Foley's Follies

ABOUT SOMETHING©

"Foley's Follies"

by Joan Reid

As the headlines unfold day-to-day about Mark Foley, one would think they were reading a tawdry novel or a Greek tragedy.   The central character is a statesman with a flaw that even a great playwright (read PR person) can't fix, and any novelist would be hard pressed to come up with a plot so thick and fantastic.  Unfortunately, the good stuff these days is really happening.   If we're lucky, Foley's Follies will eventually be just another reality sideshow with a limited run.  Right now, however, we'll have to sit through this play of the absurd.

Act I: The news hit the airwaves and Foley's first move was to check himself into a rehab center for alcoholism, thereby giving those who imbibe a bad rap.  Most alcoholics are not sending minors suggestive emails.  Some, unfortunately, do take the lives of others on the road, yell at their wives and hit their kids.  Foley running to a rehab was transparent.  Foley isn't being admonished for being a lush.  God knows we have enough of them on Capital Hill, anyway.  This was clearly a strategy to make the public think, "Hey, I'm just one of the good ole boys who drinks too much."  Sorry, Foley, this isn't Miller Time.

Center Stage: His next move was to admit that he was gay.  Nothing wrong with that, except again, he is making gay men the fall guys. Gay men are not pedophiles.  Gay men enjoy the company of other men, but don't necessarily prey on under age males, unless they want to go to prison. So now we're at the end of Act One, and the second act is being written ad hoc, lines are being fed to Foley but he can't recall them because he has that dreaded DC condition: amnesia.   Probably from all that drinking.

Act II: Foley stays behind the curtain and his lawyer comes forward to speak Foley's lines. "Clergymen molested Foley when he was a teen-ager."   Now the clergy are in the mix, and we know what an easy target they have become.  They're taking a hit when they had nothing to do with the matter whatsoever.  And what is the matter?  Foley would have us believe the matter at hand is alcoholism, homosexuality, amnesia, or predatory clergymen.  His being a Republican really has nothing to do with this either.  Which by the way, is another group who will take a hit because of his folly.  

Act III: The cast of characters is dizzying.   If I were the director of the Follies I'd be pulling out my hair.  No one remembers anything. No one wants to be seen on stage with Foley.  I keep waiting for Donald Trump to appear and shout "You're fired" to Dennis Hastert.  I keep waiting for Foley to be a person of honor and not malign others just because he may have done a criminal act.  I'd rather not be subjected to this reality TV media circus for the next several weeks.  I do want justice, and a free election.  I want to remind politicians that we the people elect them, this is our government and country that we entrust to them. And I want to see Foley's Follies close quickly with bad reviews.

Is this a distraction from the war in Iraq , the Bush Administration, Guantanomo Bay, the environment, outsourcing our manufacturing to foreign countries, unemployment, etc. etc...you can't fool us.

Joan Reid is columnist, playwright and public relations professional. Comments can be sent to jbwrites01@yahoo.com.

Joan Reid is a columnist for "About Something", playwright and PR professional. Comments can be sent to joan.reid@yahoo.com.