Congressman Foley resigns in the face of pedophile claims

[spike]

Oct. 9, 2006 issue - Mark Foley, a six-term Republican congressman from Florida, championed the protection of children from sexual predators. Chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, he often spoke out about the need to catch pedophiles. In July, he attended a signing ceremony at the White House for the Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. "We track library books better than we do sexual predators," he had argued in support of the bill.

It took some time, but last week Foley himself was tracked down. Confronted by ABC News with sexually explicit messages he had exchanged with 16- and 17-year-old congressional pages, Foley abruptly resigned his seat. (He did not protest his innocence; whether he committed a crime is unclear.) Politicians and preachers crusading against sin while sinning themselves is an old morality play. But the politics of Foley's downfall are messy and intriguing, coming just weeks before hotly contested congressional elections. The Democrats accused the Republicans of trying to cover up Foley's indiscretions until after Election Day, while the Republicans accused the Democrats of leaking the story just in time to cost the GOP a crucial seat.

An energetic, capable politician, Foley appeared to be well matched to his prosperous Palm Beach district. His sexuality did not seem to be an issue with voters. In Washington he made little effort to hide his sexual orientation, and neither his colleagues nor his staff seemed to worry that he might be a predator. Gregarious and fun-loving, he was known for hosting raucous parties and making off-color jokes. "All of his colleagues knew" that Foley was gay, said a former aide, who asked for anonymity discussing Foley's personal life. "It was the worst-kept secret in Washington."

Radical gay groups sometimes "out" closeted right-wingers, but Foley was insulated against charges of hypocrisy because he voted against a congressional ban on gay marriage. (Last week Democrats were careful to say that the issue was not his sexuality but potentially criminal behavior toward minors.) Foley's sexuality may have inhibited his political ambitions, however. In 2003, he briefly ran for the Senate before dropping out, against the urgings of some party leaders who wanted him to stay in the race. He held a press conference to denounce rumors that he was gay, without confirming or denying them.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15081351/site/newsweek/?nav=slate

 

[Professur]

What's that old phrase? "Me thinks sir doth protest too much".

 

[rrfield]

...but it's ok because he took "personal responsibility" for his actions.

 

[Gato_Solo]

...but it's ok because he took "personal responsibility" for his actions.

It's the fact that he actually took responsibility, instead of covering it up, or blaming it on something/someone else. He accepts the wrongness of his actions, and accepts any reasonable punishment there-of. If you can't see the difference between this act of stupidity, and the acts of another with even more stupidity added on top, you are blinded by celebrity, or biased by your own personal failings.

 

[Gonz]

He resigned. End of story.

Some could learn from his example (No, not THAT example)

 

[rrfield]

It's the fact that he actually took responsibility, instead of covering it up, or blaming it on something/someone else. He accepts the wrongness of his actions, and accepts any reasonable punishment there-of. If you can't see the difference between this act of stupidity, and the acts of another with even more stupidity added on top, you are blinded by celebrity, or biased by your own personal failings.

except for the coverup, of course

 

[chcr]

except for the coverup, of course

No, no, he's a republican. There couldn't have been a cover up.

 

[A.B.Normal]

or blaming it on something/someone else. :

Like alcohol abuse

An attorney for Foley faxed the letter Sunday night to local Florida media outlets. In the letter the congressman sites alcoholism and behavioral problems before saying he will be receiving immediate treatment.

Of course it wasn't until after he was outed ,that they became problems,he couldn't have sought treatment after the second or third incident.I know how about before he acted upon his pedophilic tendancies.The GOP aren't supporting his actions ,why are you.

 

[spike]

He resigned. End of story.

Some could learn from his example (No, not THAT example)

It's great seeing you defend a pedophile. Good job.

 

[Gonz]

Defending? Not in the least. He resigned. Problem solved.

As far as the pedophile accusation...we're talking about a 16 year old, not an eight year old. If what he did was illegal, let th ecounty sheriff handle it & THAT will be anopther story. Right now, the facts say he got caught & left office in shame. As it should be.

 

[rrfield]

yeah, when the kid is 16 it's called something else, i forget what exactly. watch dateline nbc sometime for details.

 

[Gato_Solo]

yeah, when the kid is 16 it's called something else, i forget what exactly. watch dateline nbc sometime for details.

It all depends on the age of consent in whatever state/jurisdiction it occurs. If the interns were over that age, then the only crime commited was moral terpitude. The only question that needs to be asked is this...

Would he still be doing this if he wasn't caught?

 

[Gonz]

If the interns were over that age, then the only crime commited was moral terpitude.

Perjury

 

[Gato_Solo]

Perjury

To whom did he lie?

 

[MrBishop]

Was he using his position of power to get sexual favors? If so, it doesn't matter if his partners were over or under or close to the age of minority.

From what little I've heard beyond this post. There are statements from other pages who talked with their representative and were told to 'hush up about it'.

 

[Gato_Solo]

Was he using his position of power to get sexual favors? If so, it doesn't matter if his partners were over or under or close to the age of minority.

From what little I've heard beyond this post. There are statements from other pages who talked with their representative and were told to 'hush up about it'.

Ahhh...the old "He said she said"...AKA hearsay. Not much sway in a courtroom, but to the public, it's a slam-dunk.

 

[Gonz]

To whom did he lie?

Paula Jones Grand Jury. Oh, sorry, wrong scumbag.

Was he using his position of power to get sexual favors? If so, it doesn't matter if his partners were over or under or close to the age of minority.

To that I'll agree. As I already stated, if there were laws broken, they should be handled (the FBI has opened a preliminary investigation)

 

[rrfield]

IIRC there are also internet predator laws that don't take age of consent into consideration...under 18 is under 18 no matter what.

 

[Cerise]

Is it possible the liberal media sat on this story until it came close to election time?

A Note From the Editors September 30, 2006
In November of last year, we were given copies of an email exchange Foley had with a former page from Louisiana.
http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2006/09/a_note_from_the.html

Is it possible that there is a Democrat party double standard when it comes to party affiliation and being a child predator?

That loyalty was tested in 1983 when it was revealed that U.S. Rep Studds (D) had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old male congressional page. Studds admitted an error in judgment but did not apologize, and in 1984 was re-elected with 56 percent of the vote. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/05/15/politics/main695300.shtml

 

[Starya]

Defending? Not in the least. He resigned. Problem solved.

As far as the pedophile accusation...we're talking about a 16 year old, not an eight year old. If what he did was illegal, let th ecounty sheriff handle it & THAT will be anopther story. Right now, the facts say he got caught & left office in shame. As it should be.

Yep. Unless the 16-year old hadn't hit puberty yet, and that was what attracted Fooley, sorry, Foleys interest, it's not pedophilia. A grand case of stupidity and abuse of power, yes.