The big distraction

Look, I think Foley is reprehensible just as strongly as the next person but enough already! So does Alan Bisbort in an article entitled "Getting De-Foley-Ated: Republican Fatigue Will Clear The Deck":

Wow. That was fun, in a sick, sad and sordid way, wasn't it? Every single synapse of the Great American Media Machine drifted into the Black Hole of FoleyGate. From the newsrooms of the big city dailies to the talking heads on cable TV, this is a better story than the runaway bride or the white girl on Antigua; plus, it's cheaper to cover.

While America was collectively De-Foley-Ated, Bush was left all alone to bark his fear-and-torture mantra into the abyss of his own empty soul, and 20 more American soldiers died. No one even noticed that Homeland Security issued a suspiciously timed "elevated terror alert" on Friday.

Now, we all await the latest poop on the Congressional page scandal. More is forthcoming, I guarantee it. You don't let a pedophile run free for 10 years and not leave a trail. Nonetheless, something feels -- I'll admit it -- forced in all this gloating. One part of me says, "Whatever it takes to get these bastards out of office." Indeed, the Republicans nearly ran a president out of office over consensual adult sex, so the Democrats could conceivably ride a child predator at least that far. Still, another part of me thought, "Something's going on here, and it's much worse than this particular story."

Sure something's going on here. The torture bill got passed. Habeas corpus has been suspended. The aircraft carrier Eisenhower is on its way to the Iranian coast along with guided missle cruisers, nuclear submarines, and mine sweepers. The drum beats of war with Iran are getting louder. Something is definitely going on and it's much worse than Foley-gate.