something the "purity trolls" don't get

but DemFromCT on DailyKos does:

And as for dumping the GOP over Foley-Hastert-Reynolds rather than Iraq, well, if you can't get Capone for murder and racketeering, get him for tax evasion. Either way, he winds up behind bars.

This is a crucial moment for the Democratic Party. If the only people criticizing the Dems for cashing in on Foley are biased press assholes like Howard Fineman, the Republican implosion can continue unchecked.

The full article is a good commentary on crisis management, but there's another point here that's important to remember for the future:

But he [Hastert] won't, he didn't and he can't. There is no leadership in House leadership, they're afraid to unleash the long knives in the House, everyone behind Hastert in rank (and I mean everyone) is tainted, and Republicans don't know the meaning of the term accountability. They are so far in over their heads they don't even understand how screwed they are (but the Newsweek poll helps to put it in perspective).

Agreed that the Rethug leadership is tainted. The Gingrich revolution is officially dead. It's at the point where the only people who aren't toxic are insignificant backbenchers and freshmen. When this is over, however, it's going to be on them to rebuild the GOP. What will be interesting to see is if those backbenchers and freshmen will be able to shake off the yoke of the Kooky Kristian Krazies. Perhaps then we Dems can actually go back to talking to these people.

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