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The Foley Sex Scandal In Red And Blue

If you want objective and thoughtful insights into reports of an online sexual relationship between Republican Rep. Mark Foley of Florida and a former congressional page, don't spend your time on political blogs.

But if you want to see just how differently folks in red and blue America see the world, the blogs that are chattering about the sex scandal are a great place to start. You also may be impressed by the amazing talent of bloggers to spin the news to their own advantage and to connect totally unrelated events. I know I was.

Here's the way Democratic bloggers see the scandal:

-- Americablog: "When Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-La., first learned about the Foley e-mails, he went to Rep. Tom Reynolds, the chair of the GOP House campaign committee. Not the Ethics Committee. Not the Speaker. Not the Capitol Police. He went to the top GOP House political operative."

-- Balloon Juice: "That is the kind of committment and dedication to duty that we have grown to expect from this corrupt Congress and loathesome administration. And you wonder why the war in Iraq is such a mess- these are the do-nothing fools providing the oversight.'"

-- Crooks and Liars: "The clerk reads the resolution calling for an ethics investigation into Foley. Republicans boo [Minority Leader] Nancy [Pelosi] when she asks for a recorded vote. With a huge sex scandal brewing, they boo Nancy. I think they should take a long look in the mirror."

-- The Huffington Post: "What's illuminating is the congressman's behavior. Sending text messages and e-mails? As if he could never be caught; as if he was invulnerable. And it's exactly the kind of arrogance and poor judgment that has come to dominate the Republican Party."

-- MyDD: "This is getting good. The Republican leadership is starting to feed on itself."

-- Talking Points Memo: "I don't think cover-up is too strong a word since there was apparently an active effort to keep the allegations from the only Democrat who serves on the Page Board. That decision, I think, speaks volumes."

And here's the way Republican bloggers see it:

-- Captain's Quarters: "Democratic protestations on this matter seem rather hypocritical, given the history of their party and page scandals. ... I agree that the Republicans have some 'splaining to do. However, Democrats hardly covered themselves in glory when running the show for the last decade they controlled Congress in a situation that was objectively more serious than Foley's pathetic cyber-sex efforts."

-- GOP Bloggers: "I can't help but think that if Foley was a Democrat, Rahm Emanuel would be talking to reporters about a 'Republican smear campaign,' and his fellow Democrats would be rallying in his defense, the same way they do with Bill Clinton, who has been accused of everything from sexual harassment to rape."

-- GOPProgress: "I have no doubt that Foley's behavior, over the next few days and weeks, will become hotly politicized -- used by hothead liberals to bash Republicans and make us all look like perverted sickos, used by dimwitted conservatives to argue that many moderates are lacking in moral values. All such claims will be baseless and fatuous. "

-- Wizbang: "Twenty-odd years ago, members of Congress boinking underage pages was worth a censure, and barely worth running them out of office over. Nowadays, just talking dirty to them is enough to get you ridden out of town on a rail. Well done, Congress."

Michelle Malkin wrote the best post I have seen on the subject -- about the only one that didn't try to cast political blame but that instead focused the blame squarely on Foley and sympathy on the page and his parents.

"Rep. Foley's apparent abuse of office and lecherous communications with a 16-year-old boy -- during what should have been one of the best times in his life as a page in Washington -- is every parent's worst nightmare," she wrote. "It happens to both boys and girls, and all parents must be vigilant and immunize their children against predators early and often."

This bit of outrage from Mike Krempasky of RedState was refreshing, too. "There is no more place for Mr. Foley in our party than there was for David Duke. And our party's leaders ought to make it clear -- don't take one red cent from Foley's warchest. Refund it to his donors. Give it away. Burn it. Whatever. Just don't use it to elect Republicans."

Posted by Danny | 08:20 PM

Comments

You know, John Cole of Balloon Juice has reluctantly come around to the conclusion that voting Democratic this time around may be preferable to the alternative, but it would probably surprise him to find himself numbered among "Democratic bloggers."

forked tongue | 10.02.06 01:57 PM

Foley needs to go the joint like any other predator.

Doktor Fitness | 10.03.06 07:07 AM

Come on, people. Who [cares] about whose party has acted how in the past, present. He is a man who committed a crime. I don't care if he is a Democrat, Republican, or communist. What he did was wrong. Period. Calling the Democrats hypocrites is silly. This kind of [stuff] happens all the time no matter what a person's political affiliation is. The fact of the matter is that we are sending high-school students for a wonderful opportunity to work on Capitol Hill, and the adults in charge there are preying on them.

lynn | 10.03.06 05:10 PM

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