More politics? I thought this blog was about new media, journalism, streaming video and all that? 
Well, yahbut … this is just too schadenfreude for me to pass up:
It turns out that disgraced page-stalker Foley was only running for office again BECAUSE KARL ROVE THREATENED HIM IF HE DIDN’T.
If true, this story gives a real look inside the cozy world of Washington, where all the games are rigged and The House always wins…
when Foley’s friend saw the Congressman again this spring, something had changed. To the source’s surprise, Foley told him he would indeed be standing for re-election. What happened? Karl Rove intervened.
According to the source, Foley said he was being pressured by "the White House and Rove gang," who insisted that Foley run. If he didn’t, Foley was told, it might impact his lobbying career.
"He said, ‘The White House made it very clear I have to run,’"
explains Foley’s friend, adding that Foley told him that the White
House promised that if Foley served for two more years it would
"enhance his success" as a lobbyist. "I said, ‘I thought you wanted out
of this?’ And he said, ‘I do, but they’re scared of losing the House
and the thought of two years of Congressional hearings, so I have two
more years of duty.’"
Some where the Gods of Irony are doing high-fives … the fact that
Rove and the Republican’s attempts to hold onto control of the House AT
ANY COST now turns out to be the key thing that may wind up costing
them control of the house … ? Wow.
This is the lead item on Huffington Post – I wonder if any of the major
news organizations/TV networks are picking up on it yet? Already, Rove
is pretty much regarded by the general public as a rather odious
manipulator – and the media would like nothing better than to be able
to stick something to him like this.
But let’s not play the blame game here, surely… oh all right. Let’s. Putting the dirty squeeze on a shameful congressman ("Hey – you have a nice career going on here … it’d be a shame if SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN TO IT!") so that you can avoid having to Stand Tall Before The Man for the next two years is the kind of nasty little ball-kick political move that we’ve all come to expect out of Bush’s Brain…
