"A Reminder: We Are At War"

Since the Foley story broke, I've been checking some of the more strident Righty blogs for reaction. It varies of course, but a consistent theme is concern over "the bigger picture." The proprietor of the popular site "Captain's Quarters" posted this over the weekend:

I cannot tell CQ readers how disgusted I am with Speaker Hastert. Reynolds is no fringe nutcase; he's the man Hastert trusted to run the midterm re-elections of the Republican caucus. He has no reason to lie, but Hastert apparently did. This also calls into question Boehner's earlier reversal, when he denied saying that he informed Hastert after Hastert denied knowing of Foley's activities.

Hastert should have been a man from the beginning and admit that he knew about Foley. Now he has destroyed any credibility left in his Speakership, and he has only compounded the embarrassment for the GOP caucus. Foley's actions reflect on Foley alone, but thanks to Hastert and perhaps Boehner, the aftermath will reflect on all Republicans in the House.

Republicans have to act swiftly to remove the stench of Foleygate from the party. They need to demand the resignation of Hastert as Speaker, as well as Boehner as Majority Leader if he lied to protect Hastert. Allowing Foley off the hook was a mistake in judgment, but this is a betrayal of those who trusted Hastert to lead the House with dignity, honesty, and integrity.

Here are some of his readers' posted responses:

Let's be clear on this: If Hastert and Boehner are forced out, this close to an election, than we should expect the Democrats to take the House.

THAT means impeachment investigations--real or threatened--, a White House spending its last two years in power fending off subpoenas, a Charles-Rangel-led effort to bleed our war effort in Iraq and Afghanistan dry, and an emboldening of al Qaeda and jihadis worldwide as they perceive a weakening in American resolve.

A reminder: we are at war. If Hastert goes, the Dems most likely get the house, and our chances for winning the war drop precipitously. We become, de facto, a much less safe nation.

More:

Again, we are at war. If a blogswarm gets going on this issue, and Hastert and Boehner are forced from office, we should expect to lose the House. Before we sling allegations that fire such a blogswarm, shouldn't we be sure that Hastert and Boehner deserve to be drummed out of their leadership positions in this manner. We will ALL pay the price if this happens.

And this:

My thought is that we need not run around screaming the sky is falling six weeks before the election. The punches are coming fast and furious from every angle right now and that will only intensify. What was the scandal six weeks ago? Do you remember? Whether you do or not, I'd be willing to bet that most Americans don't. If they do, they only remember what the media has brainwashed them to remember, not the facts. But they do remember that kids are dying fighting for our freedoms, and unforunately, they are being told their cause is hopeless. In my opinion, that arguement trumps anything on the table right now.

And this:

Ed- let's calm down about this Hastert resignation talk. We sure are quick to throw our leaders overboard (Gingrich, Livingston, Lott) at the first sign of potential trouble. Remember how the dems rallied around Barney Frank after his travails. And he's still there and keeps getting re-elected. Calling for his resignation just feeds into the dems game plan and further divides the republicans. Take a deep breath next time before you post this type of negativity.

And this:

C'mon you guys! Are we going to let some faggot ruin our chances to win the war on terror? Hell no! It's time to shore up our defenses and fight fight fight! The fate of the American way of life is at stake!! Don't let a pervert destroy everything for us! We worked hard, we Americans, to earn our special place in the world, and we can NOT let a faggot take us down!

I could have posted many more, but you get the idea. Shorter blind-faith set: Focusing too much on Foley may cause disaster in November, which in turn will make us all "less safe." If you've been wondering what might cause Bush's stalwart 35% to waver, the answer becomes more and more clear: literally nothing.