War, Schmor, How About Mark Foley!

CBSNews.com's Meyer: Can A Sex Scandal Do What A War Could Not? And If So, Why?

(CBS)  This commentary was written by CBSNews.com's Dick Meyer.

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Approximately 2,720 American soldiers have died in Iraq, but the tipping point in the 2006 elections may well be scandal of a little-known Republican congressman from Florida named Mark Foley. Do ironies come any bigger?

The American attention span for news is short — and getting shorter. Remember that war between Hezbollah and Israel in Lebanon? It was just six weeks ago when Israel withdrew its troops — but the war, the source of soaring oil prices and apocalyptic headlines, has receded fully from our attention and media.

Perhaps the same will happen with Mark Foley's depravity and its extended cover-up by the Republican leadership of the House. A month is seven months in the news equivalent of dog years. Who knows what will be hot off the presses in early November?

Obviously, conditions are fertile for Republicans to get blasted on Election Day — fertile, not perfect. If Foley is the straw that breaks the Republicans' back, it will be for several reasons.

Foley's scandal fits the modern archetype better than any other and thus it's memorable.

First, the hypocrisy: The man poses as a protector of children from perverts and abusers, yet he is, at the very least, an online pervert and an on-campus lech. He is like a non-lethal John Wayne Gacy, the Chicago serial killer who worked as a clown at kiddies' parties to lure his victims.

Second, the phony repentance: The second he's nabbed, the man enters rehab, though no one can recall him drinking much. "At nights," his lawyer said. Then Foley sends the same lawyer out to announce, with courage and great candor, that he — shock of shock — was abused as an adolescent. By a clergymen no less! And finally, Foley bravely declared through his ventriloquist lawyer that he is a "gay man." As opposed to what? A gay raccoon?

We have never seen such a pure example of the Modern Repent By Being A Victim Scam. Defense lawyers and campaign consultants will use Foley in textbooks for years to come for audacity, if not efficacy.

The Foley scandal may also have legs because of the cover-up. Speaker Dennis Hastert and assorted House leaders, aides and officials may or may not have known precisely how raunchy some of Foley's online action was. But they heard the scuttlebutt and had plenty of solid information to at least discipline the guy formally, which is what would happen in any American business. They probably knew enough to get rid of him. Instead, they pulled the "hear no evil, see no evil" routine.

To their credit, the cover-up has disgusted many hardcore Republican boosters, including The Washington Times and a host of conservative "social values" groups and leaders. They've pulled no punches and many have called for Hastert to resign.

Will this be enough to keep some Republicans away from the voting booths, too disenchanted to make the effort? Will this be enough to swing some undecideds? Will it tip the balance of control?

The last change of control in the House came in 1994. It was preceded by about a decade's worth of Democratic scandals. There were the resignations of Speaker Jim Wright, Tony Coelho and William Gray, and then the long-simmering post office and check-bouncing scandals.

The Republican scandal tsunami has been building for a long while, too. First, Newt Gingrich resigned just a few years after leading his bloodless coup. Bob Livingston quit after being Speaker for about an hour. Vocal family values guys Dan Burton and Henry Hyde had to 'fess up to extra-marital exploits, Tom DeLay got himself indicted and now prosecutors are working their way down Jack Abramoff's payola list.

If anything, the Foley scandals have proven that corruption -- moral and material -- is bipartisan. Given control of the House, both parties have proven themselves unworthy. Maybe it's "the system."

Much is different now, though, I am reminded by the shrewd newsletter sent around by Democratic political consultant Michael Berman. The Republicans have known they were in trouble for this entire election cycle; in 1994, the Democrats didn't know they were in trouble until they looked at the exit polls. In 1994, Gingrich had the party machine working with him; this year, the people running Democratic congressional campaigns are feuding with Howard Dean.

And, of course, there is a war being fought this year.

The war is fighting for attention with other great matters of state in the weeks preceding the elections.

At about 10:30 Wednesday morning, MSNBC was interviewing someone and the graphic on the screen said – and I quote – "Nudists Take On Foley."

Sometimes a graphic is worth a thousand words.

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Dick Meyer, a veteran political and investigative producer for CBS News, is the editorial director of CBSNews.com, based in Washington, D.C.

E-mail questions, comments, complaints, arguments and ideas to
Against the Grain. We will publish some of the interesting (and civil) ones, sometimes in edited form.

[bmlott27]

An informal and unscientific poll taken by NPR indicates that the Foley scandal will have little effect on the November elections. You can hear the article here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6200951

If it turns out that the Foley scandal indeed does not have a major effect on the elections, it is a testament to the power of the Republican media machine, and a sad commentary on the political apathy of the American people.

The Republicans and the media outlets they control (Fox News, most talk radio, etc.) have adopted the strategy of boiling complex issues down into 3-word catch-phrases like "Stay the course" and "Cut and run". These tag-lines not only seem to stick in voters minds, but amazingly seem to override any arguments to the contrary even when confronted with overwhelming evidence.

I cannot blame the Republicans for this flaw in the American psyche, but I do hold them responsible for dragging the nation's political discourse to this level.

And as for those who are most succeptable to this sort of manipulation, well, they probably won't read this article anyway...

[pendragon679]

This is typical Republican strategy, not only in this election cycle, but for the past decade or more. Since Nixon was forced to resign his office in 1974, Republican strategy in any election has been to distract the electorate from the real issues, make much of so-called "family values" issues, and smear the opposition. Why do these tactics work? Because voters have short attention spans, and-at least in the case of the hard-core Rep. base-are conditioned not the think for themselves. Why not? It's so much easier to let some high-profile talking head like Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity decide who to vote for. I've come to the conclusion this election year that I'm the most dangerous sort of voter a Rep. could meet-I read, I think for myself, and I vote. I urge others to do the same; only by basing our votes on thoughtful, reasoned decisions will we bring about true change.

[kevboom]

I agree that this latest scandal will have little effect on right-wing voters who seem more than content to vote with blinders on, as they were during the last election. I believe German newspapers ran headlines after Bush was re-elected to the tune of "How can 50 million people be so stupid?" It is perplexing, but with the sorry state of American public education, and right-wing government cutting funding for education at every turn in favor of bombs, it's no wonder Americans can't think critically and see through the lies and deceit. They just believe everything they are told, slap that "support the troops" bumper sticker on their SUV without seeing the irony, and march on believing everything will be alright. I'd like to believe Americans would "wise up" during this next election, but the bitter truth is we aren't very wise as a nation. Never underestimate the stupidity of the American public. The Republicans sure don't. They rely on it.

[pendragon679]

bmlott27:

The word is "susceptible."

[kevboom]

I agree that this latest scandal will have little effect on right-wing voters who seem more than content to vote with blinders on, as they were during the last election. I believe German newspapers ran headlines after Bush was re-elected to the tune of "How can 50 million people be so stupid?" It is perplexing, but with the sorry state of American public education, and right-wing government cutting funding for education at every turn in favor of bombs, it's no wonder Americans can't think critically and see through the lies and deceit. They just believe everything they are told, slap that "support the troops" bumper sticker on their SUV without seeing the irony, and march on believing everything will be alright. I'd like to believe Americans would "wise up" during this next election, but the bitter truth is we aren't very wise as a nation. Never underestimate the stupidity of the American public. The Republicans sure don't. They rely on it.

[kevboom]

I agree that this latest scandal will have little effect on right-wing voters who seem more than content to vote with blinders on, as they were during the last election. I believe German newspapers ran headlines after Bush was re-elected to the tune of "How can 50 million people be so stupid?" It is perplexing, but with the sorry state of American public education, and right-wing government cutting funding for education at every turn in favor of bombs, it's no wonder Americans can't think critically and see through the lies and deceit. They just believe everything they are told, slap that "support the troops" bumper sticker on their SUV without seeing the irony, and march on believing everything will be alright. I'd like to believe Americans would "wise up" during this next election, but the bitter truth is we aren't very wise as a nation. Never underestimate the stupidity of the American public. The Republicans sure don't. They rely on it.

[nativewoman]

Good Lord, man! How can we be expected to care about dead soldiers, Iraquis afraid to go to the hospital because of death squads, Internet child predators in Congress, unwarranted spying on Americans, Halliburton building internment camps, etc.?

Paris Hilton was in some sort of catfight with someone from Dancing with the Stars!

There are more questions in the television series Lost!

Kim Basinger will be tried in child custody case!

Madonna may or may not be adopting a Malawi orphan!

Get your priorities straight!

[centralcal-2009]

Good afternoon, Mr. Meyer. I am concerned on a daily basis about these things: Islamic fanaticism and terroristic barbarism increasingly evident throughout the world; the flood of illegal aliens swarming across our borders and overwhelming our resources; North Korea-Iran-Venezuela and the maniacal despots who are their "leaders;" and, the usual domestic, financial, and quality of life issues most Americans have.

The Foley scandal should have been a one day news story, but it isn't. Washington and the media are having a filthy mud fight, and it appears that it is nowhere near over. Last night, I answered a knock at the door. I was greeted by name, my caller identified himself, and asked if I was aware I could vote via absentee ballot? I assured him I was a permanent absentee voter, planned on voting, and had contacted my children in other states to do the same. With a big smile he said, "well, mission accomplished then." I leave it to you to figure out which party is steadily, methodically, quietly working toward election day.

This is how elections are won and lost. Not, by scandals such as Foley-gate.

[szelag19]

The Foley scandal is just another rung on the ladder to no where...the American people do not care one tinkers *** about scandals or a war that was declared on lies upon lies and more lies to go with those.Our sons and daughters are dying daily in a country that does not want us there and now the military is sending amputees back to Iraq to drive trucks..but the American public cares only about the price of gas ..and as long as the war,and corruption and the lies do not personally affect their tiny worlds they sit on their complacent backsides and let the US slide into the cesspool our illustrious "leaders" have been sloshing around in for years..the price of gas has a great deal to do with short term memory loss..so by November 7 all will be well with the world again, and after the 15 or 20 people that actually get out to vote..we'll have the same scum bags in place sticking to the same complacent citizens who will be raging in tandem when the price of gas starts back up..and..by then the body count of US soldiers should be well over 3000..

[sharncedar]

"the flood of illegal aliens swarming across our borders and overwhelming our resources ... I assured him I was a permanent absentee voter, planned on voting, ..."

So who are you voting for? The guys in favor of open borders, or the guys in favor of open borders?

[rondumsfeld]

If Mr. Foley does not face criminal charges in this matter then we are sending THE WRONG MESSAGE to all email-text-messaging-pedophiles. If he gets off (no pun intended) then there will be a lot of thankful freaks out there who will assume it is okay to send "simply naughty email" to minors and that there are no consequences for doing such. You know, Foley could say he was just doing research for his job as Missing/Exploited Children%u2019s Caucus Chair.

[roach9703]

RE: Foley verus Other Serious Issues

Dear Folks:

The fact that the Iran crises, the comming nuclear confrontation of North Korea, and the mess in Lebanon are far more serious and important than Foley and page, the inability of Congress to properly supervise and protect 15 and 16 year olds, illustrates how bankrupt the delibrative process truely is. That is a crisis in an of itself. If the Congress can not regulate its own passions, how can it govern any one else?

[centralcal-2009]

Roach9703 said: "If the Congress can not regulate its own passions, how can it govern any one else?"

So true, roach, so true. Of course, one could ask that rhetorical question of, hmmm, let's see . . . oh yeah, a President (quite a few of them had trouble with their "passions").

[janemcgreeve]

and what about the hypocrisy and the lies of the democrats?

Their record is so many more times worse than that of the Republicans, it is mind boggling.

What party in their right minds tolerates a Robert KKK Byrd or a Gerry Studds? Or gives us liars and cowards like Carter and Clinton???
Your last decent Presidential hopeful was Scoop Jackson back in 1976, and you losers gave us Howdy Doody the Human Rights Hypocrite instead.

But just you go ahead and bash Bush and Cheney, right? When will you come up with a candidate not beholden to MoveOn.Org or the Illegal Alien Lobby.

Bring up Foley - and yeah, too bad he's not castrated - but the same can go for Studds, Jesse Jackson, Gary Condom, ooops Condit, Teddy the Chappaquidick Kid, Bill the Pervert, Jim McGreevey, Barney Frank - the list goes on and on and on.

And didn't the cuckolded shrill shrew who wants to be your nominee ever hear of the name Lorena Bobbitt when her erstwhile hubby was having a Lewinsky??? Yeah, I'm quite sure Hil can handle the terrorists as well as she handled her errant excuse of a finger-wagging draft dodging husband.

[janemcgreeve]

Why can't we get a President who will stick up for America? At least Bush tries, and he took action whereas Pervert Bill twiddled his thumbs.

Democrats - Are you listening. Where is your candidate who will put American interests first? Who will have the resolve and the steel will to deal with terrorists; who won't cut and run or advocate nice trials by jury for throatslitters, who will say NO to Illegal Aliens, who won't tax the middle class to the hilt, and have the guts to make sure we are secure. Someone who will clean up the rotten democratic house from military dissers like Kerry and Clinton, bigots like KKK Byrd and Jesse J., Cowards like Carter, and Perverts like Studds, McGreevey, and Frank. You want to talk family values - fine - get rid of your *** Lobby. Oh, but we musn't offend the SF Democrats...

"The American attention span for news is short %u2014 and getting shorter...."

What you are describing has nothing to do with the American attention span as a whole and everything to do with the "attention span" of the small class of well-to-do professionals to whom you belong.

There is virtually nothing new to write about the war in Iraq. Opinions are well fixed about it and no new information of consequence has come forth in months.

There is probably still something of consequence to write about Israel and its last war, but, since it is not to Israel's credit as a "struggling but successful democracy surrounded by implacable enemies," it will not get written--at least in America. And you know this as well as I do.

Finally, as you clearly also know, only symbols of our current condition have any chance of getting close to truth.

Iraq has had its symbol. It is called Abu Garaib. Terrorism has its symbol--orange coveralled "enemy combatants" in Guantanamo. Most minds have already been made up about all this as well.

Americans remember very clearly what they have made up their minds about, even if what they remember is not quite the case.

That it is not quite the case has much to do with what they have actually been told in the news, and very little to do with what they personally want to read or view there.

[ademeyer]

Jane: The "cuckolded shrill shrew" you refer to is a highly intelligent, rational, hardworking and responsible member of congress.

Just because you don't agree with her on the need for universal health care, or you don't agree with her criticism of Rumfeld's handling of the war in Iraq, or other positions she takes, is no reason to make personal attacks on her.

If you can't make a thoughtful contribution to the debate over all the important issues facing us: immigration, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the health care crisis, etc., then you are a part of the problem, not part of the solution.

And for your information, Carter was not "a coward," he was a respected naval officer with more military experience than Bush and Cheney ever had. Criticize Carter and Clinton's policies, if you will, (you got a problem with peace, social justice and prosperity?), but quit smearing their characters, if you want your opinions on the issues respected.

[gramto7]

Maryland Rep. Robert Bauman, previously a Republican telephone page in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1960s and a leading advocate of conservative causes for morality and limited, leaner government, regularly went to male strip clubs in downtown Washington to pick up teen prostitutes and was convicted in 1980 of oral sodomy with a minor boy.

House Speaker Newt Gingrich,Republican, had his own continuing extra-marital affair with a lovely female aide on the House Agriculture Committee staff and divorced his second wife to marry the aide who he got pregnant.

Rep. Jon Hinson, Mississippi Republican, resigned from the House in 1981 after being arrested in a Cannon House Office Building men's room for performing oral sodomy on a policeman decoy.

[gramto7]

JaneMcG,
You are so stuck on the Studds, McGreevey, etc. story it seems you cannot see anything else. There have been plenty of Republicans who weren't angels either. Most of these things happened 20 or more years ago. It is way past time to get over them and move on to today's problems and today's solutions. Maryland Rep. Robert Bauman, (R) page in the U.S. House of Rep in the 1960s, went to male strip clubs in downtown DC to pick up teen prostitutes and was convicted in 1980 of oral sodomy with a minor boy.House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R) had an extra-marital affair with a female aide on the House Ag. Committee staff and divorced his second wife to marry the aide who he got pregnant.Rep. Jon Hinson, MS (R), resigned from the House in 1981 after being arrested in a men's room for performing oral sodomy on a policeman decoy. Rep. Buz Lukens, IL (R), had a prostitute fetish, and was defeated after being slammed with House ethics violations. Rep. Daniel Crane, another IL (R), was bounced for having *** with a female (R) page.
Rep. Jim Kolbe, AZ (R)left his wife for *** with men and became a major advocate of homosexual rights.The House was equal opportunity as congressmen of both parties had *** with adults and minors of both sexes. The politicians didn't blink an eye so long as contributors ponied up the money they needed for their re-election campaigns and voters put them back in office.

[gramto7]

Sorry about the double post

[drgoodwin12]

Jane you seem to beleive that all democrats are bad,as a democrat I do not beleive all republicans are bad.Some of my best friends are republicans.My friends and I vary little on the issues,i am a bit more aggressive than them when it comes to child molestion (life without parole),repeat drunken drivers complete revocation of license and if there is a death involved,life imprisonment.Gun control we differ on I beleive in limiting the types of weapons being sold and a waiting period,they beleive in the right to bear arms even if it means a tank.Terrorism,I beleive in a strong detterment policy that prevents individuals from becoming terrorist and military action.The problem is when you have a president that 11 days into office asks for a battle plan for Iraq(sources:AGAINST ALL ENEMIES and THE PRICE OF LOYALTY)both written by republicans and never rebuked.Then you have multiple commissions that have investigated and the NIE,plus the pentagon stating that there were no WMD's or affilation with Al Queda in regards to Iraq.No you cannot cut and run but stay the course is just as bad of a policy.There is no easy solution to Iraq with parts of their govt.,military and police working with the militias,insurgents and terrorist.But do not blame this all on Democrats,Who was ambassador to Iraq and Iran when they were at war?Who sold both of them weapons?