"Washington's scandal du jour - a predatory legislator's sexually explicit e-mail and instant messages to congressional pages, and a possible cover-up - prompts the musical question: What were they thinking?

We know then-Rep. Mark Foley's thoughts because the Florida Republican committed them to writing as he was being paid to do the people's business, sometimes while responsible for the page program. We can guess what was on his mind as he checked out of the House and into rehab.

When the dust settles from the FBI and House investigations, we will know what Foley's colleagues were thinking about his overtures to the pages and what, if anything, they did about it.

Whether or not there was any physical contact with Foley, the pages wanted what Monica Lewinsky wanted from Pres. Bill Clinton - to get close enough to power to take home some fairy dust.

The pages wanted what the clients of Team Abramoff wanted - for the leaders in Washington to shake their hands for photos and for fortune to smile on them.

They all want whiteman magic.

Whiteman magic is the stuff of dreams and shams. It's the appearance of causing a solar eclipse or eating fire, or some other rabbit-out-of-the-hat tricks that kept the Europeans from being killed in indigenous peoples' countries.

Whiteman magic enabled the historic whiteman to get away with murder and to claim he stole the Western Hemisphere fair and square.

Whiteman magic protects politicians when they harm innocent or defenseless people."

Get the Story:
Suzan Shown Harjo: Whiteman magic (Indian Country Today 10/13)

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