The Foley coverup

The mainstream is starting to pick up the story of the Republican leadership coverup of cyber-molester Rep. Mark Foley. (That's what the Democrats are calling him, and CNN will like that.)

And now they're turning on each other. Late PM, Rep. Reynolds says he told Hastert. A little later, Hastert issued a statement contradicting his first story, now saying he knew, but didn't know.

We've also got Rep. Alexander on the record, and Boehner has that little matter of the retraction this morning to clear up.

As said on Hardball recently, if you're explaining, you're losing.

(Above all else, this is a sad statement on the media. Almost six years, a failing war launched on lies, Abramoff and the highest level of corruption in decades, four Congressmen already indicted for four different money scandals, the NIE just Monday, and this is what the media chooses to really go after.

I'll bet NBC is gutted that they didn't get Foley on that "To catch a predator" series on Dateline.)

I find myself wondering how differently this story would be covered if Foley had actually touched the kid. The story would actually be much bigger, but I don't think the press would pursue it as gleefully.