Hot on the heels of the example set by moralist Mel Gibson, substance abuse rehab seems to be the first refuge of former Congressman (but still Republican) Mark Foley. Ray Davies of The Kinks sang eloquently about the evils of alcohol in the album Muswell Hillbillies.
CNN reports that Foley says he takes “full responsibility” for his actions. However, it seems to be fashionable these days to take the cloak of alcohollism, or other substance abuse, as somehow explaining why a politician, media or sports figure, or Hollywood/music “star” did or said something reprehensible. “The Devil made me do it!!!” (Thank you, Flip Wilson!) I have known alcoholics personally in my life, and not a single one ever turned gay or a pedophile simply BECAUSE OF alcohol! I guess that logic has dawned on the Foley camp, because now the spin is that Foley was molested as a young teen by a priest. I guess that’s to evoke sympathy from the public for Foley’s more recent behavior as an adult towards the male Congressional pages. One of the primary teachings of Alcoholics Anonymous is for the substance abuser to learn to take full responsibility for his or her own actions. Nobody else is “to blame” for one’s own sexual predatory behavior or harrassment. Not even the priests.
Well, that’s really it, isn’t it? The galling hypocrisy.
When the GOP went after Clinton they made it seem as if their party had a monopoly on morality. I would suggest, nay insist, that neither party is more moral than the other.
What really fries me is that he was on the Committee to protect children against exploitation! What a frickin’ hypocrite!