I've been reading (and seeing) the weirdest possible defence of the house leadership in the past day or so. It basically goes that others knew about it too, otherwise how did they leak it? Therefore it's all their fault for not leaking it earlier, putting the kids at risk.
Um...
First of all, that "George Soros funded" organization that sat on it 'till five weeks before the election? They turned what they had over to the FBI back in July. Dick Morris? Anyone noticed that Bill Clinton fired him in 1996? That'd be, oh, roughly a decade ago. And Bill Clinton himself? What's his connection to the Foley transcripts again?
Oh, and don't forget the Drudge-reported story that the whole thing was a prank gotten out of hand. Give me a fucking break. This has got to be a new frontier in desperation:
XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX THU OCT 5 2006 22:01:25 ET XXXXXAs noted in the last two paragraphs above, the "prank" story has been refuted by the ex-page in question. Doesn't seem to satisfy the ever-partisan Drudge, though.
CLAIM: FILTHY FOLEY ONLINE CHATS WERE PAGE 'PRANK GONE AWRY'
**Update**
According to two people close to former congressional page Jordan Edmund, the now famous lurid AOL Instant Message exchanges that led to the resignation of Mark Foley were part of an online prank that by mistake got into the hands of enemy political operatives, the DRUDGE REPORT can reveal.
According to one Oklahoma source who knows the former page very well, Edmund, a conservative Republican, said he goaded an unwitting Foley to type embarrassing comments that were then shared with a small group of young Hill politicos. The prank went awry when the saved IM sessions got into the hands of political operatives favorable to Democrats.
The primary source, an ally of Edmund, adamantly proclaims that the former page is not a homosexual. The prank scenario was confirmed by a second associate of Edmund. Both are fearful that their political careers will be affected if they are publicly brought into the investigation.
The prank scenario only applies to the Edmund IM sessions and does not necessarily apply to any other exchanges between the former congressman and others.
The news come on the heels that Edmund has hired former Timothy McVeigh criminal attorney, Stephen Jones.
Late Thursday, Jones strongly denied the exchanges with Foley were a prank by the former page. Jones said, "There is not any aspect of this matter that is a practical joke nor should anyone treat it that way."
But those close to Jordan Edmund stand by their accounts of what Jordan told them.
Okay, so the leadership has taken the position that the best defence is the proverbial good offense. Pure bullshit, but I suppose it's the best they can do, given the facts of the case. Even so, where exactly would this excuse them for burying the reports and pretending nothing was going on?
It's yet another attempt at cynically manipulating the public through misdirection and lies. This time (for once!) it doesn't seem to be working.
