Republicans often win by distilling their messages (however untrue) into compact catch-phrases, to wit:
"Kerry is a 'flip-flopper'."
"Gore can't be trusted."
We need to do the same thing with the Foley coverup.
Talking about specific Congressmen (e.g., Hastert, Boehner, Shimkus, etc.) and positions (Speaker, Page Committe Chair) is useful -- but it can complicate our message if not grounded in voters' minds.
My suggestion -- say this over and over:
Foley 5! Foley 5! Foley 5! Foley 5!
Let's give "Foley 5" the resonance of "Watergate" or "Keating 5."
This makes clear that we're talking about a group of people (the Republican enablers), not just Foley, without requiring us to explain who all those people are and what they did in a way that confuses some voters.
Once we establish the phrase, we can brand people with it and then discuss details.
Let's all practice again:
Foley 5! Foley 5! Foley 5! Foley 5!
Sorry this diary is short, but that's kind of the point -- sometimes powerful things come in compact form!
Update 1: Thanks for the good question in the comments ... the Foley 5 are:
1. Speaker Hastert,
2. Majority Leader Boehner,
3. NRCC Chair Reynolds,
4. Page Committe Chair Shimkus, and
5. Congressman Alexander (who was contacted by the parents of 1 of the abused pages)
Update 2: As an alternative to "Foley 5," Xapulin in the comments suggests "Foley Friends," which I like a lot too. It's alliterative (two "f"s), leaves open the possibility that there are more than 5 people involved, and adds the wonderful connotation of someone being a friend with a child sex predator. Thus, I'm adding this poll: