Via Firedoglake…  Behold the open sewer that is the republican party today…

I…words simply fail me.

In the fine tradition of George W. Bush standing under the "Mission Accomplished" sign, or any one of the Katrina backdrops (where no expense was spared to bring power to an area for a photo op, and then just as quickly cut off), we now have the head of the NRCC, Tom Reynolds, using small prop children as set decoration in a press conference devoted to the topic of…yes, predatory online sexual solicitation of minors.

Even the reporters present could not contain themselves: 

Reporter:  Congressman, do you mind asking the children to leave the room so we can have a frank discussion of this, because it’s an adult topic.  It just doesn’t seem appropriate to me.

Reynolds:  I’ll take your questions, but I’m not going to ask any of my supporters to leave.

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Reporter:  Who are the children, Congressman?  Who are these children?

Reynolds:  Pardon me?

Reporter:  Who are these children? 

Reynolds:   Well, a number of them are from the community.  There are several of the "thirtysomething" set that are here and uh I’ve known them and I’ve known their children as they were born. 

Reporter:  Do you think it’s appropriate for them to be listening to the subject matter though?

Reynolds:  Sir, I’ll be happy to answer your questions, I’m still, uh…

Swell.  Just swell.  They have a uTube up of the press conference at Firedoglake, and the still clearly shows Reynolds surrounded by a room full of very small children and a few other adults.  So.  We have one congressional republican using kids for Internet sex, and another one using them as literally human shields to deflect hard questions from the press.  I don’t think America can take much more of all this Family Values stuff.

Years from now…when hopefully this episode in American history is just a bad dream…take this one thing away from it if you take away nothing else:  It isn’t the quest for virtue and morality and values that turns people into this.  It’s the belief that you embody those things.   It isn’t power that corrupts absolutely…it’s arrogance.