Why are the R-Wingers bringing up Barney Frank?

[Flubadubya]

Other than the fact that the man is gay, did I miss something he has done in the past that they can point to in order to make their pot look less black?

I don't recall any scandal involving Frank other than he has openly admitted to being homosexual. What gives?:shrug:

Pfft... if all they've got is that he's gay, that just shows how sick THEY are! :puke:

[marmar]

1. Sadly, to many right wingers, the fact that Foley is gay...

is worse than the fact that he's a pedophile.

[dsc]

2. Stephen Gobie

He was a hustler who Barney Frank fell in love with while still in the closet. Gobie lived with Frank and was still hustling (unbeknonst to Frank). Frank also fixed parking tickets for Gobie. He was censured by the House.

[Flubadubya]

4. Ah, OK, now I get it...

Wow, Barney's behavior really was scandalous... and, of course, Gobie was underaged too, right!? :sarcasm::eyes::crazy:

[dsc]

6. Gobie was in his 20's as I recall

[Flubadubya]

8. That's what I figured...

And I thought Dems were the only ones guilty of moral relativism, right? Hah! (again: :sarcasm:)

[theHandpuppet]

10. Yes, so scandalous! Unlike some of their other Repuke heroes...

... Like Guiliani and Gingrich, among a score of others. Of course they're straight and Republican so no one cares.

[Smarmie Doofus]

3. I think they're thinking of ex-rep.......

Gerry Studds who had an affair with a page way back in the 80s.

[tenshi816]

5. To the wingers,

being gay is worse than being a child molester. That's the only conclusion I've been able to reach.

A couple of days ago they were discussing it on the Rapture Ready message boards (yes, I've admitted before that I go there for cheap entertainment). Their spin on it was that the Mark Foley situation proves that homosexuality leads to pedophilia. (Using their reasoning, though, you could equally say that heterosexuality leads to pedophilia because more minors are sexually abused by members of the opposite sex than the same sex.) The right-wingers keep going back to the fact that Foley is gay. That's the most important part of it to them, and that's why they're now bringing up Barney Frank.

[JerseygirlCT]

9. NO! I don't think they necessarily believe it

But I DO think they'd like very much to turn this into a referendum on "gayness". They WANT to make this issue about him being gay, not about him being a pederast.

If they can make it about sexual orientation, then how are the Dems going to complain?

Just like the Catholic church did with their pedophile and pederast priests -- the GOP wants to make this all about GAY, not about CRIME.

[Sherman A1]

15. I think it is an issue now

of grasping at whatever straws are available to "explain" this both to themselves and to the outside. You use whatever tools are in the box that is handy. Doesn't mean that they will work, but that would be the first place to go - finger pointing, gay bashing, rather than looking at the issue of one guy who is screwed up and those that helped to cover up for him. If anything, it will be the LIE that gets them. ....

[napi21]

7. Because he's the only admitted gay congrressman, and that's

what they're looking at with Foley.

I will say one thing in quasi defense of some of the Pubs on this one. The emails that have been made public on TV were not terribly incriminating to Foley. Although I suspected more, even I didn't realize how rotten this guy was until I read the IM on the ABC site yesterday! I understand why the media doesn't want to put these IM's on your TV, but without the info in them, I think a lot of people just don't realize how disgusting Foley really is.

[sarge43]

11. It's also a diversion tactic

"Don't look here; look there."

[Philosoraptor]

12. being gay is a crime and a sin y'know

[C_U_L8R]

13. Freeps are desperately trying to find an excuse

that will justify 'publicans who pederast.

And in doing so, prove to the world what
complete dumbshits and weasels they are.

Is there any way we can encourage them to keep digging?

[chelsea0011]

14. When caught and looking like a criminal, demonetize the other side.

It really is funny how clueless they are that this Foley "alleged" crime shows him to be a gay predator. Their disconnect is funny to watch.

[AIJ Alom]

16. I had a hunch they would bring up Barney Frank so I posted the following

last night.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2857136&mesg_id=2857136

Here's how to curtail another GOP Talking Point.

Note how the GOP supporters quicky and deftly attempt to shift the blame away from Foley and the failures of the Republican House Leadership and try to make this a bi-partisan scandal.
Facts about Barney Frank. Yes, he was involved in sex scandal with A 28 year old male prostitute in 1990, but when the then Democratic Leadership found out about it, they took immediate action. They tried to expel him, censure him, and finally succeeded in reprimanding him (they feared he would lose his seat). Instead, he won re-election with 66% of the vote and bigger margins since then. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barney_Frank
Compare this with the Foley case and the failures of the Republican majority to act on information given to them more than a year ago. Foley (Maf52) was asking a 16 year old male page to describe how he masterbates ! Worse still is the inaction by the House Leadership. They did nothing and allowed this man to continue to be the head of the NCMEC Caucus and of all things run for re-election. And now a year later when this bombshell comes out, they finally start harping about pursuing a criminal investigation.

[tanyev]

17. 'Cause that's all they got.

[Sgent]

18. A large portion of them

believe:

gay = pedofile

[trof]

19. Yeah, it's like having measles and blue eyes at the same time.

It happens, but one doesn't necessarily go with the other.
Most pedophiles are not gay.
Most gays are not pedophiles.

Frank's association with a "young" male prostitute was quite a bombshell at the time.
Repugs like to bring it up, but no minors were involved.

[Flubadubya]

20. "Most pedophiles are not gay. Most gays are not pedophiles."

Wow, this needs to become a Major Meme! Excellent truism. :thumbsup: