Hastert should not resign

[question everything]

If he will, this could be the end of the story. The Republicans would have found a scapegoat and "took care of this."

As Bill Maher said on CNN earlier this evening: this is not pedophilia, and the Pages were not that innocent, judging by their responses.

It is about a hypocritical party that let a gay man serve in Congress while running campaigns, and winning elections condemning gay people.

It is about the military that desperately need translators yet when some of them are found to be gays, they are dismissed. They are translators, they will never be in a foxhole with another soldier making him uncomfortable (as they claim).

A hypocritical party that stands for small government and fiscal responsibility while increasing the government and generating the largest deficit in the history of this country. And, no the war on terrorism is not a major contributor.

It is a hypocritical party that stand for "free market" while dispensing special benefits to corporations like Halliburton, and the oil companies, and the pharmaceutical ones.

This is how the Mark Foley affair should be played in our campaign.

And for those who try to bring Clinton, and Barney Frank and other democrats - at least we've never laid claim to be a party of "moral values" that mean sexual police for this country.

[merh]

1. Recommended

I couldn't have said it better

But I will add that these people need to pay, sexual favors using the color or power of the office is a crime, as is covering up the misuse or abuse of office.

eta: See this link http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2304178

[Rowdyboy]

2. Ditto...And also recommended!

[merh]

9. How are things?

Tell me, are you less antsy and have you begun the protocol?

pmail me with an update when you can! :hug:

[papau]

3. And the Wisconsin Judge saw that the 5 year old was a flirt -making rape

punishable by probation.

Same logic as Bill Maher on CNN earlier this evening - "the Pages were not that innocent, judging by their responses."

Idiot.....

The rest of his statement makes sense - but the voters heard us saying this for 10 years and did not respond.

Now they respond to Foley and the GOP hiding the Foley problem so as to not have a political problem.

You do not fight the market's tape, you do not spit into the wind, and you do not ignore the issues that are winning for you.

[Drifter]

12. Mahar said that !? ...

Jesus christ. That is the definition of being a preditor. Knowing that the victim will play along with the adult, which will make them feel special/important.

Would this make a difference if Foley was talking to these kids about "Bangin Chicks ?". I do not think so.

If Mahar said that (and was not part of his schtik), then he is a dick.

Cheers
Drifter

[question everything]

16. I am sure that we will hear more on his own show

that is, if you get HBO.

I don't know. Even last Friday, when the first transcript were posted here, there were some who observed that the page did not appear to be that innocent, that he was flirting back with Foley, stringing him along.

Of course, for a 16 year old kid, having an important Congressman paying attention is flattering, and this is where the distinction should be made. But, as has been reported, there probably is not a Federal offense.

Even Al Franken was saying that if he were text messaging a 16 year old girl (he did emphasize this would be a girl) wishing her happy birthday, and she would responded something about not wearing any underwear (I don't remember the exact phrase) he would have shut her off completely.

[uppityperson]

4. a hypocritical party that let a man with these many skeletons serve so to.

control his vote. Put someone in who is controllable also.

[longship]

5. Do not forget one thing.

To these asshats, image is *everything*, politics is *everything*.

A Hastert resignation, either from leadership or from his Congress seat, will be devastating to the Repukes. They only do something so utterly desparate if they truly believe that it's the only way to minimize their losses. What happens in the next few days should be telling. I was predicting tomorrow as the day Denny the Hut gives up his leadership position, but I'm not so sure now.

There may be polls coming out before anything happens. If the polls show what we all think that they'll show--that the Democrat sweep is inevitable--we very well see all sorts of people getting thrown under the bus.

Look, this Foley business alone may very well turn over four House seats to the Dems, no matter what the Repukes do about it. Any more actions will just be frosting on the cake.

If Hastert steps down from his leadership position, he'll likely lose next month to John Laesch. If he steps down from his Congressional seat, Laesch wins in a walk. Likewise, with Shimkus, Boehner, and Reynolds. This is a *huge* gift to the Democrats who will have some low fruit to pick and will therefore be able to adjust resources accordingly.

This is a win-win situation for Democrats. No matter what Denny the Hut does, we benefit.

[savemefromdumbya]

10. Hastert is also linked to other scandals remember

[Dr Fate]

6. Hastert resigning does not kill the story at all...IF...

And this is a big "IF"-

IF DEMS can go on TV and tie this to everything else: "What else are they hiding or covering up- Iraq? etc" type thing..."

If DEMS w/media access use this to make it about cover ups, corruption ,etc w/ the other issues, then it carries over until early November...

[NoQuarter]

7. Surely, you're not

holding your breath?

[Vincardog]

11. If you are waiting on the Corporate Controlled Media to allow the Democrat

IC party's message to get out, It will be a long wait.

[oldboy101]

8. David Gergen suggests Hastert should resign at end of the year.

According to Gergen a resignation now would cause turmoil among the Republicans as they scramble to find a successor acceptable to most of them. By Hastert announcing that he will not attempt to continue as Speaker in the next Congress, that might defuse calls for his resignation at this time.

I have to agree that it sounds like a good strategy from a Republican point of view. But no matter how they decide to handle this mess there is no denying that they are likely to lose control of the Congress in the coming election.

Should we shed a tear for these poor Republicans? I think not!

[question everything]

17. Yes, a WSJ editorial is afraid that the Evangelicals

- Viguerie, Wildmon, Tony Perkins and Gary Bauer will do for the Republicans what the Naderites (my interpretation) did to us in 2000.

It tells them to wait for Hastert's head until after the elections.

[Liberal Dose]

13. You lost me at "Bill Mahar said" but I'll try to skip over that part and

read the post later. :hi:

[question everything]

18. Bill Maher said

MAHER: Well, I think it's part and parcel of the sickness of our society that we repress sexuality so much. And, by the way, these kids -- kids are not innocent. Certainly sexually these days, not 17- year-old kids. These kids were flirting back. I hate to say what I've heard some right-wingers have been saying lately but it's true.

I mean if somebody says to you, "Are you a little horny?" and you go, "Yes, a little," you know, I mean -- I think the kids have the power, because any kid who printed out that e-mail message, you know -- would you measure your penis for me -- he's got a lot more power on the congressman than the congressman has on the kid.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0610/04/sitroom.02.html (and scroll down, way down)

[The Backlash Cometh]

14. I want the Sibel Edmonds thing to come out a week before elections.

Then EVERYONE will want to know how it is that EVERYBODY on the internet knew about this gagged secret, and why the Republican party failed to respond swiftly when they knew.

[Catamount]

15. Well said ! K&R

[zulchzulu]

19. Hastert needs to have more and more press conferences...

Keep reminding us what a big fat liar (literally) he is... and no, he should not resign... keep the story going...