Loyalty Trumphs Morality For The “Values” Party

Well hells - isn't there any other news? Have a look at this snapshot of the memeorandum.com blog aggregator. Nineteen out of 24 main items deal with it!

I don't especially intend to blog every in and out of the PredatorGate scandal. Earl's been putting out some good stuff on the subject and I'm leaving the field to him.

So I'm going to confine myself to this:

I'm very aware that in the past that Democrat as well as Republican politicians have done the same and worse. I'm very aware that both sides have looked the other way, to a greater or lesser extent, when their own have stepped out of line and piled on the opposition when they could too.

HOWEVER...

In the last six years and more, the GOP have touted themselves as the "values" party. They made their big bed tent and they should all have to live with their own words. But they don't intend to.

It is no longer about the original events - it is about the dereliction of duty by leadership that stemmed from those events.

The uber-right are willing to say or try anything - anything at all - that can muddy the water and provide plausible deniability about the GOP leadership’s failure to exercise responsibly their duty of care.

And as I expected, that muddy water gives the leadership a sliver of a reason to give excuses but refuse to resign. That’s all they needed.

So it isn't surprising that 61% of American adults say that Republican leaders have been "protecting [Mark] Foley for several years." They have.

Nor is it surprising that voters are indicating that Republican leader's behaviour will influence their votes in the midterms. It should.

Indeed, the GOP is in severe danger of losing those supporters who have both a brain and a conscience and instead of the GOP trying to keep those people by doing the right thing they are being urged by loyalists to toe the obviously immoral party line.

It seems loyalty has trumphed morality for the “values” party.