I'VE FIGURED OUT WHY THE FOLEY MESS HAS ME SO DURNED MAD

It's just this simple.  The Republicans acted like Democrats.  I expected more of them.  Perhaps that's been the problem with the Republicans for the last several years.  The spend like Democrats. They grow government like Democrats.  And now in the face of a sex scandal, they obfuscate like Democrats. 

Scandals involving pages are not new.  Do you remember Gerry Studds?  He was a Democrat congressman from Massachusetts  In 1983 Studds, and a Republican named Dan Crane were both caught having sexual relations with pages.  Crane a 17-year-old female, Studds a 17-year-old male.  Both admitted their wrongdoing ... and the House Ethics Committee decided to do nothing more than issue a reprimand to both. 

Crane apologized.  Studds refused to do so, saying that his sexual encounter with the male page was nobody else's business.  You might also be interested to know that Congressman Studds took his 17-year-old boy toy to Morocco for their little sex tryst.  Why?  So that he wouldn't be violating any laws here at home.  Studds was 46 years old at the time.  Did Studds' relationship with this boy bother Democrats at home in Massachusetts?  Evidently not.  He continued to be reelected until he retired in 1996.

One is left to wonder what would have happened in the Democrat-controlled House Ethics Committee if only Crane had been caught.  Was the punishment limited to reprimand only because there was also a Democrat involved?  . 

One thing we do know ... there was no Democrat House leader back then saying that Democrat leaders failed to protect the children in their trust.  That was left for Nancy Pelosi in the current scandal.  In the Studds matter no Democrat suggested that the Democratic leadership be questioned as to what they knew about Studds' behavior, as Pelosi is doing now. 

Trust me on this one.  Pelosi's main concern is not protecting "the children."  Her main concern now is maximizing the political advantage from this whole sordid mess. 

IT'S NOT ABOUT WHAT THE PARENT'S WANTED

The heat is on in the Speaker's office.  The Washington Times is calling for his resignation as Speaker.  That may seem a bit extreme and it's very likely that he will not step down.  At this point, the elections are only 5 weeks away...he may be stepping down from the Speaker's office come January anyway.

So far, it seems people have known about Foley for years....going back to at least 2001.  Evidently he had the habit of sending overly friendly, creepy e-mails to former Pages.  Hastert is saying that Republican leaders didn't know about Foley's more explicit text messages and emails until last Friday.  He also said that the parents of the Louisiana page didn't want the matter pursued.

Here's a small hint for Mr. Hastert.  It's not about what the parents wanted.  When you have any reason to suspect that you uncover what might be a pedophile you look into the matter.  You don't back off because the parents of the child involved say they don't want the matter pursued.  The parents don't get to chose whether or not the pedophile will turn his attention to another teenager.

Sorry ... we need a better excuse.

AND WHY DIDN'T THOSE FLORIDA NEWSPAPERS RUN THE STORY?

We've learned that both The Miami Herald and the St. Petersburg Times had copies of the email that started this whole mess.  They made decisions not to run with the story.  Why?  Tom Fiedler, the executive editor of the Miami Herald said "Given the potentially devastating impact that a false suggestion of pedophilia could have on anyone, not to mention a congressman known to be gay, and lacking any corroborating information, we chose not to do a story."

OK ... sounds plausible.  But let's also consider the possibility that these newspapers were concerned about a backlash from the gay community if they ran with the story about the emails.  This quite probably wasn't a decision based entirely on journalistic considerations.

THE NATION'S PEDOPHILES THANK MARK FOLEY

The conventional wisdom up to know has been that pedophiles can't be cured.  Some say that once a pedophile as acted on their sickness they need to be locked up for the rest of their lives.

I'm sure the nation's pedophiles and their families are now breathing a sign of relief since they've found out that all they have to do is check themselves into alcohol rehab!

Mark Foley .. Patrick Kennedy .. and who knows how many Hollywood celebrities .. when the going gets tough, head to rehab.

Not belittling rehab here.  My daughter is in that business ... but rehab isn't a refuge for scoundrels. 

THE REPUBLICAN'S INTERNET GAMBLING BILL

So tell me .. what right does the Imperial Federal Government of the United States have to tell a private business -- a credit card company or a bank -- that they cannot process payments that settle bets made on the Internet? 

This is a matter of freedom  When someone places a bet on the Internet nobody's rights are being violated.  No person is being denied their right to life, liberty or property through the placement of that bet.  There is no role for the government to play here.  Either we are free, or we serve as subjects to the government.  Do people lose money gambling on the Internet?  Of course they do!  People lose money investing in stock, bonds and futures contracts also!  Should we make them illegal as well?  Should we forbid American banks from processing payments made to buy stock or bonds? 

This is where the libertarian in me really gets ticked.  We in this country are going to have to make up our minds at some point.  Either we are going to move toward freedom, or we are going to continue moving toward a system where the particular group  in power gets to force its moral code on all others through the police power of government.

The sponsors of this bill will tell you that families are hurt by their breadwinners pissing all of that money away on Internet gambling.  Perhaps so.  Shall we sit down right now and make a list of all of the human activities that can end up hurting a family? 

Let's start with smoking.  Smokers make less money.  Smokers are sick more often.  Smokers pay higher rates for insurance.  Smokers die sooner.  Smokers pay much, much more for basic medical care.  Smokers make those who live and work with them ill.  For these reasons and more perhaps we should just outlaw tobacco!   Frankly, one of the reasons I would like to see that is just because I know how completely nutso the smokers would go.

What about overeating?  Overeating and becoming a fat pig leads to health problems and, in many cases early death.  Well, looks like we have a negative affect on the family here, don't we?  How about another federal law ... this one banning overeating.

TAKING ORDERS FROM MEXICO

Outgoing Mexican President Vicente Fox is upset about the 700-mile border wall that was approved by both houses of Congress last week.  The bill is now headed for President Bush's signature.  In case Mr. Fox didn't know, we have a bit of a problem with millions of his countrymen (and women) streaming across our border and entering this country illegally.

So El Presidente is urging Bush to veto the bill.

Hey, Amigo!  This is an internal matter.  Butt out!

According to a spokesman for Vicente Fox:  "The Mexican government strongly opposes the building of walls in the border area between Mexico and the United States.  This decision hurts bilateral relations, goes against the spirit of cooperation needed to guarantee security on the common, creates a climate of tension in border communities."  If that's the case, then why have any sort of barrier at any border?  Why have a border at all?

Fox, of course, opposes anything that would get in the way of the Mexican invasion of the United States.  The Mexicans who come here to live and work illegally send about $15 billion a year back to their families in Mexico.  This flow of money earned illegally in the United States is one of the largest segments in the Mexican economy.  Fox sees that fence as a barrier to the continued flow of dollars into his country.

There's more.  The border with America is an escape valve for Fox and the Mexican government.  As Mexicans flow into the United States the pressure for economic reform and change in Mexico abates.  Building that fence may be a lot like closing the valve on a pressure cooker.  Things can get mighty agitate inside!

The only problem with the 700-mile long border fence is that it isn't 2,000 miles long...enough to cover the entire border.   Vicente Fox wants no fence.  We need more fence.

REDNECK SCRAP BOOK

Hey buddy, I think you overshot that boat ramp a bit. More in the Redneck Scrap Book.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

How would Ted Turner fight Islamic terrorism?  Well, by doing the things that "Muslims ... would like to see us do."  Golly!  Is that all it would take?

George Will sounds out about Bob Woodward's new book, "State of Denial."

Yesterday's "Best of the Web Today" has some good insight into the Foley mess. 

Yale law professor Bruce Ackerman thinks that the congress may have gone a bit far in giving the president the authority to lock up almost anyone he thinks might be a terror threat.  If this law is in effect when Hillary occupies the Oval Office, I'm toast.

The Mark Foley mess now seems to have gone on for 5 years, with Pages being warned as far back as 5 years ago to be careful around Foley.  That's right, five years this guy was allowed to stay in Congress while those in power looked the other way.  That's not good.  Dennis Hastert says the parents of one page were concerned, but didn't want the matter pursued.

The finger-pointing has begun over accusations in Bob Woodward's book about who knew what when...regarding terrorist attack warnings leading up to 9/11.  Woodward says George Tenet warned the administration in July of 2001 that an attack was coming.  But really, what difference does it make? 

Oil is down to $61 a barrel and gas prices are hovering near $2 a gallon nationwide, just in time for the mid-term elections.  It sure is a good thing George Bush can control the price of gasoline right from the Oval Office.  What a powerful man! 

American troops in Iraq are undergoing sensitivity training...being taught to understand Ramadan and Islamic culture.  How nice...will they be taught about radical Islam, and how certain people want to blow them up for not worshiping Allah?  Got to be sure it's comprehensive sensitivity training, you know.

George Will writes that Bob Woodward's new book shouldn't make people think the president is in denial, as the title suggests, but it may prove that Bush is a bit unrealistic.  Will offers some insight to what's contained in the book.

Cal Thomas has a message for those outraged by Mark Foley's behavior.  He wants to know where their outrage is when it comes to other areas of our society, where it seems people tolerate much more abhorrent behavior on a regular basis.

Jack Kelly says its time to set a timetable for Iraq.  This from a diehard supporter of the war.  He says we've simply worn out our welcome and it's time to kick off the training wheels and head for home.

Thomas Sowell argues that socialism is actually for the rich, not the poor.  He says socialism does more damage to the poor because it allows the rich to adapt to socialist policies for their benefit.  Case in point:  eminent domain abuse.  Don't miss this column; it's a good one.

We're five weeks from Election Day, and still nobody knows what the Democratic Party plan is for the war in Iraq.  David Limbaugh looks at what the Democrats have been saying and debates their weak points.

Mark Foley is a scumbag and it looks more and more like Republican leaders in the House swept it under the rug, but Debra Saunders can't help but notice the Democrats' opportunism in the matter.

Whatever works!  The newest technology in airbags.

Clinton up to his old tricks?

Jacksonville area folks, watch a special on the FairTax on TV.

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