A former aide to Rohrabacher is embroiled in his own molestation scandal:

http://www.ocweekly.com/news/news/our-th ing/25902/

I hope they all resign in disgrace that would be a nice shake up pre 11/7 wave

Hastert's sins as leader may have been greater than just overlooking Foley's transgressions.  If Hastert did in fact know, he was responsible for this:

"Foley chaired the House caucus on missing and exploited children and was credited with writing the sexual-predator provisions of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, which Bush signed in July."

Well, you could say that Foley had some expertise with the issue, but I think voters would prefer more distance, in this case.

Source:  WaPo.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/con tent/article/2006/09/29/AR2006092901574_ pf.html

And let me tell you, I found Matt's reference to you in the post below offensive.  I can't really imagine why he would he would say you were "mollified with 75% of Democrats voting against torture", when you were simply pointing out that it was inaccurate to tar all democrats with that vote.

Reynolds still screwed. Look here http://www.tray.com/cgi-win/x_polpactoca nd.exe?DoFn=H4FL1602106
He wrote Foley a check May 10th

From Roll Call
GOP sources said Reynolds told Hastert earlier in 2006, shortly after the February GOP leadership elections. Hastert's response to Reynolds' warning remains unclear.

Hastert's staff insisted Friday night that he was not told of the Foley allegations and are scrambling to respond to Reynolds' statement.

Following is the text of that statement.

"Rodney Alexander brought to my attention the existence of e-mails between Mark Foley and a former page of Mr. [Rodney Alexander's [R-La.]. Despite the fact that I had not seen the e-mails in question, and Mr. Alexander told me that the parents didn't want the matter pursued, I told the Speaker of the conversation Mr. Alexander had with me.

"Mr. Alexander has also said he took the matter to the Clerk of the House. An investigation was then conducted by the Clerk and [Illinois GOP Rep.] John Shimkus on behalf of the House Page Board.

"Mark Foley betrayed the integrity of this institution as well as the trust of his colleagues and constituents. There is no excuse, and he needs to be held accountable."

Somehow, when this happens to hypocrites, it makes the savoring that much more tasty. Are not all these Republicans supposed to be fine, fine Christians?

If I were Hastert, I would avoid busy bus routes for the remainder of the weekend, at least.

1. Good A-team reference

2. The 50-state strategy is also working because we have a good challenger to Hastert himself in John Laesch! We just might be able to Tom Foley Denny Hastert because of Mark Foley.

a little credit, I sent the link.

Hat tip to Talking Points Memo:

"It's vile. It's more sad than anything else, to see someone with such potential throw it all down the drain because of a sexual addiction."

--Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL), commenting on President Clinton, following release of the Starr Report, September 12, 1998.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060930/ap_o n_go_co/foley_reynolds

Very good sign going into Sunday.

Democratic criticism and accusations against top Republicans can easily be dismissed by MSM news editors as partisan noise.

However, leading Republicans pointing fingers at each other over covering up potentially criminal behavior? That is what any editor would call newsworthy.

Kind of sad that the media never sank their teeth into the Abramoff story. But the Republicans have held ranks and the criminal behavior is a little confusing.

In contrast, this is so explosive and so easily grasped that Republicans are going to be blaming each other.

I mean it. It speaks to the unimaginable hypocrisy and criminality in this GOP mafia. They're perverts, child-sex-predators, war criminals, corrupt bag men, and tyrants. They are despicable. They are evil.

As a former mental health professional who worked with children, I am mandated by FEDERAL LAW to report any suspicion of child abuse, neglect, sexual molestation or solicitation.

That Hastert, Reynolds, Shimkis, Alexander or the clerks who worked with them knew about this and refused to report it--IS CRIMINAL. That Reynolds gave money to Foley when he KNEW, is disgusting.

These people have no morals; every one of them should be arrested immediately and booked along with Foley: Solicitation of a minor; obstruction of justice; conspiracy to obstruct justice; Conspiracy to cover-up a crime; and Accessory after the fact.

I'm not an attorney and I don't play one on tv, nor did I spend the night in a Holiday Inn Express. I'm just pissed off that these people get away with such hideous criminal behavior.

Watergate was a felony--obstruction of justice--that involved covering up another set of felonies, breaking and entering and burgarly, among them. Although Nixon derided them as "third-rate," the original crimes were honest-to-god jail-time offenses that the average person could understand.

Foley's offenses are a cluster of felony sex crimes, like burglary, very easy to understand.

So covering up Foley's crimes is clearly reprehensible to the American people because they understand the nature of the original crime.

On the other hand, Iran-Contra, Whitewater, Clinton's Grand Jury testimony--all of these involved white collar/financial/constitutional/legal issues that average person found either hard to understand, boring or debatable.

But Hastert and his pals are guilty of covering up a serious, easy to understand crime--child molestation.

From Hastert's Web site:

"Hastert spent the first 16 years of his career as a government and history teacher at Yorkville High School ... In addition to teaching, he coached football and wrestling..."

Interesting, huh?