Comments on: Query

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 03:26:40 +0000

Boehner is such a moron. Matthews skewered him on Hardball last week. There’s free video of the interview on the MSNBC/Hardball website.

By: jahoulih

jahoulih — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 23:59:29 +0000

A minor point of usage: one demands the “yeas and nays,” but votes “aye” or “no.” Members of Congress often get this wrong.

By: Grumpy

Grumpy — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 22:00:30 +0000

Firebug… a key phrase was accidentally lost from my comment: “over the Internet.” The Child Protection Act, enacted earlier this year, addresses the electronic solicitation of minors. Under federal law, that’s under 18, but many jurisdictions recognize 16 as the age of consent.
Therefore, it is legal to simply ask a 17 year old to have sex, or to slip a note under the door, etc., but illegal to ask by e-mail.

By: Hamilton Lovecraft

Hamilton Lovecraft — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 21:54:25 +0000

Do votes even matter any more? Just say your motion passed, even though opinions differ as the the actual number of votes (and shape of the Earth).

By: Drew

Drew — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 21:43:02 +0000

Foley was a pageophile…with a soft g

By: anonadmin

anonadmin — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 20:59:42 +0000

Pelosi made a Priv. Resolution
Speaker said “The resolution presents a question of the priveledge of the house.”
Boehner made a *motion*
[...]
Speaker: The question is on ordering the previous question. (not the motion)
called for ayes and neys
Previous Question is ordered.

By: Mark Kleiman

Mark Kleiman — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 20:28:36 +0000

Cranky:
Is lying a bad thing? Yes.
Especially when the truth — that Republicans voted to stall the investigation — is more politically potent.
But lying’s a bad thing generally. The United States should avoid imitating the enemies of freedom abroad (e.g., by engaging in torture), And we Democrats should avoid imitating the enemies of freedom at home (e.g., by lying).

By: Cranky Observer

Cranky Observer — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 19:42:38 +0000

Mere actuality hasn’t stopped the Radical Republicans from taking any bitterly partisan action they so desire over the last 6 years, and they have been quite effective in so doing. Perhaps actuality differs from Ms. Pelosi’s letter, but if she gets the traditional media talking about her demand is that a bad thing?
Cranky

By: Firebug

Firebug — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 18:49:32 +0000

Grumpy: “*Soliciting* sex with anyone under 18 is a federal crime, thanks to a bill passed by Congress this year.”
Does that mean that if a 18-year-old boy asks his 17-year-old girlfriend to have sex with him, that’s a federal crime? Most state laws on statutory rape take into account age differences to avoid criminalizing such ordinary situations.
The primary reason Foley’s actions are wrong is that he was abusing his position of trust and authority. The age difference is also creepy, but would it really be much less so if the young men in question were 18 instead of 16?

By: Grumpy

Grumpy — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 18:09:13 +0000

As has been pointed out by Glenn Greenwald and others, having sex with a 16 year old is legal in DC. *Soliciting* sex with anyone under 18 is a federal crime, thanks to a bill passed by Congress this year.

By: neil

neil — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 17:36:41 +0000

Pederasty is the appropriate term, I believe.

By: Pudentilla

Pudentilla — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 15:07:21 +0000

Follow-up query; does the House Ethics Committee have jurisdiction over the Foley case since Foley had resigned before the vote? Was this a case of Kabuki on Boehner’s part? In which case, Ds should have voted against it.