FRAMESHOP:FRAMESHOP: CHANGING PLACES

ALERT:  The Republicans are working hard to duck responsibility for the Foley Affair by changing the place of the scandal from the Republican Congress to a rehab clinic and to church.  This must not happen.  Progressives must work hard to keep this scandal in place--to keep it in the Congress.

RECOMMENDATION: To keep the focus on Hastert, Progressives should make literal reference to the scandal "in the Republican Congress" as often as possible.

Right now there is nothing the Republicans want more from this Foley Affair than to change places.  

That's right:  place.

To prevent the Foley Affair from triggering a chain reaction that brings down the current Republican Congressional leadership, Republicans are trying anything to change the palce of the scandal from the Republican Congress to--well...anywhere else.

Why?  Because every scandal has a place, and that place defines not just the nature of the offense, but also the logic of consequences--the chain of blame.  If the place of scandal is the home: the family faces consequences.  If the place of a scandal is the workplace:  management faces the consequences.  If the place of a scandal is a priest's office:  the Church hierarchy faces the consequences.

So long as this scandal remains in the Republican Congress, then the consequences for this disgrace will focus on the leadership of the Republcian Congress--the Republican leadership.

But if the Republicans can successfully change the place of the scandal--change it, for example,  to a Florida rehab clinic or a 1960s Catholic church vestibule--then they will also succed at changing the debate on consequences.

Progressive bloggers must prevent Republcians from pushing the story out of the Republican Congress and reframing it in another place where someone other than the Republcian leadership of the House will be forced to bear the consequences.

This is not going to be easy.

To accomplish this: Progressives can raise awaress in the media as to the efforts by Republicans to change the place of this scandal, and remind the media the scandal is "IN THE REPUBLICAN CONGRESS"--a key phrase.

Please use your media contact list to get in touch with as many people as possible, with particular focus on Olbermann.

Let's not allow the Republicans to avoid responsibility by changing places!   Keep this scandal in the Republican Congress because if it stays in that place, the consequences for the Republcian leadership are inevitable.

© 2006 Jeffrey Feldman, Frameshop