Jesse Helms used to warn about the dire threat posed by the “radical homosexual lobby.” Now it looks like they’ve infiltrated his own party. And a subtext to the Foley story is whether Republicans will start chasing gays out of the big tent.

Democrats are excused for taking satisfaction in the irony: The daddy party, the values party, actually has a pretty strong cohort of closeted (or not so closeted) gays in key positions in the Congress.

But anybody who opposes gay-bashing ought to be concerned about what happens next.

Some Christian conservatives in the Republican Party are calling for a purge. They seem to assume that all gays are pedophiles.

But other Republicans worry about the reaction of moderate voters, who are growing ever more tolerant.

Well, the Republicans created this mess. They can deal with it.

Here’s one thing they’ve already done: Their mantra used to be Taxes, Security, Values. A recent GOP strategy memo changed it to Taxes, Security, Immigration.

Foley Values apparently don’t fit with Family Values.

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