Rick Moran thinks that the Washington Times was being a bit too hard on Denny Hastert, though he doesn’t think Hastert has been a very strong leader: “Hastert himself — a genial, if clueless sort — is probably one of…

From ABC 7 News:
Newspaper HR Director Faces Internet Sex Charges
Location: WASHINGTON
Posted: September 28, 2006 6:11 AM EST
URL: http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0906/364718.html

WASHINGTON (AP) - The human resources director of The Washington Times has been arrested on charges of soliciting a teenager for sex on the Internet.

D.C. police say 53-year-old Randall Casseday of Dobbs Ferry, New York, was arrested Tuesday night in Northeast Washington. He had allegedly arranged to meet what he believed was a 13-year-old girl he had been corresponding with in an online chat room. The person he was communicating with was a detective with the department’s Internet Crimes Against Children branch.

Casseday, who rents a room in the Washington area, was charged with attempted enticement of a minor and was due to appear Thursday in U.S. District Court.

Brian Bauman, a spokesman for the Times, says the company is cooperating with authorities and that Casseday has been suspended without pay pending the results of the investigation.

This Article is Crossposted at NewsBusters
I haven’t posted much about the Foley Follies since this scandal erupted because I wanted to get a clearer picture of what exactly was going on.
As October Surprises break there is a tendency for the press …

It’s all too obvsious, Abramoff, etc., that absolute power, corrupts absolutely!

No doubt about that, when the Republicans lose, either or both Houses these mid-terms, notice I said a POX on them, because the damage is at least 75% SELF-inflicted; so they had to work to EARN that!

But to get back to your main point, I don’t think that Republicans are “nobler” that Democrats, and resign because they are so; I think I was implying that they’re held to a Higher Standard, by their own party, and the public, and the Press, and the Democrats, mainly because, I think, that they do portray themselves as the values and family values party! (I’m a registered independent by the way!)

This actually sets the bar higher themselves, and gives them less wiggle room, when they do succumb to their human foilbles, for example!

Imagine for instance George Bush caught in a Clinton Lewinsky type scandal; do you really think, he could, or WOULD remain in office?

That said, if you’re driving towards this point, I wholeheartedly agree: We NEED a viable, strong, THIRD party, because NEITHER of these two groups of Bozos is getting it done!

As corrupt, off the path, and wrong, BOTH parties are on, on a multiple of issues, I think the 2-party system has outlived it’s usefulness, and I think it largely the reason for the increasingly partisan atmosphere we find ourselves in!

For example what does a person like me, how personally believes in the following:

a) the right for women to choose, but LIMITEDLY; i.e. abortion shouldn’t be used for “birth control”, because you’re too lazy, or drunk some night, to take precaustions

b) the death penalty is necessary, but I fully recognize the fact that our current judicial system is UNFAIR, and “justice” is applied UNEQUALLY, based upon race/socio-economic class!

Those are MY beliefs, I’m NOT opening them up to debate, I’m stating them to make a point: based upon My beliefs, WHAT party to I belong to?

I don’t fit neatly into either, and yet, I’m forced to technically support some issues I don’t support, by voting Republican, and vice versa!

That’s nuts!

So, as a former military member, who believes that patriotism, and service to country is the MOST important thing we can do, as citizens, I’ve been reduced, the past 4- 5 elections, in voting for the person that I thought, would BEST protect American, and all the other stuff that I disagree with, I HAVE TO IGNORE!

That’s nuts….and it makes us all, in a sense, hypocrites when we vote!

Unless of course, you believe 100% in the party plank, which I don’t; and I’d suspect, that probably more Americans are in the “middle” with most of the issues, than on either right or left wing extremes!

But we don’t have that choice, unfortunately…

Hope that makes sense?

I realize politics is a contact sport and all that. But is it necessary to villify those who don’t vote or endorse your policy ideals? Must the electorate be this polarized?

Perhaps I’m naive to ask these questions, but i see no difference between your comments and those at the left blogs i’ve read - just change the party affiliation and the themes are the same; ” we are always right and they are wrong ” - no nuance at all, very absolute in fact and it appears that it insulates voters from approaching the issues and stakeholders objectively.

They can’t get a fair hearing because they don’t have the elephant lapel pin or the donkey bumper sticker -This can’t be the type of political discourse that encourages cogent policy for americans.

Certainly libs feel that there is a double standard as well - so who is correct? Is there any space for balance? Your comments on the so called double standards relating to morality and polticians is curious. I know of no politico who willingy cedes power, absent external pressure or internal nudges from the party. I’d assume this operates at the Natl. level like it does at the State.

Your suggestion that GOP politicians willingly resign when they are found to be corrupt, out of some intristic sense of political nobleness i guess, doesn’t reflect the power dynamic of politics. Politicians of BOTH parties have to be dragged screaming and kicking to admit their guilt.

The ONLY reason Tom Delay fell on the sword was because he had no choice! The ONLY reason Marrion Berry owned up to smoking crack is because they had him on
tape smoking it!!