Even without watching TV news it’s hard to avoid the non-stop coverage of the Mark Foley scandal. There seems to be a feeding frenzy on all sides with plenty of ugly undercurrents tailored to fit various agendas. I know there’s no need for any more holier-than-thou pronouncements about Foley’s actions but I’ll give mine anyway and say that his creepy behavior with the underage pages makes my skin crawl and I definitely think he should be arrested (using some of the laws he helped to enact as chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children) if it comes out he had actual encounters with those teenage boys. Obviously he’s a sick guy with a case of arrested development and I hope he gets the help he needs. However, if I had sent my 16-year-old high school student to Washington for an exciting experience as a congressional page and then found out that an elected official was coming on to my kid in that way I would be out for blood.
I remember during my childhood that whenever some heinous action by an individual was reported in the news, whether it was murder, kidnapping, corruption, or even someone failing to file their income taxes, my parents would hold their breaths to see if the religion of the offender was mentioned in the story. If it became clear that the person in the spotlight was not Jewish, I could hear audible sighs of relief. All news stories went through my family’s “Is it good for the Jews?” filter. I guess they thought that if a Jewish person was guilty of any crime, it would somehow reflect badly on all Jews everywhere. Crazy thinking, but it still exists, including in my own head. Couldn’t you hear all the Democrats exhaling with relief that Foley was a Republican? And can you imagine the deafening drumbeat of condemnation that people like Dennis Hastert and others would be leading if Foley had been a Democrat?
I probably shouldn’t even be commenting on this story which is mercifully starting to die down but I just read a little item that compelled me to publicly state what an idiot Hastert’s predecessor Newt Gingrich is. The former House Speaker took the opportunity yesterday to condemn the Democrats because “their sex scandals are far worse.” Great, let’s move all focus onto which side has the most pervs rather than looking at how to better protect children from predators such as Foley. “What we don’t have to do,” Gingrich said, “is allow our friends on the left to lecture us on morality. There’s a certain stench of hypocrisy.” Well, I couldn’t agree more with that, and it’s the same stench that for years has been wafting off the Republicans who decided they were the keepers of moral values in the United States.
But cries of hypocrisy aside, why shouldn’t every citizen in this country be full of outrage, not only at Foley’s pathetic machinations and unbelievable arrogance but also at what is clearly a cover-up among the top echelons of the Republican leadership? The same people whose eyes rolled back into their heads and who practically started speaking in tongues every time Bill Clinton unzipped his fly. That is the stench that I’m finding particularly odiferous this week.
One unfortunate side effect of this brouhaha is the way that certain groups are using the fact that Foley is gay as an excuse to promote ugly biases about gay people. As if the vast majority of adult child predators aren’t heterosexual. Some gay groups have said that this is what happens when people remain in the closet. The implications of that seem way off to me although it’s true that Mark Foley reached new levels of hypocrisy and cowardice by his refusal to acknowledge his sexual preference even after being outed several times. During his last campaign, the five-term congressman called speculation that he was gay “revolting and unforgivable.” Huh? What was far more revolting was his pandering to the right-wing bigots of his home state of Florida, the only state in this country that still prevents gays and lesbians from adopting children. I hope that when the smoke clears from this mess that people will see that this is not a gay issue at all but one about protecting children from those who would do them harm.
This is why American politics is beginning to make people sick. It's like a game where we are rooting for the home team. You rarely hear anyone say anything positive about someone not in your party, or vice versa -- with the aim of political life seems to be to find an Achilles heel in the other side to them look bad. Foley has serious problems and everyone in the House should want him arrested. Republicans shouldn't be making excuses and Democrats shouldn't be using this as an excuse to call Republicans a bunch of creeps. None of this does the voting public a service, because both parties just treat us like a bunch of idiots.
The television commercials for California's November elections are already on TV, and as usual they say very little other than tearing down the other guy. No one says what they are going to do in office. It's just the other candidate is in the pockets of big business or big labor or the candidate's face is morphed into George Bush or some serial killer. It's this type of political environment that helps produce all the hypocrisy and nonsense that surrounds the Foley case. I predict that there will be a whole slew of Democrats elected to office by running a campaign that they "aren't George Bush" rather than putting forth any ideas of their own.
Posted by: Neil | October 05, 2006 at 02:48 PM
I think it's time for me to pretend that news and politics don't exist for the next 34 days. I am already starting to have panic attacks. I'll get all of my news from your blog, Danny -- how about that?
Posted by: Heather | October 05, 2006 at 02:56 PM
I agree Danny...What a mess this all is...And that each side it using this terrible situation to feather their political nests....OY!
Posted by: OldOldLady Of The Hills | October 05, 2006 at 04:53 PM
As you point out: just as we Jews say "Oy vey" when the offender is a member of our tribe, I wonder if the gay community is uttering a similar worry. But we should see any of our own miscreants as individuals -- not reflecting on us or tarnishing our lantsmans' good deeds. Foley represents only himself (okay, maybe some holier-than-thou Republicans), and his pathetic behavior says nothing about gays.
Posted by: Elaine Soloway | October 06, 2006 at 03:21 AM
I am at a loss for words. Can you believe that? That's why I am so pleased you wrote this post. Because I agree with every single word you have used here, Danny.
I mean, every single one.
Thank you.
Posted by: tamarika | October 06, 2006 at 05:32 AM
Election year... ads... scandals ... so ... tired ... must ... sleep ...
Thank you for reinvigorating me.
Posted by: david | October 06, 2006 at 10:05 AM
Incredibly well stated. The way the spin doctors are trying to deflect the damage is almost as disturbing as the actual crime ... and yes, it is a crime and he should be punished. My heart goes out to the victims (and their families).
Posted by: Deborah | October 07, 2006 at 08:15 AM
Again, very eloquently put, Danny. This has nothing to do with homosexuality - and everything to do with hypocrisy on the part of many, and with predatorial behavior on the part of a sick man.
Posted by: Elisabeth | October 07, 2006 at 08:34 AM
The whole thing gives me a headache. Such hopeless, circular politics. Excellent post - thanks for going ahead and saying what was on your mind.
Posted by: Adriana Bliss | October 08, 2006 at 12:25 PM
I can so relate to the "holding my breath" feeling... when you're fighting the good fight for civil rights, you cringe at the squeaky wheels whose actions turn an unfavorable light on the community. I may never get rid of that metality, myself... the holding of my breath. I assumed Foley was not gay. And then I wished he wasn't.
But, one step forward, two steps back is still forward movement. And I'll be grateful for every inch.
Great post.
~S
Posted by: Shephard | October 09, 2006 at 01:55 PM
great post Danny...I love how you always manage to say what's in my head.
Posted by: cruisin-mom | October 10, 2006 at 07:33 AM
It's disgusting that American politics is always reduced to protecting the party at all costs, that words and votes are bartered for power and not used for the common good.
Posted by: V-Grrrl | October 10, 2006 at 08:25 AM
Personally, I think it's hilarious. There's nothing I enjoy more than seeing these holier-than-thou, self-appointed guardians of our morals shown up for the hypocrites they truly are.
Schadenfreude, the Germans call it.
Posted by: PeteCO | October 11, 2006 at 05:11 AM
I completely agree. No additions necessary. You've said it all!
Posted by: Rebekah | October 27, 2007 at 07:18 PM
Hi guys. Liberals are very broadminded: they are always willing to give careful consideration to both sides of the same side.
I am from Tonga and learning to read in English, please tell me right I wrote the following sentence: "Although the other and electrophysiologic cells, which wigs become the screens to kill, have thick male ideas in the impairment of physical rejuvenative laboratory, the azelaic routes require it as a male radiotherapy with a breathable hair, taking role growth to its lice."
Thanks for the help 8-), Barry.
Posted by: Barry | September 03, 2009 at 02:19 PM