Red-Hot Morals
I didn't mention this last week because it appeared to me that some people had gotten the quote wrong. But Media Matters has a column about the right's response to the Foley affair. In particular, they have some quotes from Focus on the Family's James Dobson, and I found this one section most interesting. Here he is:
So first of all, this is really all about Bill Clinton. And then it's a sixteen-year-old kind playing a joke on a Congressman.
Later in the article, the page's lawyer is quoted:
Well, all-rightey then. That was pretty clear.
Of course the interesting thing about all this is how it exposes the hypocrisy of the religious right. They're going around carrying signs that say "Values," hollering "Morals - morals - morals - getcher red-hot morals right-chere!" Oh, they are proud of their betterthanyou selves.
They judge everybody, accuse anybody who's not one of them of lacking in values, but what do they do when it's one of their own? Why, they cover it up. They lie about it. They blame the victim, or some guy who wasn't even around when something happened. They change the subject.
I don't know what motivates these people. I just know that we can't let their red-hot morals decide what our county's school are going to teach our kids. We need to raise up a generation that knows how to think critically and rely on facts.
DOBSON: We condemn the Foley affair categorically, and we also believe that what Mr. Clinton did was one of the most embarrassing and wicked things ever done by a president in power. Let me remind you, sir, that it was not just James Dobson who found the Lewinsky affair reprehensible. More than 140 newspapers called for Clinton's resignation. But the president didn't do what Mr. Foley has done in leaving. He stayed in office, and he lied to the grand jury to obscure the facts. As it turns out, Mr. Foley has had illicit sex with no one that we know of, and the whole thing turned out to be what some people are now saying was a -- sort of a joke by the boy and some of the other pages. Echoing Drudge and Savage, Dobson and Henninger claimed Foley scandal is "sort of a joke" and a "prank[ ]" by pages
So first of all, this is really all about Bill Clinton. And then it's a sixteen-year-old kind playing a joke on a Congressman.
Later in the article, the page's lawyer is quoted:
Stephen Jones, the attorney for the page who reportedly originally came forward with explicit instant messages allegedly sent by Foley, told The Oklahoman that the suggestion that his client's allegations are a prank is "a piece of fiction," adding: "There is not any aspect of this matter that is a practical joke nor should anyone treat it that way."
Well, all-rightey then. That was pretty clear.
Of course the interesting thing about all this is how it exposes the hypocrisy of the religious right. They're going around carrying signs that say "Values," hollering "Morals - morals - morals - getcher red-hot morals right-chere!" Oh, they are proud of their betterthanyou selves.
They judge everybody, accuse anybody who's not one of them of lacking in values, but what do they do when it's one of their own? Why, they cover it up. They lie about it. They blame the victim, or some guy who wasn't even around when something happened. They change the subject.
I don't know what motivates these people. I just know that we can't let their red-hot morals decide what our county's school are going to teach our kids. We need to raise up a generation that knows how to think critically and rely on facts.
posted by JimK at 12:52 PM
8 Comments:
Hello JimK and all,
Here's some more red hot ink for your pen. Now help me vanquish the sword!
This Foley fiasco has given people the chance to change the make-up of this government, which will ultimately lead to the end of the Bush-Cheney reign. It may not be pretty, but it is a gift, nonetheless. Don't waste this advantage. Use it wisely to end the more pressing problems that face us all.
Want to better understand some of the desperation among top Christian politicos? Want to know what else they are pretending not to know about? Follow the links and read about who I am and what I have to say. Notice that my last name is Page? Think this "page" scandal is a mere coincidence? The timing and ramifications are much worse than most realize yet.
If Christian political leaders are going to go around attacking others for not living up to their professed values, it's a damn good idea to be truthful and actually walk the walk. Logs and motes in the eye, camels through the eye of a needle, glass houses, kettles and pots, and what goes around comes around, et al. Karma's a bitch when She finally decides enough is enough! This wouldn't have been so bad on Republicans if they hadn't been such arrogant hypocrites in order to corner the so-called values voters! Now the "Two Candlesticks" and "Two Witnesses" (Truth and Justice) are "breathing fire" and "raining hailstones!"
Christian Political Leadership, Hypocrisy, Duplicity, and Purposeful Evil
The current scandal involving Congressman Foley is merely the latest in an amazingly long list of blatant deception and duplicity by Republicans and the Christian Right in recent years. While bedeviling us all with their holier-than-thou pretenses, they consistently support and/or perform blatant greed and abominable evil. Never forget the extent of their arrogance over the last two decades and especially the last 6 years. It is beyond amazing that Christians continue to blindly support such obviously blatant scoundrels, even as they are repeatedly exposed going against the most basic of human values. The level of hypocrisy and duplicity boggles the mind. There is no longer any doubt, whatsoever, that Christianity is little more than a purposeful deception used by political and religious leaders to dupe, manipulate, and coerce entire populations into giving them wealth and power, which they always use for greed, injustice, and abominable evils.
The actions of Foley and those who covered up for him directly parallel the actions of scores of priests that have raped innocent children, preyed upon others for centuries, and had their actions hidden and abetted by the Vatican. Now, in eerie repetition of Vatican history, we have a power hungry Christian Emperor (GW) working closely with the Vatican and Judeo-Christian aristocrats to lead crusades in the so-called Holy Land. Furthermore, to leave little doubt about the reality of this assessment, the USA, as the new Holy Roman Empire, is about to legalize the torture it has perpetrated in recent years while steadily reversing many of the democratic and civil freedoms that people gained when the Vatican and royalty lost control of their European empire at the turn of the nineteenth century. Now we see them following the same old path of evil as they strive to cement the status of the USA as the latest proxy Vatican empire. Make no mistake about it, the new dark ages are looming on the horizon unless we do something proactive to prevent it.
Remember that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it!
Read More:
Here is Wisdom !!
Peace...
"We need to raise up a generation that knows how to think critically and rely on facts."
I don't, for the life of me, see how TTF thinks that can happen when they are advocating a curriculum with half, partial and complete un-truths.
Tell them what science doesn't know and what it does know and the implications of the choices they might make. Teach them the history and what all societal moral codes have held.
"They judge everybody, accuse anybody who's not one of them of lacking in values, but what do they do when it's one of their own? Why, they cover it up."
The tactics of political advocates on both sides are in some ways similar. They tend to give people on their side the benefit of doubt. That's not really a cover up. The right isn't any more judgmental than the left, they just emphasize different values. Looking at society in general acquits them pretty well.
You ever notice, though, when James Dobson or Ann Coulter appear in public, they are met with angry mobs, thrown fruit, screamed obscenities and general disruptiveness. Yet when Al Franken or Michael Moore speaks, no one comes.
Why does the left seem so angry and the right so content? Could it be that the left can never win a rational argument?
It's classic.
"So first of all, this is really all about Bill Clinton."
Who's worse? It's an interesting question.
Clinton, after all, was pursued and was stupid enough to give in. Foley, on the other hand, actively tried to corrupt, what sounds like, scores of young guys. Hard to believe he never had any success. That's probably still to come.
Still, Clinton, as leader of the free world, had a greater responsibility. He may not have been as immoral in his actions but the damage was greater.
These so -called moral leaders- and I do not believe that they are- say this was a prank. But there were messages to more than one boy. If these rightwing morons think what Foley did was okay and that resigning was all he had to do to make it right- I am so grateful that I am not dumb enough to follow these "men" or be one of their flock. Why does this have anything to do with Bill Clinton? Is this supposed to deflect from what Foley did and what who knows who in the House did to keep this from getting out? Now we hear someone knew in 2000 and that people in Congress and their staffs knew of the very vile e:mails(not that I think asking a 16 year old boy of his photo is "friendly" a al Denny Hastert). For those of you supporting this mess, maybe you want some older person to start writing to your kids? It would be okay because it was a Republican congressman who was writing? Not that you make any sense anyway.
Tucker Carlson says Republicans hate evangelicals
CARLSON: It goes deeper than that though. The deep truth is that the elites in the Republican Party have pure contempt for the evangelicals who put their party in power. Everybody in ...
MATTHEWS: How do you know that? How do you know that?
CARLSON: Because I know them. Because I grew up with them. Because I live with them. they live on my street. Because I live in Washington, and I know that everybody in our world has contempt for the evangelicals. And the evangelicals know that, and they're beginning to learn that their own leaders sort of look askance at them and don't share their values.
MATTHEWS: So this gay marriage issue and other issues related to the gay lifestyle are simply tools to get elected?
CARLSON: That's exactly right. It's pandering to the base in the most cynical way, and the base is beginning to figure it out.
And then there was this little gem right at the end of the show:
"CARLSON: Foley's not the only one who behaved in an appropriate way with pages. There is at least one other, a heterosexual, and his name, I believe, will come out.
MATTHEWS: Oh, great! Thank you. More good news from Tucker."
http://www.thechrismatthewsshow.com/transcripts/10082006.shtml
Anonymous said:
"I don't, for the life of me, see how TTF thinks that can happen when they are advocating a curriculum with half, partial and complete un-truths."
Complete un-truths? Give me an example of one.
Anonymous said:
"Why does the left seem so angry and the right so content? Could it be that the left can never win a rational argument?"
Laughable. If you're going to generalise, I'll generalise with you and say that the right are rarely ever able to (or just refuse to) rely on facts or make rational sound arguments. They simply spin their cherry-picked facts to suit their agenda. Whenever they get pulled up on their cheap tactics, they remain silent. Did you even read "The Heterosexual Agenda" from BoxTurtleBulletin?
K.A.
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