The GOP page scandal reflects the systemic corruption of the GOP leadership in Congress, which has "defined deviancy down," to quote the late Sen. Moynihan, and has done it even more so with the ethics report that, in effect, recommended that no punitive action be taken against anyone who let the scandalous behavior thrive.

Now, some commentators--mostly conservatives--will attempt to turn the scandal into one not about abused power, failed oversight, horrible leadership, or hypocrisy, but about sex or the culture wars they've declared. Attendant to that will often be their irrational conflation of a GOP representative’s inappropriate and sexually-charged behavior toward a young subordinate with same-sex attraction in general. Such illogic is like seeing the key to understanding the fiasco unfolding in Iraq as being the dress code of Zoroastrian priests in ancient Persia, because, well, Zoroastrian priests and today's failed Iraq policy both involve Iraq and men that tend to wear beards—-like terrorists, right? Yes, such things are as related as studying Shakespeare and applying lipstick could both, technically, be seen as related to an undergrad Theatre major. (I mean, don’t you think of iambic pentameter when you see lipstick?)

But beyond oddly connecting actually quite unconnected ideas, these commentator’s words will exhibit a dangerous misdirection of focus, a classic example of Not Getting It. Insinuations, many not very subtle, that "gays" are the true topical heart of the scandal, are like a fire commissioner calling for a crusade against ash—-not against smoking in bed or against faulty smoke detectors—-because there's just so darn much ash at every fire scene that it’s clearly a favorite weapon of arsonists!

The page scandal's lesson is the horrible breadth of the GOP congressional leadership’s corruption and incompetence. Foley's behavior reflects not ultimately something sexual—-certainly not something ultimately “gay”—-but rather the same broad GOP embrace of the abuse of power and the denial of duty that is seen in the GOP's virulently partisan demonizing of Democrats (calling even Democratic war veterans traitors just because they disagreed with Bush's policies) and sycophantic behavior toward the Bush Administration. And the GOP Congressional leadership's failed oversight of its colleagues, including Foley but also Tom DeLay and others, represents the same systemic GOP failure to oversee--to manage and administer with integrity and competence--that is seen in their grotesque inability to stop US corporations' corrupt activities in Iraq, to adequately question intelligence leading up the invasion of Iraq, or to watch against corporate or Congressional abuse in various vital aspects of life in the republic, like the development and sales of prescription drugs, the management and improvement of healthcare, the arming and sustaining of our troops abroad, the development of alternative energy, and the promotion of science education and technological innovation.

Yup, Foley's e-mails to a young page were gross; they represent abuse of authority. They represent exploitation. But they're just symptoms of the GOP's cumulative congressional idiocies, that are far, far grosser, and that will harm in real ways far, far more Americans for far longer.

The 2006 GOP-led Congress is one of the worst in our history. Good riddance to bad rubbish, Foley and all.

The President of The United States is joyfully "sustained" by millions of Americans' prayers, and he nonchalantly admits to a lack of proof for their efficacy. Sustained by faith, not proof, just like his convictions about weapons of mass destruction being in Iraq, like his conviction that we'll win the war there, like his conviction that Iraqis love our soldiers, like his conviction that the torturing of presumed terrorists creates security now, not more terrorists later, and probably his conviction that terrorists' failure to attack us on our home soil since 9/11 is because of our invasion of Iraq and partial abandonment of Afghanistan.

And Bush's non-proof, his non-evidence, is that he can "feel," supposedly, his fans' prayers. Such power those faithful have! More power as prayer warriors, apparently, than as voters this past November 7th. But why doesn't Bush feel the prayers of millions of religious people globally (including, I presume, many Christian Palestinians) asking God to deliver the world from George W. Bush? The lack of proof of the efficacy of those prayers is just as great; but, he's just too secure in his "feel" of the supportive prayers to notice, or perhaps in his heart of hearts he’s just so convinced God agrees with him that God wouldn't hear such contrarian, uncooperative prayers from those wary of “the decider.”

Yes, let us all just resign ourselves to a belief that only the prayers of people who like Bush have any influence with this God who brings Bush such joy and so lightens Bush's load…even as tens of thousands die in Iraq because of Bush's warmongering, as tens of thousands die in Africa because Bush works to stop proper sexual education and the distribution of condoms, as thousands remain homeless in New Orleans because of Bush's crony-managed anti-government government, and as millions of American workers' real wages continue to fall…even as the richest 1% of Americans rake it in from a surging stock market and record corporate revenues.

Yes, truly the ways of God are mysterious. Or is it that they reflect intelligent design? I always get those two confused. I shall have to write the president for his wisdom on the matter.

AngloDutch

New York City