The GOP: 'Moving on' past Foley

and a relatively modest 51,000 new jobs were added in September.

I guess they didn't want to add that they had predicted over 110,000 new jobs. Modest seems like a reach to me.

"Keep moving folks. Nothing to see here. Keep moving."

Unfortunately for Hastert and the GOP (my little old church lady neighbor says that GOP really means Gang of Perverts) the reality is that sex scandals last along time. They should know that better than anybody as they were able to flog the Clinton sex scandal for months and make it a cause for impeachment. By the way Clinton was fooling around with a heterosexual young woman of legal age. The Mark Foley scandal involves underage males and deviant behaviors. Just today a new staffer confirmed what Fordham said about Hastert’s office being aware of Mark Foley much earlier than the Speaker said publicly. Somebody is lying! This scandal will not go away any time soon.

6.6 million jobs added? How many lost? How come we only get half the information from this adminstration? I think everyone has realized how they cherry pick the information they want to give out as only supporting their own policies. And then they use terms like "modest" to indicate that the number of jobs added is actually HALF of what they predicted! Just more of the same from this gov't. We need a balance in power and if this country doesn't realize that then we as a whole just don't get it. There's a reason why we have 3 branch's of gov't set up, so they all don't agree! So there will be discourse. But what do we have right now? A bunch of rubber stamps saying yes to just about everything this dimwitted Prez comes up with. We need change bad!!!!!!!

I've decided to jump in as many posts as possible as the official reminder:
Do you plan on voting in Nov.? Are you registered? Do you know where your polling location is in your town?

If you dont agree with the direction this country is heading, vote. And more importantly, bring a friend or relative who would not normally vote due to apathy/not registered etc.

You know right now Uncle Rove is combing through the church rosters while enjoying his eggs and coffee.

If you are SERIOUS about your complaints and anger in these posts, prove it in Nov.
Its the only way.

Focus all your anger and disgust on getting more people to vote, its what Uncle is doing as we speak.

C.M. Agree nothing to see. GOP its to late now a Second staffer shows Hastert lies again. Guys I told you we caught this guy in lies to us veterans.Now you see the real Hastert a liar and a person you cannot trust with protecting your childern.

I am an indepedent voter
who has voted since the
1960's.

In all this time, I have
never seen anything to
match the arrogance and
corruption of the Bush
regime. They have set a
new low standard for US
politics based on lie
after lie.

From phony reporters like Jeff Gannon, to the
payments made to media
people to slant their
coverage, they will stop
at nothing to influence
voters while they insist
they have integrity and
"values."

Politics always had a
certain sleaziness to a
degree, but the current
administration outdoes
anything earlier.

From the debacle in 2000
in FL, to a war based on
lies, it continues on.

It is truly amazing and
also disgusting.

I just love how the GOP always fingers the Democrats as the ones to raise taxes. And it's true, considering that when the voters finally kick out the Repubs, they have to do something to pay off the grand spending spree and debt accumulation wantonly created by these hypocrites! I almost wish they could stay in office a little longer so THEY have to deal with the crisis.

And what KIND of jobs?

I think they should CHANGE THE SUBJECT.

Do we want to hear about some weirdo--who's not even still a congressman, or about the economy, and national security--issues that effect the entire country? The only ones who want to talk about that pervert, are those pimping it for political gain. As for the latter, they would have us talk about this until November.

Who cares?!

Unemployment is DOWN again, the DOW is reaching record heights, retail sales are up, and we need to address Iran's aggression. Foley was a 6 day distraction. Good riddance.

As more and more comes to light in the foley debacle, it is clear from past pages speaking out that Floey's actions were some what widely known. Yet nothing was done about it. It was ignored or overlooked. To try and pin this on the democrats only makes them look more corrupt.
Do the right thing..stand up and say we blew it.
Don't try to place blame elsewhere.

I can't believe how the Republicans are handeling this Mark Foley mess.

They seem to be so in love with their power that they can't see that if they don't bite the bullet on this Foley issue,it won't go away.

With J.Dennis Hastert refusing to even consider stepping down,his mere presence is going to continue to fuel the Foley fire.

TO : RCK | Oct 7, 2006 10:08:25 AM

Who are you going to blame for our tumbling economy then?

The DAMAGE is already DONE, you just Now will start to FEEL those great affects. YOU will soon find out just HOW MUCH!

But here is just a little peak for you Rick>

CRB = commodity Index = food, oil, gasoline, metels, hard raw materials. See the INFLATION.

http://charts3.barchart.com/chart.asp?vol=Y&jav=adv&grid=Y&org=stk&sym=%24CRB&data=H&code=BSTK&evnt=adv

US DOLLAR INDEX = note dollar on top BEFORE bush invaded Afghanistan. The US DOLLAR is worthless. It NOW takes more us dollars to BUY goods and services. More RICE for YOU, less steak!

http://charts3.barchart.com/chart.asp?vol=Y&jav=adv&grid=Y&org=stk&sym=%24DXY&data=H&code=BSTK&evnt=adv

GOLD CHART = SCREAMING INFLATION to pay for the bogeyman bogus WARS! Next "hyper - Inflation!

http://charts3.barchart.com/chart.asp?vol=Y&jav=adv&grid=Y&org=stk&sym=GCZ6&data=H&code=BSTK&evnt=adv

OIL FUTURES CHARTS = Bottom equals an entry date to Afghanistan......

http://charts3.barchart.com/chart.asp?vol=Y&jav=adv&grid=Y&org=stk&sym=CLX6&data=H&code=BSTK&evnt=adv

I'll let YOU in on a little secret: Dick Cheney visited the Commodites Mericantile Exchange on 6/23/2006. Oil topped 2nd week in July/2006. Second top first week in August 2006. Then the Commodity hedging REPORT is then cut OFF from the general public 8/1/2006. This report depicts oil futures contracts MAJOR HOLDINGS including our US Governemnt interventions (duh). Geepers I wonder why? DUH, Enjoy your gas price for a little while and save your pennies for what happens next!

I have an idea for you Rick , just ENDORSE the back of YOUR pay check and SEND to:

BUSH Enron Iraq War, just keep the checks coming!

Posted by: TUMBLING will start right after the election YOU FOOL! | Oct 7, 2006 10:39:45 AM

+++

oh Rick

Sorry I forgot two more for YOU Rick:

The CEO of EXXON has requested YOU BUY more exxon gasoline from him, he hasn't gotten enough money yet from his Stock options and his retirement account yet of YOUR money

Here thought this picture might help YOU:

http://charts3.barchart.com/chart.asp?vol=Y&jav=adv&grid=Y&org=stk&sym=XOM&data=H&code=BSTK&evnt=adv

Here is another for YOU, just endorse the back of YOUR paycheck so that our government can BUY more of these HUMVES for the bogus wars. This company was IPO in 2003 by the Carlyle Group - Republican Party.

http://charts3.barchart.com/chart.asp?vol=Y&jav=adv&grid=Y&org=stk&sym=AH&data=H&code=BSTK&evnt=adv

http://schema-root.org/commerce/corporations/military/carlyle_group/

Remember NOW, just endorse YOUR pay check to:

" Bush Iraq ENRON WAR FUND! "

and meanwhile just keep Spreading all the TERROR and around the world. It will be here AGAIN within the USA at the rate we are going!
Great JOB!

Posted by: Bush Iraq ENRON WAR FUND! | Oct 7, 2006 11:16:01 AM

C.Morris,

I think the Stones song "Tumbling Dice" would be appropriate for this Foley mess.

Juanito,

"What kind of jobs" is exactly the point.

Dubya says job=job. But those of us who have 3 digit I.Q.s know that if you lose your job that had health insurance, pension, sick days, etc. and now you're a part-time greeter @ Wal-Mart with none of the above it ain't a net push!

Never mind that though, what counts with the neo-cons is numero uno retention of power vis-a-vis boogeyman, red meat thrown to the evangelical Christian crowd. (gay marriage, flag burning and the like)

Sigh...

Doug Zook,

Let's not forget flipping burgers.

The strawmen you mention (gay marriage, flag burning and the like) are going to work for part of their base, but it's not enough. A lot conservatives and independants are disgruntled.

Doug just to add the Jobs he is so proud of pay $7.50 hr. and have no health coverage.Governmet jobs since no FY 2007 Budget was passed are now froze.Returning troops cannot find jobs. Education for returning troops is not being paid for. And You know by my post the FY 2007 V.A. budget is sitting in Hastert's inbox. So waiting list for returning troops. Sounds like they support the troops ya right

Juanito,

This white boy liberal used to think that the term "conservative" had defined within it elements of admiration and at a minimum cause to pause. Things like balanced budgets, limited federal government, individual freedom/responsibility, etc.

Now, this ex-B-52 crew chief, son of a Vietnam veteran with a Army Sergeant nephew in Iraq thinks Dubya has hijacked "conservative" to mean those who disagree with him are cowards and/or appeasers.

Which makes me want to subject the Chickenhawk in Chief to multiple noogies.

Or something like that...

John E., Yes,you're right,Tumbling Dice by the Stones is the perfect song to describe this mess that the Republicans have heaved upon themselves.

Juanito,
After spending much time reading your posts,I'm reminded of what a proffesor told me in my first year here at Northwestern studying Political Science.
He said,beware of people who shout out an opinion on politics,and then claim to have no political affiliation,for they have an agenda,and an affiliation,and they've decided that this is the best way to push that agenda without the backlash of their party affiliation.

Juanito,this has your name written all over it.

Here's a passage that I looked up for you to learn from:

"An education isn't how much you have committed to memory,or even how much you know.It's being able to differentiate between what you do know,and what you don't."

Anatole France 1844-1924

Are you surprised? I'm not! Recently resigned Congressman Mark Foley (R-Fla) has decided to go into rehab for alcohol abuse which in the minds of some people gives the Florida Congressman quite a bit of latitude or wiggle room. The rehab thing is getting to be "the way to go" for politicans and celebs who get in trouble.

In other words, people will tend to think that what Foley did isn't as serious as it really was, and they will say that the "man has a problem and has recognized the problem by voluntarily getting help! We need to give him the benefit of the doubt." ...... Right! If you believe that, then I have a bridge in New York I would like to sell you!

The Republican leadership is working over-time to lessen the political fall-out that is starting to take place as a result of this whole thing. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House, is saying that he he was not told about the "strange behavior" of Foley at least a year ago. He denies that he was told, and denies that he ignored any information given to him conerning Foley.

Will the Republican leadership be successful in lessening the Foley fall-out? Only time will tell! The voters will decide for themselves come November 7th.

Keep in mind however, that both parties are more concerned about keeping their jobs than they are about doing their jobs. Congress was in session a total of 93 days last year. Both houses gave themselves another pay raise this past year. That was the third pay increase in three year's.
Wow! Where can I find a job like that?

Hastert will not comment no more due to Investigation og Ethics Committee. Ya right the one you destoyed when they looked at Tom DeLay coward

"C.Morris,

I think the Stones song "Tumbling Dice" would be appropriate for this Foley mess.

Posted by: John E. | Oct 7, 2006 12:38:34 PM"

John EEE,

I don't know. It's a little too straight, but you need to get the lyrics in front of you and manipulate them to your wishes. Work on it.
Maybe MONITOR will post it.

C.Morris,
You're right,that song is no good,I think I've found the perfect song,and I'll type it out just as soon as I can get it copied.

I was watching Sean Hanitty on Fox News last night, because I wanted to see how Fox was spinning this Mark Foley situation to all those "family values" Christian Conservatives.

Seanitty didn't disappoint me, He said:
"The liberals want to keep talking about the Mark Foley situation,because they have nothig else to talk about,and they don't want to talk about all of the success George W. Bush,and the Republican leadership has had in Iraq."

Yes, I almost fell out of my chair laughing.

Ok Sean,lets talk about your boys in the White House,and their "success" in Iraq.

My tribute song to George W.Bush:

WAR PIGS
Ozzy Osbourne

Bush,and Cheney gather at black masses
American soldiers bodies burning in red ashes
On the Capitol Hill,the church is in ruins
It is the scene of evil doings
It's a place for all black sinners
Watch Bush,and Cheney eat dead rat's inners
I guess it's the same where ever you may go these days

OH LORD YEAH

They carry banners praising the lord
You can see me,rocking in my grave
See them annoint Bush's head Karl,with dead rat's blood
See them stick a stake right through me

OH LORD YEAH

Don't hold me back,cause I gotta go
Satan,they got a hold of my soul,and they won't let go
Bush's lord Karl has got my brain,instinct with blood obscene
Look in my eyes,I'm there enough

OH LORD YEAH

On the scene a priest appears
Sinners falling at his knees
Bush sends out funeral pyre
Bush casts the priest on to the fire
It's the place for all bad sinners
Watch Bush eat dead rat's inners
I guess it's the same,where ever you may go these days

OH LORD YEAH

Here's all I have to say about Hastert's convenient memory loss. On page 186 of Denny Hastert's book 'Speaker' which was published in 2004 he states, "Some say I have an incredible memory or recall for exactly what happened when and who said what to whom." So what's the deal Mr. Speaker? Were you lying then or now?

I, for one, am glad we have a whole 51,000 more jobs. That equals more taxes to fund the war in Iraq. Let's see, it's costing the USA $2 billion/week. Wal-mart greeters & slinging hamburger jobs aren't going to help much, now are they?

Where do we get the money to fund this war? With TAX CUTS??? No, let's BORROW the money. From our friends, like Saudi Arabia & China. We shouldn't be borrowing money from them; THEY should be PAYING US to wage this war since we are protecting their interests in the region. Imagine what would happen if we tried to bring democracy to Saudi Arabia?

And just exactly how does running up a huge debt owed to Saudi Arabia and China help OUR security?

The Republican Congress can't protect the children in their own Capitol,how can we expect them to protect our own country?

Security for me would mean that I had affordable health insurance, safe schools, children taught critical thinking skills so that they can distinguish reality from rhetoric.

VOTE FOR CHANGE.

Since when does the GOP get to decide when it's time to "move on." We the people get to decide when it's time to move on. And we the people are not through taking our pound of flesh.

Doug Zook,

I still think of "Conservative" as being about balanced budgets, limited government and individual liberty. Today's Republican Right isn't "conservative" at all in my book. Maybe I'm old fashioned.

SouthernCal SurferGirl,

I never said that I don't have an agenda. Of course i do. Everybody does. Anybody who reads my posts (and a lot of people don't, but comment about them anyway) knows my agenda. Maybe you should go back to school and pay more attention this time.

John EEE,

OH LORDY LORDY YEAH!!

SouthernCal SurferGirl,

Now that I have a few moments to respond fully:

My politics have been exhaustively spelled out in my posts. A number of people here don't read my sparkling prose -- or they seem to scan the first sentence or two of a 3 or 4 paragraph post, form an (often erroneous) conclusion -- and then "comment" on it.

You claim to have read my posts, and yet your comment makes no sense whatsoever. I must conclude that you either have extremely poor comprehension of what you read, or that you didn't actually read them. In either case that speaks poorly of both you and Northwestern University.

Based on that I may reasonably conclude that it is you, far more than I, who needs to be told what an education is and is not.

IT IS:
Critical thinking and reasoning.

IT IS NOT:
Quoting your totally awesome PoliSci 101 prof.

From the London Times.

Now the Iraq war hinges on a sex scandal
Andrew Sullivan

People use the term dysfunctional a lot. They usually mean that something is so screwed up it doesn’t work any more. But it can also mean that something is so screwed up it actually functions quite well. A mixture of distraction, avoidance and downright denial usually does the trick. And that’s roughly how any sane person would regard America’s democracy right now.
The country is at war, and in both Iraq and Afghanistan, the war is clearly going badly. There is a danger that parts of Afghanistan might be lost again to the Taliban; the Iraqi military and police appear to have become infiltrated by sectarian militias and may now be as much a part of the security problem as a solution to it. The number of civilian deaths in Iraq is at an all-time high; American casualties are also up sharply again.

At home, the government’s long-term financing is in the red by more than $40 trillion; the Gulf Coast remains a twilight zone; federal spending is up another 9% in 2006; the border with Mexico is riddled with illegal immigration . . . I could go on. And yet last week all anyone in Washington could talk about or think about or write about was a Republican online sex scandal.

The scandal isn’t pretty. A closeted gay Republican, Mark Foley, sent obscene and creepy instant messages to several teens who work as messengers on Capitol Hill, while passing a law making online sexual harassment of minors a crime.

The hypocrisy is so perfect it’s almost painful. But so far no actual sex was involved and everyone was of the legal age of consent in Washington DC. As a morality tale, of course, it has its piquancy.

The base of the Grand Old Party has been fed homophobia for years now. It was partly how Karl Rove, the president’s chief aide, won Ohio and the presidency in 2004.

Now, the very homophobia he stoked is suddenly turning back on him with fury. The Christian right, led to believe that the Republicans were keeping gays out of power, now discover that their own leaders may even have turned a blind eye to gay sleaze in their own ranks.

So it’s payback time. Internal Republican polls are now showing that this scandal could cost them up to 50 seats in next month’s election, as their base is so disgusted.

If this is what decides the November 7 congressional election, it’s so funny it’s tragic. I don’t begrudge anyone a juicy sex scandal, and I’ve been blogging about it round the clock. But this election comes at a terribly critical time in the war; and Americans need to debate it front and centre. There has been enough denial in this war not to add one more layer now.

President George W Bush has two more years to govern; and he has declared that he will not pull out of Iraq. So what if the Democrats win one or both houses? What will that mean for the war and the world?

It will probably force a real choice about what to do next. It would surely be better to have that debate before the election rather than after it.

The good news is that the military on the ground in Iraq has slowly overhauled its initial ineptitude with respect to the insurgency. The New York Times reported last week that the Pentagon is about to formalise a radically new approach to Iraq, one that stands a much better chance of success than the under-manned, under-planned Rumsfeld grind of the past three years.

The plan argues for less direct force, more emphasis on public order, more public works and a gradual “clear and hold” strategy for winning over Iraq region by region, town by town. The plan acknowledges that the best intelligence doesn’t come from rounding up people and torturing them, but from winning over the local population and getting tips from them.

It’s not that complicated. But it does require many more troops to be effective. And so at some point in the next few months Americans are going to have to face a choice. They are going to have to send more troops, spend more money, and risk more lives for success; or they are going to have to cut their losses, and retreat or regroup. This is a momentous decision.

It’s also a paradoxical opportunity for Bush and John McCain, the senator for Arizona. If the president fires his dreadful defence secretary after the election and finds someone else (hawkish Democrat Joe Lieberman?), and if he presents a recalibrated plan for victory, he can then force the Democrats into a tough place. Will they be the party of “cut and run” or of “persevere and adjust”?

Surfer girl,you sure pinned the tail on the donkey!!!

dirty little secrets in nie report that mary and joe public haven't seen:

keep sitting in Iraq and BEFORE we all know it, the little terrorists "WANT TO BEES" that are now training inside Iraq will be traveling across the pond. You see they have been using Iraq as a TERROR TRAINING CAMP against our military.

Maybe georgie should figure out how many have NOW left Iraq. Note attacks around the world on foreign land. Just a matter of time before they wiggle into our country with all the great security.

I know, I'll send them over to georgie's house and away from mine!

"I don’t begrudge anyone a juicy sex scandal... But this election comes at a terribly critical time in the war; and Americans need to debate it front and centre."

If I'd had made this very cogent remark the usual gaggle of bugwits would be swarming all over me, calling me a Republican stooge and pedophile enabler.

Just as only anticommunist like Nixon could go to China, only a gay conservative like Andrew Sullivan could put the Foley affair in it's proper perspective.

Thank you for sharing, OHCD.

Just a matter of time before they wiggle into our country with all the great security.

Posted by: dirty little secrets | Oct 8, 2006 7:39:50 PM

Just some meandering thoughts sparked by this.

Freinds and I have, from time to time, discussed the myriad possibilities for more terrorist attacks on US soil. I have to assume that any badguys bent on harming us are more likely to already be in place and less likely "wiggle in" from their Iraqi Terrorist School... but in any case (and without going into any detail here) the low tech and inexpensive possibilities to murder crowds of people and/or disrupt the normal functioning of our society are endless. It would be so easy.

And yet in five years nothing has happened -- here at least. I don't know what to make of this.

Juanito...The "bugwits" never had any intention of changing their votes. The republicans base are the ones who will determine what effect this will make. To the rightious right, this "is" a serious issue. Morals! morals! morals!

Name me one person posting here who doesn't have an agenda?

I try to put my beliefs front and center in my posts. While I don't hold them as a litmus test for every issue, they are a basis for political action. The same is true of Dale's, Bill R.'s or yours, surfergirl.

That Juanito doesn't identify with either party doesn't make his posts any less legitimate in my view. Millions of americans don't call themselves democrats or republicans but vote for both sides, depending on the candidate, in elections.

I wouldn't have it any other way. This is the kind of open and rational declaration that we should have at all levels of government.

Bill,

Thanks for the support.

Guess what? Just today I saw a post accusing ME of being an RNC plant too!

YIKES!

Bill,
I read ALL OF THE POSTS,and I only comment when time allows me to.

I think your sticking up for Juanito says it all.

Occasionally he will take a "soft" liberal stance,but Bill,most of us on this site were not born yesterday...well John D.,and Paulo...,but other than that, I think you are smart enough to know better,don't you ???

I have a test to study for now,so see ya later guys.

SouthernCal SurferGirl'

Yes dear, PLEASE study.

Surfer Girl,you're right on.Jarronto likes to appear as "independent",but as you watch his post,he's a true wing nut that hides in the closet.

And you're also dead on,if Bill supports him,he's far right.

Really? I'm far right? I think the candidate I've supported most on this blog is John McCain, not exactly a poster boy of the far right. I'm sorry you all are so angry at me for having an opinion of my own and not parroting the same far left ideas as most of the posters here.

Sorry, I've got to be me.

And why shouldn't I stick up for Juanito? He's just expressing his opinion the same as you or Raving Loon. Once again, it seems to me that dissent from the popular attitude is what you really have a problem with, not differing opinions.

Anyway, you clearly have opinions of your own that you hold unassailable that you clearly don't want to open up to discussion, too.

I'm ready and willing to defend any of mine with cogent arguments and not the rancor some people in this blog choose to use as a form of argument.

Also, it's hilarious that you'd single out Juanito as some type of spy agent when until very recently we've had an admitted democrat political activist, Dale Peters, claiming only somewhat facetiously to be a republican on this blog. A few days ago Dale finally admitted to being a democrat. But before that he openly touted his campaign work for Tammy Duckworth, John Kerry, debates with John O'Neill and other leftist political activism.

Seems to me like Juanito's a piker compared to him.

Anyway, good luck with the studying.