Chris hawked today's upcoming show with this note about the guest, Steney Hoyer: "We'll see what the Dems are saying because so far they aren't saying MUCH!"
Riiiiight. I e-mailed:
Chris, After Rep Hastert's press conf today, during your chat with the very conservative Pat Buchanan, you hawked today's upcoming show with this note about the guest, Steney Hoyer: "We'll see what the Dems are saying because so far they aren't saying much"
Do you really believe that? Here are just the last few remarks from Democrats that I've come across this morning.
The Hill reports:
From Pelosi (not her only statement -she has made several- but it goes to the heart of the matter):
“Republicans just don’t get it; every mother in America is asking how Republican’s could choose partisan politics over protecting kids, and the Republicans are asking who could have blown their cover-up,” said Pelosi spokeswoman Jennifer Crider. “If we had seen Mark Foley’s horrific e-mails or instant messages, we would have immediately acted to protect these kids.”
And here's an impressive collection of excerpts from remarks by Democrats that you haven't seen yet:
Darcy Burner has a very effective response. She wrote a letter to her Congressman, who also is, of course, her opponent. Excerpts:
I write to you today as a constituent and mother. . . . The disgraceful acts committed by former Congressman Mark Foley are a black mark on the halls of the people's House. The inaction of the House leadership in addressing the issue only makes it worse. . . . I ask you to join me in calling for the resignation of Speaker Dennis Hastert.
Red State Rebel diaried the statement of Idaho's Larry Grant last night. Grant did a fantastic job of tying the scandal to the issues he's focused on in the campaign, arguing that it "cements the need for change":
We need more accountability in our government. We have started a war without having a plan to end it, sent troops into battle without adequate armor, relied on inadequate and questionable intelligence, suffered the highest gas prices in history, and turned FEMA into one of the most inept government agencies of all time. And Congress does nothing.
It is definitely time for change.
Paul Hodes gives a straight-up, strong statement of what's wrong with the Rubber Stamp Republican Congress his opponent represents:
"Whether it's knowledge of intolerable conduct within the House or warnings about the war in Iraq, this Congress just doesn't want to face reality, much less hold anyone accountable. They'll say and do anything to hold onto power," said Paul Hodes, a Democrat challenging GOP Rep. Charlie Bass in New Hampshire.
Eric Massa hones right in on the cover-up:
"It's one thing for Randy Kuhl to keep mum as the Congressional leadership shortchanges veterans with unfair cuts," declared Massa. "It's a whole different matter to remain silent in matters of child safety. The record is clear: the House Republican leadership knew there was a snake in the nursery and they did worse than nothing, they left a man in office who stands accused of improper sexual advances to a male teenage page."
Patrick Murphy focuses on the culpability of the House leadership, and makes a strong demand for Hastert's resignation:
" not just resign his leadership post . . . he should resign as a U.S. Congressman . . . Based on the fact that he knew, among his ranks in the U.S. Congress, there was a sexual predator. I'm a former prosecutor; I prosecuted a sexual predator, a Lt. Commander in the Navy. The fact is this: a Member of the United States Congress. He's supposed to keep our families safe."
Joe Sestak also puts responsibility directly on House leadership and the larger issues the scandal has exposed:
By failing to take swift action against Foley, the former co-chair of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, the Republican leadership and this `Less Than Do Nothing Congress' have sent Americans a message that they are more interested in keeping power than protecting our children. . . . This `Do Nothing Congress' is not only incompetent but it's also missing a moral compass. On November 7th, voters will elect Joe Sestak, because he has a vision to change the way Washington does business."
Linda Stender puts her opponent on the spot:
"Having the perspective of a mother, I am disappointed that the GOP leadership did not take action to protect vulnerable children from a sexual predator. It's time for some accountability and for some common sense change in Washington. Speaker Hastert has lost the moral authority to properly run the business of the people and should resign, and I would urge Congressman Ferguson to join this call. Outrage is not enough: It's time for action and a change."
Asked for his response to the fact that neither Dick Cheney nor Barbara Cubin talked about those good old family values at a Wyoming fundraiser Gary Trauner summed it up perfectly:
"It's tough to talk about traditional values when the leadership of the party covered up a predator for political purposes," he said.
The original sources for these are found on this web page:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/10/4/22404/7857Now that you see that Democrats have been saying plenty, I hope you'll report about that on your show.
Thanks,
yada yada