Where's the outrage?

Mark Foley had to resign in disgrace for sendin lurid emails to former House pages. The Democrats are demanding that Dennis Hastert resign for not getting rid of Foley earlier. Meanwhile, Gerry Studds, a House member who had a sexual affair with a page, was censured but allowed to keep his seat and served for a number of subsequent terms, and was eulogized by his party:

[H]e never apologized - in fact defended the relationship - and was re-elected six times. Congressman Barney Frank said Studds gave people "the courage to be who they are." Ted Kennedy said Studds "changed Massachusetts forever and we'll never forget him." And Congressman William Delahunt said "even now, his legacy is alive and well in the halls of Congress."

Remember this next time there's a scandal: Republicans don't support people who are found to be immoral or criminal. Democrats make excuses and stand behind them. That's the meaning of this episode. Replicans abandoned Nixon when it became clear that he had broken the law. The same with Newt Gingrich and others. Bill Clinton was allowed to remain in office and defended as the greatest president in history.

The European Union repeatedly accuses us of violating human rights at Gitmo and demands that it be closed, but when we've tried to return detainees to their homes in the E.U. they refuse to accept them. The world is sliding unconsciously into hypocrisy and self-deception. And those who see it and say so are doomed to be hated for noticing that the Emperor has no clothes on.



Scandal is not the issue. I know lots of Democrats who are good people, but their national party are hypocrites.