Down in the Dirt

Man, this is getting ugly.

Amid the finger-pointing, the sleazy revelations, the masturbatory messages while the House of Representatives is voting, you might think that the Foley saga couldn't sink any lower.

You would be wrong.

Now, apparently, some folks are hunting for other gays on the Hill.

Is this what the voters want in the final weeks of the election?

Mark Foley was a closeted gay congressman, although everyone, reporters included, seemed to know of his sexual orientation. Whether people in public office should essentially be living a lie is an interesting question, although I have never been in favor of outing anyone. Increasingly, though, some politicians -- see McGreevey, Jim, former New Jersey governor, current author -- seem to out themselves by letting their private lives ruin their public jobs.

But let's not buy into the notion that gays, closeted or not, are somehow more likely to be pedophiles. That's factually inaccurate as well as outrageous. So what is the point of this possible witch hunt? Wouldn't this have the potential to trigger a huge backlash?

The Nation's David Corn reports that this has now been committed to paper:

"There's a list going around. Those disseminating it call it 'The List.' It's a roster of top-level Republican congressional aides who are gay.

"On CBS News on Tuesday, correspondent Gloria Borger reported that there's anger among House Republicans at what an unidentified House GOPer called a 'network of gay staffers and gay members who protect each other and did the Speaker a disservice.' The implication is that these gay Republicans somehow helped page-pursuing Mark Foley before his ugly (and possibly illegal) conduct was exposed. The List -- drawn up by gay politicos -- is a partial accounting of who on Capitol Hill might be in that network.

"I have a copy. I'm not going to publish it. For one, I don't know for a fact that the men on the list are gay. And generally I don't fancy outing people -- though I have not objected when others have outed gay Republicans, who, after all, work for a party that tries to limit the rights of gays and lesbians and that welcomes the support of those who demonize same-sexers.

"What's interesting about The List -- which includes nine chiefs of staffs, two press secretaries, and two directors of communications -- is that (if it's acucurate) it shows that some of the religious right's favorite representatives and senators have gay staffers helping them advance their political careers and agendas."