Rep.Foley

[sohotrightnow]

When it rains it pours. Breaking news from CNN:

Former Rep. Mark Foley allegedly interrupted a vote on the House floor in 2003 to engage in cyber-sex with a former page, ABC News reports.

[laxfan25]

I always have to chuckle when I hear people from either side of the aisle complaining that others are "playing politics". Isn't that the national sport of the Beltway? I believe Karl Rove has been the league MVP the last few years.
It appears that some of the House leadership may have been trying to delay disclosure of Foley's "troubles" until after the election. The implication of this on the midterm election is a very big story - bigger than the downfall of one Rep. The Post this morning was covering the fact that several social conservatives have angrily called for Hastert's resignation over the handling of the incident. If the base gets nauseated by all of this and decides to stay home in November it could throw the House and the Senate over to the Defeatacrats, which would be a pretty big story.
I heard that Rep. Foley is feeling very contrite over the issue, and once he exits rehab, he intends to enter the priesthood so that he can atone for his sins.

[CATLAX MAN]

You can accuse Clinton of obstruction of justice, but his acts involving Lewinsky, while immoral in the sense that he cheated on his wife, is not a punishable offense!

I would think that having sex with her was punishment enough.

[StrykerFSU]

How about this for an excuse?

Disgraced former Rep. Mark Foley said through his lawyer Tuesday that he was abused by a clergyman as a teenager, but accepts full responsibility for sending salacious computer messages to teenage male pages.

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/10/03/D8KHEI3O0.html

I also think that everyone needs to be clear that Speaker Hastert was only aware of the inappropriate emails that did not contain sexual discussions. No one was aware of the IMs until this past Friday.

[KnoxVegas]

Ok, maybe this is not all due to alcoholism. How about now Foley's lawyer is claiming he was sexually abused by a Catholic priest 40 years ago. Foley is alcoholic and suffers from mental illness, oh and he is gay!

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/03/foley.scandal/index.html

Agreed that partisianship does not apply in this case but then again pay attention to the FBI investigation. Apparently there is reason to believe that the house leadership knew and that this information was withheld from the democratic leadership. As a new father myself, I have a different perspective on this issue that I did not have at this time last year. I have always felt that pedophilia is reprehensible. Now, I understand why parents would do harm to those that harm their children.

Would someone please explain to me why those that are abused grew up to be abused? Is it a vicious cycle? Is it about power, like rape? For Foley and others to cop to I am a gay, alcoholic victim of child abuse to explain his actions is just ridiculous.

What Clinton was wrong, though Lewinski was 19 a the time, she was a subordinate. As a married man, to quote Chris Rock "I don't condone it but I understand" regarding the way he tried to cover his tracks.

[BigheadTodd]

I think lewinski was 22.

[laxfan25]

Would someone please explain to me why those that are abused grew up to be abused? Is it a vicious cycle?

You nailed it right on the head there Ethan. Children learn much of their interpersonal interaction skills from their parents. It is much more prevalent in physical abuse cases. It takes a very strong individual to overcome that type of upbringing and rise above it.
Whether it is just another copout in this story is a whole 'nuther matter.
In the overall scheme of issues confronting our nation, this is pretty small potatoes, but given the sexual aspect you can bet it will be splayed all over the cable news shows, as it already has been. They'll be beating off, er, beating this story to death for the next few weeks.

[KnoxVegas]

I think lewinski was 22.

She was born 23/7/73. I stand corrected.

[Tim Whitehead]

Between Studds and Crane? I don't think so, but we can agree to disagree.

Let's talk about this, though. What are your thoughts on the fact the Republicans in the house that knew about Foley's actions, and instead of moving to have him punished, instead were more concerned about a) covering it up, and b) avoiding a scandal?

No comment, Sonny?

[Hackalicious]

When it rains it pours. Breaking news from CNN:

Former Rep. Mark Foley allegedly interrupted a vote on the House floor in 2003 to engage in cyber-sex with a former page, ABC News reports.

I think I just overdosed on schadenfreude.

[Sonny]

Let's talk about this, though. What are your thoughts on the fact the Republicans in the house that knew about Foley's actions, and instead of moving to have him punished, instead were more concerned about a) covering it up, and b) avoiding a scandal?

Didn't think it required a comment. I haven't seen any facts that anyone knew for certain that something illegal was going on. But if someone did, they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Between Studds and Crane? I don't think so, but we can agree to disagree.

Studds took a 17-year old out of the country for 2-weeks to avoid breaking the law here. He was apparently very antagonistic toward the charges while Crane issued a public, emotional apology. Still think the cases are the same?

[KnoxVegas]

Let's talk about this, though. What are your thoughts on the fact the Republicans in the house that knew about Foley's actions, and instead of moving to have him punished, instead were more concerned about a) covering it up, and b) avoiding a scandal?

Didn't think it required a comment. I haven't seen any facts that anyone knew for certain that something illegal was going on. But if someone did, they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Majoriy leader Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) shifted blame to Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-IL) yesterday in an interview with Cincinnati's WLW. When asked if the Republican leadership in the House knew of Foley's actions prior to last week, Boehner responded,

``I believe I had talked to the speaker and he told me it had been taken care of,'' Boehner, an Ohio Republican, told Cincinnati 700 WLW Radio this morning. ``It's in his corner, it's his responsibility.'

The Congressional Page Board and others overseeing the program, ``all report to the speaker,'' Boehner told the station.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aLU8.nyB6PYc&refer=home

Speaker Hastert, I think you bus is here. Oh, you know it is here? Oh, I'm sorry. I did not see you under it. Well, have a safe trip!

Between Studds and Crane? I don't think so, but we can agree to disagree.

Studds took a 17-year old out of the country for 2-weeks to avoid breaking the law here. He was apparently very antagonistic toward the charges while Crane issued a public, emotional apology. Still think the cases are the same?

The Mann Act was enacted by Congress through its power to regulate interstate commerce, as a means of addressing the problem of prostitution and immorality in general.

The Mann Act (18 U.S.C.A. § 2421 et seq.), also known as the White Slave Traffic Act, is a federal criminal statute that deals with prostitution and child pornography. Enacted in 1910 and named for its sponsor, Representative James R. Mann, of Illinois, it also was used to prosecute men who took women across state lines for consensual sex.

Representative Mann introduced the act in December 1909 at the request of Chicago prosecutors who claimed that girls and women were being forced into prostitution by unscrupulous pimps and procurers. The term white slavery became popular to describe the predicament these females faced. It was alleged that men were tricking, coercing, and drugging females to get them involved in prostitution and then forcing them to stay in brothels.

The legislation was intended to stop the interstate trafficking of women. Though federal criminal statutes were rare in 1910, and seen as an attack on state police powers, the legislation encountered little opposition. The act made it a felony to transport knowingly any woman or girl in interstate commerce or foreign commerce for prostitution, debauchery, or any other immoral purpose. It also made it a felony to coerce a woman or a girl into such immoral acts. President William H. Taft signed the bill in June 1910.

http://www.answers.com/topic/mann-act

This what Studds was nailed with, no pun intended. The Mann Act was passed in an effort to thwart the growing threat to society at the turn of the last century known as "white slavery." Chuck Berry was prosecuted under the provisions of the Mann Act in the 1950s.

BTW Foley still gets to keep his pension valued at $32,000+ per year, even if he is prosecuted successfully.

[Tim Whitehead]

Studds took a 17-year old out of the country for 2-weeks to avoid breaking the law here. He was apparently very antagonistic toward the charges while Crane issued a public, emotional apology. Still think the cases are the same?

Yep. They both boned 17 year olds. A public, emotional apology means nothing. I can record a video of me making a public, emotional statement that I agree with everything you say. I doesn't mean its true.

[StrykerFSU]

The deviance is on both sides boys and girls so I don't know that it is constructive to try and argue what cases are worse than others.

Top 10 Democrat Sex Scandals in Congress:

10. Sen. Daniel Inouye. The 82-year-old Hawaii Democrat was accused in the 1990s by numerous women of sexual harassment. Democrats cast doubt on the allegations and the Senate Ethics Committee dropped its investigation.

9. Former Rep. Gus Savage. The Illinois Democrat was accused of fondling a Peace Corps volunteer in 1989 while on a trip to Africa. The House Ethics Committee decided against disciplinary action in 1990.

8. Rep. Barney Frank. The outspoken Massachusetts Democrat hired a male prostitute who ran a prostitution service from Frank’s residence in the 1980s. Only two Democrats in the House of Representatives voted to censure him in 1990.

7. Former Sen. Brock Adams. The late Washington Democrat was forced to stop campaigning after numerous accusations of drugging, assault and rape, the first surfacing in 1988.

6. Former Rep. Fred Richmond. This New York Democrat was arrested in 1978 for soliciting sex from a 16-year-old. He remained in Congress and won re-election—before eventually resigning in 1982 after pleading guilty to tax evasion and drug possession.

5. Former Rep. John Young. The late Texas Democrat increased the salary of a staffer after she gave in to his sexual advances. The congressman won re-election in 1976 but lost two years later.

4. Former Rep. Wayne Hays. The late Ohio Democrat hired an unqualified secretary reportedly for sexual acts. Although he resigned from Congress, the Democratic House leadership stalled in removing him from the Administration Committee in 1976.

3. Former Rep. Gerry Studds. He was censured for sexual relationship with underage male page in 1983. Massachusetts voters returned him to office for six more terms.

2. Former Rep. Mel Reynolds. The Illinois Democrat was convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault with a 16-year-old. President Bill Clinton pardoned him before leaving office.

1. Sen. Teddy Kennedy. The liberal Massachusetts senator testified in defense of nephew accused of rape, invoking his family history to win over the jury in 1991.

http://www.humanevents.com/lists.php?id=17357

[sohotrightnow]

Please warn me next time about the repercussions of clicking on the URL for that site. A pop-up of Ann Coulter nearly made me throw up.