Won't Get Foley'd Again

Nick Gillespie | October 6, 2006

(Page 3 of 9)

Gillespie: partly because of the way the leadership has refused to respond.

Morrissey: Look, the failure of Hastert and/or his staff to forward the issue to the page board was the father of all the political misery that followed. Had they followed the procedures, this would have been a nine-day story.

Gillespie: but that's the point. if they didn't follow procedure here, where else are they falling down?

Legum: I also think what was damaging was their insistence that the initial emails were only "overly friendly"

Legum: That is both an admission that the emails were inappropriate and an acknowledgment that there was a decision not to take them seriously.

Gillespie: it's worth remembering that congressional approval is down, what, in the 20s or 30s? people already think poorly of congress as an institution, regardless of how well they think of their own rep.

asap: Are we ready for question two?

asap: OK: We hear a lot about the term "ethics" in connection to politics. What sorts of things do you think voters are thinking of when they worry about ethics?

Morrissey: I think that local races will still focus mostly on policy ...

Morrissey: but the ethics issues will certainly be part of that consideration, as it should be.

Gillespie: ethics and politics are like oil and vinegar. you need a mix of both, but they separate as soon as they hit the plate.

Legum: I think it goes to the fundamental question on the minds of all voters...

Legum: who does my congressperson represent?..

Legum: Our district and our country...