Is it me or is there something remarkably creepy about Tom Reynolds using children as props at the press conference he was holding to discuss his role in the Foley scandal?
This is a scandal about a child sexual predator and Reynolds played a major role in it. He knew about the emails from Foley months ago. His chief of staff, Kirk Fordham, used to be Foley's chief of staff. And, as John revealed last night, Fordham was a strategist for Foley last week - he was the guy who tried to get ABC to cover up the worst of the allegations against Foley.
At his press conference in the district last night, Tom Reynolds surrounded himself with children:
Flanked by about 30 children of supporters and as many parents, Reynolds defended his actions at a news conference late Monday in Amherst.Why would that be astounding when you are using kids as a backdrop to avoid answering questions? It's creepy. Really creepy.
The congressman said that like anyone who hears a complaint about a co-worker, he alerted his supervisor, in this case Hastert.
"I don't think I went wrong at all," said Reynolds. "I don't know what else I could have done. What's a good citizen to do?"
Reynolds dismissed the suggestion that the National Republican Campaign Committee give up or donate the $100,000 it received from Foley in July, saying Foley raised the money in an honorable fashion.
At least two prominent GOP senators — George Allen of Virginia and Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina — said they plan to give donations they received from Foley to charity.
When a reporter suggested to Reynolds that the children step outside in order to have a frank discussion of the sexually charged case, Reynolds declined.
"It's astounding to me as a parent or a grandparent that anyone would insinuate that I would seek to cover up inappropriate conduct between an adult and a child," Reynolds said.
Reynolds played a major role in the Foley cover-up. His priority as chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee is to keep the GOP in control of the House. He saw everything through that prism. Earlier today, on the Today Show, Tim Russert said the big problem the GOP has is the appearance that they covered up perversion for politics. Tom Reynolds is exhibit A of that charge.
Instead of answering questions, Reynolds hid behind kids last night. That's sick.
