I heard you on the radio a few minutes ago, Dan. You're my hero. You fucking nailed it in a few short words. Hastert and Co. need to go away.

Ugh. Of all the things to finally bring down the temple on their heads, a freaking sex scandal coverup is going to do the deed.

Not two botched wars. Not the ignoring of serious threats to national security. Not the gutting of civil liberties. Not Katrina. Not the most disasterous foreign policy in our nation's history.

A pathetic sex-less sex scandal with a miserable, damaged, deeply closeted Proud Gay Republican at the center.

More than anything else of these past six years, this being the final trigger fills me with the most dispair of all.

Slogging whilst on air with NPR? Is that like jerking off while voting on important legislation?

The Hastert press conference was absurd. Another chance to come clean and take responsibility lost, along with another million votes. Keep up the good work, Congressmen!

A quick comment: a lot of times when Sloggers link to something, they just link to a blog's homepage rather than to the specific post of interest. It helps navigation if you link to the posts themselves.

apple streudel

Laugh of the day goes to Golob's comment. So true, so true.

Just so we're clear: Hastert is from DOWNSTATE Illinois. Not Chicago. Chicago would never, ever, ever...

In a way though, Golob it makes total sense.

These people are obsessed with sex. The GOP and the Shrub Admin. can lie, cheat, steal, start wars on little more than rumor and innuendo, kick back billions of $$ to their corporate buddies, manipulate gas prices, cut no-bid sweatheart deals, and on and on, and their constitutency doesn't bat a single eyelash in disgust, anger or even surprise. But the SECOND the very word "sex" comes up, in any context, they suddenly go bat-shite crazy.

These people just seem to HATE sex, in any way, shape or form. Seriously, in the past 30 years, the only thing that has riled this base is anything that even remotely has anything to do with procreative activities: from Wilbur Mills & Fanny Fox, to Bill & Monica, and now to this.

It's all about the ESS-EEY-EX.

Golob and Comte,

You're both absolutely correct. I might add that when a society begins behaving in direct contradiction to its stated values (like the Constitution) and most of the population drops out of the political process, it's a sign of a rapid and impending decline.

This isn't Chicken Little style doom and gloom, just a sociological observation.

Speaking of slogging, NPR, and obsession with sex, listen to this genius. If you jump to one minute in, you'll get right to the good stuff.

Thanks him. I'm with you Andrew. Can't blame it on lead pipes this time..

Comte, I'll raise you one further. I think the big loser in all this is going to be anyone interested in gay rights. Don't hear too many elected democrats stating the obvious fact: this is what happens when one attempts to force an entire group of people to deny an intrinsic part of their being. The damage done by shoving people back in the closet.

All this hysteria has reminds me of the end of a David Sedaris Essay "I Like Guys." The democrats will reconnect with rural voters with the fig-leaf of homophobia. Nevermind that the democratic party platform substansively supports rural voters far more than the republican's, and has forever. "Those gays are icky" will be the excuse to come back home.

Boomer @ 7...

Hastert's district is pure Chicago suburbia. Saying he's from downstate IL is like saying Dave Reichert represents Eastern Washington. "Downstate" doesn't start until you're south of I-80.

Don't despair Golob, the temple will not tumble due to this tempest. Diversion tactics on the way. Wait for it....

Heh. Perhaps I'll despair about my poor spelling skills instead.