Andrew Sullivan on torture, Foleygate

[pepsified thinker]

OK, so from the Huffingtonpost article, basically, 'everyone' (DC insiders) knows Haster's gay and we're just waiting for him to come out of his own accord, or for someone to <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>fully</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> and (with supporing evidence/testimony?) do so for him, is that right? <br><br>IF--if--that's gonna happen, how does that change the dynamics of the scandal? <br><br>I can't see that he'd be able to continue in power or even in office--of course, being gay<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>shouldn't</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> be of any concern, but for HIM, caught as he is in the current scandal, and as a leader of Repubs...<br><br>I've been reading on Daily Kos and elsewhere that Hastert was toast--that was tossed out as an 'inevitable' earlier in the week, and way back at the beginning of this scandal someone posted that when he first ran for office in Illinois(?) he'd lost due to rumors about sexuality and possible laisons with young men (teens?). <br><br>Again, IF all of this turns out to be the case, it's interesting <br>that information like that wasn't immediately dumped into the public realm--it's like someone playing euchre (a card game I'm told is of/from the Michigan-area) holding back the highest trump card to play it against the second highest trump card, instead of throwing it away against inconsequential cards early in the hand--But how did the whole of 'everyone' manage to hold back Hastert's secret 'lifestyle'? <br><br>Is that what it means to be part of that Washington-insider set, that you know who gets to say what and when--kinda fascinating. <br><br>I'd never have that kind of discipline or awareness or whatever. <p></p><i></i>

[sunny]

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Haster's gay and we're just waiting for him to come out of his own accord, or for someone to fully and (with supporing evidence/testimony?) do so for him, is that right? <br><br>IF--if--that's gonna happen, how does that change the dynamics of the scandal?<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--> <br><br>IMO, the dynamics of the scandal are not changed if Hastert is outed, everything just get amped up exponentially. But if the rumors of his inappropriate conduct with former members of his wrestling team are explored, it's a whole new ballgame. <p></p><i></i>

[chiggerbit]

Well, you have to admit, that no matter what angle you're looking at this info from, it doesn't look good if it becomes public that one big-shot closeted gay with a history of liking them young has been protecting another closeted gay who is in trouble for making sexual advances to under-age boys. And then the big-shot gay young-stud-lover lies his ass of when he gets caught. Whew, it does not look pretty. Wouldn't it be something if Hassert not only has to resign as Speaker, but also resign or lose as Representative? Because he is lying his ass off, mark my word. And, I think eventually he is going to get caught in it, big-time. Then there will be two strikes against him--he covered up the fact that his buddy was preying on teens, and then he told a whopper.<br><br>Pepsi, can you find that DKos bit on Hassert's early Illinois "activities" and post it here?<br><br><br>And the right-eous Republicans said, "Come, let's prey together". <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=chiggerbit@rigorousintuition>chiggerbit</A> at: 10/7/06 1:08 pm<br></i>

[chiggerbit]

It appears that Foleygate isn't the only thing Hassert must be sweating:<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:6kCzTzzlk6EJ:www.dailykos.com/story/2006/6/18/13554/6972+Hassert%2Bwrestling+coach%2BIllinois%2Blost&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=5">72.14.203.104/search?q=ca...=clnk&cd=5</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Sun Jun 18, 2006 at 10:55:04 AM PDT<br>As many of you are undoubtedly aware, the Speaker of the House used his position to insert a $200 million earmark into the transportation bill a year ago to build his much desired "Prarie Parkway"-a new interstate to connect Interstate 88 with Interstate 80, across exurban Chicago, and specifically Denny's district...<br><br>Jerry 101's diary :: :: <br>While he was doing this, he joined with 2 other people to buy up about 250 acres near the proposed highway, and worked the Kendall County Board to ensure an onramp was installed just down the street from one of the properties. <br><br>Now, Denny and his partners are selling the land. The first sale, about 90 acres, netted them roughly $3.8 million! They bought the land at $11k an acre and sold it at $35k an acre.... <hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--> <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=chiggerbit@rigorousintuition>chiggerbit</A> at: 10/7/06 1:05 pm<br></i>

[pepsified thinker]

I think the Dail Kos material was about Hastert being 'toast'. <br><br>I'm 99% that the reference to his having faced earlier difficulties/rumors over his conduct with wrestlers, etc. was somewhere here at RI--either comments to one of Jeff's recent posts, or a discussion thread. Sorry for being vague. <p></p><i></i>

[Carfuffle]

From Josh Marshall's Talking Points Memo:<br><br><br> <!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>(October 07, 2006 -- 12:10 AM EST // link)<br><br>Looks like Denny Hastert's Chief of Staff, Scott Palmer, is in a heap of trouble.<br><br>Remember that Kirk Fordham, one-time Chief of Staff to Mark Foley (R-FL), resigned Wednesday as Rep. Tom Reynolds' (R-NY) Chief of Staff and promptly announced that he had warned Hastert's staff about Foley's page problem as far back and 2003. Specifically, he said he repeatedly asked Hastert's Chief of Staff, Scott Palmer, to take action to deal with Foley.<br><br>Palmer promptly denied it.<br><br>Now, according to the Post, another congressional staffer has come forward to say that Fordham is telling the truth and Palmer is lying.<br><br>And the piece in the Post also touches on this topic we discussed back on October 1st. Jeff Trandahl, you'll remember, is the former House Clerk who, along with Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL), had the sit-down with Foley in late 2005 ...<br><br><br> Trandahl's departure came within days of his confrontation with Foley over e-mails that the congressman had sent a former page. House aides say the circumstances of Trandahl's exit were oddly quiet. The departure of a staff member of long standing, especially one as important as the House clerk, is usually marked with considerable fanfare, said Scott Lilly, a former Democratic staff director of the House Appropriations Committee. Debate is suspended in mid-afternoon to accommodate a stream of testimonials from lawmakers.<br><br> Trandahl's departure was marked by a one-minute salute from Shimkus and a brief insert into the Congressional Record.<br><br> "My one-hour Special Order changed to a five-minute Special Order, now to a one-minute," Shimkus said. "I just want to say thank you for the work you have done."<br><br> Lilly said: "He seemed to suddenly disappear in a puff of smoke."<br><br>Pretty clear a lotta this story has yet to unfold.<br><br>But I guess that's what next week is for.<br>-- Josh Marshall<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/">www.talkingpointsmemo.com/</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--> <p></p><i></i>

[pepsified thinker]

I just hope Trandahl doesn't fall up a flights of stairs or commit suicide via multiple shots to the back of his head, or, well, you get the picture. <br><br>--is the risk of such events the kind of 'pressure' you had in mind chiggerbit? Seems like it wouldn't do much at this point to silence him, but if there the network of closeted gay Republicans on the House is biggger than this scandal has so far indicated, and his knowledge/secrets touch on that, I hope for his sake that he takes your advice. <p></p><i></i>

[chiggerbit]

I think there are all sorts of pressures that can and probably are being brought to bear on him. Social shunning, intimidation, threats against his career, threats against the gay political network, that type of thing. Although, because he is gay (I think I read), he will probably have a better support network than some hetero-others would. <br><br>The corrupt have no room for someone with ethics. I think they will try to squeeze him. I am so sick of the slugs who are running the country. Ever notice early in the mornings, if you look close, you can see slugs' slimey trails, see where they've been? These people have left slug trails behind them, they can't help doing otherwise, because it's their nature. And, it isn't just Republicans. Murtha's one of them. But somebody should tell Trandahl that salt works wonders on slugs. <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=chiggerbit@rigorousintuition>chiggerbit</A> at: 10/7/06 9:41 pm<br></i>

[chiggerbit]

The story is that Trandahl tried to do something about the Foley problem, multiple times, and quit in frustration. Supposedly, his resignation didn't garner the usual ceremony for those moving on. Maybe there was something tainted about the way he left. I don't know. But, it can't be as bad as what's going on now, I would think.<br><br>Good info from Andrew Sullivan here:<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://time.blogs.com/daily_dish/2006/10/the_clerk.html">time.blogs.com/daily_dish...clerk.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--> <p></p><i></i>

[chiggerbit]

Interesting little side tidbit on Foley from Wiki:<br><br>"...Foley's stances on many social issues, such as abortion, differ from his party's leadership. Although a Roman Catholic, Foley is pro-choice (a member of The Republican Majority For Choice[9]) but has advocated alternatives such as adoption and abstinence...."<br><br> <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=chiggerbit@rigorousintuition>chiggerbit</A> at: 10/7/06 9:24 pm<br></i>

[chiggerbit]

You know, it strikes me that Foley stood for many good legislative acts, although I find it hard to forgive his involvement in the 2000 stolen election. But he seems to have been brought down by his sexual compulsions, in spite of many warnings. That's the way with sexual addictions. It won't surprise me totally, though, if it isn't Foley himself who takes down Hassert by detailing who said what and when to him. And...maybe even a little extra.<br><br>BTW, Foley most likely belongs primarily in a sexual addiction program, not some alcohol treatment program. <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=chiggerbit@rigorousintuition>chiggerbit</A> at: 10/7/06 10:18 pm<br></i>

[chiggerbit]

Not sure why my sound is no longer working:<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Video_Sullivan_wants_GOP_punished_for_1009.html">www.rawstory.com/news/200..._1009.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br>Video: Sullivan wants GOP 'punished' for Foley 'hypocrisy' <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=chiggerbit@rigorousintuition>chiggerbit</A> at: 10/10/06 12:36 am<br></i>