Deflection Disection and Demonification
As I follow the Mark Foley "Innocence Lost" tour, I get curious about what the Fighting Keyboarders are typing. I try not to rail against the furious in Right Blogistan. Sometimes, though, it’s hard to resist.
My first foray led me to a site called Passionate America which took the stance that the MSM is doctoring data in the form of minor edits to published Foley emails. We’re talking punctuation, here. This pundit’s big question is - writ in red, no less - "Who Altered Foley’s Emails?" Let me be the next to say, a missing apostrophe does not a conspiracy make, fool! It seems the larger issues of congressional sexual misconduct and the attendant hypocrisy by a member of the Caucus of Missing and Exploited Children are too much for this little mind.
The good Captain, celebrating his third blogiversary, (Congrats!) goes after speaker Hastert for his hand-off approach to a hands-on situation. One for the record books: I agree with the Captain: boil ‘em in oil, those foul beastians who look askance who pretend it will go away! (Okay, so I missed pirate-talk day. Whatever.) The Captain is casting wide for expulsion of Speaker Hastert for doing nothing since last year.
Malodorous Michele sharpens her scalpel on the whole issue. She condemns Mark Foley easily enough, but is carefully avoiding casting her net too wide. She can’t avoid altogether the possibility of a complicit GOP, but no names are offered. How adroit.
There is a time and place for attacking the Dems and the MSM. Now is not that time. Parents need assurance that their kids are safe on Capitol Hill. If Beltway GOP elites can’t understand this, they are beyond hope.
Then there’s LGF, the site you love to hate. A loud silence is heard from that quarter, as the only mention of Mark Foley is circular link to the email- altering non-question. No scathing editorial about ethics, protection of children… nothing. I guess the whole thing is okay with them. Such a little thing couldn’t distract them from their focus in terror 24/7/365.
Next, onto Freeperland followed by a careful washing of hands. A quick search of the word "Foley" small results. A blurb about how the President is "Disgusted," and a notion about how ABC News is (apparently to some) playing up the story in a possible effort to "make up with the Democrats," after taunting them with the 9/11 docudrama thingy. Next up, a scathing attack against the NY Times for - get this - running over a Republican:
For the Times’ editors, sexual perversion in political Washington is always a sideline issue. Nothing has changed at the Times; they will run with a sex scandal only if they can run over a Republican. This morning, they glance over Congressman Foley’s alleged behavior, move on to their target, and totally ignore that a watchdog group and members of the media may have let children remain at risk.
Just how free is this republic lately?
That’s about all I can stand of the polluted waters of Right Blogistan. It sometimes amazes me how quick we humans are to defile each other. While I believe Mr. Foley escaped the worst of possibilities by his quick resignation, and I believe much needs to be done in congress with a pervasive look-away attitude toward their peers (both parties), it nevertheless amazes me how quickly the carrion dogs feed.
This reminds me of an important moral lesson I learned from my cat: Don’t Shit Where You Eat. Humans, I’m reminded once again, tend to do that.