You can read the article here: http://washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20061002-102008-9058r.htm
The Mark Foley internet sex predator scandal is working it’s way through America’s newspapers and it appears that the Washington Times is the first paper to call on the resignation of Speaker Dennis Hastert.
If everything holds to be true as is being reported by ABC News, it would seem appropriate that those in leadership that knew about this stuff and did nothing need to be replaced. They just may be a little out of step with mainstream America.
It’s hard to see the Speaker resigning this close to the elections, but it’s also hard to imagine that he has much credibility in light of doing virtually nothing about the situation over email messages and Mark Foley.
What is the feeling here on this situation?
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Sorry that I, apparently, ruined your party!
Maybe the daily kos is proving more intelligent (or revealing) information?
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/10/1/12176/7489
–Rob McEwen
>proving (meant “providing”)
BTW – Check out this very revealing article from 1994!!!
http://www.washblade.com/2004/7-9/news/localnews/outed.cfm
(I personally don’t know what to make of this… but thought ya’ll would be interested)
–Rob McEwen
What’s with Fox News labeling Foley as a Democrat? Here’s the screenshot: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=3570&print=1
Any of your honorable republicans wanna explain this?
Chris — if that’s not a doctored pic, then it’s definitely incorrect. Foley’s a Republican, as we all know and are willing to admit.
Oh we know it’s incorrect, as is about 99% of everything else Fox News spews. What are you planning to do about it, besides condone it and hope it registers with enough people to think it’s a Democratic scandal.
MORE from Mike Rogers here:
http://www.blogactive.com/2005/03/mark-foley-anoteher-closeted-anti-gay.html
And from that March 22, 2005 blog post… “When we get closer to the mid-term elections, I am sure more will surface.”
And some interesting interaction (collusion???) between Mike Rogers and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee here:
http://www.blogactive.com/2006/10/good-news-bad-news.html
–Rob McEwen
Chris,
You make a valid point, and, frankly, I’ve seen this MANY times before
(except more often when the tables were turned)
SEE:
http://www.thatliberalmedia.com/archives/001959.html
–Rob McEwen
>>from 1994!!!
I meant “from 2004″ (getting tired)
Omitting someone’s party affiliation to protect the party’s reputation is a helluva lot different than getting the party WRONG. And I have seen that party designation omission repeatedly in the press over the last several years, ALWAYS protecting the republicans. Every single sinner Democrat has been loudly labeled as such, while the more demure and innocent republicans go all ambiguous without party affiliation ever being mentioned.
Omitting someone’s party affiliation to protect the party’s reputation is a helluva lot different than getting the party WRONG.
Good point. Can’t argue with that. Fox was simply wrong. You are totally correct! (Btw – are they STILL doing this?)
But for this statement:
And I have seen that party designation omission repeatedly in the press over the last several years, ALWAYS protecting the republicans.
…I couldn’t disagree with more. For example, check out the page linked in my 10:12 pm post… and read the comment there as well.
–Rob McEwen
You know what would be even sweeter is if enough of the Fox viewership were already aware that Fox is the GOP propaganda mouthpiece and saw that blatant mislabeling as more attempts to lie and cover up the truth, pushing these people past the tipping point to finally say enough is enough with the lies and distortions and deceipt, and be gone with all of you.
That would be justice, if the Fox viewers finally recognized what kind of spell they’ve been under for the last 5-6 years and woke up.
I did read the post, it was a complaint about a Democratic governor whose party affiliation was hidden on page 2 of some news report.
And at least the affiliation was revealed. Not like the ones I’m talking about, where you search up and down the article to figure out what party so and so belonged to, while the Democrats involved are clearly labeled.
Here is the article most focused on:
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=neil07m&date=20040507
…and, interestingly, the word “Democrat” never actually appears in it.
–Rob McEwen
Speaking of how effective that sort of omission is, the whole time Bob Packwood’s sexual harassment scandal was in the news I thought he was a Democrat. I only discovered he was a republican about 3 years ago.
Amen Chris
Fox news is trying to keep republicans in line just long enough for the concrete to dry so it seems with their “dubya” worship.
“ALL THE NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW”.
Wasn’t this Ralph Reed’s primary source for news?
I haven’t studied the issue but what’s the precedent for a speaker to oust one of his own because he knew about some dirty laundry?
As far as I know FoxNews showed the incorrect party affiliation of Foley three separate times. Should I be surprised?
Right now the House is the only reason they haven’t passed an amnesty bill. the Senate is becoming a branch of the Executive. So how selective is this witch hunt going to be, where’s it coming from, (and how did they vote on amnesty?) Yeah, let’s go after the pervs and lawbreakers–in the house, senate, and white house.
http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&q=jeff+gannon+prostitute&btnG=Search
Chris,
That you didn’t know Packwood was a Republican at the time of the incident demonstrates, not that the “media” is flawed, but that you weren’t paying attention.
As I said child predators almost always have a history of going after multiple victims.
Read this form the Washington Post.
In 1995, male House pages were warned to steer clear of a freshman Republican from Florida, who was already learning the names of the teenagers, dashing off notes, letters and e-mails to them, and asking them to join him for ice cream, according to a former page.
Mark Beck-Heyman, now a graduate student in clinical psychology at George Washington University, and more than a dozen other former House pages said in interviews and via e-mail that Rep. Mark Foley was known to be extraordinarily friendly in a way that made some of them uncomfortable
Beck-Heyman, who was a Republican page and is now a Democrat, said the attention was “weird,” and he provided a handwritten letter that Foley sent him after the page left Washington to return home to California. The note suggested that they get together during the Republican National Convention in San Diego in 1996.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/03/AR2006100301633.html
Actually Bill, it’s a combination of not paying close enough attention to pick up the party affiliation, and being convinced at the time that republicans didn’t do sex because of their moral selfrighteousness.
Chris,
Don’t feel bad, for quite some time I thought Gary Condit was a Republican.
http://www.humanevents.com/lists.php?id=17357
Congress
Information compiled from the Washington Post, “Congressional Sex Scandals in History,
Debbie,
So what does any of that have to do with how the leadership of the House demonstrated gross negligence in this situation? I hope you are not saying, because the Democrats did not get rid of Barney Frank that it was ok to turn a blind eye to Foley? So we punish kids because people in Congress cannot act like adults?
Just 10? Wow, wanna see what’s under the GOP skirts? http://www.dkosopedia.com/wiki/Republican_Sex_Scandals
, Republican legislator, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for molestation of his daughter and her friend for eight-year period starting when they were 9. Full Article
Randal David Ankeney, Republican activist, arrested on suspicion of sexual assault on a child with force. He faces 6 charges related to getting a 13-year-old girl stoned on pot and then having sex with her. Source Also accused of sexually assaulting another girl. Denver ABC Article
Dick Armey (R-Texas), former professor, has been accused by The Dallas Observer of sexually harassing female students.
Jim Bakker, televangelist with Pat Robertson at Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting network. Committed adultery with Jessica Hahn [1] and then used charitable donations to pay her hush money[2]. Fellow televangelists say he’s gay. [3][4]Indicted on 23 federal charges of fraud, tax evasion, and racketeering [5].
Merrill Robert Barter, Republican County Commissioner, pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual contact and assault on a teenage boy. Booth Bay Register Article
Robert Bauman, Republican congressman and anti-gay activist, was charged with having sex with a 16-year-old boy he picked up at a gay bar. Source: Washington Blade
Parker J. Bena, Republican activist and Bush Elector, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography (including children as young as 3 years old) on his home computer and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and fined $18,000. Source
Howard L. Brooks, Republican legislative aide and advisor to a California assemblyman, was charged with molesting a 12-year old boy and possession of child pornography. Sacramento Bee article
Andrew Buhr, Republican politician, former committeeman for Hadley Township Missouri, was charged with two counts of first degree sodomy with a 13-year old boy. Source
Ted Bundy campaigned for the Republican Party. Infamous serial rapist who murdered 16 women. Source: BBC [Chris's note: I had no idea Bundy was a republican, or even political]
John Allen Burt, Republican anti-abortion activist, convicted of sexually molesting a 15 year old girl at the home for troubled girls that he ran. Source: Pensacola News Journal
Dan Burton, Republican Congressman who, while married, fathered a child by another woman. Salon.com Article
Neil Bush, brother or G. W. Bush, in a March 2003 divorce deposition, admitted repeatedly having sex with strange women who just showed up at his room while on an Asian business trip. (Overshadowing the sex scandal; the business scandal–see link.) Washington Post article.
John Butler, Republican activist, was charged with criminal sexual assault on a teenage girl.
Ken Calvert, Congressman (R-Ca), champion of the Christian Coalition and its “family values.” Sued as an alimony deadbeat by his ex-wife. Said “We can’t forgive what occurred between the President and Lewinsky.” In 1993 he was caught by police receiving oral sex from a prostitute and attempted to flee the scene.
Keola Childs, Republican County Councilman, pleaded guilty to sexual assault in the first degree for molesting a male child.Honolulu Star-Bulletin Article
Kevin Coan, Republican St. Louis Election Board official, arrested and charged with trying to buy sex from a 14-year-old girl whom he met on the Internet. Source: Newmax
Roy Cohn, continually condemned gays and gay rights. Was a closet gay who died of AIDS. Wikipedia Article
Carey Lee Cramer Political consultant and anti-Kerry ad producer, tried for molesting two young girls, one of whom lived with him, and was 8 yrs old; the other starred in an anti-Kerry commercial. Diary Diary. The Monitor.
Dan Crane, Republican Congressman, married, father of six. Received a 100% “Morality Rating” from Christian Voice. Had sex with a minor working as a congressional page. Salon.com article On July 20, the House voted for censure Crane, the first time that censure had been imposed for sexual misconduct.[6]
Paul Crouch Televangelist, Former President of Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN). Paid $425,000 in hush money in an attempt to cover up a gay affair. Christianity Today article
Richard A. Dasen Sr., Republican benefactor of conservative Christian groups, convicted of sexual abuse of children, promotion of prostitution and several counts of solicitation, enough to add up to a sentence of 126 years in prison. Investigators estimated that he spent up to $5,000,000 on prostitutes.
Richard A. Delgaudio, Republican fundraiser and Bush pioneer, was found guilty of child porn charges. WBAL Channel article
Peter Dibble, Republican legislator pleaded no contest to having an inappropriate relationship with a 13-year-old girl. News Channel 8 Article
Nicholas Elizondo, Director of the Young Republican Federation molested his 6-year old daughter and was sentenced to six years in prison. Halfway down this Bakersfield Californian article
Larry Dale Floyd, Republican Constable in Denton County, Texas Precinct Two. Arrested for allegedly crossing state lines to have sex with an 8-year old child and was charged with 7 related offenses. Age 62 at time of arrest. Dallas News Article | Atrios Article
John Fund, of the Wall Street Journal, a prominent anti-abortion columnist and GOP fund raiser. He lost his position after it was revealed that he impregnated the daughter of an old girlfriend and then encouraged her to abort his child. American Politics Journal Article
Jack W. Gardner, Republican Councilman, had been convicted of molesting a 13-year old girl. when the Republican Party, knowing of these crimes, put him on the ballot. Article with documents
Richard Gardner, a Nevada State Representative (R), admitted to molesting his two daughters. Review Journal Article
The list is in alphabetical order, so you see there’s plenty more to learn about.
Don’t forget the honorable Henry Hyde who was in the middle of an extramarital affair the whole time he was attacking Clinton for having no morals.
We have two parties that protect incumbents. And now we are in a contest as to which party has done the worse job. I have a hint look at both list and you might find a trend. Term limits are looking real goooooooood about now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Getting back the the specific original topic of this thread, I was going to get back on this thread and mention that I kind of sympothize with Hastert because, it turns out that the original e-mail exchange that Hastert DID know about had an innocent sounding pretense.
Appearently, the page was from the gulf area and this was soon after Katrina and Foley simply explained that he was checking on the page. Under this context and this this explaination in mind, it makes those original e-mails seem well within the range of normal.
Therefore, from Hastert’s point of view, and NOT knowing what we know now about Foley, I can see how ANYONE would have easily not seen much of ANYTHING to be concerned about in those original e-mails.
Also, speaking of misleading new reports (since this has been discussed much in recent posts)… the absolute most misleading thing reported in the news media right now is how the news media keeps talking about how “republican leadership knew about this last year”… when, as far as we know for sure, they actually knew very little compared to what we know now. But no matter, the mainstream news media would prefer to report this in a way that leads the general public into thinking that Hastert and others know about the more tawdry IMs last year. (But I’d venture a guess that all those asking for Hastert could care less about this point)
But I guess this whole thread is for not since it has just been revealed that the teen in the explicit IMs was 18 at the time of the IMs!
Unless I’m mistaken, what is amazing about this is that the networks and others who already knew the identity of the boy were reporting the IMs as happening when when the boy was 16… but the networks KNEW that he was 18 at the time that they reported this… so, in a sense, we’ve been fed a deception by the media.
Oh… sure, they SAY that they have other IMs that were sent before the teens 18th birthday… but it still begs the question… (we’ll see, I guess) why did they pass THESE off as being with a boy under 18?
Furthermore, if it cannot be shown that any improper exchanges occurred with pages under the age of 18… and everything that happened was consentual… then how/why would this be any worse that what Clinton did with Monica?
–Rob McEwen
I should add that even if everything reported happened with pages or former pages that were 18+, I still think that Foley should have resigned and is/was a scumbag… but I just wonder what all changes in this under such circumstances… and I’m frustrated that the mainstream news knew about these details and through an unintended mistake, has been caught pushing a story that isn’t quite as bad in reality as what they reported. (They DID know the identity of the page!)
Therefore, when you take the “protect the kids” angle somewhat out of this… it takes the “oomph” somewhat out of this story. And, frankly, this attempted deception by the mainstream news reminds me of their peddling of the national guard fake documents.
–Rob McEwen
Didn’t it just come out this evening that this was reported 3 years ago?
New details and all that?
and I kind of get the idea that with the new details … the story gets worse than first reported?
So where’s all the conspiracy by the bleeding heart liberal media?
“Kirk Fordham, who was Foley’s top aide until January 2004, said he had “more than one conversation with senior staff at the highest level of the House of Representatives asking them to intervene” several years ago.”
So the bleeding heart liberal media is making up this Kird Fordham dude and his entire story?
So it’s all lies and dayum lies…
Republicans are still the only perfect people! Yeah, yeah. Sure, sure.
>So where’s all the conspiracy
>by the bleeding heart liberal media?
It doesn’t take a conspiracy… mere over-eagerness… just as in the fake national guard docs
Also, remember, I’m not saying that this is a non-story and I’m not saying that Folley didn’t do anything wrong… he DID do wrong.
All I’m saying is that:
(1) at the least, VERY careless reporting has occured which made the situation look much worse than it is
(2) I’m not so sure than anyone knows for absolute certain that Folley had any communication of a sexual nature with anyone under the age of 18… not saying I’d be surprised if such did occur… but I’m not sure, at this point, that anyone can point to such an incident with any reasonable level of certainty.
–Rob McEwen
Oh yeah:
Republicans are still the only perfect people! Yeah, yeah. Sure, sure.
So is THAT what this is all about for you, Mad Dog?
–Rob McEwen
Rob – It doesn’t take a conspiracy… mere over-eagerness… just as in the fake national guard docs
You really want to talk about those? The docs may have been fake (never proven), but the story they told were true. Why does that fact not phase you? And just WHO forged them, and why weren’t they prosecuted for forging military documents, or sued for libel?
Re this Foley thing, I believe it’s being blown up larger than it really is also. I don’t consider 16-17-18 year olds to be children by any stretch of the imagination (withholding sexism rant about the exploitation of youth sexuality in the country’s commercial marketing strategies), and would hardly accuse Foley of something as bad pedophilia or child sex abuse, unless there are things we don’t know yet involving people far younger than these pages.
(Youth sexuality exploitation rant ensues) So, what’d everybody think when Britney Spears and Leann Rhimes and Jessica Simpson took the nation by storm? Lotta lotta droolin’ going on over those gals, all fine and dandy. But let somebody dare try to touch it, and wham! In the slammer they go, the whole lot of them. So what’s with all the normal, acceptbale “enticement” emanating from our national moral fabric? The entire country is a bunch of perverts, just. like.Foley.
Rob,
If a 50 year old teacher ask my kid for his picture via e-mail (mind you he just saw him walking the halls) I would of called the police and went to the school ASAP. And if the School did nothing, and did not isolate this guy from kids ASAP until a full police investigation I would call every media outlet and called parents myself! So are you saying Congress is held to a different standard than a teacher, coach……?
Rob how you cannot see this is a RED FLAG I do not get. Also for Congressman Tom Reynolds who knew the details and say nothing, and hit the guy up for 100k donation to the candidates is morally empty! Their job is to Defend, Protect and Serve our Country not re-election campaigns.
The party will do better to take responsibility for the situation and get rid of all evolved. And then ask the Democrats to do the same. Long term this would make the party stronger.My guess both parties will keep pointing fingers
pvsys,
Middle aged men don’t normally ask for an email pic from a teenage boy. Also, there were more than one page that he contacted via IM. He had internet sex with two pages during House business.
Rob,
Roy Blunt sounds like an adult.
Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri, third-ranking GOP leader, pointedly told reporters he would have handled the Foley matter differently than Hastert, had he known of it.
“I think I could have given some good advice here, which is, you have to be curious, you have to ask all the questions you can think of,
pvsys,
Anyway, in the IMs the page identifies himself as being under 18.
If a 50 year old teacher ask my kid for his picture via e-mail (mind you he just saw him walking the halls) I would of called the police and went to the school ASAP.
And wouldn’t you feel REAL embarrassed if you came to the school after that phone call and found out that your child’s picture was intended on a collage of photos on a billboard honoring particular children for some type of achievement?
Again, in the context of knowing more about Foley, this photo request seems very, very sick… but, otherwise, under “normal circumstances”, Foley could have merely wanted to put the photo in a newsletter to constituents. (“here is my page who survived Katrina”)
–Rob McEwen
Rob,
If that was the case the teacher, coach Congressman would of said the photo was for X or Y. Yet if they were strange statements that made my kid call the guy sick 13 times, I still would on gone to the school and police ASAP.
You are a smart guy, I am sure you would not of done what Hastert did or other party leaders.
This is how an adult acts,
Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri, third-ranking GOP leader, pointedly told reporters he would have handled the Foley matter differently than Hastert, had he known of it.
“I think I could have given some good advice here, which is, you have to be curious, you have to ask all the questions you can think of,
Rob,
The party needs to get rid of anyone evolved ASAP. This story is so bad it could kill 2008.Now it looks like a Republican aide was the one who leak the e-mails. I would bet they had enough of doing nothing. You have to know when to cut your loses.
Alexander Bolton
The source who in July gave news media Rep. Mark Foley’s (R-Fla.) suspect e-mails to a former House page says the documents came to him from a House GOP aide.
That aide has been a registered Republican since becoming eligible to vote, said the source, who showed The Hill public records supporting his claim.
The same source, who acted as an intermediary between the aide-turned-whistleblower and several news outlets, says the person who shared the documents is no longer employed in the House.
But the whistleblower was a paid GOP staffer when the documents were first given to the media.
http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/100506/news2.html
John,
It remains to be seen exactly who knew what when… but it is “easy” for a guy like Blunt to “monday morning quarterback” this thing and pile on a congressman who already resigned in disgrace.
It is much harder to accuse a congressman of such when there is scant and VERY inconclusive evidence at a time when that congressman is at the height of his power.
Also, just because an aide or some other pages knew more specific details didn’t necessarily mean that the Republican leadership knew anything about this situation.
One thing that is easy to forget is that the leaders in Congress have much more responsibilities than just the page program and there are HUNDREDS of congressman… even HUNDREDS of Republican congressman… For example, I’d bet that months go by between one-on-one conversations between Hastert and most Republican Representatives.
When you say, “The party needs to get rid of anyone evolved ASAP“… why stop there? If this is really an issue of safty of “the children”, then why not target ALL involve, regardless of party?
As sick to my stomach as I am about Foley’s behavior, I’m also getting ill about what I preceive on this thread to be a pretense of “lets protect the children”, when the motive seems for many seems as much (or more??) to be “lets use this to tear the Republican party apart just before an election”.
–Rob McEwen
I don’t see any careless reporting, by the media.
The only carelessness I can see in this story is by Republicans in not reporting and acting on the reports.
It didn’t have to be a public confrontation or torture in Gitmo.
A little bait and a sting would have worked.
BTW,
How did Foley get the screen ID’s for these kids?
OPS!
Nice security
Rob,
This is a good question.
• When you say, “The party needs to get rid of anyone evolved ASAP“… why stop there? If this is really an issue of safty of “the children
>I don’t see any careless reporting, by the media
The most illicit and revolting IM was between Foley and a page who was 18 at the time of the IM. But ABC News reported in this particular case that the page was “under the age of 18.” Very careless reporting!
Tell you what, if you had scandelous affair with an 18 year old girl, but the local newspaper ran a story reported that the girl was 16 or 17, I think that you understand this is no small detail!
>How did Foley get the screen
>ID’s for these kids?
I still don’t see anything in the IMs that isn’t consentual. Plus a screen ID is something that can be said in a causual converation. It is typically much easier to remember than a phone number…. so I’m not sure that you are getting at here?
Even if Foley never communicated like this with someone under 18, what he did was still wrong and he should have resigned.
But the real question is, does ANYONE have ANY solid evidence (not hear-say or speculation) that Foley communicated (via IM, e-mail, phone, etc) with ANY pages or former pages in a sexual way where that person on the other end of the conversation at that time was under 18?
If we can’t answer that question, much of this other stuff is almost besides the point.
–Rob McEwen
>it will make the Republican Party
>stronger in the long run
Look, I almost agree with the Washington Times article that Hastert should resign on the basis of “negligence”… which I think there is a reasonable case for.
But I’ve learned over time that the winners and the survivors write the rulebook and write the history books… and I’ve seen one too many Republicans resign over minor stuff where the Dems never felt ANY pressure to live up to the same standards.
For example, if what you are saying is true, then Trent Lott’s resignation as House Majority Leader over his (taken out of context) compliments of Strom Thermond should have put pressure on “KKK” Robert Byrd… but it didn’t and these things rarely works out that way.
–Rob McEwen
Rob,
Read for yourself.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/09/foley_resigns_o.html
This classic case of someone of power using it to take advantage of employees, what is worse he did it to minors. He is an elected official, whose job is to serve the people.
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