Trent Lott has trouble figuring out how the Sunnis and Shia tell one another apart. Let me help him figure it out.
Trent, it's a tribal thing where the group to which you belong has a culture and climate all its own. You share values, experiences, and beliefs. You protect your own at the expense of the common good of those outside your power base. You accummulate power so you can promote the good of the members of your group. It's like the GOP. When you walk down the halls of Congress you know who is with you and who is against you...except maybe for Lieberman who is on the fringe.
The Republican House leadership knew of Foley's indiscretions almost a year before this story broke. Did they stop Foley from access to underage children? No, it would have been bad politically and hurt the power base of the group. And because it was a basically tribal decision, the welfare of those outside the GOP was considered secondary to the need to protect Republicans from more scandal.
Look at another example, this one from Woodward's new book. Woodward maintains that Karl Rove opposed firing Rumsfeld because he didn't want Rummy's replacement to have to face embarrassing questions at confirmation hearings. Nevermind that the nation would suffer under mismanagement. The GOP tribe comes first.
Do you think the President's speeches are meant to inform the nation? Nope, they're tribal power building opportunities where those outside the magic GOP circle are attacked?
Is it any wonder that tribes in Iraq cannot get along with one another when we have a sophisticated GOP tribe here in the States which puts party over nation and doesn't internalize the concept of common good.