Ok, I’m going to say it.
The Republicans deserve to lose.
Why? Rep. Foley.
It’s pretty clear that the guy is a scumbag and likes little boys. That’s not cool. But what’s worse is that members of Congress – including the House Leadership – knew about this for at least six months and did nothing about it.
Now were the emails themselves illegal? Probably not, if what’s been disclosed is all there is. But is it all highly suggestive of something far more lurid – and definitely illegal? Yep. And apparently, according to ABC News, the “more” is in fact there – chat sessions and other similar online “overtures” that crossed the line from mildly suggestive to downright abusive.
To be honest, I’m not all that outraged that a 50 year old (gay) man finds a 16 year old boy attractive. Let’s be serious here – at 15 a couple hundred years ago most people were being married off and starting their lives – as spouses! So let’s cut the crap and give up on the idea that there’s some kind of “holiness” that comes with being 18. Our society needs to remove its recto-cranial inversion of pontificating on this nonsense about the magic of the age “18” when it comes to sexual freedom, especially when we then turn around and say you can’t have a beer. You know, we do occasionally actually register an 18 year old as a lifetime sex offender for sleeping with his 17 year old girlfriend just because one of their parents complains, and as the father of a 10 year old girl, I can’t believe that most people think that is right.
But that, from my perspective anyway, is not the problem here. The problem here is the same one that we had with Herr Klinton producing stinky cigars and having schlong-wong contests with Ms. Lewinski. It is the abuse of power that is inherent in a relationship where someone you are working for, directly or indirectly, decides to abuse their position of power to try to get in your pants, and is amplified about ten thousand times when the person doing it is a federal lawmaker - or President of the United States!
Then you compound that with the complete refusal of the House Leadership to do anything about it. I’m not about to give the Democrats a pass either – it appears that this was pretty much an open secret on the floor of the House, and not limited to the Republican Party. Unfortunately, the Republicans are the ones in control, and thus, they’re the ones who must – and should – take the hit here.
I’ve had it with so-called “elected officials” who think that it’s cute to abuse people under their tutelage and control. In the civilian world you get sued to high hell for that kind of crap, and with good cause. But it seems to be somewhat of a fashion statement in Washington when this sort of thing is done to Interns and Pages.
Damnit, it’s time that we the people put a stop to this nonsense. Did we learn nothing from Klinton and his stinky cigar debacle?
If we have to throw all the bums out to accomplish it, I’m for it at this point.
Our young people are not the forcible sexual toys of the rich and powerful.
