Aren't there more urgent matters at hand than Mark Foley?

[devilgrrl]

Here's to Bernie Ward and Thom Hartmann for calling this for what it is.... a diversion!

The GOP are perverted hypocrites - that's been known for years.

Foley is disgusting!

NEXT!

Let's talk about Iran, Condi's depleted capacity to remember anything, the possibility of another stolen election, and the plethora of other misdeeds administered by the Bush Crime Family. They effect living being on earth.

I'm just saying. :shrug:

[madame defarge]

1. Ya gotta go with what plays in Peoria.

And what's playing in Peoria now is Foley's follies. That's what's resonating with people because they get it.

None of us are forgetting one thing on the exhaustive list of reasons to vote these bums out, but we've got to use the gifts that are given us when they're still new.

[Fierce]

2. No one gets mad when we talk about the war,

Rice's lying, stolen elections. They get mad about this. If it works, I say go for it.

[BOSSHOG]

7. Actually I get

batshit insane boiling mad about the iraq ugliness and crimes of the bush gang of thugs. But we are on the same team so I don't need convincing.

[Fierce]

11. Yeah, I meant

"no one we're trying to convince." We're all stewing away, I know, but many elsewhere aren't.

[hfojvt]

55. no one outside of the choir you meant

It is hard for me to get angry about the war though. It is blindingly clear that I was right back in February 2003 that we should not have started this war. However, now that it has started, it is hard for me to imagine a happy ending. It is now a no-win scenario with no way to put the cat back in the bag.

[BOSSHOG]

3. I think we need a bigger front burner

I find it nice to figure out which disgusting republican scandal to chat about next. Whatever we push to the front is nothing but negative news for the gop. Condi and woodward will stay on the front page as will foley. Just imagine what gop scandal will pop up come this Friday.

[Demit]

4. OK. Iran is scary. Rice is a short-timer. Let's GOTV! The BCF sucks.

Now you.

:)

[TahitiNut]

5. A cow in a stampede is more afraid of being trampled by the cows behind...

... than falling off the unseen cliffs in front.

[LynneSin]

6. If Foley can help us get back control of Congress then go for it

I mean it's one thing that Foley was a sick perv, but it's another thing that Republican leaders were aware of what Foley was doing and chose not do anything about it. We need 16 house seats - let's start knocking them away. Then in 2007 we can focus on getting this war finished

[a la izquierda]

8. Exactly what I've been thinking all day. N/T

[wicket]

12. It's the COVERUP

You got that right Lynn!

[SoCalDem]

17. B I N G O ...gotta get the foot in the door

and this is a HUGE foot...

This rocks all republicans back on their heels, because EVERY one of them who dares approach a microphone will be asked about this. and every association they had with Foley will be called into question..

It puts them on defense....for once !

[triguy46]

26. Yep, its called getting control of congress...

and if this opportunity will help accomplish that, so be it.

[LostinVA]

32. Bingo, Lynnester

[LynneSin]

35. How many times have we joked around about this...

"I wish someone would give Bush a blowjob"

We have hit so many scandals with this administration and none of them stick because basically they bore the general population. How are people to be upset about War, Violence and Torture when for $49.99 I could buy a video game and do it myself or rent a video and watch it. Our entire country is desensitized to stuff like this.

But sex sells and the creepier it is, the morbid curiosity of the public will expand. And here's another thought - these religious folks are not keen on voting for politicians who have had questionable sexual backgrounds. Probably one of the biggest reasons that Mark Pryor (D) was able to oust Tim Hutchison for Arkansas Senator was because of Hutchison getting divorced to marry the staffer he had an affair with. The same thing is happening in PA-10 where a congressional seat that was a guaranteed win (in 2004 the guy won with 92% of the vote and he had a dem opponent) is now actually favoring the democratic challenger.

Sex sells and to me, I'm not sure what disgusts me more: Foley actually doing this (and still doing it from what I've read), the republicans knowing about his actions for years or the fact that even today you have screeds like Coulter, Limbaugh, all of Fox News and a host of other screeds not only DEFENDING the republicans & Mark Foley but actually finding blame with both the democrats and the KIDS involved.

Sex Sells. I didn't start this scandal, nor did I hide it for years and neither did I stumble upon it and expose it. But it's out there and I'm going to take full advantage of it if it means getting rid of the republicans.

Hey - PM me your address, your real one!

[LostinVA]

39. See, this would completely turn off my RW Granny

She loooooves GWB and the Repubes.... forget torture, etc.... but, bring on messing around with kids? No frigging way. And, that goes for the GOP apologists -- she'd vote for Lucifer Himself before a Repube right now.

PMed. Don't post it at FR.

[LynneSin]

42. I was going to send you pumpkin pie tastykakes

but the website doesn't offer them for sale

:cry:

[LostinVA]

63. *sob*

You got me all excited FOR NOTHING.

*sob*

[deathdog]

40. Exactly!! Don't look a gift horse in the mouth!

The polite response is a simple "Thank you!".

[LSK]

61. 15 seats - the Foley seat is ours now

[LynneSin]

62. Oh there is at least 3 seats we'll pick up

I think Delay's will probably be ours and there is a 3rd one pretty much coming back to us. Plus I think PA-10 will switch (home of Don "The Adulterer" Sherwood - Republican of course) and at least 1-2 other seats in Pennsylvania. Lois Murphy looks to pick up PA-06 and we're running tight ships in both PA-07 and PA-08

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

9. Frankly, no.

It turns out that the people who want war with Iran, want to do away with Habeus Corpus, want to steal elections, etc. are child molestors. That's pretty damn important if you ask me.

[Cha]

28. Well stated! n/t

[bigbrother05]

10. I'm with the writer

I'm very concerned about our Constitution, and all the Power given to bush.
this is just a diversion, people understand sex.
but I hate when we all fall into the trap

[Iwasthere]

36. i agree

Democracy is lost if we fail

[RufusEarl]

13. I'm starting to look forward to the friday news dump,

from the GOP. We all know about the bigger fish to be fried, but Joe six pack want pay attention until you mention SEX!!

[Imagevision]

14. Yes, exposing Rice for lies, deception, but that will come after 11/07/06.

[w4rma]

15. Nope. Go with the flow.

Besides I'm a bit disgusted with folks saying that we should move on from this, while it is unfinished before the appropriate people have been punished, which I consider very important (pedophelia in Congress).

[WI_DEM]

16. Yes, it's a diversion which helps the democrats for a change!

[ryanus]

18. I think it all kind of goes together

I hope people start to understand that this is not some isolated incident, that there are power0hungry people in office, and that there really are bad things going on behind the scenes with a lot of these guys. Sometimes we get a glipse of these things by a sex scandal, sometimes a lie, sometimes a conflict to get us to look the other way, something vote fraud, sometime weird rituals in the woods, sometimes they manufacture violence. The issues aren't so separate in my my mind. These are bad dudes. Whatever gets people to open their eyes is a good thing.

[meldroc]

19. Yeah, I'm disturbed.

No conspiracy here, but I'm disgusted that we see nothing but apathy when it comes down to the bungling of Katrina, the gross negligence (at minimum) that allowed 9/11 to happen, the lies that started the Iraq war, the deaths and maimings of our troops, torture, brutality, Halliburton fraud, corruption and the loss of our civil liberties; but when we see a Congressional sex scandal, all of the sudden everyone's panties are in a bunch.

Still, since we have the opportunity, we might as well make use of it.

[bunny planet]

20. Yes, I should think we'd be able to focus on both.

There needs to be just as many 'Condi lied about 9/11 meeting' threads as updates on Foleygate.
Please, this is a huge story but the other is enormously important to keep in the public eye.
The Foley story is most definitely bumping the other story out of the way. We can't let that happen.

[sandnsea]

21. Republicans can't be trusted

This is just another example of the culture of corruption and how these people will do anything to protect their party instead of the people. You can't trust them, not with your money, not with your security, not even with 100 kids who are right under their noses.

These people sold middle America on the idea that they were more trustworthy than the hedonist Democrats. Well, they're not.

That's why this isn't just a diversion. The GOP has NOT been known as perverted hypocrites - until now.

[endarkenment]

22. I say hit them with everything we've got.

Iraq Iran Torture Katrina Foley Corruption Liars LIHOP

Why should we be holding back on anything?

[smoogatz]

23. You'd think so--but you'd be wrong.

The Foley fiasco is unequivocal--there's a clear-cut victim, and no way to blame the Democrats (so far) or accuse them of doing the same thing. You may not care if "terrorists" are being "aggressively interrogated," but nobody likes a pedophile--especially one that belongs to the "you're going to hell and I'm not" party. Who cares which component of the big Repig implosion ultimately flips the congress? What matters is winning one or both houses, whatever it takes. I want Conyers to have subpoena power, and short of breaking the law, I could give a shit how he gets it.

[Swamp Rat]

24. Bernie Ward and Thom Hartmann are wrong about this

Yes, it may be a 'diversion,' but if it helps us retake Congress, then it is the best thing since the invention of ice cream.

Of course there are much more important issues like, the death of the Magna Carta, domestic spying, war, nuclear bomb proliferation, healthcare, jobs, and TAKING BACK CONGRESS so that we can address those issues.

If the Foley scandal causes repukes to stay home next month, then it is worth it. There's nothing more offensive to repukes than a sex scandal because it reminds them of who they really are deep down inside - perverts.

[LostinVA]

33. You can't make lemonade without the lemons

Foley is the lemons... taking back Congress is the lemonade. I'm reveling in this.

Hartmann and Ward are mistaken about this.

[warrens]

25. Yup, just another Rovian plot...NOT

[MrCoffee]

27. There's nothing more urgent than Nov. 7, and if this helps us, fantastic.

[radfringe]

29. sex sell

[LynneSin]

31. I've been reading your cartoon everyday

and giving it a 5 stars!

I have mycomics bookmarked so I can read For Better or For Worse, Doonesbury and Boondocks so now I'm checking yours out too!

[radfringe]

68. THANKS! :)

and just an FYI - you can also sign up on the comic sherpa
to have them e-mailed to you ( http://www.comicssherpa.com/site/feature?uc_comic=cscwc )

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

30. Do You Not Recognize That This Issue Is The Biggest Goddamn Thing That

has fallen in our laps in a hell of a long time? Do you and others fail to comprehend the gravity of this situation and how absolutely disgusting and shameful it is to have in our halls of congress? Do you not understand that this issue on its own can derail the GOP momentum and agenda heading into the November elections more than ALL OF THE OTHER ISSUES COMBINED? Are you so blind as to see that the other topics you mentioned are in fact still being discussed on DU, but that DU as a whole is intelligent enough to recognize the gravity of THIS situation and its heavy capability of turning things in our favor? Do you not grasp the reality that this unbelievably powerful and shameful scandal is by far more capable of reaching mainstream voters and therefore having the legs we seek to open voters minds to help us regain the majority in Congress, which in the end is what we are all after?

God, these threads undermining the Foley issue make zero sense to me. In politics, it is wise to take what you can get to help you reach your desire. Since our desire is to win back congress, and there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING that can assist us in doing that more readily than this incident, why in the fucking world should we be bashing it? It is completely 100% illogical and utterly foolish. Posters who keep declaring this "buh buh buh but it's a ddddistraction" meme do so with this absolutely foolish and silly premise that if the Foley incident hadn't occurred, the other topics would actually be gaining the widespread attention instead. I mean, have you not been paying attention the last couple of years? Have you not seen issue after issue get swept under the rug before it ever even came close to reaching mainstream america's outrage? Do you really think that in the absence of the Foley issue these topics all of a sudden would've broken through? Are you kidding me?

Get a grip. We are still discussing and attempting to educate others on the other issues you mention. But they are just never going to have the legs right now that this Foley story does. And besides, if you don't think a congressman being a sexual predator while on the job and his leadership turning a blind eye to it while he continues to lead a task assigned with keeping children from being exploited is a serious and important issue, then I truly feel for you.

You must understand that we at DU have more than enough capability to discuss multiple things at a time. We are also smart enough to recognize the things that will help us out politically to the best degrees. Don't be all bitter at us for recognizing that and riding the thing that is most likely to help us achieve ALL OF OURS COMMON GOAL, which is taking back congress.

Don't fuckin look a gift horse in the mouth, I like to say.

[BattyDem]

41. Well said!

:applause:

[MrCoffee]

45. Standing Ovation!!!! HEAR HEAR!!!

:applause::applause::applause:

[SeattleGirl]

53. I could not have said this better myself, OMC.

It always amazes me when people react as if none of us can focus on more than one thing at a time. Maybe the MSM seizes on ONE issue and ignores everything else, but I know there are many many people on DU and elsewhere who have the capacity to multi-focus, if you will.

Sometimes, threads like this READ like this:

Torture - DISTRACTION - Abrahmoff - DISTRACTION - Torture Bill - DISTRACTION - Foley - DISTRACTION. Makes me wonder what the bottom line issue IS that we are being distracted from, since everything that comes up is a distraction. :eyes:

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

56. The Hilariously Ironic Part About It Is, That Many Of These Posters Are

the same ones that would be moaning and groaning if the Foley story WASN'T getting so much attention. If this story wasn't being discussed so heavily, and didn't break through like it has, we'd be hearing them complaining just as heartily "the MSM sucks! How could they not be outraged at this! What is wrong with americans! This is HUGH!!!!111".

It seems to me that some people are just never friggin satisfied and will just find reason to complain about anything. If it isn't one thing, it's another. Truly sad in my opinion.

[SeattleGirl]

59. Exactly.

Hmmm, I guess in this case, the :banghead: smilie would work just fine! :rofl:

[bobbolink]

34. So, talk already.

I'm just sayin' :shrug:

[Justice Is Comin]

37. NO, this is what takes us to the promised land.

[BattyDem]

38. Whatever works

If it takes Foley to get Congress back, so be it.

[mmonk]

43. Absolutely

However, this is America. The population doesn't understand what's going on, how their government is supposed to work, and they listen to liars. But they can understand a sex scandal so we are going with that right now.

[npincus]

44. whatever gets us victory in Nov- if this is it, so be it.

don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

[Tyo]

46. No kidding!

They nailed Al Capone on tax evasion for crissakes and this Foley-and-the-underage-pages thing is worse than that if you ask me. Whatever brings 'em down.

[bdamomma]

60. yes, and the media is just lapping this up

hopefully this will make the repigs crash and burn.

[ljm2002]

47. No, no more urgent matters...

...really, I'm not kidding.

For those of you who have had the misfortune to work in Corporate America, there's this time management matrix with 4 boxes: not important / not urgent; urgent but not important; important but not urgent; and both urgent and important. IOW there is a difference between how important something is, and how urgent it is. Since this thing just broke a few short days ago, and it may help us to retake Congress, and the midterms are coming up in a few short weeks -- I'd say this is SIRENS BLARING URGENT.

But that's just me.

[Rex]

48. How can this be a diversion? It is just another sick chapter

in the saga of the GOP. Why is it everytime something 'pops' up and takes center stage, it is a diversion? These things always get replaced by another new sick tale by the GOP/PNAC/BFEE. I think people who call these things 'diversions' are incapable of seeing the big picture.

[Hawkowl]

49. Not for election purposes

This is what is going to get lots of press AND it destroys the Rethuglican base's will to vote. Remember last election when all the pundits just went on and on about how the "gay marriage" theme is what turned out the fundies in droves and gave shrub the election? If this keeps up, and taints the House leadership, the fundies are going to stay home because they've got nobody "worthy" of voting.

This is going to be the Gang Of Pedophiles "stained blue dress". Hopefully the final nail in the coffin for this election.

Here's looking at a Democratic LANDSLIDE.

[karlrschneider]

50. Yeah there are, but not to voyeurs.

...

[Beelzebud]

51. It's not a diversion, it's opening the door to all those other issues.

The Republican trust has been DESTROYED.

Many people I know who are apolitical are now linking everything. This was the final straw, and now people are open to listening to us about all those otehr issues.

When you're out there, talk about all those other issues! People are open to hearing about it now!

[onenote]

66. exactly right!!

credibility. The repubs have just shot themselves in the foot and lost their credibility. Which makes people more willing to consider the other things we have been trying to point out about their failed stewardship of the nation. It makes the argument "Time for a change" ring even more clearly and strongly.

[rodeodance]

52. The urgent matter at hand is to BRING DOWN THE Repugs. If this does

it--so be it.

[Garbo 2004]

54. & those issues are generally ignored by good percentage of voting public.

But as we know, sex gets people's attention. No need to learn about international treaties, laws, intel reports, actual facts, to intellectually grasp what it is, means and why it's important.

Sex gets attention. A guy getting away with sexually harassing (if not worse) teens and his buddies in Congress covering up for him for years is something those who don't follow politics and policy can get right away. They see Dateline's shows on online sexual predators and then they see this guy getting away with it for years....only resigning when he's publicly busted, hoisted by his own IM's.

Maybe you think the prospect of winning back the House is a diversion? And don't see how this self-inflicted GOP scandal helps?

Without one or both houses of Congress, all we will have is more talk and no real power to effectively address those other issues you mentioned. Talk about whatever you will, no one's stopping you. But try to see what's somewhat bizarrely happening....Foley's seat now up for grabs (it wasn't before) and a Dem may well pick up the seat. Hastert's on the hot seat among his own party. And Reynolds might also be wounded by his inaction and purely political response to the issue then and now---last Friday his chief of staff tried to bribe ABC with an "exclusive" on Foley's resignation if ABC withheld running a story on the sexually explicit IM's.

The GOP's been caught flat footed and is defensive about this little timebomb they let go on until it blew up in their faces. But politically it is more than a "diversion" to a lot of the voting public and the GOP knows it. Maybe it's just the icing on the cake for taking back Congress.

[bdamomma]

57. true there are more important things to think about

but have some sort of scandal, it catches everyone attention, now, maybe they know what kind of perverts there are in this regime.

[Irreverend IX]

58. GAY SEX SCANDAL

Joe America's brain cells will burn out if we try to explain to him what habeas corpus is, but his eyes will light up when he hears those three words posted above. The Foley story has a hundred times more power to grab the country's attention than any story about Condi or Bob Woodward, and that's really all that matters.

[RufusEarl]

64. Was this Roves October surprise?

:woohoo:

[SeattleGirl]

65. Hey Karl: SURPRISE!!!!

If he was behind it (and I seriously doubt it), looks like the joke's on him and all the sick fucking perverts in the White House and Congress.

[countryjake]

67. Evidently, not to the MSM, the propaganda arm is working overtime on it...

we're being instructed to go with the flow, keep the ball moving, yammer about the things that really matter in this mighty super-bowl of "democracy", while the charlatans of complicity bicker over points on each side of the scoreboard, huddle with one another on how best to strengthen their power, and they glibly slam shut the gates of the grandstand.

We're locked in here now and we haven't much choice but to be rabid fans of their fascist football game, root for our "teams" and recite the proper cheers, as they remove our rights and conspire the drill for future "away games".

Some rabble rousers are gathering over at the concession stand, insisting that principles are being sacrificed, there's serious cheating going down...that no matter who wins, the rights and yardage that took centuries to gain will have been forever lost. But no, we hear sternly from the loudspeakers, Pay No Attention to that Crowd, they are on the wrong side and security will handle it; such distractions will conveniently be disappeared, shortly. Move along, nothing to see here...oh, LOOK, the Blues picked up that fumble, quick, get back to your seats and cheer!

[pitohui]

69. no, there is an election coming up, and the foley issue is a winner

there is NOTHING more urgent than getting the grand old perverts out of the house and senate by any legal means necessary

the party of perversion and hypocrisy must have its feet held to the fire

if you care about soldiers in iraq, you'll hammer hard on foley, hastert, and the rest of the evil crew, they ain't ever coming home if the same old crowd gets re-selected