I can remember back in the summer of 2001, as the country was all-consumed by the Gary Condit scandal, dark and ominous clouds were gathering on the horizon and reports were leaking from around the world that Al Qaeda was planning some sort of catastrophic attack against American “symbols” of power.

I can remember reports that the US military was on Delta Alert (the highest state of alert - short of open warfare). I can remember Diane Feinstein’s warnings on the Sunday morning talk shows of an impending attack. I can remember the Jerusalem Post’s article predicting a major attack. I can remember my state of alarm as it appeared that the raging violence in Israeli’s occupied territories, and the nearly daily suicide bombings, were accelerating towards some crescendo on the world stage.

Yet, night after night, we were treated to the Gary Condit news hour on each of the major networks. It indeed appeared that there was no other news but the Gary Condit scandal.

And then 9/11 happened, and no one has heard very much about Gary Condit ever since.

A few months back while Israel was mercilessly bombarding Lebanon (the just recently newly-celebrated seat of democracy in the Middle East) we suddenly found our attentions drawn to the bazaar tale of Mark Karr, the confessed killer of Jon Benet Ramsey. The media became transfixed on the lurid details of Mark Karr’s past, with Karr’s ultra-creepy face and blank stare radiating out from every newspaper tabloid and TV news hour in the nation, despite the incredible lack of CREDIBLE evidence that Mark Karr could possibly be Jon Benet’s killer, including DNA evidence that amazing was not produced for weeks, as Karr was flown first-class back to the United States and was photographed sipping champagne.

And, the Israeli war with Lebanon, and Iraq’s descent into hell, were relegated to the back pages of the news.

One humorous note: Mark Karr’s computer, held by the police as evidence of his involvement in pedophilia and child-porn, has gone missing – stolen – from under the noses of the police. Mark Karr is today a free man, with all charges dropped.

And now we are given Mark Foley’s head.

As elements of the American media finally turns the LIHOP corner, and begins reporting Bob Woodward’s evidence that the Bush administration purposely and intentionally ignored warning of an impending attack (which 36% of the American population believes they themselves may have orchestrated); and as the USA signs into law new draconian laws which essentially legalizes the government’s right to “disappear” citizens, torture suspects, deny legal counsel and ultimately hold military tribunals in which executions could be handed down – all at the discretion of the President of the United States; and as a reported nuclear-ready navy flotilla heads towards Iran for a showdown; and as North Korea cites a “severe threat of nuclear war” and promises to conduct a nuclear test with the USA stating it “will never tolerate a nuclear North Korea;” and as rumors abound of an “October Surprise” with the November elections hurtling at the ruling Bush mob like the ancient Chinese death by 10,000 cuts; we are handed Mark Foley’s head.

There is an old saying about politicians being caught in bed with “a dead girl or a live boy.”

And, if history has taught us one thing it is that the American’s public’s lust for all things prurient, dead interns, Monica Lewinski, child murderers and congressmen chasing little boys, preempts everything else. We are the MTV generation politically come of age.

I have no doubt in my mind that Mark Foley is guilty as charged. But, as many in the media question the timing of this revelation, (insinuating dirty tricks by the Democrats) I wonder if the real culprit is something much more ominous. Engineered distractions designed to herd us like sheep to the slaughter.

And, for those of us who view 9/11 as PNAC’s first horrible move on Zbigniew Brzezinski’s Grand Chessboard, we are forced to wonder if we are just now reaching the end-game.

It is reported that North Korea will be celebrating a large anniversary celebration this weekend. Many speculate that this weekend represents the highest probability of a nuclear detonation on the Korean peninsula. And, while America concerns itself with congressional cyber sex and pedophiles, like the summer of 2001, the background noise associated with the very real possibility of another catastrophic event looms.