by TChris

The latest right wing conspiracy theory, floated by Rush "Gasbag" Limbaugh, holds that Rep. Foley was set up by the teenage boy with whom he chatted via IM, presumably at the behest of evil Democrats. Rush's proof: nobody saves IM transcripts unless they want to use them to bring down Republicans.

Entrapment is a difficult argument to make, given the content of the IM's. It's plainly Foley, not the kid, who persists in turning the conversation toward underage drinking and post-dinner activities. Rush's assertion is silly, but that's what we've come to expect.

More to the point, a free Wall Street Journal article explains that IM transcripts are easy to save. Keep that in mind if you decide to chat up teenagers via the internet.

Update: Another conspiracy debunked.

(Guest Post from Big Tent Democrat)

Kevin Drum writes:

Walter Benn Michaels thinks that liberals have become too obsessed with "diversity." Why? Because, he says, "celebrating diversity" is easy and makes us feel good -- we're fighting racism! and sexism! and homophobia! -- while doing what we should be doing is hard and makes us feel tired. And what is it that we should be doing? Reducing income inequality and helping the poor

. . . I have a certain amount of sympathy for this point of view.

I don't. Heck, why are we concerned about Iraq? Education? The environment? Why pick the fight for racial, gender and sexual orientation justice as the thing that is distracting us? It is the paranoid style, a la Jesse Helms. It is, in a word, disgusting -- deserving of censure, not sympathy.

(Guest Post from Big Tent Democrat)

No, Mark Halperin, ABC Political Director, and John Harris, Washington Post Political Editor, did no Shorenstein Center teeth gnashing, hair pulling review of the media in their book "The Way To Win" (How To Succeed as Media Without Trying") (Ok my subtitle is a joke for those who may be confused). Indeed, that's the problem. As Eric Boehlert reports, instead they wrote a "What's Wrong With the Democrats" book. And that tells you what's wrong with the Media:

Among the most important of Halperin and Harris's take-away tips -- their so-called "Trade Secret" -- is for candidates seeking the White House in 2008 to basically not act like Democrats. Specifically, Halperin and Harris stress that recent campaigns by Gore and Kerry failed because they lost control of their public image via the press, in sharp contrast to Bush's campaigns, which, thanks to the hard work of Karl Rove, were able to control their public image. What Halperin and Harris absolutely refuse to acknowledge is the willing role the press played in those key Democratic setbacks and the media's shrieking double standard that's been on display for the last decade.

Boehlert's piece is terrific, read the whole thing. But the crux of the matter is this:

by Last Night in Little Rock

As the Foley case "swirls" around the GOP leaders who allegedly knew and did nothing, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who supposedly long had knowledge of former Rep. Mark Foley's alleged possible dalliances with young pages, got a "vote of confidence from President Bush."

"Swirls" is a favorite word in the press today, and it is at least once explained as a "journistic storm", maybe because it's hurricane season.

I, on the other hand, think of a toilet, and not for just for Foley.

by TChris

Mark Foley is walking a tightrope. The emails and IM's are out there; he can't pretend they don't exist. Through his counsel, Foley apologized for "inappropriate" communications. A more specific apology - the kind that could be introduced as evidence against him during a sexual assault trial - isn't likely to be forthcoming, as Foley's lawyer denied that Foley had sexual contact with a minor.

As TalkLeft noted here, Foley followed the standard Washington practice of entering an alcohol treatment program. "I did it because I was drinking" hasn't impressed a judge since the days of Wyatt Earp. Today, while carefully offering no excuses, Foley's lawyer alluded to Foley's history of abuse by a clergy member when he was a child. "I did it because I was abused as a child" sounds strained coming from a stalwart of the Party of Personal Responsibility. And these sound suspiciously like excuses from a man who, according to his lawyer, wants to offer no excuses.

Because conservatives have populated courts with judges who don't much care why you did what you did, Foley can't expect sympathy from the judiciary because of his childhood victimization. If Foley wants to soften a potential punishment, he would be wiser to enter a reputable and very private sex offender treatment program.

Steven Howards and his son were walking by a Dick Cheney event this summer in Beaver Creek, on their way to a piano lesson. Howards told Cheney he didn't approve of his war policy. When Howards walked back from the lesson, passing the site again, he was arrested. Charges later were dropped.

Colorado First Amendment Lawyer David Lane (think Ward Churchill) sued the secret service agent today, for violating his First and Fourth Amendment rights. The full complaint is here (pdf). Here are the factual recitations:

According to this new article in U.S. News & World Report, senior GOP House and party officials say House Speaker Denny Hastert has 24 to 48 hours to redirect the Mark Foley story or at least quiet it down -- or else he may have to step aside.

"The next 24 to 48 hours will be critical for Hastert and the House leadership," said a Republican political strategist. He said that if the leadership can contain the issue fast, Hastert would not be in trouble. But there are indications that the affair will continue to expand as Democrats take advantage of the situation, possibly leading conservative Republican members to go public with their dissatisfaction with Hastert and demand his resignation.

by TChris

Charlie Cook argues that the November elections will hinge on what voters are talking about in the days before they cast their ballots. Republicans enjoyed a modest approval bump in late August when the president made threatening speeches about terrorism. After the NIE judgments became public and Bob Woodward began his book tour, the focus of public discourse shifted from terrorism to Iraq. New military casualties in Iraq and continuing criticism by retired generals (not to mention the country's instability, which is unlikely to improve before November) will probably keep Iraq on voters' minds, and most people aren't buying the president's attempt to link the war in Iraq to the botched war against terror.

The longer the Foley scandal stays in the news (it shows no signs of disappearing, and it probably won't unless Dennis Hastert walks the plank), the more voters will be reminded that Republicans would rather cover up wrongdoing than take responsibility for it. Polls were encouraging to Democrats even before the Foley scandal. Now Foley's seat is in play, and the scandal may touch other races, including Tom Reynolds' reelection campaign.

The president is still whining that Democrats are soft on terror, but voters are likely to be more interested in understanding why he's standing behind Dennis Hastert. Is it time for the White House to start another war to get voters to renew their support of an all-Republican, all-the-time government?

The Note now reports Foley interrupted a House vote to engage in internet s*x with a teen.

Former Congressman Mark Foley (R-FL) interrupted a vote on the floor of the House in 2003 to engage in Internet sex with a high school student who had served as a congressional page, according to new Internet instant messages provided to ABC News by former pages.

ABC News now has obtained 52 separate instant message exchanges, which former pages say were sent by Foley, using the screen name Maf54, to two different boys under the age of 18. This message was dated April 2003, at approximately 7 p.m., according to the message time stamp.

[Hat tip Patriot Daily.]

(Guest Post from Big Tent Democrat)

Exercises in irony -- Peggy Noonan spots a speck, misses the obsessive log in her own eye:

One can't exaggerate how large Fox looms in the liberal imagination. They see it as huge and mighty and credit it with almost mythical powers. It is a propaganda channel whose mission it is to destroy the Democratic Party. That's part of why Clintons' performance had such salience. Finally he was standing up to an evil empire.

After writing this:

And so I come to Bill Clinton and Fox News Channel. A week after it aired, the interview still dominates the dinner party.

A week after it aired, Noonan wrote that column. And she writes that one can not exaggerate how large Fox looms in the liberal imagination. Her Right wing obsession with Clinton goes unnoticed by her. The mote in her eye.

700 miles of border fence will not keep out the undocumented, according to experts.

Building a fence to try to secure the U.S. border with Mexico is impractical and would simply lead illegal immigrants to cross elsewhere, according to former Customs and Border Protection agents and other experts.

Former U.S. Customs agents who have hunted drug traffickers in the mountains and deserts of around the Arizona border said the new barrier would be defeated by the rugged terrain. "You can't build a wall across the mountains of southern Arizona, as much of the terrain is inaccessible even on foot," veteran agent Lee Morgan told Reuters as he stood near the proposed route of the fence, east of the town of Douglas.

Mark Foley's name will remain on the ballot in his Florida District. Republicans have agreed on a replacement candidate, state representative Joe Negron, but his name won't be on the ballot. In order to vote for Negron, voters will have to vote for "Mark Foley."

One prominent Florida Republican said he doubts that any GOP candidate can capture the seat with Foley's name on the ballot. "The only way you win is they (voters) have got to vote for Mark Foley. That doesn't appear to me to be very attractive," said Tom Slade, former state Republican Party chairman.