The October Surprise that really was
What a week to have to deal with moving. Starting on Friday the news floodgates opened, and they haven't closed since. Unfortunately, I've got no Internet at home and there's still lots of moving-related stuff to be done. To make matters worse, the computer I'm using to write posts won't let me create hyperlinks. So there isn't much to do except comment on what's out there.
At the end of last week, OD1 sent me a story about Alberto Gonzales warning federal judges that they should think long and hard before ruling Bush's unconstitutional programs unconstitutional. It's the same old "unitary executive" argument, which denies that whole "co-equal branches of government" stuff we all learn about in jr. high.
But in spite of the usual bluster, demands, and thinly-veiled threats from the White House, the Republicans seem to be hitting new heights of nervousness this week. This quote from Dennis Hastert, appearing on Rush Limbaugh's show:
"We're trying to build better protections for these page programs. But, you know, this is a political issue in itself, too, and what we've tried to do as the Republican Party is make a better economy, protect this country against terrorism -- and we've worked at it ever since 9/11, worked with the president on it -- and there are some people that try to tear us down. We are the insulation to protect this country, and if they get to me it looks like they could affect our election as well."
As you might have surmised from the first sentence, this was his response to the Mark Foley scandal. You see, if we address the issue of the GOP covering up for a pedophile on Capitol Hill, the terrorists have won. Oh, and if Dennis Hastert doesn't keep his post as Speaker, we might as well just adopt sharia law. And although it probably didn't occur to most Limbaugh devotees, there's something sickeningly ironic about Hastert addressing the topic on the show of a man who most recently made the news for visiting one of the world's most notorious sites for underage prostitution with a sackful of Viagra.
Other Republicans just can't seem to think straight. Bill Frist recently pointed out that, seeing as how the Taliban have made such a strong re-emergence in Afghanistan, the key to victory is incorporating them into the government. When the AP wrote it up under the headline "Frist: Taliban should be in Afghan gov't," he used the quick way out and claimed his words had been taken out of context. And yes, journalists still let them get away with that.
Getting back to the Foley story, though, Crooks and Liars caught Fox News repeatedly running a graphic during the O'Reilly Factor that identified the disgraced Congressman as a Democrat.
I tend to agree with Charlie Cook's latest column (Inflection Point, which isn't online yet)-- the Foley incident might ratchet up the disgust among some independents, but it isn't the kind of story that will turn the tide of an election. What it WILL do is deny Republicans some time to make references to 9/11-- although they've recently added (relatively) lower gas prices and the stock market to their brief list of things they can falsely claim to be doing well. Nevertheless, Hastert demonstrated that it's actually pretty easy to pimp the attacks whenever you like. And speaking of Charlie Cook, the column had even more 'maybe' and 'perhaps' per square inch than usual, but he seems to think that there's a very real chance of an electoral tidal wave. In short, the longer the Foley story makes headlines, the worse things get for the Republicans. Not because of outrage over Foley's actions, but because it denies other Republicans the chance to keep threatening the public with the terrorist attacks and nuclear strikes that will be inevitable if people like Bob Ney, Mark Foley, Randy Cunningham and Tom DeLay are voted out of Congress-- as opposed to having to resign in shame.
At the end of last week, OD1 sent me a story about Alberto Gonzales warning federal judges that they should think long and hard before ruling Bush's unconstitutional programs unconstitutional. It's the same old "unitary executive" argument, which denies that whole "co-equal branches of government" stuff we all learn about in jr. high.
But in spite of the usual bluster, demands, and thinly-veiled threats from the White House, the Republicans seem to be hitting new heights of nervousness this week. This quote from Dennis Hastert, appearing on Rush Limbaugh's show:
"We're trying to build better protections for these page programs. But, you know, this is a political issue in itself, too, and what we've tried to do as the Republican Party is make a better economy, protect this country against terrorism -- and we've worked at it ever since 9/11, worked with the president on it -- and there are some people that try to tear us down. We are the insulation to protect this country, and if they get to me it looks like they could affect our election as well."
As you might have surmised from the first sentence, this was his response to the Mark Foley scandal. You see, if we address the issue of the GOP covering up for a pedophile on Capitol Hill, the terrorists have won. Oh, and if Dennis Hastert doesn't keep his post as Speaker, we might as well just adopt sharia law. And although it probably didn't occur to most Limbaugh devotees, there's something sickeningly ironic about Hastert addressing the topic on the show of a man who most recently made the news for visiting one of the world's most notorious sites for underage prostitution with a sackful of Viagra.
Other Republicans just can't seem to think straight. Bill Frist recently pointed out that, seeing as how the Taliban have made such a strong re-emergence in Afghanistan, the key to victory is incorporating them into the government. When the AP wrote it up under the headline "Frist: Taliban should be in Afghan gov't," he used the quick way out and claimed his words had been taken out of context. And yes, journalists still let them get away with that.
Getting back to the Foley story, though, Crooks and Liars caught Fox News repeatedly running a graphic during the O'Reilly Factor that identified the disgraced Congressman as a Democrat.
I tend to agree with Charlie Cook's latest column (Inflection Point, which isn't online yet)-- the Foley incident might ratchet up the disgust among some independents, but it isn't the kind of story that will turn the tide of an election. What it WILL do is deny Republicans some time to make references to 9/11-- although they've recently added (relatively) lower gas prices and the stock market to their brief list of things they can falsely claim to be doing well. Nevertheless, Hastert demonstrated that it's actually pretty easy to pimp the attacks whenever you like. And speaking of Charlie Cook, the column had even more 'maybe' and 'perhaps' per square inch than usual, but he seems to think that there's a very real chance of an electoral tidal wave. In short, the longer the Foley story makes headlines, the worse things get for the Republicans. Not because of outrage over Foley's actions, but because it denies other Republicans the chance to keep threatening the public with the terrorist attacks and nuclear strikes that will be inevitable if people like Bob Ney, Mark Foley, Randy Cunningham and Tom DeLay are voted out of Congress-- as opposed to having to resign in shame.
posted by Matt Sandwich | 8:33 AM
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