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Hastert Under a Time Gun

By Jeralyn, Section Other Politics
Posted on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 04:29:01 PM EST
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According to this new article in U.S. News & World Report, senior GOP House and party officials say House Speaker Denny Hastert has 24 to 48 hours to redirect the Mark Foley story or at least quiet it down -- or else he may have to step aside.

"The next 24 to 48 hours will be critical for Hastert and the House leadership," said a Republican political strategist. He said that if the leadership can contain the issue fast, Hastert would not be in trouble. But there are indications that the affair will continue to expand as Democrats take advantage of the situation, possibly leading conservative Republican members to go public with their dissatisfaction with Hastert and demand his resignation.

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    • Hastert Under a Time Gun | 13 comments (13 topical)
    Re: Hastert Under a Time Gun (none / 0) (#1)
    by Aaron on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 05:13:00 PM EST
    Spokesmen for Foley on CNN, [Never had sexual contact with a minor.] [Kept his shame to himself for almost 40 years.] [Between the ages of 13 and 15 he was molested by a clergyman.] [Is considering revealing the name of said clergyman] [Foley comes out of the closet as a gay man] I'm sure gay folks everywhere are just thrilled about that last revelation. Sounded a bit like an insult to me. As if sexual orientation has anything to do with abusing children, in his case all It did was indicate who the gender of his victims would be. No surprise that Foley was abused in his youth, and kept it to himself. This is how the chain goes on endlessly.

    Re: Hastert Under a Time Gun (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 05:51:57 PM EST
    Yeap, there linking gay with child molesters. Theyd better speak up fast.

    Re: Hastert Under a Time Gun (none / 0) (#3)
    by scarshapedstar on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 05:51:57 PM EST
    I'm sure gay folks everywhere are just thrilled about that last revelation. Sounded a bit like an insult to me. As if sexual orientation has anything to do with abusing children, in his case all It did was indicate who the gender of his victims would be.
    Yeah, I think that could have been inferred by subtext alone, don't you? Can a wingnut please explain how this is a mitigating factor? If anything, seems like it should make the situation worse - since being gay is a choice and a moral failing, to Republicans.

    Re: Hastert Under a Time Gun (none / 0) (#8)
    by Repack Rider on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 07:51:53 PM EST
    Clinton hit on and actually had sex with a page who was almost as young The only affair of Clinton's I was aware of was with 22-year old Monica Lewinsky, who was not a page and was considered an adult for all legal purposes in every state of the union. What event are you referring to?

    Re: Hastert Under a Time Gun (none / 0) (#4)
    by diogenes on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 08:18:16 PM EST
    deleted

    Re: Hastert Under a Time Gun (none / 0) (#10)
    by Aaron on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 08:46:35 PM EST
    What makes this kind of behavior so heinous, is not simply that a teenager is being propositioned by an adult, that happens all the time in our society. Under most circumstances teenagers don't have a problem telling such adults to get lost. What's so problematic in this situation is that Mark Foley is in a position of power, real power in America. He was also acting in a supervisory position to these young people. So Foley freely accepted this supervisory position, and then he proceeds to violate the trust and responsibility he was granted. It seems he took on that position with the specific content of place himself in a position of control over these kids. So each and every young person who came into contact with him, was basically placed at the mercy of someone who had a clandestine agenda. Those who he found attractive got special attention, as we saw in those instant messages and e-mails. If he's never had any sexual contact with underage kids in the past, he was obviously attempting to initiate such contact with these young people. This is the quintessential example of the powerful attempting to manipulate the less powerful, or the least powerful in this case, adolescents and children. This kind of thing is all about control, sex may be an element of such behavior, but control and manipulation are the most important factors in this equation.

    Re: Hastert Under a Time Gun (none / 0) (#11)
    by Sailor on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 08:58:53 PM EST
    repack - not to mention it was consensual and with a person old enough to legally provide consent. Rethugs still try to equate consensual sex with non-consensual advances, over fed comms, with minors. They are even more corrupt than I ever imagined.

    Re: Hastert Under a Time Gun (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 09:21:50 PM EST
    Clinton hit on and actually had sex with a page who was almost as young...
    In what wingnutter world is 24 almost as young as 16?

    Re: Hastert Under a Time Gun (none / 0) (#6)
    by aw on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 09:21:50 PM EST
    Diogenes, if lying is an issue for you, then Bush's lying resulting in thousands dead should pale before lying about sex with an adult intern. I have a feeling it doesn't for you, though.

    Re: Hastert Under a Time Gun (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 09:21:50 PM EST
    what does what you are saying translate to in english? he has 24 to 48 hours to shift responsibility? he has 24/48 to prove him innocent? he has 24/48 to prove him guilty? he has 24/48 to resign? he has 24/48 to shift to another emergency? he has 24/48 to have a depends moment? if someone told that turkish towel that he had so much time, we need to know who that is, for they too probably have 24/48 left in their political career. personally I hope ABC waits for a few hours to release the info they have. there will be many more suicides by foot in mouth

    Re: Hastert Under a Time Gun (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 09:21:50 PM EST
    Clinton hit on and actually had sex with a page who was almost as young... Posted by diogenes October 3, 2006 07:50 PM Good one. I suggest you go read the Starr report; it was splashed on the Internets the day it was released so I'm sure you can still find it. Anyway, you'll see that during their first encounter at the WH, Monica made the first move. Oh, and I love your "almost as young" reference. Using your logic, can we infer that one of the teenage boys that Foley hit on was "almost" 22 years old?

    Re: Hastert Under a Time Gun (none / 0) (#13)
    by dutchfox on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 12:32:04 PM EST
    Good comment, Aaron. Thanks.

    Re: Hastert Under a Time Gun (none / 0) (#12)
    by john horse on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 12:46:35 PM EST
    Lets not forget that these pages were minors. These pages were placed in the care of Congress and they had a responsibility to ensure their safety. Hastert knew about inappropriate contact between Foley and the male pages as far back as 11 months ago and did nothing. The Republican leadership did not bother to inform the Democrat representative on the committee overseeing these pages. All of this amounts to a party that put politics over the welfare of children. There is nothing to "contain". How about taking responsibility?

    Hastert Under a Time Gun | 13 comments (13 topical)