My friends,
Thank you for your great comments and support of my KOS post yesterday.
Some of the comments suggested that I modify the post so it would be suitable for use as an op-ed piece in local newspapers. Below is my best effort to do so.
I don't plan on sending the piece to papers myself. But if KOS readers or other supporters are motivated to do so, please do. If you or the newspapers have questions about this diary - or anything about TerriPAC - please email Director@TerriPAC.com or call 1-800-TerriPAC
Thanks again for the warm reception and support,
Mike Schiavo
P.S. Special thanks to memophage and others who suggested this.
It wasn't that long ago that the same cast and crew who are now claiming to be misinformed or uninformed about the growing Mark Foley underage page scandal went to great and extraordinary lengths to interject themselves into my life.
Armed with factually-wrong information, innuendo and a partisan play book, Congress pontificated at length about their "moral authority" and how they "had to act" when it came to "saving" someone who did not want or ask for their help.
And we all remember that when it came to my private situation, these leaders in Congress acted swiftly - with blinding certainty and authority.
But in the Mark Foley affair, when the leaders of this Congress were armed with facts and a history of behavior that may go back for years, they were blind. When they actually had a moral and legal duty to protect children under their care, their "moral authority" was absent.
It could be that their motives were political. When it came to me and my family, leaders like Tom Reynolds and Rick Santorum saw a chance to win votes. But when they looked at Mark Foley they saw something that could actually cost them votes.
Or perhaps they were even more cynical. Maybe those leaders weighed out the situation and determined that my rights as an American and my obligation to my family just weren't worth as much as one of their seats in Congress.
But the truth is that it doesn't matter why they chose to act in my case but looked the other way on one of their own. The reality is that they did. And, to me, it's as simple as this: if you can act so quickly to "save Terri" why won't you act to protect children in your care?
It's obvious that my promise to my wife bothered Congress far more than a congressman's predatory habits toward children. That's something I may never understand.
And it's no coincidence that most of the people on the Foley hot seat are the same ones who voted to put Congress in Terri's hospice. People like Tom Reynolds, Sue Kelly, Dennis Hastert, Mike Fitzpatrick, Marilyn Musgrave, Mark Kirk and even Mark Foley voted to put Congress in my personal life when they should have been looking at his.
Less than a year ago I started TerriPAC to keep the issue of privacy and our freedoms in the public debate - even campaigning for and against specific candidates. And I'm planning to spend a great deal of time in these final few weeks travelling to help good candidates win and make sure our leaders answer for their behavior - whether it's unwanted and illegal action directed at me or criminal inaction when it comes to Foley.
As a former Republican, there are more important issues than Mark Foley. This election is about Iraq, about Katrina, about Terri and Foley. It's clear to me that when this Congress gets it wrong, they really get it wrong. It's a very good thing we all get a chance to set it right.