Would bank robbers and murderers be dancing in the streets if a Republican were elected ?
Current mood: hopeful
Category: News and Politics
Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard at least one Republican henchman trying to insinuate that Barack Obama might be linked to terrorists or -- Allah forgive! -- Muslims since his middle name is Hussein (the same name, ironically, of one of our greatest allies in the region for decades, Jordan's King Hussein...but I digress).
The latest linker is Rep. Steve King of Iowa, who told an Iowa newspaper "The radical Islamists, the al-Qaida ... would be dancing in the streets in greater numbers than they did on Sept. 11 because they would declare victory in this war on terror," adding "His middle name does matter. It matters because they read a meaning into that."
Ironically, King was an early endorser of former Senator and actor Fred Thompson. That's Fred Dalton Thompson, which you know if you've ever watched the opening credits of Law & Order when he was on the show. But wait a minute! Weren't the Daltons notorious outlaws? A gang of thieves and cutthroats? Weren't they bank robbers and murderers? So obviously, following Republican logic, bank robbers and murderers surely would have been dancing in the streets had Fred Dalton Thompson been elected President of the United States. Come to think of it, with a middle name like Dalton, I'm not sure I could trust Fred Thompson to be a loyal American. He might well have ties to organized crime himself!
Or at least that's what I'd have to think were I a Republican. Come to think of it, McCain has the same first name as John Dillinger. Hmmmmm....
Petition for Afghan man sentenced to death for downloading information on women’s rights
Current mood: hopeful
Category: News and Politics
Hi guys. Sorry I never have time for blogging anymore. I hope everyone is doing well. I just wanted to bring this petition to your attention. It would be great if anyone who reads this could sign the petition and help spread the word in any way you can. This is an amazing case and very sad. Here a bulletin going around:
Sayed Pervez Kambaksh was arrested by the Afghan government for DOWNLOADING from the internet information on human rights for women.
He was given a four minute "trial" without a lawyer or in fact ANY representation.
He was found guilty and has been sentenced to death.
Please copy and paste this address into your browser and sign this petition.
'What they call my trial lasted just four minutes in a closed court. I was told that I was guilty and the decision was that I was going to die'
Pervez Kambaksh has been attacked by other prisoners
By Kim Sengupta in Mazar-I-Sharif, Afghanistan Monday, 25 February 2008
Clutching the bars at his prison, Sayed Pervez Kambaksh recalls how his life unravelled. "There was no question of me getting a lawyer to represent me in the case; in fact I was not even able to speak on my own defence."
The 23-year-old student, whose death sentence for downloading a report on women's rights from the internet has become an international cause célèbre, was speaking to The Independent at his jail in Mazar-i-Sharif – the first time the outside world has heard his own account of his shattering experience. In a voice soft, somewhat hesitant, he said: "The judges had made up their mind about the case without me. The way they talked to me, looked at me, was the way they look at a condemned man. I wanted to say 'this is wrong, please listen to me', but I was given no chance to explain."
For Mr Kambaksh the four-minute hearing has led to four months of incarceration, sharing a 10 by 12 metre cell with 34 others -- murderers, robbers and terrorists – and having the threat of execution constantly hanging over him. His fate appeared sealed when the Afghan senate passed a motion, proposed by Sibghatullkah Mojeddeid, a key ally of the President Hamid Karzai, confirming the death sentence, although this was later withdrawn after domestic and international protests.
I spoke to Mr Kambaksh at Balkh prison, under the watchful eyes of the warders in their olive green Russian-era uniforms. Here 360 prisoners are packed into a facility for 200, in conditions even the Afghan prison authorities acknowledge are "unacceptable". The inmates, who include 22 women, many convicted of deserting their husbands and adultery, sit around with the forlorn demeanour of those caught up in a vast bureaucratic system with little chance of an early exit.
Since The Independent exposed the case of Mr Kambaksh, eminent public figures such as the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice. and Britain's Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, have lobbied Mr Karzai to reprieve him. A petition launched by this newspaper calling for justice for Mr Kambaksh has gathered nearly 90,000 signatures.
Standing outside his cell, Mr Kambaksh looked pale and tired, hunched into his brown leather jacket over a dusty white shalwar kameez against the cold, cutting wind of the northern mountains. He had, in the past, been attacked by fundamentalist prisoners at the instigation of a guard who had said he was a heretic, but the intimidation has tailed off in recent weeks. "I am very thankful for what The Independent has done and the publicity in this case. Most of my fellow prisoners know now that I had not done anything so terrible to deserve this, and they have supported me. Some of the guards have also been kind.
"There are still some extremists who insult me, but I am afraid they are the kind who will not change their minds."
Mr Kambaksh's ordeal began in mid- October after the downloading of the document about Islam and women's rights from an Iranian website. He was questioned first by some teachers of religion from the university where he is a student of journalism.
"They said that some other students had said that I had written the article myself. Of course I denied this, I also asked them who these other students were, but they would not give me the names. They have since repeated these accusations, but they have never told me who these students are. I do not know if they exist ..." His voice trailed off as a guard came and stood listening to him. Not all believe in Mr Kambaksh's innocence.
On 27 October he was arrested at the offices of Jahan-e-Naw, a newspaper for which he had carried out reporting assignments. "It was about 10 in the morning. They told me that one of the directors of the NDS [the Afghan national intelligence service] wanted to see me. I was taken to a police station and sat around until 3 o'clock when they said they were arresting me over the website entry. When I protested they said they were doing this for my own safety, otherwise I may be killed."
Mr Kambaksh received visits from his family in the weeks which followed but says that he was not allowed any access to a lawyer. "My family were upset, my father is so worried, I have seen him age in the last few months. I keep telling them to be strong."
On 6 December he was brought before a court in Mazar where the charges against him, accusing him of blasphemy and breaching other tenets of Islamic law, were read out. But then the proceedings concluded without any evidence being presented before the court.
The next hearing, on 12 January, was cancelled after Mr Kambaksh became ill. He arrived at the court at the next session, on 22 January expecting a date to be set for the trial, only to hear numbing news. "They normally sit for just a few hours in the afternoon. I was taken into the court just before it shut at 4 o'clock. There were three judges and a prosecutor and some details of the case were repeated. One of the judges then said to me that I have been found guilty and the sentence was death. I tried to argue, but, as I said, they talked to me like a criminal, they just said I would be taken back to the prison.
"I was totally shocked. Afterwards I sat and tried to calculate just how long they had taken to judge my case. I thought at first it was three minutes, but then I worked out it was four. That was it, I have been in prison ever since. All I can hope now is that something can be done at the appeal. I would really like the appeal to be heard in Kabul, I think I will get a better hearing there."
Following the international outcry over the case, and the campaign by Mr Kambaksh's supporters, Afghanistan's Supreme Court has said that the appeal may take place at Kabul, away from local justice in Mazar, and that the hearing this time would be in the open. Justice Bahahuddin Baha also stated that the student would have the right to legal representation.
"I think if I get to put over my point of view then the judges will see I have done nothing wrong. But then I was entitled under the constitution to have a lawyer and put my defence the last time and that did not happen. I have heard that President Karzai has taken an interest in my case. He can reprieve me, but I do not know what kind of pressure he is under."
You can help to change someone's life with a $25 loan
Current mood: hopeful
Category: News and Politics
Hey guys, just dropping in to let you know about this program. Definitely a wonderful idea. I really urge you to check this out and read the profiles of people in developing countries who have great ideas for their small businesses, but who just need a small loan to make improvements or to get things going. Here's the canned message:
I want to let you all know about a cool non-profit that is doing great things: Kiva.org
Kiva.org allows individuals to make $25 loans to low-income entrepreneurs in the developing world (microfinance). By doing so, individuals like you provide affordable working capital for the poor (money to buy a sewing machine, livestock, etc.), empowering them to earn their way out of poverty.
It's a new, direct and sustainable way to fight global poverty, and the way I see it, I get a higher return on $25 helping someone build a future than the interest my checking account pays.
Anyways, if you have a minute, please check out the site: http://kiva.org. If you need more "reputable" validation than my recommendation :), know that they have received great press in publications ranging from The Wall Street Journal to NPR to BusinessWeek.
The Chinese Government is Taking and Killing People's Dogs: This Is Absolutely Heartbreaking
Current mood: sad
Category: News and Politics
I adore the Chinese people and culture. What a magnificent country! The beauty of China is truly breathtaking and the history fascinating. Their contributions to civilization are probably unmatched. But I'll never understand the current Chinese government.
I'd like to tell you something terrible happened now in Beijing. On the large scale, The Chinese government is slaughtering dogs who has not certificates or who are just taller than 35 centimeters. The government has organized policemen and special dog-killing teams to arrest or kill dogs on the spot wherever they find the dog in the city. Many dogs have been hit to death on the street. Some of them were hung on the trees and were whipped to death. Some of others were caught and closed into suffocating dogs' concentrating camps to wait for execution. Everyday these bloody slaughter scenes are on play in every place of China. As the capital of China, Beijing is the worst place for dogs. From November 6, 2006, The policemen of Beijing are going to break into common people's houses who have large dogs or no-certificate's dogs at home. The dogs will be caught and be taken to the dogs' concentrating camp and wait for execution. And this is the real situation we have to accept. And now please allow me to tell you why these dogs have not certificates. Basically, there are 2 reasons: First, Some owners can not afford the expensive fee for dog's certificate. Take Beijing for instance, Fee for the first year is RMB1000, And RMB500 for every year from the second year on. As you know, China is still a developing country, not each family can afford the charge. Second, For those dogs taller than 35 centimeters, our government refuse to give them ID card. So-called reason is they are tall and perhaps make people scared. Their ban is aim at all of large dogs including all the mild-tempered and few-barked ones such as golden retrievers, Labrador dogs and Scotland shepherds, etc. The strongest explanation of Chinese government's about their killing of dogs is: Dog will spread canine madness. However, everybody knows that canine madness is entirely different from SARS and bird's flu. It's preventable through bacterin injection to dogs and can be remedied by bacterin injection to human beings. In China, only those dogs who have certificates can be injected the bacterin for free every year. Whereas many large dogs' owners, just like us, take our dogs to pet hospitals for injection by ourselves. Actually, most of cases of canine madness appeared in the rural areas of China. Just because our government has not tried its best on canine madness' prevention and has not accurate management on dogs, many people ignore the danger and do not prevent illness by means of injection in time, especially for peasants. Those owners whose dogs bit other people can easily avoid punishment if they run away or disavow they are owners. All of these lead to the tragic . Just let's think?if the government inject bacterin for all of dogs for free in China every year, undoubtedly, the number of ailing dogs must be greatly reduced. If the government permit all the dogs get certificates and ask all of them should tie the ID cards on , I believe nobody will avoid punishment any more since people will get the owner's information through the card. Why don't our government choose a reasonable way to control the disease? Why do they just kill these innocent animals by incredible cruel way? It's human beings' fault, but not dogs'. I was born in the seventies. When I was still a little girl, my parents told me dogs are out best friends. But today in China, in the 21st century, most of parents only tell their children the dog is dangerous, so keep away from them anytime. Because of unilateral publicizing by the Chinese government and all kinds of media, more and more people are misled. I just want to say, the dog is still our friend, they are not virus, they are not dangerous. They will always bring us pure love and soul's peace. Perhaps they are just a kind of pet to owners, but the owners means a whole world to them. Dogs' life is quite short, maybe only 11 or 12 years. Why don't we make them happy and peaceful? When I chatted with a foreign friend, he told me nobody put the dog into cage because that means disrespect in his country. The dog is not humble in many countries except China. They are not regarded as food either except China. I think dogs are different from many other animals not only because they have emotion and very intimate to their owners, but also they never betray. Many of us can hardly do this, don't we? I have many friends who have dogs in Beijing. Some of them belong to DINK families. Some others are old people who live alone. They love their dogs very much because the dog means one member of families always accompany with them. Undoubtedly, killing the dog must be hurtful and terrible to them. The dog bring them entire joy and comfort. These owners love their dogs just like love their own children. But why? Why does the government plan to slaughter?? I wrote several letters to our government. I asked for mercy for the innocent animals. Eventually, nobody gave me answer. So I have to write to you. People said the slaughter will be cruel more and more before the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008. But why? Is there any relations between Olympic Games and killing dogs?? So dear officers, please help us. Please stop the cruel inhumanity towards animals in China. We are willing to do anything cooperate with our government if they won't kill animals at random. Our government should punish those owners who have uncivilized behavior during their keeping dogs in actual life. Remember the punishment must be accepted by people, but not dogs. Everybody knows it's not dogs' fault. My dog, a 2-year-old golden retriever, named Happy, She is a very soft and good-tempered girl. My friend sent her to me just 50 days after her birth. Just like treat our own child, My husband and I give her all our love. We take her to the pet hospital to inject relative bacterin for her every year. We never take her out for a walk during the daytime for not disturbing other people. Usually we take her out at 5:30 in the morning and after 10:00 in the evening. As a matter of fact, Happy almost never run in the sun. She never bark just like all of golden retrievers. She loves my slippers and always lie on them and snore aloud. My honey Happy, a real cute and lovely girl, will be killed by our government. Why? How can I understand? From yesterday on, I dare not to take her out, because outside is dangerous. I can read the expression in her eyes, but I have not any other ways. I'd rather lock her in the house, but not see her arrested and killed by people. To be honest, if any policeman want to break into my house and take her away, I'm not sure what I will do. It's just the same as rob my own child away to me. I believe I will hold a stick or a kitchen knife in the face of them . Dear officers, perhaps you have got a little news about Chinese slaughter towards dogs, but you never imagine how terrible it is now. Many of owners who have mild large dogs at home in Beijing just like me can not keep quiet any more. We have decided to get together outside the gate of Zoo of Beijing on the November 11, 2006. The theme of our assembly will be: Object to the limit of 35 centimeters towards dogs and condemn the uncivilized dogs' owners. If you can understand our feeling, if you hope to support us, help us please. Please help all of poor dogs live in China. Please make your efforts to persuade the Chinese government to change their cruel policy towards animals. I really love my motherland. I am proud of my country because the 2008 Olympic Games will be held here. But if that means death to innocent lives, please don't come. On behalf of all of virtuous Chinese people , on behalf of innocent and helpless animals and their owners, on behalf righteousness of human beings, please help us, please help us, please help us.
______
Please - Write to these officials ....
The President of the 2008 Olympics Mr. Jacques Rogge jacques.rogge@ioc.olympic.org The Chinese Embassy You can find the Chinese Embassy address in your country by visiting this website: www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/embassy_list.htm
Beijing Municipality Mayor Wang Qi Shan service@beijing.gov.cn Head Office for Beijing Olympics 2008 President of Beijing Olympics Organising Committee Mr. Liu Qi 2008@beijing-olympic.org.cn
*****
Here are some photos that will probably bring you to tears:
*****
If you're interested in helping, you might check out this English language site for the Chinese Companion Animal Protection Network. If you then click on the link at the top that says "member project" you'll find a list of animal rescue shelters located throughout China that desperately need help. They offer food, shelter and vaccinations to stray dogs and abandoned companion animals throughout China.
Now I need to go cry again.
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watching
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Benji Release date: 17 August, 2004
This Thanksgiving, Please Remember the People of Darfur
Current mood: sad
Category: News and Politics
A few days ago, I was watching Mia Farrow on C-Span speaking about her recent trip to Darfur along with representatives of the Save Darfur Coalition. It was truly heartbreaking. She showed film clips of a young Darfur woman who spoke about her attempt to save her baby from an attack by the "Janjaweed" militias, who are spreading terror through the region with the backing of the Sudanese government.
The woman described how she gathered her baby up in a blanket and carried it on her back as she attempted to flee the killers. Tragically, a bullet fired as she ran away went through the baby, killing it instantly, and lodged in the woman's shoulder, leaving permanent scars on both her back and her heart. The woman's story also described how the militias entered a mosque where 28 of the village's Muslim men had gathered to pray and began to gun them down. Only one of the 28 survived. Then they went to the local schoolhouse, where they slaughtered the teachers and murdered 34 of the 38 children in the school.
Unbelievably, this sort of tragedy is part of everyday life for the people of the Darfur region of Sudan. And because borders in this region of Africa are neither well-defined nor guarded, the genocide is now spreading into eastern Chad and the Central African Republic. Killings, lootings and mass rapes of the region's young women are happening as we speak. More than 400,000 have already been killed and over 3.5 million people of the Darfur region are living in constant fear and could be victims of murder or rape any day. Many people no longer have homes and are living huddled under trees or are trying to escape the region with only their lives.
So this Thanksgiving, please say a prayer for the people of Darfur. And tomorrow, please consider doing everything you can to spread the word and to urge the President, the Congress and world leaders from across the globe to step up to the plate and stop the genocide in Africa.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Yep. It's the first one. The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Under the Bush Regime, we've seen our Fourth Amendment rights go out the window through warrantless spying and the recent passage of the Military Commissions Act (or, as I like to call it, the Surrender to Terrorism Act, since we've now sat idly by as our Congress and President killed habeus corpus and took away our Constitutional freedoms in the name of "protecting us" from those who wish to take away our Constitutional freedoms). Now comes proof that our First Amendment rights are pretty much heading down the tubes as well.
The Reporters Without Borders organization, which keeps a watchful eye on press freedom and abuses, has released its annual Worldwide Press Freedom Index for 2006. Who do you think is No. 1? If you guessed The United States, Ronald Reagan's "Shining City on the Hill," you'd be absolutely -- wrong! Four countries with absolutely no incidents of government interference in the press (Finland, Iceland, Ireland and The Netherlands) tied for that honor. In fact, the "beacon of freedom" that is the United States -- the country all the terrorists hate because of our freedoms -- is actually tied for the 53rd spot with Botswana, Croatia (once part of a former Soviet satellite) and Tonga. In fact, 10 states that were once part of the Soviet Union or its satellites rank ahead of us in press freedoms.
In documenting the fall from grace of Mr. Jefferson's once-great democracy, Reporters Without Borders noted:
The United States (53rd) has fallen nine places since last year, after being in 17th position in the first year of the Index, in 2002. Relations between the media and the Bush administration sharply deteriorated after the president used the pretext of "national security" to regard as suspicious any journalist who questioned his "war on terrorism." The zeal of federal courts which, unlike those in 33 US states, refuse to recognise the media's right not to reveal its sources, even threatens journalists whose investigations have no connection at all with terrorism.
Freelance journalist and blogger Josh Wolf was imprisoned when he refused to hand over his video archives. Sudanese cameraman Sami al-Haj, who works for the pan-Arab broadcaster Al-Jazeera, has been held without trial since June 2002 at the US military base at Guantanamo, and Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein has been held by US authorities in Iraq since April this year.
Having spent much of my adult life in journalism (albeit mostly sports with a couple of stints as a news reporter and a managing editor), this is an especially disturbing trend to me. I can only hope that the Nov. 7 elections begin to move this country back in the right direction and that the Democrats have grown enough cojones to begin to undo some of the damage that the radical neocon Republicans have done to our democracy.
You can read the organization's press release and view the entire rankings here.
GOP Ads Refer to Black Women as "Hos"
Current mood: curious
Category: News and Politics
More fun from the people who bring us "Family Values."
According to the New York Sun, a group with GOP ties known as America's PAC is running a series of ads in more than two dozen congressional districts aimed at attracting black voters to the Republican Party.
Among the sleaziest are an anti-abortion ad that features two black men talking to each other:
"If you make a little mistake with one of your 'hos,' you'll want to dispose of that problem tout suite, no questions asked," one of the men says.
"That's too cold. I don't snuff my own seed," the other replies.
"Maybe you do have a reason to vote Republican," the first man says.
So, apparently (in GOP World) all black women are whores and all black men have a stable of "hos" to service them.
Yet another attempts to make a link between the Democrats and white supremacist David Duke, who once served in the Louisiana legislature as a Republican and ran for governor of that state as a Republican. Duke spoke at an anti-war rally in Syria last year, so obviously that makes him (in GOP World) a Democrat:
"I can understand why a Ku Klux Klan cracker like David Duke makes nice with the terrorists,"a male voice in the ad says. "What I want to know is why so many of the Democrat politicians I helped elect are on the same side of the Iraq war as David Duke."
Do these people really believe that black folks are stupid enough to start supporting the occupation of Iraq just because David Duke is against it?
Turns Out It Was All Just a Liberal Plot!!!
Current mood: amused
Category: News and Politics
Things are coming in fast and furious here at the Southeastern Headquarters of the Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy. Armed with their GOP (Grope Our Pages?) talking points, the usual suspects are wagging their forked tongues left and right in an effort to spin the Repugnanticans in Congress out of the mire they've sunk themselves into (quite deeply, I might add). Here's just a small sample:
Rush Limbaugh, obviously having found a new drug supplier, claims that the Mark Foley scandal is just a "liberal plot" designed to "affect the outcome" of the upcoming elections. Damn good plot! Pure genius, I'd say. Hope it works! In one of his more philosophical moods, radio's biggest blowhard also mused that -- all of us liberals obviously being flaming homosexuals and pedophiles -- many of the liberals "just wanted to get in on the action." Haha. That's a good one Rush. Now pop a few painkillers and get some sleep, okay?
Denny Hastert, Speaker and Head Wrestling Coach of the House, figures that the Democrats leaked the information about Foley to the press in an attempt to take control of the Congress. So let's stop and think about this one for a moment....Hastert wants us to believe that he only found there might be a problem with Foley on Friday along with the rest of us (despite the fact that two senior Republican congressmen claim to have alerted him almost a year ago), but somehow the Democrats had access to this information that the Speaker of the Frickin' House didn't himself have? Nice try there big guy. Hastert , of course, says that the congressmen might have mentioned this to him, but that because they would have discussed dozens of things he just can't recall. Well, excuse me, but don't you think that if you're the Speaker of the Frickin' House and one or two of the senior members of your party tells you that there might be a problem with one of the congressmen acting inappropriately toward teenage pages entrusted to your care that it might just send up a red flag? Does anyone believe that you could just let something like that slip your mind?
Then, of course, there's our old friend Sean Hannity (who, ironically, is speaking behind me as I write this, hawking our local right-wing talk radio outlet). I've come to the conclusion that once Dick Cheney's ticker finally gives out, Sean Hannity will be able to lay claim to the mantle of Most Disingenuous, Two-Faced, Dishonorable Man in America. Hannity, laying the blame for the Foley scandal where it so obviously belongs -- squarely at the feet of Bill Clinton -- loudly (and without shame) proclaimed on his Fox News teleplay that Monica Lewinsky was a mere 19 years old -- "just a teen," he said -- when the evil Clinton took advantage of her. Apparently Hannity was too busy reading the Republican talking points to pay attention in math class. Monica was born in 1973 and didn't become a White House intern until 1995. She was 22 when she met Clinton.
But my favorite piece of spin came from that bastion of yellow journalism, Matt Drudge, who has it all figured out: it was the fault of the pages! According the Drudge, these 16 and 17 year-old kids were "egging the Congressman on!" According to Drudge, these "16 and 17 year-old beasts" were responsible because they were sitting there "talking about their sex lives with a grown man, on the internet."
I have just one question: with all that surely must be weighing on the consciences of these people (assuming they have consciences, which they probably don't), why is it that I'm the one who can't sleep at night?
(Below is a book that I would recommend to the Bush Administration and the Republicans in Congress. It might do them some good.)
How can anyone fail to see through these hypocrites?
Current mood: angry
Category: News and Politics
One after one, Republicans have been lining up to excuse former Rep. Mark Foley's alleged pedophilia. After all their sanctimonious blowharding about "what will we tell the children?" during the Clinton-Lewinsky blow job scandal it has now become clear that many Republicans apparently don't really care to protect the children from one of their own.
Here's the take of that eminently "fair and balanced" (cough) Fox News journalist Brit Hume on Fox News Sunday:
It's probably worth noting here that there's a difference between the two parties on these issues. Inappropriate behavior toward subordinates didn't cost Gerry Studds his Democratic seat in Massachusetts, nor Barney Frank his. Nor did inappropriate behavior toward a subordinate even cost Bill Clinton his standing within the Democratic Party, even though, indirectly at least, he was impeached for it. Mark Foley found out about this -- was found out to have done this, and he's out of office and in total disgrace in his party.
Now, I'll grant that on the most superficial level Hume has a small point on Gerry Studds, a Democratic congressman who had a sexual relationship with a male page. The incident occurred in 1973 and was uncovered during House Ethics Committee hearings during the 1983 Congressional Page Scandal. What Hume fails to point out is that Republican Rep. Dan Crane was involved in the same scandal after having a sexual relationship with an underage female page. Crane also did not lose his seat, although the people of the state of Illinois wisely saw fit to boot him out of Congress during the 1984 election. Also, it should be pointed out that Foley was not forced out by the Republican leadership, but resigned on his own. And even if Congressional leaders were lax almost a quarter of a century ago, that does not in any way excuse current behavior. Plus, there is no reason to believe that the leadership tried to cover up the Studds matter.
Now I'm not even sure why the name Barney Frank even rolled off Hume's lips. Barney Frank is an openly gay congressman from Massachussetts, but he was never accused of being involved in a sexual relationship with a subordinate. He was once reprimanded because a man he hired and befriended had been (without Frank's knowledge) running a prostitution business from Frank's apartment when the congressman was out of town. How, in Hume's sick mind, that equates to preying on children is anyone's guess.
And that brings us to my favorite: Monica's blow job. Every time the Republicans find themselves painted into a corner they start yelling "Clinton!" and "Monica!" in the same breath. What happened between Bill and Monica (as the commercial for the latest Girls Gone Wild video plays on the TV behind me during a break in The Colbert Report) was inappropriate and downright stupid (if for no other reason than it gave the Republican witch hunt ammunition they could use against him). But the difference between that episode and what Mark Foley was doing (as the "Interactive Male" chat line ad plays behind me) is like the difference between night and day! Monica Lewinsky was not 16 years old (no matter how much the Republicans tried to portray a 23-year-old woman as a child). She was an adult and the sex that Bill Clinton did not have with that woman, Miss Lewinsky, was consensual. Clinton was not preying on a child. He may be a womanizer, but he's not a pedophile.
Of course, Hume isn't alone in making excuses for this pervert. Here's what his old Fox News buddy -- White House press secretary Tony Snow -- had to say: "Look, I hate to tell you, but it's not always pretty up there on Capitol Hill and there have been other scandals as you know that have been more than simply naughty e-mails."
Hmmmm. Other scandals that have been more than simply naughty e-mails? Wonder what he was alluding to? Well, Tony, just like Brit, you just don't get it. There is a huge difference between the sexual behavior of consenting adults and someone preying on children who have been trusted to the predator's care (or even those who haven't been trusted to the predator's care). We're talking here about a member of the United States House of Representatives (laughably, the House website still refers to him as The Honorable Mark Foley!) asking a teenage boy if he's horny, if he's masturbated and even to get a ruler and measure his penis!
What's just as disturbing, in a way, is that the Republican leaders in the House of Representatives had been warned about Foley's behavior almost a year ago! Not only did these sick, evil bastards turn a blind eye to what was going on and refuse to investigate, they even let that sicko Foley keep his chairmanship of the -- get this! -- the House Caucus On Missing and Exploited Children! Mindboggling.
These are the people voters have entrusted to uphold "our values." Geez.
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