Breaking: House Leadership Criminally Negligent but Committed No Crime

This is how the House Ethics Committee split the salami today:

The House ethics committee has concluded that Republican leaders did not break any rules in handling ex-Rep. Mark Foley's improper advances to former male pages but were negligent in protecting the teenagers, a congressional aide said Friday.

The committee was releasing its findings Friday.

The aide, who was not authorized to be quoted by name, was made aware of the committee's findings.

"The Republicans did not break rules but were negligent in protecting the pages," the aide said.

I'm watching the Ethics Committee Leadership pat themselves on the back for how quickly they came to this insane decision. If the Republicans were negligent in protecting underage pages, which I believe is a crime, how could they have broken no laws or rules? This report seems like a good reason to abandon the Ethics Committee process and establish an Office of Public Integrity so that the policemen aren't policing themselves.

Waiting to hear how Bill O'Reilly and the other guardians of morals feel that a group of people criminally negligent in protecting children get off scot-free.