Can we please forget about Foley for a minute and talk about this?

[sueragingroz]

http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-09-29-voa56.cfm

Your country is sliding into tyranny and all you care about is a cooked up Rovian scandal about a repug pedophile...

Yes it's news....


But..


FOCUS PEOPLE!!!!

[gully]

1. It's not a Rovian scandal, it's a Republican scandal.

And anything that helps us move away from their strangle hold, will help free us from the "tyranny" you speak of.

[Demit]

2. Find the conversation you want & join it. Or start one. Don't tell others

what they "should" be talking about—as if they are only talking about one thing, anyway.

[sueragingroz]

5. If you guys are so easily distracted

There's no hope for the rest....

It's a crying shame to see so many threads dedicated to a scandal that in reality will only affect one member of congress....

We all know that the sex scandal route gets us nowhere. I remember Gannon. And I remember what a wonderful distraction that he was.

Why not talk about whether this current Supreme Court will actually strike down the law and just how many months/tax dollars it will take to do so?

This isn't about me starting a thread. This is about me seeing a very distressing pattern on what I thought was the most focussed and influential progressive message board that I've ever visited.

[Demit]

18. "You guys"? We are not a monolith here. You are off on the wrong foot if

you think that admonishing people is the right way to go about getting them to talk about what YOU want to talk about at that moment. There have been umpteen threads about this subject. There will be many many more. But there are also many things to talk about. It's very shallow to rebuke people because they are not devoting every second to something you think they should be devoting every second to.

You could have spent your time saying something interesting about the torture law to draw people into a discussion. But no, you'd rather chastise people for their wrong choice of conversational topics. You must be a blast at parties.

[liberaliraqvet26]

20. Im sorry I disagree, this is more than a sex scandal...

A sex scandal is a congressman having sex with a staffer who is a consenting adult.

It is about a CHILD PREDATOR who was on a committee to oversee the protection of children. And the Republican leadership swept it under the rug. This goes to the heart of their "law and order", "keep you safe" and "moral values" arguments.

This is huge.

[tsuki]

23. "The Values Party" For both torture and pedophilia. nt

[LaurenG]

3. Focus people?

Yikes, what are we going to be able to do to fix that? Here have a hug.:hug:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=2254622

[ellacott]

6. It's possible to focus on more than one thing

I think that's been our problem in the past.

[sueragingroz]

8. Excuse me for being distressed about the future of this planet

We who have no power (vote) to change the situation... must count on you to keep up the good fight at home.

I'm sorry for coming across so strongly but the stakes are really really really high here.

[annabanana]

4. It is a nice big brick to throw at the wall, my friend.

another means to an end...

[sueragingroz]

7. Just trying to wake folks up...

[ellacott]

9. The bill has been passed and will soon be signed

Our best way of fighting this will be with a majority in the house and senate. If Foley can be a way to disuade people from supporting the Reps. that would be a good thing.

All things can work together. Please don't believe that we all have to focus on the same thing at the same time. That's a losing battle. That could be why we keep getting blindsinded and ooperating on the defense.

[Sherman A1]

10. The incident itself isn't that important, however

it continues to show the pattern of hypocrisy, by the good self-proclaimed "family values" leadership. In that, I believe it is important to explore, discuss and understand so that we can share our thoughts and opinions here. We can then go beyond this board and discuss the meaning of this and other issues hopefully more intelligently with those that participate less don't follow the events in the political arena as closely. Look at the number of discussions (many very heated and nasty) over the Summer events in Lebanon. Discussion is what this is about here. If the thread doesn't interest you, simply find one that does.

[KharmaTrain]

11. If This Embarasses The GOOP and Take 'Em Off Message

...that's fine with me. I'd rather focus on more corruption and the character of the Repugnican party...especially this close to an election, and this scandal opens up several doors that could lead to us dealing with other, more important issues.

Don't downplay this one...it hits at the core GOOP values...and I'm already seeing some Repugnicans going through the steps of denial...the first being to deny this happened...then next week the outrage when they realize how Foley not only cost them a seat in Florida, but could have been the straw that breaks the camel's back and gives the House to the Democrats. That's where the anger will come in...it will be fun to sit back and watch.

Sorry, this is no Rove scandal...he'd have found dirt on a Democrat and let the media go loose (ala Gary Condit). This is also an issue that scores very big with women. While many can ignore Iraq cause they don't have anyone there or feel its affects, that's not the case with a pedophile...especially among white suburban women. Add to this that it was a boy and it'll be interesting to see how the GOOP squares this one with its coven...and how this has an effect if they lose in November (and it will).

The first step to returning this country to sanity is to retake the House on Nov. 7th...get the ability to set the agenda and have the votes to push through changes and revisions to this regime's abuse of the Constitution. No doubt there'll be a push to repeal this week's abhorant terrorist crap and then the Patriot act...and if we have the time, dismantling the Dept. Of Homeland "Security" would be a good step, too. But it all revolves around winning on Nov. 7th.

Damn right it's time to focus...and this helps that focus, as if you play it properly, you can use this as an example of the lack of morals and oversight by this rubber stamp Repugnican Congress. The question should be posed as to how long the party leadership new about Foley's situation and then use that as another example of their arrogance. They not only can't keep this country safe from terrorists, now our children aren't safe from them!

[JCMach1]

12. Come on... this is not part of Rove's script

this has dropped into our laps

[acmejack]

13. Hang around and look!

You will find people are talking about a lot of things! If you would have been here in the last two or three days perhaps you would have seen a lot of intense focusing! Don't pop in here and demand we focus exclusively on your issue of choice, this may be a well deserved diversion for a moment of air.

I am sure it is not exclusively ruling this board-certain as I have participated in six different topics already this morning.

[crikkett]

14. MeeOw.

You want me to follow a link to even find out what you want me to pay attention to?
Not a good marketing job.
Besides, we need to feel a little justice, it's been a long week. I want to see Foley cry on TV (has that happened?)

[rzemanfl]

15. Quiet day at the Voice of America today? Do they pay you to do

this?

[sueragingroz]

24. So you think I'm a freeper?

Idiot.

Read this:

http://web.jjay.cuny.edu/jobrien/reference/ob60.html

[theHandpuppet]

16. Thanks

It does seem an entire menu of fascist BushCo maneuverings is being upstaged by this one topic. Although folks have every right to discuss whatever they wish, those of us who want to stay focused on issues such as the trashing of habeas corpus, the rubber stamping of torture, or Bush's most recent push to close EPA libraries around the country and to restrict public access to information, need to keep those topics kicked to the front page.

Consider this a K&R.

[ellacott]

17. We need to know how to fight smart

I don't think we are thinking of this in a smart way. Most successful strategies involve a multi pronged attack.

Don't think of just attacking one issue at a time. There are enough people to handle different areas of need.

For the life of me I can't understand this kind of thing. This may be why we've been losing lately.

How are you going to mount an attack and only have one side covered?

[Philosoraptor]

19. Enough with these "Enough with these threads already" threads.

[greatauntoftriplets]

21. Uh, what have we been doing for years other than focusing???

As happy as Rove is about the detaineee legislation passed this week, he cannot be happy about the Foley scandal. Trust me. I even live in the United States. I don't need you to talk down to me.

[WinkyDink]

22. Getting rid of one more Republican is ALWAYS NEWS.

So go move on, if you wish.
Damn, I hate being told what to think about.

[cool user name]

25. Already tried this ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2265449