Vox Day: [Conservatives] Need to Grow Up!

10/07/2006: I could not agree with Vox Day more:

I note with equal parts mirth and contempt the efforts of some die-hard Republican commentators to argue that the Foley scandal was little more than a Democratic sting, or that it is somehow unfair for Democrats to take maximum advantage of self-inflicted Republican foot-shooting.

The GOP reaction to this scandal reminds me of many within the evangelical world during the televangelist scandals of the 1980s and early 1990s. When the media engaged in very hard reporting, many Christians complained about the coverage. In fact, no one of any intellectual honesty could fault the news media for simply doing their job: if the Christian world was scandalous, then the burden was on the Church to repent of Their collective blunders.

The same is true with respect to the Democrats over the Foley scandal. Of course they are taking advantage of this, just like the Republicans would do if the shoe were on the other foot.

While many commentators and bloggers–myself included–have highlighted the DNC’s track record in such scandals (Pelosi’s support of Gerry Studds, and Clinton’s pardon of sex offender Mel Reynolds), I have also directed my ire at the GOP, because they are the Party that has long made the claim to traditional values in its courting of evangelicals and conservative Catholics. The GOP is the standard-bearer, and must accept responsibility for a clear failure of oversight and/or an overt coverup for a pedophile.

Don’t get me wrong…I am a God-and-country conservative, who would vote for Reagan–in his current condition–over anyone we have had since Reagan. My politics are mostly libertarian–with the exception of my pro-life position on abortion–and those sentiments fuel my premise that federal government needs to quit undermining the traditional family.

Today, The GOP is being run by Rockefeller country-clubbers who give not a damn about smaller government and would sell us out under the guise of “free trade” and “globalization”. They have allowed pedophiles to run amock while courting conservative Christians.

As for Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, they are nothing but shills for the GOP party line. The only things they lack are skirts and pom-poms. They can stick their elitism up their anal canals, and quit telling us to vote for skunks who are less smelly than the Democrat skunks. Unfortunately, the both stink.

Republicans need to quit carping and whining about CREW and the DNC. If they had their House in order, this would be a non-issue.

THAT is what has the conservative base hopping mad.

Hastert: I’m Sorry, but Not Resigning

10/05/2006: Dennis Hastert (R-IL) is smoking something I wish were legal.

The House Speaker first claims to take responsibility for the House failure to catch Mark Foley (R-NAMBLA), whose sexually-laced messages to teenage pages go back at least a year if not longer, then refuses to resign his leadership post.

This is representative of everything that is wrong with the GOP.

Hastert doesn’t get it. This is not about whether what Hastert knew, or even when he knew it. From all accounts, Hastert is an otherwise upstanding citizen who cares deeply about kids.

On the other hand, he failed to exercise sufficient oversight to catch the abuses of people like Foley. Given that Foley’s actions are hardly unprecedented–Gerry Studds (D-MA) had a homosexual relationship with a page, and was censured–Hastert should have implemented more equitable controls. With Hastert, it’s not a sin of commission, but rather one of omission.

Republicans are correct in that the Democrats have no moral standing in this–note Pelosi’s support of the Studds scandal–but this is not about Democrats or Republicans: this is about the character of our leadership. This is irrespective of tax policy or spending policy.

The Democrats punted on family values a long time ago–as their continued support of murderers (Kennedy) and sexual predators (Studds, Reynolds) has continued unabated. Pelosi supported Studds five times as committee chairman, after he was convicted by the ethics committee for his sexual relationship with a 17-year-old page. Clinton pardoned Mel Reynolds, a convicted sex criminal.

Republicans are supposed to be the party of family values. If they don’t carry the torch, then who in the political class will?

Hastert needs to do the right thing. He needs to resign his post. It’s a matter of honor.

Foley Aide Claims He Notified Hastert 3 Years Ago

10/04/2006: Every minute Hastert remains the Speaker, he remains the lightning rod for all that went wrong in FoleyGate.

Now, we have a report that a former Foley aide alerted Hastert’s aides about Foley’s behavior.

Hastert claims he didn’t know about this until now–and that may be true. But this happened on his watch.

This is a matter of honor. He needs to resign as Speaker. The buck stops with him, and he must accept the blame.

The larger issue is this: FoleyGate is representative of everything that the GOP has allowed to get out of control in their 12 years in control of the House.

The Party of Reagan–which once promoted the Balanced Budget Amendment and gave Clinton line-item veto authority–has been spending like Michael Jackson on steroids over the last six years.
The Party of Reagan has become the Grand Old Pederasts.

Hastert needs to start fomenting real change. The best way for him to do that is resign his post.

What’s a Christian Conservative to Do?

10/04/2006: For the last 25 years, the Republican party–the GOP–has relied on religious conservatives–mostly evangelical Christians–as their mainstay every election season. Fueled by the Reagan Revolution, the conservatism of the GOP–smaller government, strong national defense, lower taxes, traditional values–was compatible with the worldview of most religious conservatives.

Compounding matters, the Democratic party (DNC) had embraced abortion rights, gay rights, higher taxes, secular socialism, and appeasement of the Soviet Union. While the DNC claimed to be pro-democracy, their aims were/are the same as that of Marx and Lenin. Only they had a veneer of democracy.

Ergo, religious conservatives found a common ally in the GOP. That was cemented in the revolution of 1994.

From 1981 until now–having Republican Presidents in 18 of the last 26 years, and Republicans in control of both houses of Congress for almost all of the last 12 years (controlling the Senate for 10 of them)–the GOP has had some successes:

  • The Republicans ramrodded welfare reform–and forced Clinton to sign it in 1996.
  • The Republicans–with Reagan and Bush 43–have cut taxes.
  • The Republicans–under Reagan–won the Cold War.
  • The Republicans–in the 1990s–kept Clinton’s social spending agenda at bay (which helped give us the surplus).

However…

  • We are no closer to democratically resolving the issue of abortion than we were in 1973. Roe v. Wade is still intact in spite of seven Republican appointments to the Supreme Court. Of those GOP appointees, three–Souter, O’Connor, and Kennedy–voted to uphold Roe and were quite liberal.
  • O’Connor even suggested subjecting our Constitutional interpretations to international legal precedents.
  • Under the current President, spending has gone through the roof.
  • A Republican President has put us in a war that he refuses to allow our troops to win.
  • A Republican Congress–and President–lack the will to deal with the pressing issue of illegal immigration.
  • Government has become the mother of all behemoths, on the watch of the GOP.
  • The GOP is courting murderous regimes–Red China–in the interests of serving Big Business.
  • A Republican Congress is now covering up child sexual abuse scandals.

Now, the GOP is touting Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Michael Bloomberg, George Pataki, and Mit Romney as the front-runners in 2008.

Against that backdrop, what’s a Christian conservative to do?

There was a time in which I would vote “against Democrats” rather than “for Republicans.” This was why I voted for Bush in 1992, Dole in 1996, and Dubya in 2000 and 2004.

This time, however, I am out of the “lesser of two evils” business.

Right now, the DNC and GOP are two drug-addicted whores standing on the street corner. They need your money to support their habits. They dress like beautiful women but–in reality–they are transvestites with AIDS.

The DNC whore will provide you government-funded condom, lube, kiss, handrails, and reach-around.

The GOP whore will provide you a lower-cost experience, but you’ll have to pay for the amenities yourself. Being the “stronger, bolder” whore, the GOP whore will also provide whips and chains. You’ll still have to pay for them, though.

My point: voting for the “lesser evil” means choosing to be screwed.

As for me, until the GOP cleans its house–purging the pederasts and perverts and their enablers, becoming the party of less government, national security and family values–they won’t be getting my vote.

Don’t get me wrong: I won’t support the Democrappers either. I’ll vote Libertarian, or not vote at all.

But the GOP will have to earn my vote.

More Excuses from Foley, Hastert. GOP Still Doesn’t Get It

10/03/2006: First, former Congressman Mark Foley (R-NAMBLA) tried the “My name is Mark, and I am an alcoholic” defense. Now, he is trying the “I was abused by a priest when I was a kid” defense.

Maybe those things are true and he needs help; however, that does not excuse his sexual solicitations to teenage pages.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) is also passing the buck. Maybe he is right: he didn’t see the e-mails. But if an aide–or another Congressman–is telling him about “overly friendly messages”, his Bravo Sierra indicator should have been going off the scale. He should have been demanding a full and prompt report on the matter, and notified the FBI immediately.

Ergo, Hastert was sleeping at the wheel at best. He should resign as Speaker; it is a matter of honor.

And make no mistake…this is not merely a GOP issue. If Democrats were in the know and were sitting on this, then they, too, should be called to account. This is not about politics: this is about covering for pedophiles.

I don’t care what party to which you belong. If you cover for a pedophile, you are unfit to be a public servant and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Anyone who preaches the false gospel of “keeping the party unity because we must win the election” doesn’t get it. I don’t give a damn about the election. This is about getting leaders who understand fundamental decency.

When our political class is either coddling child molesters or sitting on a report just to blow a story during an election season, then we need a proverbial hanging party. We need a whole new batch of leaders. We can fight political wars later.

GOP Leadership is Catastrophically Out of Touch

10/02/2006: President Bush should be pounding the bully pulpit on this matter now known as FoleyGate. His party has become the Party of Pederasty and he obviously gives not a damn. This further supports my long-held contention that he is not a real conservative. Instead, Tony Snow–who is normally on the ball–was very slow off the blocks on this one.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) is also a day late and a dollar short. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) is mum. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is mum. Florida governor Jeb Bush is also mum. John McCain (R-AZ) is mum. GOP chairman Ken Mehlman is mum.

Republican leaders either don’t get it or don’t care: this is about the quality of American leadership. What will be the Republican slogans?

“Sure, we coddle pedophiles, but we are better for national security!”

“Sure, we coddle pedophiles, but we are pro-life!”

“Sure, we coddle pedophiles, but we oppose flag burning!”

“Sure, we coddle pedophiles, but our opponents will raise your taxes!”

“Sure, we coddle pedophiles, but at least we support family values!”

This is not to say that the Democrats have any moral high ground, as Mel Reynolds (D-IL) and Gerry Studds (D-MA) prove that pedophilia is a bipartisan endeavor. That both parties have a history of coddling child molesters puts our political class in the same league as Caligula and the Romans of old.

As for which party to support, right now none of the above is looking quite good. Anyone who thinks the GOP or DNC is in position to promote sound family values is smoking something I would legalize if I were President. Both parties are profoundly bankrupt, and we are holding the bag.

I do know this much: the GOP deserves to lose. They have not made the case for their leadership, and have shown themselves for who they are: a corrupt, despicable group of scumbags who court religious conservatives while coddling child molesters.

Piss on them and the horse in on which they rode.

Foley Does a Kennedy…Checks into Rehab

10/02/2006: Hopefully, no one will be buying into this line of horsecrap. The disgraced Mark Foley (R-NAMBLA), is trying to play the “I’m an alcoholic” defense.

Another sex offender–Paula Poundstone–pulled the same stunt in a 2001 plea deal. So did drunk driver Patrick Kennedy (D-RI).

He should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, as well as any GOP leaders who helped cover his butt.

Hastert Calls Fire Dept after Smoke Clears

10/01/2006: House Speaker Dennis Hastert has requested a Justice Department probe into the Mark Foley pedophilia scandal.

As part of the inquiry, he needs to determine why this was swept under the rug for about a full year. The coverup by GOP leadership is every bit as serious as what Foley did.

To hell with November; this is about the future of American leadership. When people say character doesn’t count, that means they don’t care if their Congressman is seducing children.

THAT is exactly the element of which we need to rid ourselves. We need leaders of high character who will return government back to her Constitutional boundaries and actually promote the general welfare.

Malkin Rightfully Outraged, but Needs Thicker Skin

10/01/2006: While Michelle Malkin is rightfully offended about the recent Photoshop jobs that others have done on her, she is expending far too much energy fighting the matter.

In a blogopshere that has millions of market players of all ideological persuasions, one must expect that if he or she starts a political blog that attracts a substantial viewership, then there will be some scandalous–even slanderous–detractors. Some of them will be obscene, some will use products like Photoshop to smear you.

But–aside from pointing out the false nature of the work–there is little else a person can do. After all, SCOTUS has decided that public figures can be denigrated far more than non-public figures. Just ask Jerry Falwell, who lost a case against Larry Flynt, whose sexual–incestuous–innuendoes about Falwell were legally upheld IN A UNANIMOUS DECISION by SCOTUS.

Keep in mind that I am not defending Wonkette or any looneys who are smearing Malkin; we know what degenerates they are.

That said, we need principled conservatives putting the heat on the GOP to get their asses in gear. With FoleyGate, the GOP has shown that they are as corrupt as the very DNC that they booted in 1994.

Unless that changes, this country is in very serious trouble.

Ergo, Malkin needs to focus on the fights that matter, and not get sidetracked by this Faux photo rabbit trail.

Michelle: we need you back in the real fight.