An Even Better October Surprise: Pedophile in Congress

[ron28]

http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,216846,00.html


Republicans Offer Explanations in Wake of Foley's E-Mail Scandal With Teen Boy

Saturday , September 30, 2006




WASHINGTON — In a scandal guaranteed to anger parents, a prominent House Republican has resigned after the revelation that he exchanged raunchy electronic messages with a teenage boy, a former congressional page.

Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., who is single, apologized Friday for letting down his family and constituents. Once his resignation letter was read to the House late Friday afternoon, Republicans spent the night trying to explain — six weeks before congressional elections — how this could have happened on their watch.

Near midnight, they engineered a vote to let the House ethics committee decide whether an investigation is needed.

Among the Republican explanations during the night:

— The congressional sponsor of the page, Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-La., said he was asked by the youth's parents not to pursue the matter, so he dropped it.

— Alexander said that before deciding to end his involvement, he passed on what he knew to the chairman of the House Republican campaign organization, Rep. Thomas Reynolds, R-N.Y. Reynolds' spokesman, Carl Forti, said "We are not characterizing conversations that Congressman Reynolds may have had or may not have had with other members of Congress on that subject."

— Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill., chairman of the Page Board that oversees the congressional work-study program for high schoolers, said he did investigate but Foley falsely assured him he was only mentoring the boy. Pages are high school students who attend classes under congressional supervision and work as messengers.

— The spokesman for Speaker Dennis Hastert, Ron Bonjean, said the top House Republican had not known about the allegations. Shimkus said he learned about them in late 2005.

Just as Shimkus' explanation was released, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California proposed to the House that its ethics committee investigate and make a preliminary report in 10 days. She demanded to know who knew of the messages, whether Foley had other contacts with pages and when the Republican leadership was notified of Foley's conduct.

Instead, majority Republicans engineered a vote to allow the ethics panel to decide whether there should even be an investigation.

Foley's departure sent Republicans scrambling for a replacement candidate.

Foley, 52, had been a shoo-in for a new term until the e-mail correspondence surfaced in recent days. The page was 16 at the time of the correspondence.

Foley's resignation further complicates the political landscape for Republicans, who are fighting to retain control of Congress. Democrats need to win a net of 15 Republican seats to regain the power they lost in 1994.

Florida Republicans planned to meet as soon as Monday to name a replacement in Foley's district, which President Bush won with 55 percent in 2004 and is now in play for November. Though Florida ballots have already been printed with Foley's name and cannot be changed, any votes for Foley will count toward the party's choice.

Hastert said Friday he had asked Shimkus to investigate the page system. "We want to make sure that all our pages are safe and the page system is safe," Hastert said.

ABC News reported Friday that Foley also engaged in a series of sexually explicit instant messages with current and former pages, all male. In one message, ABC said, Foley wrote to one page, "Do I make you a little horny?"

In another message, Foley wrote, "You in your boxers, too? ... Well, strip down and get relaxed."

Foley, as chairman of the Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, had introduced legislation in July to protect children from exploitation by adults over the Internet. He also sponsored other legislation designed to protect minors from abuse and neglect.

"We track library books better than we do sexual predators," Foley has said.

Foley, who represented an area around Palm Beach County, e-mailed the page in August 2005. Foley asked him how he was doing after Hurricane Katrina and what he wanted for his birthday. The congressman also asked the boy to send a photo of himself, according to excerpts of the e-mails that were originally released by ABC News.

The e-mails were posted Friday on the Web site of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington after ABC News reported their existence.

Naomi Seligman, a spokeswoman for CREW, said the group also sent a letter to the FBI after it received the e-mails. CREW did not post their copies of the e-mail until ABC News reported them, instead waiting for the investigation.

"The House of Representatives has an obligation to protect the teenagers who come to Congress to learn about the legislative process," the group wrote.

According to the CREW posting, the boy e-mailed a colleague in Alexander's office about Foley's e-mails, saying, "This freaked me out." On the request for a photo, the boy repeated the word "sick" 13 times.

He said Foley asked for his e-mail when the boy gave him a thank-you card. The boy also said Foley wrote that he had e-mailed another page.

"he's such a nice guy," Foley wrote about the other boy. "acts much older than his age...and hes in really great shape...i am just finished riding my bike on a 25 mile journey now heading to the gym ... whats school like for you this year?"

In other e-mails, Foley wrote: "I am back in Florida now...its nice here ... been raining today ... it sounds like you will have some fun over the next few weeks ... how old are you now?" and "how are you weathering the hurricane ... are you safe ... send me an email pic of you as well."



Will the religous right voters still turn out on election day? Yes.
Will Bill O'Reilly do a ten part series and hate campaign on this pervert? No

[OctaPochette]

Pervert not pedophile.

[krosch]

I haven't heard the age at all of the kid involved but certainly its proper that this congressmen does resign and that as Rep. Pelosi has asked for. This is certainly not acceptable.

Just like the Democratic US House Representative under charges that he toke hundreds of thousands in bribes for votes on the hill. The Democrats didn't seem nearly as upset about that they did ask him to step down from his committee (ways and means) and not his representive seat (in a hotly contested slightly conservative) leaning district however he refused and the House Democrats have since said nothing nor have they removed him.

I agree with you on the Democratic suggestions for action on who had knoweldge of this situation. What are your thoughts on the Democrat who seems to have taken large bribes? Its possible he is innocent and we should wait till the trial certainly but what if he is guilty what do you think should do?

[UMD TSAR]

I love the fact that issues like this become campaign issues. Did the GOP cover for a pervert? Did a Virginian say "nigger" in college?

Truly these are the things that a healthy democracy must answer in determining our governmental policies.

[ron28]

I love the fact that issues like this become campaign issues. Did the GOP cover for a pervert? Did a Virginian say "nigger" in college?

Well, ya. What else can get people's attention when MLB playoffs, Grey's Anatomy, T.O., and Desperate Housewives are all the rage? If lying about oral sex is fair game, so is this.


And I'm still not sure if Allen's racism is a negative or a postitive, considering his Virginian constituents. (Yes, that was a cheap shot at the South)

What are your thoughts on the Democrat who seems to have taken large bribes? Its possible he is innocent and we should wait till the trial certainly but what if he is guilty what do you think should do?

He should just play the race card. Works every time.

[krosch]

That's true and that has been an effective strategy for a number of Democratic politicans. But I mean what you personally think should be done about a congressmen taking bribes?

[Phishin_with_O.A.R]

love the fact that issues like this become campaign issues. Did the GOP cover for a pervert? Did a Virginian say "nigger" in college?

Truly these are the things that a healthy democracy must answer in determining our governmental policies.

I dont know about you, but passing this off as not a big deal is sort of effed up.

An elected official who sends dirty messages to minors? Its one thing if the kid was legal age and he was just a dirty old man, but boarder line pedophile like activity?

Personally i find this funny.. if I remember reading correctly this is one of the people who were all up in arms about Janet Jacksons boobie falling out in the super bowl.. and here he is sending effed up IMs to the very children he was trying to protect?

Funny? Yes.
Disgusting. Yes.
Deserving of all the media attention. Yes.

[OctaPochette]

Did a Virginian say "nigger" in college?

Not to take away from the other guy this thread is about, but this Allen guy has a special place in Hell reserved for him -- just a piece of shit.

You must not have read anything about the guy. If you did, you'd probably hate him, too.

[UMD TSAR]

Should Americans be concerned about politicians who are shitbags like these perverts and racists? Of course.

But we have a two-party system. When we elect a voter because "the other guy is [insert non-policy issue]", we hurt our democracy. We elect people based not on their politics. We send people into government, knowing virtually nothing about how they seek to answer the pending quesitons of the day.

I just wish our democracy could do a better job at inacting the most effective policies.

[gribble]

Ron, you're stupid. And in being so should be prohibited from having any opinion and at least from sharing it if you do. You're the person the formers of the american constitution intended to prevent from having a say in the political process.

[ron28]

Ron, you're stupid. And in being so should be prohibited from having any opinion and at least from sharing it if you do. You're the person the formers of the american constitution intended to prevent from having a say in the political process.

Who were the "formers" of the constitution?....or did you mean "framer's"?
Ass.

[Stang76]

Ooh, you got him good.

[OctaPochette]

Should Americans be concerned about politicians who are shitbags like these perverts and racists? Of course.

But we have a two-party system. When we elect a voter because "the other guy is [insert non-policy issue]", we hurt our democracy. We elect people based not on their politics. We send people into government, knowing virtually nothing about how they seek to answer the pending quesitons of the day.

I just wish our democracy could do a better job at inacting the most effective policies.

Wrong! Character counts. The American people seem to care about this, too.

Let's face it, though: They're all pieces of shit who neither care about character nor policy.

[Stang76]

Let's face it, though: They're all pieces of shit who neither care about character nor policy.

Ahh, finally something we can all agree on.

[krosch]

Of course we should care about it but because one GOP or one Democratic Congressmen out of 500+ does something wrong many people want to act like somehow the entire party is guilty of the crime. Its a complete joke to say one man's illegal and obviously horrible actions are somehow the norm for either party...

[Stang76]

Ugh... ABC posted one AOL conversation verbatim this weekend; this is definitely not safe for work, school, or... well anywhere at all IMO. Just don't click it. *shudders*

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/BrianRoss/sto ... 586&page=7

[ron28]

I like how Krosch is trying to compare a politician who takes bribes (and lets face it, they all do in one way or another) to one who would put the perverts on Dateline's "To Catch a Predator" to shame.

[theprophet0]

I like how Krosch is trying to compare a politician who takes bribes (and lets face it, they all do in one way or another) to one who would put the perverts on Dateline's "To Catch a Predator" to shame.

Yeah he completely ignores that Cunningham took at least 2 million in bribes. You put anything up about a republican he always has to drag some demmy into the mix usually Clinton.

It nice to know that sick fuck Foley had his priorities hmm.. internet man boy love or the vote on Emergency War Time supplemental appropriations?


New Foley Instant Messages; Had Internet Sex While Awaiting House Vote

October 03, 2006 1:22 PM

Brian Ross and Maddy Sauer Report:

Apr_mark_foley_061002_nr_1Former Congressman Mark Foley (R-FL) interrupted a vote on the floor of the House in 2003 to engage in Internet sex with a high school student who had served as a congressional page, according to new Internet instant messages provided to ABC News by former pages.

ABC News now has obtained 52 separate instant message exchanges, which former pages say were sent by Foley, using the screen name Maf54, to two different boys under the age of 18.

This message was dated April 2003, at approximately 7 p.m., according to the message time stamp.
THE BLOTTER RECOMMENDS

* EXCLUSIVE New Excerpts of Instant Messages a Former Page Said He Had with Foley
* Internet Messages Show Foley Sought to Rendezvous with Page

Maf54: I miss you
Teen: ya me too
Maf54: we are still voting
Maf54: you miss me too

The exchange continues in which Foley and the teen both appear to describe having sexual orgasms.

Maf54: ok..i better go vote..did you know you would have this effect on me
Teen: lol I guessed
Teen: ya go vote…I don't want to keep you from doing our job
Maf54: can I have a good kiss goodnight
Teen: :-*
Teen: <kiss>

The House voted that evening on HR 1559, Emergency War Time supplemental appropriations.

According to another message, Foley also invites the teen and a friend to come to his house near Capitol Hill so they can drink alcohol.

Teen: are you going to be in town over the veterans day weekend
Maf54: I may be now that your coming
Maf54: who you coming to visit
Teen: haha good stuff
Teen: umm no one really

Maf54: we will be adjourned ny then
Teen: oh good
Maf54: by
Maf54: then we can have a few drinks
Maf54: lol
Teen: yes yes
Maf54: your not old enough to drink
Teen: shhh…
Maf54: ok
Teen: that's not what my ID says
Teen: lol
Maf54: ok
Teen: I probably shouldn't be telling you that huh
Maf54: we may need to drink at my house so we don't get busted

[gribble]

Aside from the fact that democrats are trying to use this story as leverage to gain more seats in congress, doesn't anybody find this to be the most ridiculously funny story to come out about a politician in recent memory? I mean, we're not talking about pedophilia really even though, what, are these kids underage? 'Cause if we were, that wouldn't be very funny. But a fifty year old guy who wants to have sex with teenage boys? And on top of that he's a politician? C'mon. That's just too fucking hilarious to be a true story. It's like your stereotyped politician. We all know that every single one of them is pathetically perverted in ways most people don't dream about in their worst nightmares. But we never hear about it, and when we do it's not something as funny as this. Like Chandra Levy? We all know Gary Condit killed her. But that's not funny because she's dead. This is just some dirty old guy trying to get his jollies off with some horny high school kid. Fucking funny if you ask me.

[Stang76]

I mean, we're not talking about pedophilia really even though, what, are these kids underage?

According to the technical definition, this was most certainly not paedophilia. He's just your garden-variety peterpuffer.

[UMD TSAR]

I'd be a hoot to be the defense attorney for this guy, and just roll with the absurdity of it all. Two immediate defenses come to mind...

"As you can see in Exhibit A, my client asked the minor to 'measure his penis'. However, as you see, he immediately followed that with 'lol'. Therefore only making sexual references in jest."

"Hey, c'mon, the Romans did it..."