known as GOP4Me
So Foley held up an emergency supplemental military appropriations bill so that he could have legal cybersex with a page who was of age in Florida. So what? It’s not as if the vote didn’t pass eventually, so no harm, no foul.
Didn’t Clinton hold up LAX for an hour while he got his haircut once? I don’t recall any liberals calling for HIS head when that happened. And not one word was uttered on behalf of those unspeakably inconvenienced by this delay, including some who probably ended up getting into traffic accidents and other fatal situations they would otherwise have avoided by an hour had Clinton not cruelly detained them in the air.
Clinton’s transgression probably cost lives, Foley’s probably didn’t. As usual, the Democrats complain about a speck of dust in the GOP’s eye, while ignoring the beam jutting out of their own.
That’s the difference between the Democrats and the Republicans. And that’s why the Republicans are going to pick up some seats this November, skewed polls and leftist chest-thumping notwithstanding.