Tony Perkins Talks About Foley Debacle, Gets Silly

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council suggests that GOP leadership in Congress may have been reluctant to expose Rep. Mark Foley's misgivings because they were afraid of being accused of gay-bashing and homophobia. (See also this post from The Carpetbagger Report. Oh, and Ben Stein has a similar warped take on the subject.)

First, coming out of the closet is not grounds to resign from public office. And while gayness makes some people strangely fussy, unlike soliciting sex from minors, being gay is not a criminal offense. That obvious point aside, what makes Tony Perkins think that Republicans are afraid they'll be accused of gay-bashing? For his part, Perkins has made a career out of successfully convincing GOP leaders that God's top political priority is making life more difficult for gay people.

Let's be clear: Yes, Mark Foley is gay. But his sexuality is not on trial—Foley is in trouble for improper communication with minors. Secondly, "the gays" are not responsible for any cover-up by GOP leaders.

In related news, the President yesterday said Democrats shouldn't be trusted to run Congress. I agree; but at this point, I prefer them to the predator-enabling Republicans. Also, FOX News decided today that Foley should be labeled a Democrat. Wild.