What is it with these moralistic, "family values," right-wing Republicans, anyway? It almost seems like a week doesn't go by without another sex scandal involving leading members of the so-called "God's Own Party." The latest is the Rev. Ted Haggard, "one of the nation's top evangelical leaders, admitted Friday he had contacted male prostitute Mike Jones 'for a massage' and bought drugs from him." Not surprisingly, Haggard is a rabid homophobe who is "a firm supporter of President George W. Bush, and is often credited with rallying evangelicals behind Bush during the 2004 election." My favorite part? Haggard claims that he "never used the methamphetamine drug he bought." Sort of the Republican version of "I didn't inhale?" Ha.
By the way, here's a short list of leading male Republicans who've been caught in gay sex scandals:
Robert Bauman, Republican congressman and anti-gay activist, was charged with having sex with a 16-year-old boy he picked up at a gay bar.
Robin Vanderwall, Republican strategist and Citadel Military College graduate, director of Faith & Family Alliance, (a Christian Coalition spin off), former student of Pat Robertson's Regent Universtity, member of Ralph Reed's inner circle who funneled money to from lobbiest Jack Abromoff to Reed, convicted in Virginia for soliticing sex from a 13-year-old-boy and on four other counts of soliciting sex from boys and girls over the internet.
Mark Foley, Republican Representative, Florida Sixteenth Congressional District. Resigned after trying to solicit sex from male congressional pages via an instant messenger program. The conversations included his asking a sixteen-year-old "stud" whether his penis was erect and requesting that he take out and measure his penis.
Ed Schrock, two-term Republican congressman, with a 92% approval rating from the Christian Coalition. Cosponsor of the Federal Marriage Amendment, consistently opposed gay rights. Married, with wife and kids. Withdrew his candidacy for a third term after tapes of him soliciting for gay sex were circulated.
Jim West, Spokane Mayor. Supported a bill, which failed, would have barred gays and lesbians from working in schools, day-care centers and some state agencies. Voted to bar the state from distributing pamphlets telling people how to protect themselves from AIDS. Proposed that Gǣany touching of the sexual or other intimate parts of a personGǥ among teens be criminalized. Had a sexual affair with an 18 year old boy.
I swear, you can't make this stuff up. Family values party, indeed.
Lowell Feld is Netroots Coordinator for the Jim Webb for US Senate Campaign. The ideas expressed here belong to Lowell Feld alone, and do not represent those of Jim Webb, his advisors, staff, or supporters.
Rep. Paying Ex-Mistress About $500KNov 2, 9:03 PM (ET)
By MICHAEL RUBINKAM
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - A Republican congressman accused of abusing his ex-mistress agreed to pay her about $500,000 in a settlement last year that contained a powerful incentive for her to keep quiet until after Election Day, a person familiar with the terms of the deal told The Associated Press.
Rep. Don Sherwood is locked in a tight re-election race against a Democratic opponent who has seized on the four-term congressman's relationship with the woman. While Sherwood acknowledged the woman was his mistress, he denied abusing her and said that he had settled her $5.5 million lawsuit on confidential terms.
The settlement, reached in November 2005, called for Cynthia Ore to be paid in installments, according to a person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal is confidential. She has received less than half the money so far, and will not get the rest until after the Nov. 7 election, the person said Thursday.
Sweeney 911 call report still secret
By DEVLIN BARRETT
Associated Press WriterNovember 3, 2006, 4:06 PM EST
ALBANY, N.Y. -- Rep. John Sweeney has so far failed to follow through on a promise to authorize the release of police records he claimed would refute reports that he physically abused his wife last December.
Sweeney claimed Wednesday that a widely reported state police document showing that his wife called 911 on Dec. 2, 2005 to say he was "knocking her around the house" was fabricated. Neither Sweeney nor his wife, Gaia, denied there was an emergency call placed from their suburban Albany home on that date.
At least Clinton was only talking about sucking smoke when he said, "I didn't inhale."
Does this guy seriously want his 30 Million evangelical followers to believe that he called this male prostitute for "a massage" and threw the drugs away?
Does George Allen really want Virginia to believe he just "made up" the word "macaca"? shessh!
It was a "message" that the hooker delivered. A *message*. An oral one... :)
The difference between fiction and reality, fiction has to be plausible.
As I said elsewhere today, I'm magnanimous, being a sinner myself. I hate the closet, but love the closet case.
now seem like blasphemous photoshopped parodies. The potty jokes will abound and I hope we can refrain from same.
What's important is the article does mention that Haggard participated in weekly conference calls with GWB.
