Newspapers are blasting the NAMBLA republicans.
The New York Times:
History suggests that once a political party achieves sweeping power, it will only be a matter of time before the power becomes the entire point. Policy, ideology, ethics all gradually fall away, replaced by a political machine that exists to win elections and dispense the goodies that come as a result. The only surprise in Washington now is that the Congressional Republicans managed to reach that point of decayed purpose so thoroughly, so fast.
That House leaders knew Representative Mark Foley had been sending inappropriate e-mail to Capitol pages and did little about it is terrible. It is also the latest in a long, depressing pattern: When there is a choice between the right thing to do and the easiest route to perpetuation of power, top Republicans always pick wrong.
The Washington Post:
Even when damage control seems a lost cause, I suppose you have to follow the playbook. So Mark Foley resigns his House seat in a nanosecond, then explains those creepy electronic messages to young congressional pages by declaring himself an alcoholic, effectively blaming it all on demon rum. House Speaker Dennis Hastert promptly calls for a really thorough -- meaning really slow -- investigation. The rest of the Republican leadership declares itself shocked and/or saddened, but agrees that the time has come to move on, folks, nothing to see here.
These practiced responses have long served politicians, but you don't get the sense that anyone thinks they'll work this time. There's really no effective spin you can put on the Foley scandal, no way that even the Republican Party's image-making geniuses can make people feel good about a 52-year-old man discussing masturbatory techniques with a male teenager via instant message.
The Daily News, under the headline "Capitol Hill Creepshow":
The drink made him do it? Newly resigned Rep. Mark Foley, Republican of Florida, now "strongly" believes he is an alcoholic and therefore has checked into a rehab clinic to get himself off the hooch and also to address what he calls "other behavioral problems." Which is the coward's way of describing a penchant for preying on teenagers who had served as congressional pages.
While masquerading as an ardent protector of missing and exploited children, Foley, it turns out, was luring male former pages into sexually explicit computer chats of the sort that make you want to take a shower in extremely hot water. Which is also how anyone who voted for this creep must also feel right now.
The right-wingers over at the New York Sun, of course, use this opportunity to demonstrate that they just don't get it:
Behavior once thought shameful is now paraded openly and promoted proudly to sell books. Former Governor James McGreevey tours the talk show circuit. His presence dares anyone to question the legitimacy of his dumping two wives and having sex with men. He apologizes for his extramarital sexual relations and for putting people on the state payroll that didn't belong there, but he has no intention of changing his behavior.
Bill Clinton has recovered from sex with an intern in the White House and impeachment. He doesn't suffer for having practiced aberrant behavior. Few see him as having disgraced himself. Mr. Clinton takes in six figures on the lecture circuit and enjoys rock star status wherever he goes.
Yawn. Can't say I didn't see that one coming.
