The continuing Foleygate scandal is unfolding in may more different directions and is taking on the look of a movie with way too many subplots.
The progressive site blogactive is getting set to drop a 20-ton bomb of the office of Dennis Hastert.
Mr. Speaker, I have a point of information...
Hey, Dennis, on Monday I'll be telling everyone about the high level closeted staffer in your office.
In a vacuum, this is no big deal considering all the closte-cases we know about in Washington. But as the Republicans try to pass Mark Foley's behavior off onto the gay community, it's explosive, especially if you take into account this ominous waring from John at Americablog
Denny Hastert has put me in a difficult position.
I've heard rumors. Unsubstantiated talk. No proof yet. But I've heard things. Just like I heard things about Mark Foley this past July. This time I've heard things about a relatively senior Republican member of the House, and also about someone on the Speaker's own staff. Both rumors seem relevant to this story as it's unfolding.
So here's my dilemma. Denny Hastert says that if I don't report the unsubstantiated allegations I've heard, I'm a criminal. But the thing is, I'm also a journalist, and a good human being. I don't think it's right to print unsubstantiated rumors I've heard, rumors that could make life quite difficult for this Republican congressman and this senior member of Hastert's staff.
So what do I do? Do I publish unsubstantiated rumors about a GOP congressman and one of Denny Hastert's top aides? I don't want to, I don't think it's right, but Denny Hastert says he'll sic the FBI on me for hurting children if I don't. And he'll probably end up blaming Nancy Pelosi if my rumors turn out to be true and I didn't go public with them.
So what do I do? Maybe I'll just call Denny Hastert's office on Monday, tell them what I've heard, and let them decide how comfortable they are with the Speaker's new standard of justice.
And finally, Lawrence O'Donell had this to say on the Huffington Post.
In Hastert's brief, evasive press conference on Thursday, sharp reporters immediately zeroed in on Palmer's role in the Foley information flow. Did Hastert leap to the defense of his chief of staff's honor in the crucial credibility contest with Kirk Fordham? Did he say I know Scott Palmer and I know he's telling the truth? No. He avoided every question with Palmer's name in it. Hastert obviously does not want to talk about Scott Palmer.
There are plenty of odd couple Congressmen who have roomed together on Capitol Hill, but I have never heard of a chief of staff who rooms with his boss. It is beyond unusual. But it must have its advantages. Anything they forget to tell each other at the office, they have until bedtime to catch up on. And then there's breakfast for anything they forgot to tell each other before falling asleep. And then there's all day at the office. Hastert and Palmer are together more than any other co-workers in the Congress.
Something big, possibly bigger than Mark Foley is about to go down. And I think this something could very well decapitate the House Repilcan leadership and make the Religious Right think twice about their public support for Hastert.
Let the games begin!