I hadn’t thought about this, but it’s a good point. I would like the Democratic leadership to declare right now that if any Democrat knew about this or another similar scandal and moved to cover it up (or ignored it), they will be expelled from the Democratic party. Yeah, that might have significant repercussions for their control of congress, but fuck that: keep your house clean.
Does Congress have something equivalent to a university’s code of honor? If not, it should: any Congressperson who is aware of impropriety on the part of another Congressperson ought to be honorbound to report the impropriety to the Ethics Committee.
I appreciate your sentiments, but these are political critters we’re talking about here; if they were good, solid citizens, they would be leading good, solid lives, not mucking about in politics. In my humble opinion, of course.
Has trolling for underaged tail on the internet ever turned out well for ANY public figure? I’m always kind of amazed that any of them ever think they’ll get away with it.
Technically you are correct, but I strongly suspect that in common usage “pedophilia” has become a term that means, “sexual attraction to underage persons” whatever age that person might be.
So, to be technically accurate:
Gay Ephebephobia: IOKIYAR
but frankly, I don’t think most people would know what “ephebephobia” is. If you want to communicate clearly to non-Dopers it should read “Gay Pedophilia: It’s OK If You’re A Republican!”
This is about the Pubbies, not the Dems, let’s keep the focus where it belongs. If the Dems have a similar scandal, let them deal. Now it is the Pubbies’ time to deal and the Dem’s time to make hay while the sun shines, if, as Unregistered Bull points out, they have any brains. I am not sanguine about that prospect based on past performance.
Been trying to work up something snarky around “page boy haircut”, but I got nothin’. Since, so far, we have no reason to believe any of this was ever actually perpetrated, which is, no real harm done to any children…this is what we call a “hoot”! Yeeee-haw, ride 'em and spank 'em!
It’ll be all about spin. Someone will say the Democrats are innocent, and this was a Republican. They someone will bring up Clinton & Lewinski. Then everyone will say *“oh yeah! Clinton. We hate him. Fucking Democrats! Let’s vote 'em all out of office!”
*
Is this similar to the Stewart jokes on the Dick Cheney shooting? It was hilarious until it was known that the poor guy (whatever his name is) was actually in the ICU. Then it was just “darn funny” or somesuch. Stewart said if he actually died it would have to be downgraded to tragic.
Personally, I don’t find sexual harrassment of grown women in places of employment amusing - even if “nothing happened.” Not even thrilled about consentual relationships in the workplace between superior and subordinate. Wasn’t thrilled with that aspect of Lewinksy. When you start talking about underaged kids, I really don’t care if anything happened ior not. Not funny.
I sometimes peruse the Freeper boards to get a feel for how the conservative base is going to react to something. Initially, it was a liberal conspiracy, turning some innocent emails into something dirty. Then when the bad emails came out, they immediately went to the “Clinton got a blow job” card as well as any number of other stupid tu quoques involving people like Barney Frank and Ted Kennedy. What’s really fascinating is that they seem to think the scandal is that Foley was gay, not that he was attempting to prey on minors. They think that if Foley should have to resign “for being gay,” then so should Barney Frank. I’m really intrigued by their seeming inability to recognize any difference between sex with adults and sex with children. It says something about them but I’m not exactly sure what. Magical thinking comes to mind. They can’t see sexual morality in interpersonal terms but only in magical ones. Homosexuality is wrong because the magic book says so. Fucking little boys is wrong, not because it hurts little boys but because it’s gay, and that angers the gods.
In any case, there is widespread agreement not to allow the Democrats to get away with this and not to let “the socialist” take Foley’s seat. There seems to be no genuine outrage or anger about Foley at all. They’re coloring it more as a “tragedy” and feeling sorry for the guy.
Anthropologically speaking, right wing Christian culture is both fascinating and terrifying to study.