The Difference Between Progressives and Conservatives...

...is we aren't apologists for when our side does something illegal and unethical. I have written negative posts about William Jefferson and Gary Siplin criminal behavior. Jay Tea of Wizbang takes a different approach. He attacks the Left for Larry Craig's arrest.

Prepare for Senator Craig to be referred to as a "prominent" or "leading" Republican extensively in the next few days, along with mention of Mark Foley and old whatshisname, the evangelist from the Mountain States, but nary a mention of Gerry Studds, Barney Frank, Jim McGreevy, or any other prominent Democrats caught up in gay scandals.

The really fun part would be to see Bill Moyers comment on this. After all, he was the one who was tasked with damage control when Walter Jenkins, a top aide to Lyndon Johnson, was caught doing something similar to what is alleged against Craig -- but Jenkins' men's room was in a YMCA.

As David Scott Anderson points out, Democrats such as Barney Frank haven't made a career out of demonizing gays and lesbians. Craig voted against same sex marriages.

FDLE Stalled By House In Mark Foley Investigation

The House of Representatives will not allow the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to examine Mark Foley's congressional computer. Dennis Hastert and Nancy Pelosi took a similar stance after William Jefferson's office was raided by the FBI. The raid was done with a legal warrant after $90,000 was found in Jefferson's freezer.

Hastert and Pelosi issued this joint press release after the FBI raid.

"The Justice Department was wrong to seize records from Congressman Jefferson's office in violation of the Constitutional principle of Separation of Powers, the Speech or Debate Clause of the Constitution, and the practice of the last 219 years. These constitutional principles were not designed by the Founding Fathers to place anyone above the law. Rather, they were designed to protect the Congress and the American people from abuses of power, and those principles deserve to be vigorously defended."

"Accordingly, the Justice Department must immediately return the papers it unconstitutionally seized. Once that is done, Congressman Jefferson can and should fully cooperate with the Justice Department's efforts, consistent with his constitutional rights."

"In addition, the Justice Department must immediately cease any further review of the documents it unconstitutionally seized, ensure that those who have reviewed the documents do not divulge their contents to the investigators, and move in Court to vitiate the search warrant."

The House is behaving as it is above the law. No reasonable person is arguing that Foley or Jefferson behaved unethically. The same can be said about the House.

In related news: the FDLE found no pornographic photos in any emails in Mark Foley emails.

Other Mark Foley posts:

Mark Foley Resigns
St. Petersburg Times Sat On Mark Foley Story
St. Petersburg Times Blows It On Mark Foley
The Tom Reynolds, Dennis Hastert & Mark Foley Connection
FBI Investigating Mark Foley
White House Opposes independent investigation into Foley
Mark Foley in Rehab
More Pages Talk About Foley Emails
Matt Drudge Blames Kids For Foley Troubles
Jeb Bush Letter to Dennis Hastert
Hastert Made Same Mistakes With Foley As He Did With Delay