The Belgravia Dispatch: Ditch Denny, For Starters...

October 03, 2006

Ditch Denny, For Starters...

House Speaker Dennis Hastert must do the only right thing, and resign his speakership at once. Either he was grossly negligent for not taking the red flags fully into account and ordering a swift investigation, for not even remembering the order of events leading up to last week's revelations -- or he deliberately looked the other way in hopes that a brewing scandal would simply blow away.

Gross negligence and deliberately looking the other way? Say it ain't so! Why, this might well sum up a large amount of our contemporary history these past five years. Just as one example that leaps to mind, imagine substituting Rumsfeld (gross negligence) and the Iraq insurgency (deliberately looking the other way) rather than Denny 'The Coach' Hastert and the page scandal in the text above. Sure, the page scandal repulses mightily, and Hastert and the rest of these preposterously bumbling Congressional mediocrities deserve to lose their jobs over it immediately. But as much as this latest sordid story emitting from this despicable Congress rankles, it pales in comparison with the costly and epic blunders made in Iraq, with detainee policies, with much more besides. Of course, the Democrats are so weak and pitiable that even if they can wield subpoena power one wonders what they'll even be able to accomplish with it. But let's give them the chance, at least. In the meantime, l'affaire Foley seems to be having somewhat of a beneficial impact, on this score, meaning the Democrat's chances. From the WaPo:

There was intense anger among social conservative activists in Washington yesterday, and some called for House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) to resign.
Republican operatives closely following the battle for the House and Senate said that they are virtually ready to concede nearly a third of the 15 seats the Democrats need to recapture control of the House, and that they will spend the next five weeks trying to shelter other vulnerable incumbents from the fallout of the Foley scandal in hopes of salvaging a slender majority.

Districts in which Republicans have effectively walked off the field include Foley's own in South Florida. House Majority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) said in a radio interview with conservative commentator Sean Hannity that the party's replacement candidate is all but doomed. Because of ballot procedures in Florida, "to vote for this candidate, you have to vote for Mark Foley," Boehner said. "How many people are going to hold their nose to do that?"

Others warned that the impact could be much greater. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and an important social conservative leader, said "there's a real chance" that the episode could dethrone the Republican majority. "I think the next 48 hours are critical in how this is handled," he said, adding that "when a party holds itself out as the guardian of values, this is not helpful."

Foley's sudden resignation came at the end of a week that had delivered a series of blows to Republican hopes in November. A National Intelligence Estimate asserted that the war in Iraq is fueling new threats from Islamic jihadists faster than the United States and allies can contain them, then a new book by Bob Woodward of The Washington Post said the administration's private assessments of Iraq are far worse than officials are telling the public. Taken together, GOP strategists said, the events of the past 10 days reversed what some Republicans had seen as a modest rebound in September after the worst days of the summer.

By yesterday, a number of GOP strategists reported widespread gloom about the party's prospects, combined with intense anger at the House leadership.

Joe Gaylord, who was the top adviser to Newt Gingrich (Ga.) when Republicans seized control of the House in 1994, was pessimistic about the party's midterm prospects. He said the fallout from Foley's resignation comes "very close" to ensuring a Democratic victory in November.

"The part that causes the greatest fallout is the obvious kind of pall that an incident like this would put on our hardest-core voters, who are evangelical Christians," he said. "The thing I have said almost since this cycle began is the real worry you have is that [Republicans] just won't turn out. This is one more nail in that coffin."

Depressed turnout would not only hurt vulnerable House incumbents but also make it more difficult for Republicans to hold the most competitive Senate seats -- many of those races are now virtually even, according to recent polling.

Hastert faces a spreading revolt among some conservatives over the way he and other GOP leaders handled the matter when first alerted to the contact between Foley and one former House page. Hastert said again yesterday that no House Republican leader knew about the most graphic communications until they surfaced on Friday, but that did little to satisfy some conservative activists.

David Bossie, who runs a group called Citizens United, called yesterday for Hastert's resignation and said other conservative leaders are likely to follow suit. Bossie said the initial e-mails alone, which included Foley's request of a minor's picture, should have prompted an immediate inquiry. "That was a cry for an investigation," Bossie said. "Why couldn't the speaker of the House muster the will to stop this?"

Leaders from about six dozen socially conservative groups held a conference call late yesterday afternoon, and participants were described as livid with House GOP leaders.

"They are outraged by how Hastert handled this," said Paul M. Weyrich, a conservative activist who participated in the call. "They feel let down, left aside. How can they allow a guy like [Foley] to remain chairman of the committee on missing and exploited children when there is any question about e-mails?"

Vin Weber, a GOP lobbyist close to the White House and to congressional leaders, said many Republicans outside of Washington are echoing Bossie.

"From what I hear, it is resonating badly and our candidates are on the defensive about this," Weber said. "The maddening thing about this is if they had done the right thing" by informing Democrats early on and investigating it fully, "there would be no political fallout," he said.

Top GOP strategists said party leaders will concentrate on trying to keep the focus of the unfolding story on Foley, rather than on how House leaders responded when informed about his contacts with former pages.

Fat chance, as even if Hastert goes in the next 48 hours, a plethora of questions about other House leaders remains. And beyond the sordidness of the specific IMs and such, there is also the larger fact that this scandal is just the latest manifestation that we have a cheap and tawdry little Duma in Washington, not a real legislature worth its salt. Hopefully this will fuel further righteous anger in the polling stations. Developing, as they say.

Posted by Gregory at October 3, 2006 12:28 PM

Comments

I don't know. The circus that America has become eats away at the soul - but, paying heed to that circus, by soul I don't at all mean to reference in any way god and his sundry operatives and minions: soul as in ambiguous metaphysical condition marked by sense of longing not affiliated with any supernatural entity - Hamlet as opposed to say Calvin.

The lack of realism and reasonable perspective that seems to abide in hearts and minds of both electorate and ordained public officials in this country just wears a person down. Woodwards book comes out making plain what should have been plain to everyone at least a year ago and it gets knocked off the news by a sex scandal - and everyone's talking about the sex scandal as if that's the big issue that will lead to significant change! I mean, how? So maybe it leads to losses for the GOP - how is the underlying dynamic changed at all?

No wonder the Daily Show has become the conscience of the young - the country's turning into a farce.

Posted by: heraclitus at October 3, 2006 02:12 PM | Permalink to this comment

Well, at a minimum, it increases the odds that Cheney might have to face some genuine scrutiny and something like accountability. It makes it less likely that he'll be able to gin up another crisis in Iran.

I know all the arguments for why military operations in Iran would be counterproductive, and why, ergo, no rational administration would allow them. But we all know whom we're dealing with. We can't count on them being deflected by reasonable arguments.

As it stands now, this government already leaves frightful wreckage in its wake. But if we get sucked into a worse catastrophe in Iran, our already limited options will really dwindle. Shining some light into Cheney's cave -- even via a dim and wavering Democratic lamp -- has to be the first priority of any intelligent patriot.

Posted by: sglover at October 3, 2006 02:54 PM | Permalink to this comment

"l'affaire Foley"... instead of the XYZ Affair, the MAF54 Affair.

This will be the election fiasco. Which is very sad.

Posted by: Chris at October 3, 2006 03:22 PM | Permalink to this comment

"l'affaire Foley"... instead of the XYZ Affair, the MAF54 Affair.

This will be the election fiasco. Which is very sad.

Posted by: Chris at October 3, 2006 03:23 PM | Permalink to this comment

Actually, Greg, it is far more likely that the fallout from the Foley/page scandal will induce a sense of apathetic fatalism (rather than "righteous anger") into the Republican "base" on which the GOP was counting so much to turn out Nov. 7 and counterbalance the heavily anti-incumbent sentiment which seems the prevailing trend for the election. It is only natural: when a political party has made such a great deal of promoting itself as the Guardians of Virtue, Morality and Values - and is exposed, rudely and publicly as valuing political influence above all - "morality" notwithstanding. The motivation of the hardcore GOP "base" (i.e., those that view the Democrats as the Party of Satan) will have been dealt a (probably) mortal blow - and in a "turnout-sensitive" election, as midterms often are: that may be the decisive factor to insure a Democratic House next session (Senate: maybe 50-50 at best). Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch....

Oh, and your formulation: "... we have a cheap and tawdry little Duma in Washington, not a real legislature worth its salt." ...
Priceless!

Posted by: Jay C at October 3, 2006 03:32 PM | Permalink to this comment

> Top GOP strategists said party leaders will concentrate on trying to keep the focus of the unfolding story on Foley, rather than on how House leaders responded when informed about his contacts with former pages.

Catchy strategy: Cover up the cover up.

Posted by: hpitsboll at October 3, 2006 03:42 PM | Permalink to this comment

It's unfortunate that we need a sex scandal to help Democrats gain control of Congress, but with the damage that has already occurred without a check on this administration, I'll take what I can get. Another story among many that is gaining traction with the Republican base is Frist's recent comments that we need to politically engage the Taliban in Afghanistan. I think this is a story that may help deprogram unconditional Bush supporters.

Here are two reactions:

http://ace.mu.nu/archives/199086.php

http://hotair.com/archives/2006/10/02/frist-says-us-cant-win-should-bring-taliban-into-afghan-government/

Posted by: Tim at October 3, 2006 04:29 PM | Permalink to this comment

Yes, it's hard not to feel a bit creeped out by one's own spontaneous feelings of pleasure and release at the feeding frenzy taking place ... FINALLY, one says, and yet, that it takes a sex-scandal & cover-up to wake up the Asses of Wrath is -- well, what IS it, what kind of a nuthouse do we live in, really? Knock on wood -- that these events will 'dampen the turnout' of the Rapture-expectant right, those simple people we know next to nothing about, let's hope they're ultimately as petulant as yr avg. American; knock on wood that they get pissed off enough to throw up some 3rd party candidates in 2008;
and ps
if this freakshow turns out to be the thing that turns the tide
if 5 years from now there are thousands of people who owe their lives to Foley's masturbation aid(e)s
then the French are right we are a nation of Jerry Lewises

Posted by: Quinto at October 3, 2006 07:04 PM | Permalink to this comment

David Bossie?

ewwwwww.

No need to mention his name in polite discourse.

Posted by: milo at October 3, 2006 07:04 PM | Permalink to this comment

"this scandal is just the latest manifestation that we have a cheap and tawdry little Duma in Washington"

Having been to Russia, and seen the legislative process in action, I think you are being rather unfair to the Duma.

Now Supreme Soviet, that would be another story.

Posted by: billmon at October 3, 2006 07:29 PM | Permalink to this comment

Actually . . . it is far more likely that the fallout from the Foley/page scandal will induce a sense of apathetic fatalism (rather than "righteous anger") into the Republican "base" . . .

Sadly, I have to agree.

Once you've appointed dullards to crucial FEMA positions,
invented mobile weapons labs in Iraq,
passed a prescription drug plan that bans government bids,
conjured up yellow cake in Africa,
made false statements before congress,
announced "mission accomplished" months before it started,
awarded bid-free government contracts,
dismissed Abu Ghraib as the work of a "few bad apples,"
debated the international definition of torture,
founded America's "rendition" program,
misled the public about the "success" in Iraq,
and tried to blame Osama on President Clinton . . .

Anything is possible!

This electorate has been well conditioned to accept any explanation that defies rational thought.

Posted by: Drykster at October 3, 2006 08:10 PM | Permalink to this comment

On the bright side (at this point one keeps looking for the bright side of things as desperately as Diogenes looked for an honest man), this particular scandal has, I think, blown the GOP's attempt to define itself as the Party of God to smithereens once and for all -- in the only way scandals ever really are conclusively smashed: by turning them into jokes.

The thing that I keep thinking about at the moment, however, is Brian Ross' announced imminent list of other page-molesting Congressmen. Are any of them Democrats? We did have Gerry Studds, however (whose district kept fondly returning him to office for 13 years after his affair with a 17-year-old page was discovered) -- and if there's one thing clear about sex scandals, it's that they are bipartisan.

Posted by: Bruce Moomaw at October 3, 2006 08:54 PM | Permalink to this comment

One lesson to take from this is the danger of being a closeted gay public figure. Foley went after 16 year old pages because they were the most vulnerable -- the ones least likely to report "inappropriate" conduct because it would raise questions about their own sexuality. (In other words, I don't think Foley was so much a pedophile as a "chickenhawk" -- but his status as a closeted GOP congressmen made it far more dangerous for him to go after 18-25 year old men, and so he went after "teenagers" who were less likely to "out" him as gay.)

That being said, Hastert is just the tip of the iceberg on this -- the very fact that Foley's indiscretions were reported to the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee spells doom to a lot of prominent GOP leaders, not just Hastert -- and (hopefully) the Democrats will be spending 24/7 raising holy hell about the key role that GOP political ambitions played in determining the course of events....

Posted by: p.lukasiak at October 3, 2006 09:35 PM | Permalink to this comment

I'm not a Democrat (or Republican), but it would do my heart good to see the Republicans burned in the upcoming elections, if only to punish them for being so very, very stupid and incompetent. I'm not extremely hopeful that it will happen, or at least not to the extent that Democrats hope and Republicans fear. Midterm elections being low-turnout elections, the so-called moderates/independents may be turned off enough on all politicians to not bother voting at all, so only the party hardcore will turn out, and we'll get the same group of assholes reelected (minus the ones who resigned in shame, so that's something, I guess). I could be wrong. I hope I am.

The Foley thing is not that much of a surprise to me, I've long thought the Republican party was full of closet cases. No one can be that homophobic and not have some issues with their own sexuality. They make fun of Barney Frank, but at least he has the balls to be out and open about his sexual preference. He doesn't help stigmatize gays in his day job and then try to get his swerve on with underage boys on the down-low.

And second on this: "And beyond the sordidness of the specific IMs and such, there is also the larger fact that this scandal is just the latest manifestation that we have a cheap and tawdry little Duma in Washington, not a real legislature worth its salt." Yeah, cheap and tawdry pretty much covers it. Idiots. I feel smarter every day for not voting Republican. They have got to be the dumbest group we've had in D.C. in a long, long time. They almost make Ted Kennedy look good by comparison, and I didn't think that was possible. They make Clinton look better all the time. He's Churchill compared to Bush.

Posted by: LL at October 3, 2006 09:47 PM | Permalink to this comment

I think it would more effective for Dems to get on the TeeVee gasfests, opposite GOP shills, and goad the shills into explaining, at length, in exacting semantic detail, why Foley's actions don't precisely fit the definition of pedophilia, and how Hastert/Boehner/Reynolds didn't do a Nixonian cover-up, per se. I'd absolutely adore the chance to hear Republicans set the record straight.

Posted by: sglover at October 3, 2006 10:56 PM | Permalink to this comment

Posted by: sglover at October 3, 2006 10:58 PM | Permalink to this comment

>Oh, and your formulation: "... we have a cheap and tawdry little Duma in Washington, not a real legislature worth its salt." ...
Priceless!

Yes. Right up there with Bruce ("Withnail & I") Robinson's Thatcher-era comment, quoted from (usually fairly accurate) memory:

"We are governed by a parliament of shouting dopes, mesmerized in delinquent passion for coin"

Posted by: M.R. Moore at October 3, 2006 11:29 PM | Permalink to this comment

We, most certainly, are getting the government we deserve. And the level of competence we deserve as well. And it is a bitter and painful fact to swallow. The unraveling is, sadly, just beginning. And because that is so we will blow even more smoke up our asses in a desperate, but ultimately, futile, attempt to keep reality at bay.

Posted by: jonst at October 4, 2006 01:29 AM | Permalink to this comment

Nothing Hastert decides to do now will make any difference this November. Hastert is the inside-the-Beltway part of this story; outside Washington and his own district, no one cares.

The issues raised by the Foley affair are another story. They could be used to crystallize the definite but vague public sense that Congress has done a lousy job lately and that something needs to change, or they could fade into the background as a minus but not a crippling one for Republican candidates. Which it is, is up to the Democrats. Over on Drezner's site I've given a sense of what I would do in their place, but I really don't know how Democrats will handle this business over the next month. I'm not sure they do, either.

Posted by: Zathras at October 4, 2006 05:46 AM | Permalink to this comment

Nothing Hastert decides to do now will make any difference this November. Hastert is the inside-the-Beltway part of this story; outside Washington and his own district, no one cares.

I have to disagree. Hastert (and the rest of the GOP House leadership involved in Pedo-gate) are an albatross that can be hung around the neck of every GOP candidate in the country. As long as this "leadership" remains in power, Democrats can say "A vote for my opponent is a vote for those who care more about protecting their personal power than protecting your children from sexual predators."

Heck, I'm hoping the Dems start calling the Republicans the "Slap and Giggle" party.... :)

Posted by: p.lukasiak at October 4, 2006 11:06 AM | Permalink to this comment

Dennis Hastert and Foley, Jefferson and DeLay, these politicians are a symptom of a much broader problem which Americans are now aware of. Polls show an anti-incumbent mood. One problem is many voters have yet to figure out how to vote out incumbents. Honestly, I have had folks ask me, "Where on the ballot do you check to throw the incumbent out"?

I am with Vote Out Incumbents Democracy, a PAC formed this year to educate voters about the choices they have at election time. We do need to reach voters and explain that the way to vote out irresponsible and inept politicians is by voting for their challengers.

We advocate Republicans voting for Republican challengers in their primaries, and the same for Democrats. For all others, we advocate voting for the challengers of their choice in the general election.

While speech is free, communications to a mass audience is anything but. We invite dissatisfied and discontent voters to become members of V.O.I.D. and help us reach millions of disgruntled citizens to motivate them to vote for challengers not only in 2006, but, 2008 and beyond, until responsible government is restored.

I hope you will visit us, learn more about us, and even join us in this grass roots movement to restore good governance. When politicians realize they won't be reelected if problems don't get solved, and behavior is not impeccable, they will put the interests of wealthy campaign donors, lobbyists, personal gain, and special interests in the back seat and the voter's and the nations needs in the front.

It is up to us voters to take this government back and never let politicians forget again just who pays their salary.

Posted by: David R. Remer at October 4, 2006 02:47 PM | Permalink to this comment