lewinsky scandal

Erick Erickson on CNN:

here is not in any way, shape, or form any rational explanation for the United States engaged in Libya to do nothing except for one I can think of — Barack Obama's re-election.

…

Suddenly Obama can look Presidential again — all through manufacturing the need for American involvement where there was no need. Barack Obama wants to be re-elected. The best playbook for his re-election is that of Bill Clinton. But Clinton had a government shutdown and Kosovo. In the absence of either, Barack Obama must manufacture them.

And he has.

From a 1998 Washington Post article:

In August 1998, when [Clinton] ordered missile strikes in an effort to kill Osama bin Laden, there was widespread speculation — from such people as Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) — that he was acting precipitously to draw attention away from the Monica S. Lewinsky scandal, then at full boil. Some said he was mistaken for personalizing the terrorism struggle so much around bin Laden. And when he ordered the closing of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House after domestic terrorism in Oklahoma City, some Republicans accused him of hysteria.

Whenever a Democrat takes military action, the right takes to their aluminum foil hats to create any conspiracy theory they can. Of course Erickson is one of those that still believes we found WMD in Iraq, despite the Bush administration even admitting we never did. Aren’t you glad he works for the “most trusted name in news”?

In the 90's, the Republican leadership in Congress decided to engage in a witchhunt against Bill Clinton that last for months and cost taxpayers millions. The witchhunt was about sexual relations between two consenting adults. The Republicans now try to blame Clinton for 9/11 and say it was because he was distracted by the Lewinsky scandal - a scandal they created. To the Republicans this is all ok.

Now we fast forward 8 years and find out about Mark Foley. To make matters even worse, senior Republican members of the House have known of these allegations for almost a year. They have chosen to ignore them. They chose to allow Foley to continue to hold a seat of power as a United States Congressman and never questioned it.

This is beyond hypocrisy. This is down right sick and very possibly illegal. The Republicans have endangered CHILDREN in the name of politics. They chose to ignore the warnings and that is unacceptable. How would they feel if this was their children? The Republicans have acted as enablers in this and they need to answer to it.

Are we going to sit by and not only become a nation of torture, but also a nation of political officials who prey upon children? Fuck No!