The Busk Stops... Over there

This is just getting too screwed up to even follow. The conspiracy theories are all over the place, but the Republicans still can't even get their own story straight.

You have Dennis Hastert who claims, "the buck stops here." And by here, he means anywhere but himself. Yesterday, Hastert placed the blame on Bill Clinton and George Soros, claiming this was all their doing. Once again, the fact that he is the House majority leader who is ultimately responsible for this is completely lost on him. (Hastert takes responsibility, but won't step down) This says nothing about the fact that ABC confirms that they received the e-mails from a republican. (Longtime Republican was source of e-mails)

You have fake news stories on the Drudge report claiming that the former page who's IMs shocked the world were just a prank. Conservatives are actually claiming that the former page "goaded" him into typing the sexual IMs as a prank. Yeah, because a man will check into rehab and then claim he was molested by a priest over a prank. You also have the three additional republican former pages who have come forward. (Three More Former Pages Accuse Foley of Online Sexual Approaches). And, lets say for just the sake of arguement that Foley was "duped" into the online sex conversation. You are trying to tell me that he, an elected official supposedly competent enough to be trusted with the running of this country didn't know better than to engage in an online sexual encounter with a minor?

You have the conservatives claiming it was a "network of gay staffers" who knew about Foleys online activities and were covering it up, even though it was the "network" of gay republican staffers who first notified Hastert of Foley's actions. (CBS Evening News Uncritically Reports ‘Gay Cabal’ Conspiracy Theory)

You have the same conservatives saying that the Foley scandal is a complete fabrication... but then claiming that the boys were of age, so Foley did nothing wrong. So, what is it? Were the IM's forged or were the boys of age? Don't try to make both arguments. (Ex-Page's Lawyer: Drudge's "Prank" Story "A Piece of Fiction")

Conservatives are also going on a homophobe witch hunt now. Lists of top republican staffers who are gay is being circulated in the GOP circles so as to purge the "open tent" party of undesirables.

The GOP would try to get their stories straight before trying to push the blame on others. It just shows how incompetent they are all around.

Update: This is so sad. Conservatives are now out there with a story that Democrats are refusing to take a polygraph test to prove that they didn't know anything about the Foley IMs. Oh, puuuhleeees. And who are the GOPers who are lining up for polygraphs? When Hastert takes a polygraph, then you can come talk to me.

Hastert's Unhappy Little Ho' Down

Things are getting bad on Capital hill to the embattled speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert.

Kirk Fordham, Foley's former Chief of Staff, and long time Republican staffer, came forward to state that he told Hastert about concerns he had about Foley's flirtations with congressional pages all the way back in 2003 (Ex-Aide To Foley Cites '03 Warnings).

Hastert can't remember this ever happening.

Fordham was the fourth Republican to come forward and claim they warned Hastert.

Rodney Alexander, Republican congressman of Louisiana claims to have told Hastert.

Hastert can't remember this ever happening.

House Majority Leader John A. Boehner, Republican of Ohio claims to have warned Hastert.

Hastert can't remember this ever happening.

Originally, Hastert claimed that Foley resigned so quickly that Hastert didn't even have a chance to ask Foley to resign.

Hastert apparently didn't remember that either and then claimed that he told Foley to take a hike.

Hastert said he was going to do something about Washington corruption after the Abramoff scandal. He forgot to do something about that also.

Currently, even FOX News is saying that Hastert is going to cost the GOP the House. But Hastert is refusing to go on his own (Hastert Rejects Calls To Give Up Leadership)

I wonder if Hastert will remember not to let the door hit him in the ass on the way out.

Gingrich Tries His Hand At Stand Up Comedy

Newt Gingrich tried his had at stand up comedy Sunday on Fox News by saying that the reason that Hastert didn't investigate the Foley e-mails earlier was because he was afraid of being called a gay basher.

Com'on... Republicans make a sport out of gay bashing. Half of their agenda is about gay bashing. Republican politicians compare homosexuals to Satanists and bestialitist. This is the party that believes homosexuality is a disease and that it is curable. the only thing that Republicans fear more than terrorist is being touched by a gay person.

Maybe if Foley was not so hemmed in by his own party and forced to live a lie, maybe he could have formed mature adult relationships with someone of his own age. Repression can screw with your mind and cause you to do things you would not normally do. If Foley is indeed an alcoholic, it most likely stemmed from his repressed sexuality as a form of self medication. He knew that he could never be honest with himself and others and still receive support from the GOP and its base.

So, Newt, lets be intellectually honest about this. Hastert didn't sweep this under the rug because he was afraid of being called a gay basher. He wept this under the rug because he wanted to remain the speaker and because it would anger the base that feeds on gay bashing.

GINGRICH: Well, you could have second thoughts about it, but I think had they overly aggressively reacted to the initial round, they would also have been accused of gay bashing. I mean, the original notes had no sexual innuendo and the parents did not want any action taken.

WALLACE: How would it have been gay bashing?

GINGRICH: Because it was a male-male relationship. And they had no -- there was no proof, there was nothing that I know of in that initial round that would have led you to say in a normal circumstance that this is a predatory person.

H/T MMFA

In related news, many of the conservatives are coming out to call for Hastert's resignation over the handeling of the matter. (Hastert Dismisses Call for Resignation Amid Foley Scandal & Pressure Grows for Republicans Over Foley Scandal). As well as adding more fear that the "permanent majority" that the GOP thought they had may not be so permanent. (After Foley, New Fears For the GOP).

Update: Even better than Gingrich's comedy routine is Katherine Harris's, Republican Candidate for senate in Florida. According to her, the Republicans knew nothing and it was in fact the Democrats and the media that knew about Foley and did nothing and it is all their fault. Crazy is as crazy does. The more I hear Harris speak, the more I think that there really was something was screwy in Florida's 2000 election. See the video clip at Wonkette.

GOP Knew Bout Foley As Far Back As 2001

It is kind of fun watching the fallout over this Foley thing. It is a sad situation for the pages, but the wingnuts are clamoring to shift blame. It is tough to spin something that is already out of control, and it is tough to claim that Democrats are politicizing that was being covered up for political reasons. The right wingers are all coming out of the wood works now to defend the situation. Over at the right wing blogs like Gateway Pundit, they are claiming that the age of consent is 16 in D.C. therefore there was nothing wrong with Foley's actions. They are also claiming that the e-mails were doctored and that this is just a conspiracy.

Over at the Right Wing Nuthouse, they are also talking about the conspiracies. Apparently, since ABC news and other organizations had these documents earlier and didn't report them, they are the bad guys because they were allowing a sexual predator to run free. I guess the fact that GOP leadership knew about these problems as far back as 2001 and did nothing to investigate the issue escapes them.

If all elese fails, attack the "liberal media." Its so sad... so sad...

GOP Staff Warned Pages About Foley in 2001
October 01, 2006 4:00 PM
Maddy Sauer and Anna Schecter Report:

A Republican staff member warned congressional pages five years ago to watch out for Congressman Mark Foley, according to a former page.

Matthew Loraditch, a page in the 2001-2002 class, told ABC News he and other pages were warned about Foley by a supervisor in the House Clerk's office.

Loraditch, the president of the Page Alumni Association, said the pages were told "don't get too wrapped up in him being too nice to you and all that kind of stuff."

...

Pages report to either Republican or Democratic supervisors, depending on the political party of the member of Congress who nominate them for the page program.

Several Democratic pages tell ABC News they received no such warnings about Foley.

Loraditch says that some of the pages who "interacted" with Foley were hesitant to report his behavior because "members of Congress, they've got the power." Many of the pages were hoping for careers in politics and feared Foley might seek retribution.
(Full Story)

H/T Smokey

Update: Ex-Rep. Foley Checks Into Rehab