Sowing, Reaping    As my post below indicates, I am fully aware that we are at Total War with the gang of thugs and kleptocrats who have captured our government.  It is obvious that regaining as many Congressional seats for the Democrats this Fall as possible is a necessary step in this struggle.  I have also previously condoned otherwise unseemly tactics and even half-truths that are reliably effective at achieving such political ends.
   Nonetheless, I am less than comfortable with giving additional currency to the Foley scandal.  Even though it points up the utter bankruptcy of the Republican lie that they have restored accountability and ethics to government, the story ultimately derives its notoriety and endurance from a breezy conflation of homophobia and the persecution of anyone tarred with the smear "pedophile."  Legal and clinical definitions of age of consent aside, so far all we’ve heard about are e-mails.  Nursing hysterial, puritanical, homophobic bluenoses is a tactic that will have "blowback" lasting far longer than the advantage of gaining a single House seat.  (Mon 02 Oct 2006, 19.52 PDT)     @ #