See - they're just very sensitive and compassionate

The right-wing media machine is apparently trying out a new line of defense for Republican leaders accused of not doing anything about Mark Foley, the Florida representative who had to resign Friday after creepy emails and IMs he sent to underage Congressional pages came to light. Emails that GOP leaders, including House Speaker Denny Hastert, had actually found out about last year.

The problem, say the nutjobs on The Wall Street Journal editorial page, is GOP leaders didn't want to be seen as bashing gays:

"But in today's politically correct culture, it's easy to understand how senior Republicans might well have decided they had no grounds to doubt Mr. Foley merely because he was gay and a little too friendly in emails. Some of those liberals now shouting the loudest for Mr. Hastert's head are the same voices who tell us that the larger society must be tolerant of private lifestyle choices, and certainly must never leap to conclusions about gay men and young boys. Are these Democratic critics of Mr. Hastert saying that they now have more sympathy for the Boy Scouts' decision to ban gay scoutmasters? Where's Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on that one?"

Umm, yeah, because we all know how sensitive the GOP is to the feelings of gays.

Please. This is the party that drags out a gay marriage ban every few years to rile up their base. And now we're supposed to believe the reason they didn't go after Foley, even though they have known about his trolling for jailbait, is because they didn't want to be seen as bashing gays?

And the war in Iraq is going swimmingly too.