Atlanta Out Loud

The reaction of Democrats to the Foley scandal has produced an unintended consequence. In their zeal to take down the GOP leadership of the House, they have ignited a gay witch-hunt on Capitol Hill. What will be the ripple effect through the rest of the country?

Democrats say all the warning signs were there: A man known (or suspected) to be gay, in a position of authority, working with underage boys. Nancy Pelosi is claiming that Hastert and Company should have known this was a potential pedophile situation and done something about it sooner. What more should they have done based on the information that Foley was "overly-friendly" with male pages? Remember, that is all the information they had - nothing of a sexual nature.

Should Hastert have called in the FBI to search Foley’s office? The evidence could have been put in the same locked room with the files taken from William “Cold Cash” Jefferson. Should Hastert have called the NSA to tap Foley’s phone and data mine his online communication? Perhaps Hastert could have invoked the Patriot Act to see what kind of books Foley had checked out of the library. Maybe Hastert could have used the SWIFT program to see if Foley had bought lavish gifts for teenage boys.

What of other potential pedophile situations? Should men who are known or suspected to be gay be allowed to hold positions of authority working with teen males in schools as teachers and administrators? Democrats say yes! Should the Boy Scouts be forced to put men who are known or suspected to be gay in positions of authority working with teen males as troops leaders? Democrats say yes! Should a gay curriculum be taught in public schools with explicit discussions between men who are known or suspected to be gay with young male teens? Democrats say yes!

Should Republicans object to any of these things? Democrats say no! How on earth could the Republican House leadership have done anything else with Mark Foley that would not be portrayed by Democrats as intolerant gay bashing?

What should House Republicans do now? Following the "logic" of the Democrats’ rhetoric about Foley, they should not only purge gays from Congress, but also from their own party and from every segment of American society that might be an environment for pedophilia. Democrats say yes!