You know you're in trouble when even that concern troll Wolf Blitzer starts actually practicing journalism on you.  

Check out this little gem, in which Blitzer grills Patrick McHenry (R-NC), demanding evidence to back up his insinuations that the Democrats had something to do with the timing of the Foleygate scandal/coverup coverage:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/10/08 /blitzer-to-gop-rep-yes-_n_31229.html

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Wendy Wilde says Hastert lacks the moral leadership to serve as Speaker and asks him to resign from Congress. She had this to say:

The House leadership failed the public, failed teenagers under their supervision, betrayed the trust of American parents, and allowed their colleague to continue harmful behavior under their watch.  They need to step down immediately."

Full press release below the fold.

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Wendy Wilde held a press conference at Congressman Jim Ramstad's office today to ask him sign a bi-partisan pledge to restore parents confidence in the U.S. Congress.  Wendy had this to say:

As a mother, youth-issues activist, and voting citizen, I join other Minnesotans in being outraged by the pattern of deceit, denial and cover-up by the House Leadership.  This pledge focused on restoring parent's confidence in the U.S. Congress. I am asking Congressman Jim Ramstad to join with me as one of the first signers.  We are requesting that ALL members of congress and congressional candidates sign this pledge.

The pledge asks for four simple things:

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Cross-posed from Patterns That Connect

For almost a year--no, make that five years, maybe more, the GOP's top leadership hid a sex-scandal from the American people, involving Congressman Mark Foley cyberstalking House pages.  Now, over the past three days, the GOP's top leadership has been involved in a public coverup of that longterm private coverup.  It's not the first example we've seen of a public coverup by the GOP.  Indeed, the seemingly paradoxical notion--a public act of concealment--dates back, in it's current incarnation, to Gerald Ford's Watergate pardon of Richard Nixon, the man who made him President.  But unlike most GOP coverups, this one is about SEX, and for that reason, if no other, it has to be handled extremely delicately.  Like a finicky explosive, it could easily blow up without warning.

Woops!  It already has. But the GOP is still hoping against hope that they can control this thing, somehow, someway. Which means it's a good time for some historical and cultural perspective.

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We're posting the full press release here in the interests of time.  We're mainly a volunteer operation.  This issue hits very close to home for us at Wilde for Congress.  Wendy's founded a non-profit teen center and been a long-time volunteer on children and youth activities.  I'm a clergy-abuse survivor and serve as a youth advisor and religious education teacher at my church.  Oh, and BTW, Wendy hit her $50K goal last night!

Wendy Wilde, DFL candidate for Congress in Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District, called on Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert to resign for his role in covering up the activities of the sexual predator Congressman Mark Foley of Florida.

"It is inconceivable to me that Speaker Hastert and other key member of the Republican leadership knew about Congressman Foley's inappropriate contact with teenage pages and yet continued to allow Congressman Foley to serve as Co-Chair of the House Committee on Missing and Exploited Children As a  High School teacher and coach, Speaker Hastert is a mandated reporter.  It is absolutely inconceivable to me as a mother, and as the founder of a non-profit teen center, that Speaker Hastert would put kids at risk in the interest of political power".  This is another example of the kinds of incompetence and secrecy which have no place in our democracy." 

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