When asked about a groundswell of discontent among the GOP's conservative base over his handling of the issue, Hastert said: "I think the base has to realize after awhile, who knew about it? Who knew what, when? When the base finds out who's feeding this monster, they're not going to be happy. The people who want to see this thing blow up are ABC News and a lot of Democratic operatives, people funded by George Soros."
He went on to suggest that operatives aligned with former President Bill Clinton knew about the allegations and were perhaps behind the disclosures in the closing weeks before the Nov. 7 midterm elections, but he offered no hard proof.
"All I know is what I hear and what I see," the speaker said. "I saw Bill Clinton's adviser, Richard Morris, was saying these guys knew about this all along. If somebody had this info, when they had it, we could have dealt with it then."
Considering all of the scandals the Democrats have had in recent years, it is easy to see how they could be blamed for this, but the simple fact is Hastert was aware he had a serious problem in Rep. Foley and for whatever reason he chose to ignore it.
6 comments:
I planted some tomatoes this summer but they didn't do very good. I watered them daily and fertilized them and did everything right but, when tomato picking time came, they were small and half rotten.
So I walked out in the garden and I shouted: "Damn you, Bill Clinton!"
Somehow I don't think Bill and Hillary forced Foley to send those Instant Messages and e-mails.
Hastert needs to grow up--or resign.
I wonder how Hastert should have handled this “serious problem?” Perhaps he could have used one of the following Democratic approaches:
1. The Clinton Approach - a) Deny any wrong doing; b) have his wife blame it on a “vast right-wing conspiracy;” c) Have his political guru suggest that the accuser is the product of what you get when you “drag a dollar bill through a trailer park;” and d) have his supporters lament that it’s “all about sex” and therefore none of our damm business.
2. The Rep. Gerry Studds Approach - who actually had Sex with a 17 year-old male page, and when the House voted to censure him, turned his back on the speaker and members in the chamber and ignored them, then continued to serve in congress until 1997.
4. The Rep. Mel Reynolds Approach - This Democrat had sex with a 16-year-old campaign volunteer and pressured her to lie about it. His prison sentence was later commuted by Clinton.
3. The Ted Kennedy Approach - which was to leave the “serious problem” sitting at the bottom of the ocean while returning to his hotel room for another drink.
I would take Democratic moral outrage a lot more seriously if in any of the above cases the guilty party had the decency to immediately resign their post. In the present case at least Foley had enough sense of shame for his actions to cause him to resign when caught rather then clinging to power like a crack addict to their pipe. Moreover, I have yet to hear any prominent Republican excuse Foley’s action and suggest that, since it is only sex, he should be allowed to retain his position. So, it seems to me that the Republican position regarding a politician having sex with an intern is a lot more consistent (and less hypocritical) then those of the Democratic party who only find it morally objectionable when done by a Republican.
To the last poster...you want to know the difference between the Foley scandal and Clinton scandal? Clinton's actions were perfectly legal, as Monica Lewinsky was in her 20s at the time, while Foley persued illegal sexual activity with teenagers under the age of 18. And Clinton didn't sponsor an anti-fellatio committee, like Foley sponsored material against child-sex offenders.
The Republicans are calling Foley's actions inappropriate. Wearing a blazer to a black tie dinner is inappropriate. What Foley was doing is sick, twisted and demands severe punishment.
After briefly covering the Dems issues in the past then check out the partial Republican list at www.armchairsubversive.com .
If the Republicans in Congress cannot protect our children from other known sick Republicans stalking the halls of Congress then how are we to believe the Republicans can protect us from unknown terrorists.
Republican Congressman Mark Foley abruptly resigned from Congress after "sexually explicit" emails surfaced showing him flirting with a 16-year old boy.
Republican executive Randall Casseday of the conservative Washington Times newspaper was arrested for soliciting sex from a 13-year old girl on the internet.
Republican chairman of the Oregon Christian Coalition Lou Beres confessed to molesting a 13-year old girl.
Republican County Constable Larry Dale Floyd was arrested on suspicion of soliciting sex with an 8-year old girl. Floyd has repeatedly won elections for Denton County, Texas, constable.
Republican judge Mark Pazuhanich pleaded no contest to fondling a 10-year old girl and was sentenced to 10 years probation.
Republican Party leader Bobby Stumbo was arrested for having sex with a 5-year old boy.
Republican petition drive manager Tom Randall pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 14, one of them the daughter of an associate in the petition business.
Republican County Chairman Armando Tebano was arrested for sexually molesting a 14-year-old girl.
Republican teacher and former city councilman John Collins pleaded guilty to sexually molesting 13 and 14 year old girls.
Republican campaign worker Mark Seidensticker is a convicted child molester.
Republican Mayor Philip Giordano is serving a 37-year sentence in federal prison for sexually abusing 8- and 10-year old girls.
Republican Mayor Tom Adams was arrested for distributing child pornography over the internet.
Republican Mayor John Gosek was arrested on charges of soliciting sex from two 15-year old girls.
Republican County Commissioner David Swartz pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 11 and was sentenced to 8 years in prison.
Republican legislator Edison Misla Aldarondo was sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping his daughter between the ages of 9 and 17.
Republican Committeeman John R. Curtain was charged with molesting a teenage boy and unlawful sexual contact with a minor.
Republican anti-abortion activist Howard Scott Heldreth is a convicted child rapist in Florida.
Republican zoning supervisor, Boy Scout leader and Lutheran church president Dennis L. Rader pleaded guilty to performing a sexual act on an 11-year old girl he murdered.
Republican anti-abortion activist Nicholas Morency pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer and offering a bounty to anybody who murders an abortion doctor.
Republican campaign consultant Tom Shortridge was sentenced to three years probation for taking nude photographs of a 15-year old girl.
Republican racist pedophile and United States Senator Strom Thurmond had sex with a 15-year old black girl which produced a child.
Republican pastor Mike Hintz, whom George W. Bush commended during the 2004 presidential campaign, surrendered to police after admitting to a sexual affair with a female juvenile.
Republican legislator Peter Dibble pleaded no contest to having an inappropriate relationship with a 13-year-old girl.
Republican advertising consultant Carey Lee Cramer was sentenced to six years in prison for molesting two 8-year old girls, one of whom appeared in an anti-Gore television commercial.
Republican activist Lawrence E. King, Jr. organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980s.
Republican lobbyist Craig J. Spence organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980s.
Republican Congressman Donald "Buz" Lukens was found guilty of having sex with a female minor and sentenced to one month in jail.
Republican fundraiser Richard A. Delgaudio was found guilty of child porn charges and paying two teenage girls to pose for sexual photos.
Republican activist Mark A. Grethen convicted on six counts of sex crimes involving children.
Republican campaign chairman Randal David Ankeney pleaded guilty to attempted sexual assault on a child and was arrested again five years later on the same charge.
Republican Congressman Dan Crane had sex with a female minor working as a congressional page.
Republican activist and Christian Coalition leader Beverly Russell admitted to an incestuous relationship with his step daughter.
Republican Judge Ronald C. Kline was placed under house arrest for child molestation and possession of child pornography.
Republican congressman and anti-gay activist Robert Bauman was charged with having sex with a 16-year-old boy he picked up at a gay bar.
Republican Committee Chairman Jeffrey Patti was arrested for distributing a video clip of a 5-year-old girl being raped.
Republican activist Marty Glickman (a.k.a. "Republican Marty"), was taken into custody by Florida police on four counts of unlawful sexual activity with an underage girl and one count of delivering the drug LSD.
Republican legislative aide Howard L. Brooks was charged with molesting a 12-year old boy and possession of child pornography.
Republican Senate candidate John Hathaway was accused of having sex with his 12-year old baby sitter and withdrew his candidacy after the allegations were reported in the media.
Republican preacher Stephen White, who demanded a return to traditional values, was sentenced to jail after offering $20 to a 14-year-old boy for permission to perform oral sex on him.
Republican talk show host Jon Matthews pleaded guilty to exposing his genitals to an 11 year old girl.
Republican anti-gay activist Earl "Butch" Kimmerling was sentenced to 40 years in prison for molesting an 8-year old girl after he attempted to stop a gay couple from adopting her.
Republican Party leader Paul Ingram pleaded guilty to six counts of raping his daughters and served 14 years in federal prison.
Republican election board official Kevin Coan was sentenced to two years probation for soliciting sex over the internet from a 14-year old girl.
Republican politician Andrew Buhr was charged with two counts of first degree sodomy with a 13-year old boy.
Republican legislator Keith Westmoreland was arrested on seven felony counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition to girls under the age of 16 (i.e. exposing himself to children).
Republican anti-abortion activist John Allen Burt was found guilty of molesting a 15-year old girl.
Republican County Councilman Keola Childs pleaded guilty to molesting a male child.
Republican activist John Butler was charged with criminal sexual assault on a teenage girl.
Republican candidate Richard Gardner admitted to molesting his two daughters.
Republican Councilman and former Marine Jack W. Gardner was convicted of molesting a 13-year old girl.
Republican County Commissioner Merrill Robert Barter pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual contact and assault on a teenage boy.
Republican City Councilman Fred C. Smeltzer, Jr. pleaded no contest to raping a 15 year-old girl and served 6-months in prison.
Republican activist Parker J. Bena pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on his home computer and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and fined $18,000.
Republican parole board officer and former Colorado state representative, Larry Jack Schwarz, was fired after child pornography was found in his possession.
Republican strategist and Citadel Military College graduate Robin Vanderwall was convicted in Virginia on five counts of soliciting sex from boys and girls over the internet.
Republican city councilman Mark Harris, who is described as a "good military man" and "church goer," was convicted of repeatedly having sex with an 11-year-old girl and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Republican businessman Jon Grunseth withdrew his candidacy for Minnesota governor after allegations surfaced that he went swimming in the nude with four underage girls, including his daughter.
Republican campaign worker, police officer and self-proclaimed reverend Steve Aiken was convicted of having sex with two underage girls.
Republican director of the "Young Republican Federation" Nicholas Elizondo molested his 6-year old daughter and was sentenced to six years in prison.
Republican president of the New York City Housing Development Corp. Russell Harding pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer.
Republican benefactor of conservative Christian groups, Richard A. Dasen Sr., was found guilty of raping a 15-year old girl. Dasen, 62, who is married with grown children and several grandchildren, has allegedly told police that over the past decade he paid more than $1 million to have sex with a large number of young women.
Republican Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld authorized the rape of children in Iraqi prisons in order to humiliate their parents into providing information about the anti-American insurgency. See excerpt of one prisoner's report here and his full report here.
They should join the Grandview Valley Independent Church where they would fit in nicely it appears.
A few points in rebuttal:
First, to the person who noted the age difference between the interns in the Clinton vs. the Foley scandals, you make a good point those three to four years make all the difference between right and wrong. One must draw the line somewhere and its good to know that if I ever run for office as a Democrat I’m morally safe to have sex with a 20-something intern but should refrain from sending dirty I.M’s to teenagers.
On the other hand, I suppose, if I were a Democrat, I could even have sex with a 17 year old-year old page and my base would keep on reelecting me (ala Gerry Studds (D-Mass.)). So, the rule must be sex = good, I.M’s = bad.
In addition, if I were a Democrat and if I were convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault, obstruction of justice and solicitation of child pornography, and sentenced to five years in prison I could count on a good Democrat like Bill Clinton to issue a presidential pardon ( ala Rep. Mel Reynolds (D-Ill.).
Second, to the individual who listed all of the alleged Republican sex scandals, that was a good job of cutting-and-pasting internet propaganda. Also, it was good to see that you didn’t limit yourself to only Democratic propaganda but was broad-minded enough to include Al-Qaeda propaganda in there at the end (with the allegation that our troops, as part of a policy directed by Don Rumsfeld, are engaging in child rape in Iraq).
I looked at the site from which you pulled this information, www.armchairsubversive.com, and noted the picture comparing Bush to Hitler, which I think says something about the mental stability of the person running that site, and something about those who would quote from it. Now, if you require it I can elaborate on the differences between Hitler and Bush or you might try cracking a history book and learning something.
Additionally, if you had bothered to read that list you would see that virtually none of those people where “stalking the halls of Congress” as your post suggests, but rather are a collection of nobodies.
Here’s the difference between us, Republicans do not reelected people who are caught doing this stuff, Democrats do because deep down you don’t really care what your candidates do so long as say what you want to hear.
As for the Grandview Valley Independent Church comment, too bad for those folks that Bill Clinton isn’t still president or they could solicit him for a pardon, he seems to have a soft spot in his heart for pedophile (again see Rep. Mel Reynolds).
Post a Comment