I have written many articles and comments about the present Foleygate Scandal that is turning congress on its ear! It seems to me that many of the important issues have been lost in the shuffle of comment and debate that has followed articles written by others and myself on this topic. It also seems to me that many have missed some pretty important points on this issue.
Therefore, in an attempt to put forth what I see as the important issues, as well as an attempt to answer some of the critics of the scandal, its investigation, and some of the probable outcomes of the investigation, I want to codify what I see as the pertinent issues. I also want to answer the critics. Finally, I want to impress upon all who read and comment here the immense importance of not allowing ourselves to be strayed from keeping our focus where it needs to be.
First and foremost, the Foleygate Scandal is about pedophilia, most specifically enticement to commit pedophilia via the internet. It is NOT about whether or not Foley is a homosexual. I don' think there is a question that he is, in fact, gay.
Frankly, I don't give a rat's ass whether or not Foley is gay. That issue is beside the point. Had he been sending his lurid, one-handed messages to females instead of males, his sexuality would have never been an issue. The only place where Foley's homosexuality is an issue is in the realm of the spin alchemists. Its importance is only incidental to the fact that he was committing enticement to pedophilia via the internet.
The spin alchemists are the only ones who are trying to sidetrack the discussion away from enticement to solicit pedophilia via the internet. Don't buy into that crap, or continue to speak on it. Foley's sexual identity is not the issue, and keeping it alive plays into the hands of the spin alchemists. Let's not give them any more power than they already possess. I'll say more on the spin alchemists later.
Secondly, in deference to a few that have implied that what Foley did wasn't a crime, I don't see how you can say that. Enticement to pedophilia is a crime. It was made a crime by the actions of Foley himself. He was the champion of the federal laws which made what he did a crime. Not only are his actions criminal, they are criminal specifically because he made them criminal. He is going to be tried AND convicted under laws he spearheaded into existence. This is what I see as the most wondrous irony of the Foleygate scandal.
Thirdly, to all those who are complaining about this scandal diverting attention from other more pressing matters, please don't be so shortsighted on the issue. Yes, in fact, this scandal is diverting attention from the Abramoff scandal, the passing of the torture bill, the continued Iraq war fiasco, the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame, investigations into the disgrace that is the FEMA response to Hurricane Katrina, the lies upon which the Iraq War is built, and any possible conspiracy on America's part with regard to the attacks on 9/11, and many other important issues.
However, please don't forget what I have said on so many occasions: "Americans love the lurid!" There have been forty subpoenas handed down in the upcoming investigation into Foleygate. This fact alone more or less guarantees the investigation is going to be in progress at least up to November 7, if not continuing long after that date. The disgust that many Americans have towards congress could shape up to shift the balance of power in congress from the Republicans to the Democrats.
As to this point, whether or not you believe the Democrats will do a better job, I find it hard to believe they could do any worse. I'm not saying they couldn't. I am saying I can't at this point see how they could. Whether or not you believe that the Democrats are as dirty as the Republicans, the point remains the shake-up of congress would be good for America, if only in the short run. Ergo, don't say we won't do any better with Democrats at the helm of congress. We have no real way of knowing until that event comes to pass.
In my opinion, it's better to be united behind the Democrats than to be unfocused and let the Republicans have their way with the government any more than they already have. Whether or not both political parties are dirty is an issue to be dealt with later, not now. What is important now is to insure that this investigation into governmental corruption is not the last. I believe the only way that will happen is if congress changes from Republican control to Democratic control. If we keep the status quo, then there is no hope for any other investigations that might uncover even more unspeakable truth.
Fourth, not only should the actions of Foley be scrutinized, the actions of Fat Hastert and other Republican power holders in congress should also be placed under the microscope. It is not only a question of who knew what when; it's also a question of responsibility to report the goings on as a crime to either local police, or the FBI, as enticement to pedophilia is a federal crime. Those who failed to report it as a crime are equally as guilty as Foley for what happened. That holds true for any Democrats who may have gotten wind of this scandal, yet kept silent. Anyone, and I mean anyone regardless of party affiliation, level in congress, house of congress, or any other governmental agency who had any knowledge that it was happening, yet stood idly by as nothing was done needs to lose their jobs or seats in congress.
Fifth, the kids who are victims of Foley's advances are not at fault. The things I have read that have incensed me the most on this issue are those who defend Foley's actions because some of the pages may have "egged him on", or "played along". Frankly, I don't care if they went over to his house with their zippers undone and their erect cocks hanging out in front of them. Whether they were six or sixteen, whether they played along, or were completely and utterly repulsed by his one-handed typing exercises, they ARE minors, PERIOD!
The laws he wrote do not take into account the willingness of the minor in question to be a party to enticement to pedophilia. Yes, there are, in fact, many teen-aged minors who are turned on to the thought of having sex with adults. I was one of them when I was at that age. I never found any willing adults, but there sure were plenty of boys my age who were more than willing to do the nasty with me.
Once again, that is beside the point. Foley was SUPPOSED to be the responsible party. He was the adult. It was up to him to nix the goings on. It wasn't up to the kids. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have been approached on the internet by under-aged young men who want to have the same kind of one-handed discussions in which Foley participated. When I had Yahoo MESSenger, it was not uncommon at all. I handled them all the same way, I placed the offending youth on my ignore list.
I did this for two reasons. First, to me, it smelled a lot like a set-up for entrapment. With the present state of the internet, and all the pedophile stings going on, the last thing I am going to do is talk with anyone that identifies himself as under the age of eighteen. Secondly, I don't have time to waste with kids. I don't find sex with minors stimulating in any way. I had my time of breaking in virgins, and talking dirty with under-aged kids. That time ended with my eighteenth birthday. Since that time, ALL of my sexual play has been limited to adults over the age of eighteen. Now that I am in my forties, I usually don't have time for adults under the age of twenty-five, but that's a personal thing, and isn't really germane to the issue at hand. Suffice it to say, whether or not some of the pages in question were willing, that doesn't make Foley's actions right.
Sixth, damage control is just about out of the question. Yes, Flush Lintball, Anne Coulter, Swill OhReally, and Sean Insannity are all suddenly the biggest supporters of the American Homosexual. They are hoping that like so many, if they change the story from a pedophile using his power to abuse minors to a question of homosexuality, they might defuse the issue and take the wind out of the investigation's sails.
Whether or not Foley had a successful political career depends on how you look at it. If political success is measured by mendacity, hypocrisy, and betrayal of trust, then yes, he had a successful career, and yes, it's all pretty much behind him now. However, if you measure political success by helping people, being trustworthy, and honest, then Foley fails miserably. In that case, it's a good thing he is no longer working as a public servant.
I read an article on Foleygate in Time Magazine today. It provided a rather comprehensive and surprisingly spin free assessment of the situation. There was one particular passage that really caught my eye, let me share it with you now.
"G.O.P leaders are so desperate to find someone else to blame, that they have been reduced-with no indication they see the irony-to blaming a vast left-wing conspiracy. 'The people who want to see this thing blow up,' [Fat] Hastert told the Chicago Tribune, 'are ABC News and a lot of Democratic operatives, people funded by George Solos,' the liberal financier who has just become a bogeyman of the right. [Fat] Hastert went on to say, without producing any proof, that the revelation was the work of Bill Clinton's operatives. But that line of argument, of course, suggests that Republicans would have preferred to keep Foley's secrets locked away, presumably at the pages' peril. And the Democrats for once are showing the good sense to stay out of the way when the other side is self-destructing. Sighed one of the younger House Republican aides who sits in on key meetings, 'Foul play on the Democrats' side? If that's the only card left to play, we are in serious trouble.'"
Source: Time, October 16,2006, Pg. 34
You know, there are times in life when people should really take a long hard look at what they are trying to say. In the scramble to spin the story, the Republicans and the spin alchemists are so busy trying to put this thing in a more friendly light, they neglect to even consider whether or not their spin is helping matters, or hurting them. It is clear from the excerpt above that Fat Hastert has no clue that by saying what he said, he is admitting that the biggest problem he sees on this issue is not the abuse by Foley, but the fact that ABC News got wind of the story in the first place. If he's trying to make himself and his party look like good guys, he's really going about it the wrong way. Following a Mia Culpa with a, "but it's THEIR fault," just looks tacky, and doesn't help them look like they are as contrite about the situation as decorum demands.
But what can you expect? He knows his goose is cooked. Even though in other parts of the Time story it is said that Fat Hastert's job might not be in as much peril as it may seem, it is clear to me at least, he's not too sure he's going to survive the fallout of the investigation.
If he knew, and let it continue, then he shouldn't survive. His job as a public servant (as well as all members of congress) is first and foremost to serve the public. It is not to keep his seat in congress, cover up scandals, lie to the public, or allow congressional pages to continue to be abused by a pedophile. Since it's obvious that he did the latter things and didn't serve the public interest (or the interests of the pages for that matter), he has no right to sit in the chair he is sure to lose.
I find it hard to have any empathy or sympathy for Foley, Fat Hastert, or any of the other antagonists in this congressional melodrama. The only ones for whom I feel empathy or sympathy are the pages. They will have to go through their lives dealing with the fallout of this scandal. Whether they were active participants in the goings on, or true victims, the stain of this scandal will be on their names from now until their deaths. This is so wrong!
Blessed be!
Pappy
by
Pappy (61 articles, 0 quicklinks, 11 diaries, 863 comments)
on Thursday, October 12, 2006 at 4:54:41 AM
