Is Foley That Big A Deal?

Ben Stein: There Are A Lot More Important Things Happening

(CBS)  CBS News Sunday Morning contributor Ben Stein wishes the media would spend as much attention on genocide in Africa as it has on the Mark Foley page scandal.

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Naturally, like every other American parent, I am troubled indeed by the revelations about Mark Foley sending sexually explicit e-mails to teenage Congressional pages.

But I am stunned about the amount of attention the subject is getting in the national media. It's 24/7 on all the cable news stations, all over major front pages, and leading the network news. I agree it's a big story, but let's put it in perspective:

There's a war on in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa. Something roughly like of 1,200 civilians each day are being raped and or murdered or dying of disease or hunger in that war. Millions have died, and very rarely does anyone in the media mention it.

In Darfur, Sudan, there is an ongoing genocide, taking thousands of lives every day, while the world does nothing, and I mean nothing.

The security situation in Afghanistan, which we thought we had conquered a few years ago, is collapsing. Half of the country is enemy infested. Our commanders there are begging–yes, begging–for more troops, planes, and helicopters, and their pleas are going unanswered. The Taliban, which sheltered Osama bin Laden, is resurgent all over the nation. If we lose there–and we are losing — Osama bin Laden has beaten us — again.

If Afghanistan falls to the Taliban, Pakistan will likely fall to the Islamic fanatics in that country. This would be a catastrophe indeed, since Pakistan has a large arsenal of nuclear weapons. But nowhere is this gathering disaster mentioned except on egghead shows.

Call me crazy. But while e-mails about gay sex to a minor are important if they come from a Congressman, aren't 1,200 lives a day in Africa important? They're just as important as you and I are. Isn't the likely victory of a terrorist movement in Afghanistan and the possible emergence of a fanatic-led nuclear Pakistan important?

The Foley story is a big story, but in the interest of pursuing a sex scandal we are ignoring matters of life and death for the whole planet. Countries that don't know what is life threatening and what is not do not last. I am sorry to say, that's us.

[chasmard]

Ben Stein, I totally agree that the news coverage on Tom Foley is out of proportion to what is going on in the rest of the world. However, how hypocritical of conservatives to say this when they tried to impeach Clinton for having a consensual affair with a consenting adult. What would you be saying if a Democrate had been guilty of sending these e-mails? You wouldn't care about the rest of the world if you thought you could take partisan advantage. M. Radey

Chasmard...they didn't try to impeach Clinton - he was impeached!

The Foley story needs to reported and the Darfur story needs to be also...and it (Darfur) is, sadly, under-reported.

[acforsure]

Foley should be in jail.....How come the joker is hiding in Rehab Escape?

acforshure...Why should Foley be in jail? He exchanged sexually explicit IM's with an adult. Is that illegal where you live? FYI: It isn't in Washington DC.

...And why aren't you discussing the topic - the short coverage by the media and world governments (including the U.S.) of the tragedy in Darfur...Does anyone (this include you), care? What is your solution to addressing their plight?

Like Darfur, we're all waiting for your solution...and waiting...and waiting...

[portmarc1]

Well, Mr. Stein, if with no one else, you certainly made an impression on CBS. On the same page where your opinion appears, I noticed a section titled "Related Stories & Links". There are 5 story links regarding the Foley mess and 0 links to any of the other topics you discussed.

[janemcgreeve]

CBS is where it is - in the toilet despite clueless cutie-pie chipmunk cheeked couric - besides of its interest in reporting stories about perverted gay republicans, lying redneck democratic pervert ex-Presidents, and bimbos like - well, this would certainly be up Clinton's alley - Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan.

Darfur? The Progress in Iraq?? North Korea developing nukes??? Who cares at the Comedic Broadcasting System. I can't stand George Clooney but at least he shows some courage by talking up Darfur. Witness that with how Pervert Bill and Miss Piggy Albright did nothing about the Sudan (save a missile strike on a chemical plant) until the last six months of pervert liar's Presidency.

[talltimber41]

The media gives the American public what it wants...***. Partisan politics rules; the heck with what is best or moral for our dear country. When will the congress deal with tough issues and not the ones they think poll best? Power courrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely...

[lucasnico]

for jane mcgreeve........you republicans are the first to speak out loudly against gay rights, but have no problem electing gay people like Foley to office......and then support his disgusting, evil acts....typical republican.

[lucasnico]

hey ted0224.........the kid was 16 at the time, not an adult....big, big difference.

[harrison3653]

It should not surprise us to realize that a party that condones secret prisons, torture, spying on Americans, openly flaunting our constitution and gutting our social institutions should cover up heinous acts by their members to maintain power. This may be the most important election in America's history.
I want my America back, the America that stood for freedom, peace, liberty and justice...regardless of the cost. PLEASE vote...please reclaim our America.
We want the moral high ground...we want every day American families to have housing and medical care...we don't want secret prisons, torture, people held without charges, deals with murky secret organizations in other countries to torture people to on heresay evidence. Get rid of this bunch. Vote.

lucasnico...18 looks right to me with the info below.

*** CHAT WAS WITH 18 YEAR OLD

On Tuesday ABC news released a high-impact instant message exchange between Foley and, as ABC explained, a young man "under the age of 18."

ABC headlined the story: "New Foley Instant Messages; Had Internet *** While Awaiting House Vote"

But upon reviewing the records, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned, the young man was in fact over the age of 18 at the time of the exchange.

A network source explains, messages with the young man and disgraced former Congressman Foley took place before and after the 18th birthday.

lucasnico...If you have evidence that Foley ran as a gay candidate I would love to see it...

"you republicans are the first to speak out loudly against gay rights, but have no problem electing gay people like Foley to office"

I'm also not aware of ANYONE supporting his actions...

"and then support his disgusting, evil acts....typical republican"

Less emotion and more reason, please?

Did we ALL forget about Darfur already??? Sorry, Mr Stein.

[vipaka]

What's the big deal when you're stalked on this CBS message board and report your stalk (to report your comment) and the stalk comes back to you from CBS on the same message line with your son's first name, and no one could have known that but the CBS report board, because the report board is (supposedly private). No one could have known my son's first name on this board but CBS's report board. I'm not scared of Jason, and his accomanying Halloween scare of, " I know you, I'm going to get you," complete with names and numbers of dg miller,13 and finni, 06. Neither are the police. Thirteen and six are powerful numbers of punks! God is more powerful than evil! Everyone posting here: CBS HAS YOUR NAMES AND NUMBERS HERE AND THE NAMES OF YOUR CHILDREN. Check me out, (under 06, 13, code of obviously, CBS'S report control) on the CBS Jason Bellini report comments. I am a little person.

ainttaken...Well, I 'feel' you shooting the messenger (Drudge)...can you refute the message, or is that it?

vipaka...I have no idea what you are even trying to say?!?

[vipaka]

ted, my son's first name is page and his name certainly isn't private anymore. Check the jason bellini report of recalling better days for the pages and get back to me. I will explain.

vipaka...I checked out the article and saw your comments at that site...Soooo....???

[bragova]

The newspapers and networks know what Americans are interested in--titillating scandal. (Americans are only mildly interested in dying Americans, and they're certainly not interested in dying Africans.)

Harrison3653...the America you want back never existed - there is always a cost to consider where freedom/liberty is involved (usually in human lives).

You may be thinking of Amerika? You know, the one where Marxism thrives and is alive and well...Oops, it's not here either. Your insensitivity to what matters went out with the 90's (thank goodness). Just ask any Bolshevik.

I do intend to vote...thank's for the reminder!

[vipaka]

Sooo--Mark Foley is the hot of this scandal now. Mark Foley is a republican of now. Tom Foley was a democrat of then. I was of a page's age, but not a page, when Tom Foley came into congress in 1965. So I thought to myself hey, how could dg miller 13 could have known that I was of a page's name way back then, so I voiced this back to (CBS on report a comment). What came back to me, not by CBS, but on the same message board was "...call you by your first time." You mean "first name". Nobody could have known this information but the (comment report board). And my son's name is Page.
My son, Page, was of a page's age when Tom Foley was speaker of the house. No one could have known any of this information unless it was an inside job. Look at the numbers used by dgmiller13 and finny06. Read the comments of jason bellini intently, then read what I have just posted.

ainttaken...Now, you're shooting me!

You always have to base your arguments on the message...otherwise there is nothing to intelligently debate.

Is the story accurate or not...if not, then show me (with facts) why not?

The messenger can be from Mars as far as I care.

I think you're 'feelng' this more than getting it...Uh oh, I think I just I just fired a shot across the bow...sorry.

[mkafer-2009]

I agree that these issues are more important than the Foley story. However, I'd like to make two points:

First, what happened and didn't happen in the Foley matter is important. If leadership was covering for a member rather than protecting children, that's a big deal indeed.

Second, I'd be hard pressed to remember when Ben Stein thought any of these other issues were important enough to be the topic of his commentaries. Seems to me he tends to be more interested in his tax burden than the hardships of life in the Congo.

[uvolks2]

It was a big deal to you Republicans when Clinton was accused of it. You are a fool if you think this will be simply swept under the rug.

uvolks2 nailed it: Ben Stein only pretends interest in the problems of others when it serves his rightist agenda-- in this case, as a distraction from the legal, moral, and ethical bankruptcy of today's Republican Party. Yet another example of why "compassionate conservative" is an oxymoron.

cuymag...Don't be too hard on the "compassionate conservative". Afer all it was cc's such as Martin Luther King, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony that made major advances in women's rights and the rights of minorities...all registered Republicans in their time.

Take a look at American political history from the Civil war going forward...you may be unpleasantly surprised?

cuymag and uvolks2 - We all 'feel your pain'. What I want to know is...when are you going to say something?