Some Dare Call it a *Culture* of Corruption
I wish I could resist the urge to crack wise at a time when I duly appreciate the gravity and human cost of now-former Congressman Foley's sexual issues with an underaged male intern. But since a former House Majority Leader who's resigned while under indictment decided to ramrod an impeachment of a President under the guise of protecting America as God's personal enforcer, I guess I'd like to think a somewhat human response is understandable. In fact, while it's been pointed out what the current House Majority Leader knew long before he decided to take the most minor and trivial of actions, I'm suddenly intrigued to know what the ex knew as it's since come to light that Foley's track record has (so far) been dated back to 2003.
Add in the obvious facts that are widely known now:
... a House Speaker who knew for months and did nothing.
... the aforementioned current Majority Leader who outted his Speaker as complicit in the cover-up, and then tried to cover up his own admission.
... a Louisiana Republican Congressman who knew for months and did little-to-nothing.
... the chair of the Republican Congressional campaign arm who knew for months and did little-to-nothing.
... the Republican chair of the Page Board who knew for months and did little-to-nothing.
Even I'm amazed at my own prescience (I promise to not let it happen with this much frequency after the election):
What the case reminds us of is that, often, it's not "corruption" in and of itself, so much as the results of corruption that are the matters that grate on our patience in the folks we elect.
I'm guessing that if you poll the folks out in Palm Beach, any number of more relevant terms than "corruption" poll better than "corruption" itself. "The fact that my Congressman was hitting on boys," for instance. Or, "The fact that my Congressman was such a pervert." But those matters are funnelled through the chimney of corruption that tries to hide the matter till it can be disposed of quietly. Nevermind that a kid has lost whatever sense of innocence he might have had at the heels of a Congressman with the hots for him. It really makes one wonder if there would have even been an investigation if a DNA sample could be extracted from a blue Abercrombie & Fitch t-shirt.
Still, the brave face of Republican true-believers is an amazing spectable to behold:
... the starting point is to figure out what Foley did. As far as I can tell from the news stories I've read, there is no claim that Foley did anything with any House page.
With a "starting point" like that, I'm sure there's no end to the reverence that the Powerline gang has for almighty political power. Like it or not, the "Culture of Corruption" is now a "culture" issue. Game on.