Daily archives: October 5th, 2006

Human Rights Campaign Letter to Speaker Dennis Hastert

October 5, 2006
CongressGLBT
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Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, sent a letter today to Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert following the Speaker’s news conference today on the Mark Foley scandal. In part, the letter says:

Your decision today to accept full responsibility for the inaction of the House to protect the Pages for the United States House of Representatives is long overdue. Mark Foley’s actions are inexcusable and everyone involved should be accountable for his or her actions. We have, however, been deeply troubled in recent days to hear voices in the Republican Party publicly scapegoat gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans for this inappropriate and immoral conduct.

This is not a gay or straight issue; it is an issue of inappropriate behavior that regardless of one’s sexual orientation, political affiliation or any other characteristic is dead wrong.

The letter goes on to say that the HRC fully supports an investigation into the matter, that it is completely inappropriate that members of the Republican Party are attempting to shift blame onto GLBT individuals.

Republican Duck and Cover

October 5, 2006
CongressRepublicans
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Mark Foley labelled as a Democrat on O'Reilly Factor

When the old Soviet Union began nuclear testing in the early 1950s, the Civil Defense branch of the United States government released a film called Duck and Cover. The basic premise was that Americans should take heart. If we ever did come under nuclear attack (note the “l” appears before the letter “e”), the film advises children to “duck and cover.” Basically, in the face of a nuclear blast, one would apparently be safer squatting down with hands over one’s head than one would be standing up. And this was supposed to calm people’s fears. If you see the flash of an atomic bomb, “duck and cover” to remain safe and survive.

The Republican party has learned this lesson well. House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s chief of staff, Scott Palmer, is denying the account of former aide, Kirk Fordham, who said in an interview that he had told Palmer of Foley’s inappropriate emails before 2004. The party of “family values” protected and enabled a sexaul predator.

The bomb has gone off. The flash is still in the sky, and the best that the Republicans can do is “duck and cover,” hoping that they will survive the blast.

Amazingly, Fox new’s The O’Reilly Factor labelled Foley a Democrat on October 3. Just change history if you don’t like it, I guess. The screenshot above is from Sweet Jesus, I Hate Bill O’Reilly, International.

Maybe the blast will go away and we’ll all be safe. Foley can blame his past, and we’ll convince the world he really was a Democrat.

Duck and cover.