[GOP Corruption]

Mark Foley and His GOP Defenders

Never mind that fellow GOP are now disowning Florida Congressman Mark Foley of his attempted pedophilia: when they first found out about it, they demonstrated rare cynicism by trying to protect their own asses--the teens can fend for their own--by trying to keep it quiet. There can be no greater metaphor for not just the corruption of the modern GOP, but it's nature: in order to keep power, this is a party that will protect a pedophile who has chaired the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children. Even while they were publicly agitating for a gay marriage amendment, they were protecting a gay predator. The bottom of this well of hypocrisy is deep indeed.

The theater proceeds along its banal course: now Foley has gone into rehab for alcoholism, for the GOP know that the sins of the flesh may be washed away with the confessional waters of cheap bourbon.

This continues a remarkable run of of GOP corruption since the last election. From memory (read: inexhaustively):

• House Majority Leader Tom DeLay resigned under indictment for felony conspiracy;
• Duke Cunningham (R-CA) jailed for taking bribes;
• Jack Abramoff found guilty for fraud, tax evasion, and bribing public officials;
  
• David Safavian, the top federal procurement officer, was found guilty of obstructing justice in the Abramoff corruption case;
• Bob Ney (R-OH) pleads guilty to lying and conspiracy to commit fraud.

Will the electorate notice? Probably not. Still, the evidence is in, for whomever does happen to look.