...Not As They Do

Sometimes I simply pity the sad, bile-filled world occupied by extremists on both ends of the political spectrum, those that seem to believe "the ends justify the means" in any and all occasions.

Such is the case with the two conservative bloggers that "outed" the former Congressional page that exchanged instant messages with disgraced Republican Congressman Mark Foley. Just as disgusting are those on the opposite end of the political spectrum that feign outrage over this act when they almost certainly would have done the same if the situation was reversed.

A prime example of this duality is Judd at the far left blog Think Progress.

Judd and his fellow extremists on the far left have now "attacked "right wing" blogger Roger L. Simon for linking to the story outing the Congressional page on his personal site and on the Pajamas Media portal (Note: I am also a Pajamas Media affiliated blogger), and "right wing" blogger Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit.com for linking to the Simon story.

It must be confusing for Simon--a Greenwich Village-loving former Civil Rights worker, novelist and screenwriter--and Reynolds--a libertarian who once stated he desired a world with "legally married gay couples with assault weapons in their closets"--to be labeled as representative of the "right wing" as Judd would make them out to be, but theri position relative to him only serves notice to just how far out on the extreme left Judd resides.

I personally disapprove of linking to the sites that outed the former page, but Judd was quite dishonest in how he attacked Simon, as while Simon linked the post, it wasn't his post's major focus:

Only the Greek playwright's manic disposition could correctly characterize the times in which we live when the semi-sex life of an obscure congressman leads to the downfall of an administration and the rise of Nancy Pelosi (!) as Speaker of the House followed by... what... impeachment hearings? Lysistrata anyone? Meanwhile, does anyone think it is ironic that so-called progressives who excoriated eavesdropping on terrorists are feasting on the publication of supposedly confidential email and IMs? You can forget about privacy. It no longer exists, if it ever did. The Patriot Act, if you think about it, is on some levels a joke, the Constitution a sideshow. The craven and rapacious stalk the corridors of power egged on by a loathesome media as hypocrisy rules and child abuse rears its ugly head with the age of consent debated by people whose only interest is their own ambitions. Meanwhile, lost in the shadows, an enemy whose "Messenger" married a nine -year old watches and waits.

The focus of Simon's post was the irony of Big Brother-paranoid liberals now glorifying in the once-private emails and instant messages of their fellow citizens. It was precisely this far left hypocrisy that Reynolds cited:

Hmm: "Meanwhile, does anyone think it is ironic that so-called progressives who excoriated eavesdropping on terrorists are feasting on the publication of supposedly confidential email and IMs? You can forget about privacy. It no longer exists, if it ever did."

Neither Simon nor Reynolds mentioned the page's name. Reynolds did not link to the blog that named the page in any way, shape or form. Simon only did so in a larger concept of showing how easily some can change their tune when it suits their political needs.

And Simon is indeed right in that respect, as a simple search of Think Progress itself shows.

Checking the emails, instant message and other communications of suspected terrorists? Think Progress is against it.

Making political hay out of the emails and instant messages of a page-molesting Republican? Think Progress is all for it, as are most other liberal sites.

Perhaps I might find the left's Republican witch hunt in the wake of Foley's resignation far more believable if they hadn't done so much to keep Democratic Congressmen accused of similar offenses in office in the past.

Democrat Mel Reynolds, unlike Foley, actually had sex with a 16 year-old. He was indicted in April of 1994, and re-elected by Democrats that November all the same. Reynolds only left Congress months after being convicted on 12 counts of sexual assault, obstruction of justice and the solicitation of child pornography.

Democrat Gerry Studds, unlike Foley, was a Congressman who had sex with a 17 year-old page and refused to apologize for it. Studds even turned his back to Congress in disrespect as they read a censure motion against him. Democrats kept him in office until he finally retired 13 years afterward.

Perhaps I could find Judd's outrage just a little more sincere if his party didn't have a track record of electing and re-electing the known sexual predators in their midst.