Billmon - 10/05/06

Civility

Courtesy of Pajamas Media:

The FBI is investigating a possible threat against the north Louisiana teenager who was on the receiving end of suggestive e-mails from disgraced former Rep. Mark Foley, a Louisiana congressman said Tuesday.

Another Hirohito Moment

"Could we have handled it better? Could the page board have handled it better? In retrospect probably, yes."

Denny Hastert
Press Conference
October 5, 2006

"Despite the best that has been done by everyone . . . the war situation has developed not necessarily to our advantage."

Emperor Hirohito
Radio Broadcast Announcing Japan's Surrender
August 15, 1945

Actually, Hirohito comes off looking better: He at least told the truth, if delicately.

The Lavender Bund

Speaking of crazy ideas, there's another conspiracy theory going around -- fundamentalist politico Tony Perkins was apparently spinning it to CBS News last night -- to the effect that the Foley cover up was perpetrated by a secret cabal of gay GOP House members and staffers. Some have speculated that this is or will soon be a Rovian line of defense.

Ten Thousand Years

One of the most impressive qualities about the wingnuts -- and the key to much of their past political success -- is their absolute, fanatical unwillingness to surrender, even when reality has them surrounded and is blasting their ranks to pieces with fragmentation grenades and massed artillery fire. At a point when most Democrats would be frantically looking around for a white flag to wave, the GOP hardcore are making banzai charges.

Call of the Wild

It looks like Roger L. Simon and Instacracker -- as well as PJ world headquarters -- decided to assist in the public outing of one of the targets of Foley's cyber stalking.

I know it's a grisly, disgusting scene, but that's just the way the food chain works in the cyber ecosystem: The predators kill the prey and eat their fill, then leave the remains for the scavengers -- hyenas, vultures, maggots -- to pick over.

It's About the Power, Stupid

First, last and always:

House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., told a leading conservative Wednesday that he would resign as the top congressional leader if it would help the Republican Party stave off defeat in November.

But conservative activist Paul Weyrich said Hastert has rejected calls for his resignation because he believes it would prompt “a feeding frenzy” that ultimately would lead to the downfall of other GOP leaders as well.