Congressman quits over sexual harrassment

[Balta1701]

Trust me, I am of the vein that if an adult is taking advantage of kids, they need to be taken out back and have a bullet put in their heads. Its not the PC thing to think, but there aren't many things I could think of that are worse. Like I said the problem is, if you don't have a cooperating witness, you don't have a case (like the example of the abused housewife I used early). It sounds like they did take internal steps, at least according to Denny, but until we get more details out, it sounds like they were kind of stuck in the scope of what they could do.

See, now that one I think we can actually say isn't true...at least in terms of informing the other Congresspeople who run the page program (one of whom is a Republican). link 1.

 

Late last year, Shimkus met with Foley about the e-mails. But Shimkus never told Capito or the board's other member, Rep. Dale Kildee, D-Mich., about them until Friday, according to all three.

 

"There's only three of us on the page board. I feel that we should have been informed," Capito said. "I'm absolutely disgusted by what I'm hearing. I was caught totally unaware."

 

Foley sent the e-mails to a former page from Louisiana about one year ago. Foley wrote, "send me an email pic of you as well" and "what do you want for your birthday coming up?" according to ABC News.

 

Capito said she would have been very concerned if she had read those e-mails.

 

"I don't think it would pass the sniff test," she said. "Even asking those questions -- that is not normal between a 52-year-old adult and a 16-year-old. It's not like they're family friends or anything. I think it would raise some serious questions. But I wasn't given that opportunity."

 

Late last year, Shimkus and former House Clerk Jeff Tandahl met privately with Foley to talk about the e-mails, but did not tell the other House Page Board members or launch an investigation.

 

And here's a brief statement by the 3rd member, the Democrat:

In my 21 years as a Member of the House Page Board, every decision has been made on not just a bi-partisan basis but on a non-partisan basis, with our main concern always being the safety and wellbeing of the young teenagers who serve the U.S. House as pages.

 

I was outraged to learn that the House Republican leadership kept to itself the knowledge of Mr. Foley's despicable behavior toward the House Pages.

 

I am now equally outraged to learn that Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert announced today that there will be changes in the policies of the House Page program. Once again, I was not informed of the meeting today, nor was I consulted in any way about any proposed changes.

Both of the other 2 people running that program, one of whom is a Republican, are very unhappy that they weren't informed. It sure seems to me that if Hastert wanted to do the right thing but the family wanted to keep things quiet...you still have to talk to those 3 so that the page program itself can be protected.

[FlaSoxxJim]

That's not what I was asking. The family asked for privacy, and I wanted to know if a formal investigation and/or censure would have been a matter of public knowledge. If they could have been doing it in private that changes things vs if it would have had to be a piece of public record.

 

The argument that the need to respect the privacy of one page and his family is frustrating, because it ignores the obligation that Congress – and in this case particularly the House leadership – has to protect ALL the pages whose care their families have entrusted to them.

Edited October 3, 2006 by FlaSoxxJim

[NorthSideSox72]

Well, it seems the Conservative desires to not "gay bash" in all of this were short-lived indeed.

 

Some of this bile from conservative commentators is just horrific:

Well... let's seperate these voices from "Conservatives". These are not elected officials - they are just talking heads. I don't think they can be used to gauge "Conservative" behavior anymore than their lefty equivalents for "Liberals". It just polarizes the issue and obfuscates the point - that someone did something slimy, and further, Congressional officials may have ignored the problem.

[southsider2k5]

The arguments that the need to respect the privacy of one page and his family is frustrating, because it ignores the obligation that Congress – and in this case particularly the House leadership – has to protect ALL the pages whose care their families have entrusted to them.

 

Its frustrating, but not a big surprise either. Just ask the Catholic church. Foley needs to be prosecuted, and anyone who has explicit knowledge of what was going on needs to go with him. Heck like I said before with the Catholic church, whoever had that knowledge should be charged with aiding and abetting a felony, and opened up to civil lawsuits while they are at it.

 

The problem becomes if you don't have a primary witness on either side to back up a story, can you ruin someones life/s with the truth?

[Balta1701]

The problem becomes if you don't have a primary witness on either side to back up a story, can you ruin someones life/s with the truth?

But that's really not the issue here as I see it. The issue is what you do when you have some evidence that there may be a problem but not so much that you'd violate the law by doing nothing?

 

Try to put yourself in those shoes for a moment. You're sitting there reading emails from a Congressman to a 16 year old page asking for a picture and so forth. Emails that many others have described as "Creepy". Now, you're told that the family just wants to keep this quiet. Do you do anything other than talk to the Congressman and say "no more", or do you at least take a step or two to let the page program know there's a problem, or look to see if there's more there than you've been told?

 

The Catholic church seems to have had a more serious problem, where they fully realized how bad their situation was, but instead of doing something about it, they actively ran interference. In this case, if you believe the Congressional leadership...all they did was turn a blind eye. It's not going to be criminal, and probably won't even put them on the hook for civil litigation...but is it really the behavior you expect out of Congressional leadership?

Edited October 3, 2006 by Balta1701

[juddling]

Sykes: Foley gives alcohol a bad name

BURBANK, Calif. (AP) — It's a bad sign for politicians when their lives become fodder for late-night comedians.

 

That's the fate for former Congressman Mark Foley, who resigned this past Friday after revelations he sent suggestive e-mails and instant messages to former congressional pages. Foley says he believes he has a problem with booze and has gone into rehab. Sykes says that explanation defies common sense.

 

She says she's been drunk lots of time, but never felt like putting moves on a Girl Scout or anything. She says Foley's explanation "gives alcohol a bad name

 

 

[southsider2k5]

But that's really not the issue here as I see it. The issue is what you do when you have some evidence that there may be a problem but not so much that you'd violate the law by doing nothing?

 

Try to put yourself in those shoes for a moment. You're sitting there reading emails from a Congressman to a 16 year old page asking for a picture and so forth. Emails that many others have described as "Creepy". Now, you're told that the family just wants to keep this quiet. Do you do anything other than talk to the Congressman and say "no more", or do you at least take a step or two to let the page program know there's a problem, or look to see if there's more there than you've been told?

 

The Catholic church seems to have had a more serious problem, where they fully realized how bad their situation was, but instead of doing something about it, they actively ran interference. In this case, if you believe the Congressional leadership...all they did was turn a blind eye. It's not going to be criminal, and probably won't even put them on the hook for civil litigation...but is it really the behavior you expect out of Congressional leadership?

 

So where do you look when your victim doesn't want to talk, and your offender sure as hell isn't going to talk? There are reasons why rape/sex crime victims don't usually come forward and want privacy, and all of the options from that point involved putting pressure on someone who has already said they don't want to deal with it.

 

And as a matter of a fact, it is exactly the leadership I expect from both of these political parties to be honest. Is it what I want, no, but we keep expecting things to change, but keep electing the same hacks to Congress, and wondering why things don't change... duh.

 

What was the saying about the definition of insanity being you repeat the same action over and over and over again, while expecting a different result?

[Balta1701]

What was the saying about the definition of insanity being you repeat the same action over and over and over again, while expecting a different result?

"And my message today to those in Iraq is: We'll stay the course; we'll complete the job."

 

Anyway...flipping subjects here a little bit.

 

On Friday, a previously unnamed person called up ABC News and offered ABC an exclusive on Congressman Foley's resignation if ABC would hold off on publishing the nastiest of the emails/IM's.

 

We've finally learned today who that was...Kirk Fordham, the Chief of Staff to Congressman Tom Reynolds, the head of the NRCC (who's name has come up a couple times in this already.)

 

So...this of course begs the question...were the Republicans in Congress trying to keep this story under wraps as recently as Friday?

[NorthSideSox72]

"And my message today to those in Iraq is: We'll stay the course; we'll complete the job."

 

Anyway...flipping subjects here a little bit.

 

On Friday, a previously unnamed person called up ABC News and offered ABC an exclusive on Congressman Foley's resignation if ABC would hold off on publishing the nastiest of the emails/IM's.

 

We've finally learned today who that was...Kirk Fordham, the Chief of Staff to Congressman Tom Reynolds, the head of the NRCC (who's name has come up a couple times in this already.)

 

So...this of course begs the question...were the Republicans in Congress trying to keep this story under wraps as recently as Friday?

No, they weren't trying to kill the story. They were trying to keep things under control politically. By that time, the story was already out. They just were trying to negotiate a way to keep the actual IM's out of the media if possible. Its just politics, and I see nothing wrong with this aspect of it.

[southsider2k5]

Ah yes, skeletons in the closet...

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ibd/20061002/bs_ib...2006102issues01

 

Well at least we know that covering butts are a bipartisian industry. It almost makes you wonder if the way the Greeks elected leadership from anyone wasn't quite as insane as we think it is...

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

Foley needs to be locked up and have the key thrown away. Hastert and anyone else who knew about this when it was going on and did nothing because of party affiliation needs to go. Resign, like now. This is the exact sort of thing that lends credence to Democratic charges that the Republican House leadership is corrupt. I do not want people like Foley and Hastert representing the party.

[NorthSideSox72]

I guess the alcoholism excuse wasn't enough...

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061003/ap_on_...man_e_mails_113

 

Not only is he gay, but... he was molested by a priest!

 

I don't know if its true or not. But either way, what they just did is complete a living connection between homosexuality and sexual deviance with minors. Either this is true and an unfortunate combination of events, or, they are even slimier than I thought and trying really hard to be forgiven by the religious right.

 

This whole thing is just sickening. Can we just do a new, open vote for all seats in Congress, with no incumbents allowed?

[whitesoxfan101]

As sad as it is that this guy is a homosexual child molestor (no Ozzie, he LITERALLY is!!), it's almost equally as pathetic that now he's going on making up all this stuff such as being a alcoholic, gay, mentally abused man who was molested by a preist.

[Rex Kickass]

First of all, there is no proof that he's actually molested anyone. Although I wouldn't be surprised if that's proven eventually, I'm not comfortable making that leap... yet. And I don't think he made up being molested by a priest either.

 

SS2k, I don't compare scandals involving sex with legally consenting adults to be on pair with child predator behavior. So IMHO the Frank scandal, the Studds controversy and the Clinton controversy are different animals entirely.

 

Mel Reynolds is a scumbag, and I am pissed that he got pardoned. And seriously, with those mossy teeth, why would anyone want that?

[kapkomet]

Studds is NOT different, he (the page) was underage at the time, and he got STANDING OVATIONS for "coming clean". That's f***ed up.

 

And these assholes in the Democratic Party are literally RUNNING for the cameras to talk about resignations up and down the House? Welcome to October, and welcome to holding on to the story until Congress ajourned for the elections. What a shameful act all the way around.

[jasonxctf]

Studds is NOT different, he (the page) was underage at the time, and he got STANDING OVATIONS for "coming clean". That's f***ed up.

 

And these assholes in the Democratic Party are literally RUNNING for the cameras to talk about resignations up and down the House? Welcome to October, and welcome to holding on to the story until Congress ajourned for the elections. What a shameful act all the way around.

 

 

The press released this story after being tipped off by a fellow page, not the Democratic party. So you believe in some conspiracies but not others???

[Texsox]

Foley needs to be locked up and have the key thrown away. Hastert and anyone else who knew about this when it was going on and did nothing because of party affiliation needs to go. Resign, like now. This is the exact sort of thing that lends credence to Democratic charges that the Republican House leadership is corrupt. I do not want people like Foley and Hastert representing the party.

 

I don't want them (or anyone like them regardless of party) as leaders in this country. They are part of our collective leadership.

[3 BeWareTheNewSox 5]

As sad as it is that this guy is a homosexual child molestor (no Ozzie, he LITERALLY is!!), it's almost equally as pathetic that now he's going on making up all this stuff such as being a alcoholic, gay, mentally abused man who was molested by a preist.

 

Yes this damage control is just as bad as the acts themselves. Sorry bud, no sympathy, you are scum.

[kapkomet]

The press released this story after being tipped off by a fellow page, not the Democratic party. So you believe in some conspiracies but not others???

When were they tipped off? Certainly, all indications are before last Friday.

[Texsox]

When were they tipped off? Certainly, all indications are before last Friday.

 

Are you suggesting that newspapers held the story for a concentrated effort were they all could release the story at the same time?

[bmags]

couple questions since i'm in between classes and can't read the whole thing:

 

have you guys seen the aim conversation where he is talking to the kid WHILE VOTING in the House?

 

and the press conference where the head of the NRCC (and why are they in charge of this anyways) brought kids up on stage in the press conference designated to talk about the scandal, and when asked if he could ask the kids to leave since it was an adult subject, he said "these are my supporters and they can stay"...

 

the scandal is bringing out the worst in a lot of people

[Balta1701]

Are you suggesting that newspapers held the story for a concentrated effort were they all could release the story at the same time?

A bunch of new sources had this story up to a year ago and held it. They didn't have the raciest stuff, but they had the same original "Creepy" email that Hastert saw, etc. Fox News even had it. None of them were going to break it at all until ABC got their hands on the really nasty stuff...for the same reason people have said, it's hard to go public with a story saying "Congressman hits on pages" unless you really can prove it.

 

Update: the NYT looked into the breaking of the story. Couple key bits:

 

The trickle of information about Mr. Foley’s messages, first made known to the news media almost a year ago, has raised questions not only for Congressional officials but also for news organizations about how to handle anonymous sources making explosive accusations in an election year.

 

At the same time, the papers’ decisions not to report the accusations are being cited by Republican leaders as justification for why they themselves did not step forward earlier to try to stop Mr. Foley.

 

“He deceived his in-state newspaper when they each questioned him,” Speaker J. Dennis Hastert said Tuesday. “He deceived me, too.”

 

The St. Petersburg Times said that last November, it received copies of an e-mail exchange between Mr. Foley and a former page from Louisiana. The newspaper said the boy, who was under age, did not want his name used, and the paper said it did not want to publish accusations based on unnamed sources. The Miami Herald apparently received the same information, although it is not clear when it received it.

 

Brian Ross of ABC News said he learned about the e-mail messages in August but was too busy with Hurricane Katrina and the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks to pursue them immediately. None of the organizations seemed to anticipate how big the story would become.

 

“I never thought it would lead to his resignation,” Mr. Ross said.

When The St. Petersburg Times received its first tip on the e-mail messages in late 2005, the editors decided it was “friendly chit-chat,” with nothing overtly sexual, but nonetheless assigned two reporters to find out more, according to an editor’s note.

 

The reporters tracked down the teenager, but he refused to let them use his name in a story. They found a second page who had corresponded with Mr. Foley and was willing to let them use his name but said he did not have a problem with the messages, undercutting the premise.

 

When the newspaper asked Mr. Foley about the messages, he “insisted he was merely trying to be friendly,” Scott Montgomery, the newspaper’s government and politics editor, wrote Saturday in a note to readers.

 

The editor of The Herald, Tom Fiedler, said the initial messages did not seem to justify writing a story. “We determined after discussion among several senior editors, including myself, that the content of the messages was too ambiguous to lead to a news story,” Mr. Fiedler was quoted in his paper as saying.

 

Then, in June, the reports resurfaced on Capitol Hill, where a neighborhood resident struck up a conversation in a bar with someone who had provided the e-mail messages. He said he passed them on to several news outlets. The resident, who said he was not affiliated with either party and was motivated by concern for the teenager, would talk only on condition of anonymity.

 

No one acted on the information until last week, and even then, it was a Web site that first posted the exchange. It is not clear who maintains the Weblog, stopsexpredators.blogspot.com, which appears to be largely devoted to the Foley scandal.

 

ABC News had its first account several days later on its Web site.

 

Mr. Ross said he was surprised by how quickly the congressman’s office confirmed the authenticity of the e-mail messages, first when ABC reported them on Sept. 28, and again a day later when confronted with much more explicit exchanges.

 

Mr. Ross dismissed suggestions by some Republicans that the news was disseminated as part of a smear campaign against Mr. Foley.

 

“I hate to give up sources, but to the extent that I know the political parties of any of the people who helped us, it would be the same party,” Mr. Ross said, referring to Republicans.

Edited October 4, 2006 by Balta1701

[Balta1701]

This should be a new post...but whether or not it feeds into the last one I think it's important...

 

Thus far, both ABC and now CBS have run statements suggesting that Foley won't be the last Congressman caught up in this. Somehow, I get the feeling that both parties are going to wind up searching for new leadership in the House before this all gets cleaned up.

 

"We have heard rumors that other, similar activity has occurred involving additional congressmen and will be released prior to the November elections," said the Arlington Group, a coalition of 70 pro-family conservative groups.

[Texsox]

Obviously the conservative press and their bias kept them for printing this story. You can bet if it was a liberal congressman, they'd have rushed it into print immediatly. If this isn't a clear confirmation of the conservative bias of the media in this country, I don't know what is.

 

Come on all you media bashers, if Foley was a DEM, y'all would be screaming liberal bias for holding the story.

[Balta1701]

Obviously the conservative press and their bias kept them for printing this story. You can bet if it was a liberal congressman, they'd have rushed it into print immediatly. If this isn't a clear confirmation of the conservative bias of the media in this country, I don't know what is.

 

Come on all you media bashers, if Foley was a DEM, y'all would be screaming liberal bias for holding the story.