Sixteen-Year-Old Who Worked as Capitol Hill Page Concerned About E-mail Exchange with Congressman

What is the relevance of reporting the gender of the page?

The rationale provided by the Congressman’s office seems plausible – but it begs the question….if these exchanges were simply so the Congressman could build an archive file for his office there are two questions I have 1) why was this not being done by his staff and 2) why was it done using his personal email? It is my experience that politicians don’t share their personal and private means of communication with every intern/page/volunteer that graces their office.

How warped is this kid? It is a very sad day when we must worry about being friendly to others. Without more, the words shown in this story are very innocent. It is the sick mind of the reader that reads dark messages into them. We should be aware of sexual predators, but me must not make a boogie man out of anyone being friendly.

I think this is being blown out of proportion.

Good grief……are all of these ‘witch hunts’ really necessary?? Had one of my teenage sons received an e-mail in that context, I would not have thought it at all ‘untoward.’

Sounds like this might be someone trying to get attention. This seems like the kind of dialogue that might take place at an internship type scenario between a boss and a fellow. Age? Interests? A picture for records? Only someone looking to make a big deal of this sort of thing would notice something like this.

Doesn’t seem so bad so me. On this alone I don’t see the issue.
IF this is all the info then what is the problem?

MAYBE I’M NAIVE AND I’M USUALLY TRYING TO SNIFF OUT ANYONE THAT IS INAPPROPROIATE IN ANY WAY TOWARD YOUNG PEOPLE – HOWEVER – IN THIS CASE, JUDGING FROM THE NARROW AMOUNT OF CONVERSATION RELEASED, I DO NOT SEE ANYTHING OUT OF LINE. PERHAPS THIS YOUNG MAN OVERREACTED TO AN INNOCENT SITUATION. I’D HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING A BIT MORE CONCRETE THAN THAT TO THINK HE WAS BAITING THE BOY.

Where’s the story? Is there a story here?
Is ABC just participating in a non story to smear a politician?
What’s the deal?

There is nothing to this story. I bet if Foley was from the other party it would not have even been mentioned. Do your due diligence and then report if it is worth anything.

Brian:
First you hide manure in the capitol…now you fling it around…shame on you and ABC for this garbage

As a former page myself, and one who requested recommendations, this one leaves me pondering. I was never asked for a photo or my age. In general pages are 16-17 years of age, something any Member of Congress should know.
That aside, I know Members of Congress go out of their way to be friendly with Congressional Pages, as these young pages are subject to long hours in a business environment away from family for months on end. But again, this happened after the page left the page program and some of the questions are a little odd.
It does have the ring of inappropriateness behind it.

Innocent? Are any of you parents? If an old man sent emails like this to my kids, that sicko would be investigated.
To say nothing of his inability to write the English language — in 12 years of school, he couldn’t learn the different between YOUR and YOU’RE?

Would you still be skeptical if you knew his sexual preference?

this is ridiculous…there is not even a story here… even a democrat knows that this is an absurd report about a 16 year old who just wants to get his name in the papers. just by even suggesting that a republican is doing something “sick” will get anyone publicity..

It has been widely reported in the press that Foley is gay and he refuses to deny it, stating only “my sexual orientation is unimportant.” He withdrew from the race for Florida’s senate seat, now held by Mel Martinez, because the press reported he lived with and was involved in a longterm relationship with a man. Foley always breaks ranks and votes pro-gay and against the GOP’s “marriage protection” platform. So it’s pretty clear he has an affinity for males. There’s something here, and thank goodness ABC has the guts to report it.

I absolutely agree with each and every comment.This young man is merely confused (I understand I am repeating the same thoughts as others but I wanted to be opinionated myself),and with previous accusations of other highly important figures (priests,fathers,and even pop icon michael jackson),I am surprised (not entirely),that this young man would take it to this level.Republican or Democrat,this incident SHOULD NOT,at all,give Mark Foley a negative image or reputation…

just further proof of how low the media must go,always looking for the lurid headline, with no substance behind it…ABC should be ashamed at this kind of blatant “tabloid” garbage.

LOL, as soon as I saw it was an ABC site I knew it had to be about a Republican. Why all the hate?

Just take a look at his internet logs to see what kind of man he is. With the white houses take on privacy I am sure you woun’t need a court order to get them.

This story is oddly placed as story #1 on abcnews.com Why? Who forwarded to the press? What is the anticipated result of this story? I used to go onto abcnews.com to find the latest news, now I must compare with the other news organizations to find out whether it is the latest news or just a biased political stance.

The boy seems to over react and then somehow these emails end up in the press. Sounds fishy. He did not work for Foley’s office so who did he work for? Why doesn’t the story say? Why is he asking for a recommendation from someone he never worked for? Perhaps because this is a setup?

I don’t know what to think about this. He’s a bit too friendly, perhaps. Perhaps he had ulterior motives.
He seems to know the difference between your (possessive of “you” and you’re (contraction for “you are”).

Typical of Democrats, you ruin everything. You can kiss the page program goodbye. If I were a Republican congressman, I would refuse to participate in the page program from now on and would only let pages have direct contact with low level staffers at most. No references would be written from my offices for any page, period. It is a matter of self-protection. Don’t tell me that this kid is not a liberal. There is an obvious agenda in the timing of this release.

There is not enough information here to say one way or the other. There are folks who grew up with the habit of putting their hand on your shoulder when they greet you. Would it be right for a woman to accuse this person of sexual harrassment because this fellow may have put his hand on her shoulder? No.
The same is true here. Perhaps he is just a friendly person who shows it in an odd way. There is simply not enough evidence yet to say one way or the other. Anyone saying exactly what it was at this point is full of it, because they really don’t know, either.
Grow up people.

Smear campaign from the left? Stop trying to spin this against your opponent. I interned on captiol hill and no one asked for my picture.

Wow, so any adult who asks a kid what they want for their birthday must be a pedophile? Guess I must be one too since I asked my 5 yr old what she wants for her upcoming birthday…and my cousin who is turning 18 in a few weeks. Wow, I must be sick sick sick to ask what my daughter’s babysitter likes to do after school besides watch kids. Come on…this story was crap, and people who are looking for something to hang the guy with need to get a life.

Without a doubt that is inappropriate. The Congressman should be ashamed, but not nearly as ashamed as the people who are willing to let him off the hook because he is a Republican. Finally the right-wing corporate news sources aren’t hiding Republican scandal.

I wonder what that recomendation looks like now…

I think this tells you all you need to know:
“The young man in question did not work or intern for Foley’s office.”

Gosh, I didn’t know Michael Jackson also served in Congress.

This is one of the dumbest news stories I have ever read. This 16 year old seems very paranoid and has probably just ended any career in politics. Oh wait, based on how he handled this he will make a great Democrat.

Where is the news? The conversation doesn’t sound out of line to me. Mark Foley is a good Congressman and this is nothing but a vicious negative smear by a candidate who has no chance of winning.

We don’t really know the context here. I send a lot of emails to students (they are adults in foreign countries, by the way) via both my private and office accounts. I have never thought anything of it. I have had young men and women (some kids even) who want to be friends with me and I am a 55 year old woman! They even send me their pictures. Big deal. They are just students who live in a foreign country and want a penpal. Anyone can read anything “sick” into anything if they want to.

How’s your day going? Have any big plans? How’s your family? Wait…is this perverted or what?

If this was so innocent why was he emailing from his personal account? The boy was uncomfortable and that’s what matters. I commend him for speaking up about this man’s behavior towards him. As we know most teenagers hide innappropriate behavior so I applaud him. And it’s very disgusting when I see comments from women blowing off this perv’s behavior as innocent! This is classic of how pedo’s work! If you’re son or daughter came to you and said some man is emailing asking for pictures and what he/she wanted for their birthday.. would you not be alarmed??!

If it was business related, he would not have used his personal AOL account. In addition, while they do keep photos of interns for their files, this intern did NOT work for Foley. Finally, friendly or not why do ask a sixteen year old boy what he wants for him birthday. This intern did NOT intern for Foley so he doesn’t know him.

A predator and people want to ignore it because of stupid politics. The congressman is dangerous, thinks he is above the law and ready to blame others rather than take responsibility for his evil actions. Any parent that would ignore notes their children receive like this, should not have children to raise.

This is why I dont watch the news, or read a newspaper.
A pure waste of brain.

So what was this minor supposed to do when he felt uncomfortable receiving these emails?? Keep quiet?

I have no problem with the young man being uncomfortable with the emails, always trust your instincts, but the former page states that he initated the exchange. That being said, why not tell the Congressman he is uncomfortable with the tone or discontinue the correspondence. The fact that they could just as easily be innocent as provocative begs the question, why release these to the media. It smacks of a publicity stunt.

Congressman Mark Foley is sexually attracted to young boys?? Wait a minute! This is news to everyone??

I think that we should reserve judgement….until we see the photo of the boy,then we’ll know what was on the congressman’s mind.
jk.

Write an article complaining about proper behavior when a Congressman actually asks for a sexual favor not this crap.
I’m sure if the good Congressman had ill intent he would have taken it to the next level if the Intern would have continued the converstion. Now all you do is leave doubt in the minds people who can argue their point either way. The only person that looses now is the Congressman.

For those whining that this is just the left-wing media going after poor innocent Republicans a month or two before mid-term elections, I say this…
WHERE THERE’S SMOKE THERE’S FIRE.
If this was right wing radio nuts or Fox News attacking Dems for the very same behavior, I doubt conservatives would be complaining. Most politicians are lying scum regardless of party affiliation.

Wow. Just wow.
Politics is like the strings that pull peoples brains.
We have become a sick and decadent society that we get so bent out of shape and start calling each other names.
What’s happening to us?

Aww, poor Republicans. Getting all upset that someone insinuates that one of their guys might be gay and grooming a young boy. Its okay if you make wild accusations against Democrats, but watch your mouth if you’re talking about a Republican.
Welcome to the new game boys. You made the rules, get used to playing by them.

Using personal email doesn’t help the congressman in this situation because it is usually not public record, but why didn’t the authors include the entire email correspondence rather than these excerpts that only incinuate? In a day when the media is so quick to print the sordid details, I find it odd that this is all we get to read. Who were the “congressional staffers” and in which office did they work? Which office did the boy perform page duties? The boy asked for a recommendation; is he in Foley’s district? Maybe the Congressman WAS being overly nice and not looking for a boy-toy. The what-ifs leave only more questions rather than uncover answers!

This is another reason why no adults will have any contact of any kind with any minors for fear of being sued, slandered and ruined.
All kids are being taught that all adults are dangerous perverts waiting to nail them. Perhaps Foley is one, who knows? But this attitude is destroying lives and leaving kids distrustful of everyone in society.

Wow. This qualifies as news? I guess war and famine, terrorism and disease have become too tiresome. Hey, whatever it takes to get ratings!

They didn’t publish the worst of it here, which may explain some of the disconnect here. This is the creepiest of the emails, I think:
“I just emailed will…hes such a nice guy…acts much older than his age…and hes in really great shape…I just finished riding my bike on a 25 mile journey now heading to the gym…whats school like for you this year?”
Yes, I certain agree with the apologists here that there’s nothing creepy about this, nope. Just talking about what great shape some other kid is in, how he acts “much older than his age,” bragging about his physical stamina. Totally professional. It’s amazing, though not surprising, to see the contortions some people hear are going through to deny even the faintest whiff of inappropriateness in this situation, just because the guy’s on their “team.”

This is what comes from a bunch of liberal lunatics who tell kids, at the age of five, all about sex and how they should explore they sexuality out in the opem without shame but to report every and anyone who looks at you funny.
I remember being in school and having teachers… male or female… hugs us, stroke our hair, ask us questions about our families and likes/dislikes. It was harmless. It was caring about kids.
Today it is mistrusted and evily turned into something dirty.

It’s time to call in Karl Rove, Sultan of Sleaze and Slinger of Slime. He and his amoral assistants can surely mount a quick swift-boating of a concerned, scared sixteen-year-old. Congressman Foley and the republicans can then celebrate their holy morality and ruination of a young man for exercising good judgment and civic responsibility.

“This is a transparent attempt by ABC to unfairly label a Congressman as a pedophile. Have you no shame?”
Oh yeah, right, the liberal media boogeyman. And this would be the same liberal ABC that put out that piece of crap propaganda The Path to 9/11 a couple weeks ago? You’re right, ABC has no shame. And neither do you if you try to paint this as a “liberal media” witchhunt. This is just a case of media grabbing onto any voyeuristic sensationalism that they think will appeal to a sick society. Hell, Fox probably is covering it too.
As for the issue itself, it looks fishy but there’s hardly enough information there to convict a guy. I don’t think this deserves media attention, but then I’m just one of those permissive liberals so what do I know!

So, I read this and thought – weird. Really weird. If I’m honest, if I received email like this, I’d think there were certainly overtures being made. It was just too personal and casual. Asking for a pic as well? It’s definitely weird.
Plausible deniability? Certainly…
Now the weird has turned into creepy after thinking about this further.

Don’t blame the 16 year old – most his age yet to fully form what is appropriate and what isn’t – though he did do a better job than his correspondant. The congressman, on the other hand, should know pretty precisely what is okay and what isn’t. He ought to also know that when in public life, you not only avoid unwise behavior, you also avoid even the slightest appearance of it.

What a crap story….how much did the Democratics pay you people to run this …uhhhh….CRAP!!!!

I had a stranger say “Hi” to me today–what a CREEEP!!!

It seems as though a lot of people who are replying are make a link between homosexuality and a proclivity towards teenage boys. Are people implying that there is a connection between the two?

its not a witch hunt and it is news if for no other reason that it is a widely known fact in FL that Foley is gay. There is NOTHING wrong with that but the pattern of unsavory and unethical behavior he has exhibited on MANY occassions to underage males is entirely inappropriate and relevant. its no ones business as to what he does in his personal life but it is our business if he overtly courts trouble and breaks laws. he is jim mcgreevey he just hasnt admitted it yet and once he does, he would be gladly accepted for what he is.

I think if you see the actual e-mails, it might clear up some of the uncertainty about their appropriateness.
To read them, it’s clear they are a little too friendly (and perhaps a bit creepy). If that’s the case, then it’s not an issue of whether Foley is gay or not, but the inappropriateness of a middle-aged man making advances toward a 16-year-old boy. Whether that inappropriateness rises to the level of misconduct, I don’t know; but it gives me pause.

Congressmen hitting on pages is an old story. Pages hitting on pages is an old story. Pages hitting on Congressmen is an old story. That’s life, folks. Get over it.

When is ABC doing a follow-up on Ross’s report that House Speaker Dennis Hastert is being investigated by the FBI? Just wondering …

I’d like to know the financial concerns of the boy’s parents. Sounds like some manipulation is going on.

Another day…another low for the MSM.
What sensationalist nonsense. Extremely irresponsible to run with this story given the destructiveness of the implied accusation and the lack of evidence. Shameful.

I’m another somewhat-democrat here who thinks that Bush has been the worst Pres ever, but I agree that this is a complete non-issue. How rediculous. Our culture has become over sensitive to things. Everything has become so politicized. I’m a registered Dem, because I believe that they are more moral at the core, but I’m not so ideological that I think that all Dems are pure and good, while all Reps are evil. There are parts of both platforms that I agree with, and parts I think are crap. This is crap.

Republican or not has nothing to do with it. Yes, there are gay republicans!!!!
And yes, this guy (the congressman) was looking for trouble!

Foley was my rep when I lived in Florida. I’ve been in his office and met his staff. Everyone knows he is gay hypocrite, but there are plenty of straight hypocrites as well, so no big deal. BUT Foley is obviously coming on to this 16 year old and that’s a real problem. Foley has never been good for Florida and it’s time for him to go.

The moral of the story here is: if its not your kid do not under any circumstances have any contact with them. I am talking to the normals out there, if someone is a pedophile nothing will stop them, but if you’re not for your own protection just stay away from other peoples kids. If you’re a Republican don’t even look at a kid because the liberal media will nail you to the wall and the sick liberals will sling mud at you. Yes people that is what this country has come too. Welcome to the new tolerant leftwing PC America!

I was in the Navy (USS Frederick)during the first Gulf war and we received mail from grade school kids. Many of us wrote back, I know I did and asked many of the same questions. I didn’t ask about birthdays but I did send ship memorabilia. I’m just glad the DNC wasn’t envolved. Who knows how much trouble the Navy and the schools that sponsored those letters would have gotten into if they were. “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.” Freud

Had this been a liberal Democratic congressman sending similar E-mails to underage pages, the conservative posters here criticizing the attacks on Rep. Mark Foley would be all over the liberal congressman and making a big stink out of it.
Conservatives are such hypocrites. They talk out of both sides of their mouths.

I searched the archives and could not find any article written by these two so-called journalists about Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. In that case, more than an email was exchanged. It would be so nice to find a journalist who is actually unbiased and who actually has integrity. If anyone finds such a rare creature, please let me know.

To give some context, I’m a Republican, and a conservative Christian. I think that if someone wrote my son (he’s only 18 months now, but work with me) this email, I would be a little uncomfortable. But then, I would monitor the situation, and see what happened. If Foley did say anything inappropriate that would actually point to something illegal, *then* I would do something.
Call me crazy, but giving someone such a damaging label as “child molester” based on these messages is premature.

This isn’t BS. I have a friend who used to be a paige whom Foley also came onto. Nothing happened, but you have to wonder given the apparent frequency if at some point, something with someone did.

A quick review of the Congressional Page program reveals that pages are run out of a page office as more or less messengers and are only there for one month. Gee, is it possible that Mr. Foley didn’t quite remember which one of the twenty or thirty pages that were in and out of his office was requesting a recommendation?

I am a gay Democrat who was abused when I was 13. The general tone of the e-mails is fairly similar to what happened to me. My abuser was less subtle but perhaps abusers have gotten better at their “craft”.
I’m torn on what it all means based on the limited amount of info we know. It’s true that everything I read so far is consistent with predatory sexual behavior. It’s also true that nothing has been presented which conclusively proves anything.
I’ll say one thing though, the question about what he wanted for his birthday really hit me as questionable. This was, according to Foley’s people, a professional type of contact and the context of the question…imbedded between comments of a non-professional nature, makes the question seem personal.

As someone who regularly writes to her reps in Washington, I can say using personal email is not unusual. I’ve gotten alot of replys from aol accounts. I’d also like to add it’s the Repubs that tend to personally reply, and the Dems that send a standard form letter or a reply email, letting me know they’ll get back to me.

Well the Congressman is openly GAY so i think that is how this became news.

Com’on Brian…Gimme a Break……
Wasted time and effort on “low hanging fruit”. Surely the world has more worthy news to offer than this stuff….
I’ll check CNN out to see if this was time & space worthy to them…

The congressman isn’t too bright, big clue: he still uses AOL, what an idiot! The story is non-news, hyped up to make it seem more than it is.

I’ve worked on the Hill for many years. If the congressman was simply wanting to obtain information for his office files, it should have been done from a House account, not his personal account. Totally unprofessional. And to do this during an election year just shows poor judgement for a sitting U.S. congressman, whether he is gay or not.

This is NOT the first time a MALE Congressional staffer has reported Foley’s overly friendly behavior towards them. Has the Congressman ever denied being gay? If he did deny it, wouldanyone really believe him? This is well known in DC.

Foley comments on how hot the teens friend is, then chats about hes getting pumped up exercising as well.
He was prossibly trolling.

My then thirteen year old daughter was targeted by a pedophile online, and this is EXACTLY how it started. Seemingly innocent emails expressing interest, offering friendship. Don’t be naive, there is no reason for this type of interest by a fifty year old man in a sixteen year old boy to whom he is not related. This is why pedophilia is such a hard crime to prevent, people are too afraid to offend someone by suggesting that their behavior is inappropriate, or report that inappropriate behavior to a person in authority. Wake up!

I cannot believe how many people would defend this guy. Anything to stay in power I guess. Let’s suppose there turns out to be a lot more to this, are you going to come back here and apologize? I think not.

It is entirely possible that the congressman has a sexual interest in the page. There are many Republican politicians who are married, with children but are actually gay or bi. This is, I realize, incredibly ironic since many of these same politicians are very vociferous in their support for measures that marginalize gays.

is’t there news going on somewhere? i’m a liberal democrat, but plese don’t feed partisan paranoid crap to our public as if it were news.

I think it is a sad day when a young man makes his feelings public about inappropriateness by an adult, and all people can say is he is trying to smear that person. My gut reaction is this man is coming on to this child.
Why would he send emails from a personal account, instead of his congressional account, or have a staffer, write it and he sign it?
How many other pages did he send personal emails to that did not work in his office?
This screams of impropriety, whether his is a democrat or republican. The public should be concerned for the child involved and stop bashing him and turn their attention to the adult involved whether politician or not.
I am sure if you had a 16 year old who received emails from a politician from his PERSONAL account and not an offical account it would raise red flags.

The number of Foley apologists here is simply sad. People, this kid used to work for Foley. You think he maybe met him? Er, yeah. Chances are, SOMETHING else happened to creep this kid out.
I am biased on this by my background: in the past, as a lawyer, I have represented school districts who have to fire teachers for sexually harassing students. The students I have interviewed tell the same stories: they ignore the first few comments because they think the person is kidding, or they think they are overreacting. They only tell someone (usually another kid) when they are creeped out enough to feel unsafe. That this kid came forward tells me that there were other things, not recorded on paper, that happened with this guy. And the fact that the cons posting here refuse to put on their thinking caps says a lot.

As a resident of Foley’s congressional district I can tell you that his opponent is going all out with smear and misinformation. Regardless, Foley will still win in a landslide. He is a very good congressman and represents us well.

If this boy was a former page of a different congressman- why would he be asked “What do you want for your birthday”. Is it customary for congressmen to have this type of chatter with former pages who didn’t even work for them? I don’t know what the motives would be for requesting this information- it wouldn’t seem necessary just to give a reference. Just seems alittle strange to me- and the congressmans office did confirm that he did indeed send these emails. I don’t think it matters what political party he’s with- I’m just looking at this being a situation involving an adult in a position of power and a minor

While it could be a smear campaign, i can totally understand the concern of the page. I too received “interesting” comments from Mark Foley. I didn’t think anything of it at the time. Looking back though, his comments could have been questionable. Many people would be surprised to find out about the gay subculture that exists on the hill.

It is funny how this works. This is the guy who promotes the witch hunt on ex-sex offenders; 90% of them who should not be on the list. Now his followers and himself are crying about being under the scrutiny. How many Constitutional Rights has this idiot taken from ex-sex offenders and their families just to grandstand for his own purpose. I hope this moron is ran through the coals.

I wonder how many of the Republican dittoheads defending Foley know he’s gay, and how their opinion would change if he was a gay Democratic Senator, instead…?
Read some messages by pedophiles to kids — they all start out just like that email.
Sorry GOP voters, but fair is fair. This guy is shady as hell, and you know it. Is the safety of a minor less important to you than your blind partisanship?

As a father I would be concerned about any adult that was not family or a close personl friend asking my child “what they wanted for thier birthday” and asking them to send a photo of themself. I think there may be a mistake on the Congressman’s part but he certainly leaves open the opportunity of doubt about his motives. If I was the child’s parent I would confront him on these motives.
-Bela

I didn’t see what the Congressman’s e-mails responded to. I understand the student mentioned that he’d celebrated his birthday. In a friendly conversation, the Congressman could easily have asked “oh, how old were you” and “what did you want for your birthday”. Additionally, I understand the student wanted a recommendation. If the congressman wanted to help, but couldn’t put a name to a face, perhaps he wanted a basic picture to help. I had to refresh a professor’s memory when I wanted a recommendation after graduating from college. He wanted to remember who I was and also be able to cite specific things I’d done in his law school recommendation. I’m guessing the student did NOT get a recommendation from the Congressman after raising this stink. I didn’t vote for Bush and I don’t really like this Congressman at all, but I don’t think this is a big deal.

We have taught our kids to be wary of unsolicited gifts and requests, this kid obviously felt this wasn’t exactly appropriate and said something, for which of course he will be slim ed. Now if this were a Democratic Congressman, he would be wiretapped, investigated, his bank accounts seized and probably be on the Rove surveillance list. But then it’s a Republican so it’s o.k. I mean they are the MORAL MAJORITY RIGHT? Grannysue

Hmmm. The posts here are more entertaining than the actual event. :)
It’s possible for the scenario to be legitimately read in one of two ways — whether pro- or anti-Foley. Find out more information before taking such extremist stances and slandering each other’s motivations.
The November elections might not actually tear the country apart, if we bothered to listen and think about the other point of view once in a while.

NOT NEWS, NOT EVER CLOSE.

Everyone knows Foley is gay. That’s old news. And while I never paged on capitol hill, a friend of mine did. He said people would be shocked at how sleezy a lot of these congressmen are. Hitting on young boys and girls is par for the course for a lot of these guys. I suspect this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are probably a lot more children out there Foley has done a lot more than email with. It’s time to call Dateline. This Congressman just got busted.

Another defeat for “Values Voters” The hypocracy continues. Se. Foley just announced he will withdraw from the Senate race. Apparently there are other e-mails to young men surfacing. The closet is a terrible thing…for an ex-Govenor and now a Republican

Excuse me. Why is he resigning? His health?

and the innocent congressman resigns over an innocent email.
russia’s big and so is china.

Check the news now, seems the misunderstood senator is putting in his resignation after other interns have come forward. I applaude the young man for coming forward and shining some light on the cockroaches we call politicians. When will we as a society finially put an end to the abuse of our children?

Well, Foley just resigned. What do all you people who defended him have to say now?

Ya gotta love it! Wonder what his voting record is on gay rights? You know, those consenting ADULTS acting in private. Another self-righteous, right wing, judgemental Republican in the closet while persecuting gays. I’m personally glad that this filth resigned.

I read the e-mails this morning, and they creeped me out, but I didn’t think there was enough substance to have any impact. But, I guess I didn’t think that he might have been pervy to other kids, too.
Sad. I don’t know anything about this guy’s record, but what a way to ruin a career.

Oops he just resigned. Guess it was kind of a big deal after all.

And he’s now resigning after sexually explicit Instant Messages were found where he talks about underage boys’ sexual organs.
Not so much the witch hunt you right wingers thought, eh? I guess maybe the kid wasn’t so much confused as he was….exactly right.
Huh.

It is inappropriate any how you slice it dice it or try to minimize it. The man needs to find other friends – leave little kids alone! Stop supporting these people who keep targeting our little kids! It cannot be tolerated in any way!

Well gosh, I guess there was something behind this after all. The ability of some people to make excuses for any and all behavior from Republicans is truly sickening.

Foley Resigns. Ha! What a perv!

Hey republicans! WHY DID MARK FOLEY RESIGN???
Heh,heh……another pedophile republican bites the dust!

How did Foley know that the kid had an upcoming birthday? Was he researching his background before the call? You wouldn’t ask that question out of nowhere.

I only have 2 words to say to our right-leaning friends:
Got him!
hehehe, see you in november…

And now he’s out o’ there. Another Republican bites the dust for an unconscionable lack of ethics.

Foley’s resignation is tantamount to an admission of guilt. By the end of today’s news cycle we’ll have discovered that Foley behaved inappropriately with many youngsters.
Where are the apologies and “my bads” of those who not only supported Foley but slandered those who were suspicious of Foley’s behaviour.
Rich

Leftist media witch hunt ?
Ummmm…who broke the story again ?
ABC ?
The same ABC that aired “Path to 911″ …yeah, really leftist indeed.

Uh guys he resigned.

Um he just resigned from Congress

I guess all those Republicans who thought there was nothing wrong with Foley’s behaviour will have to wonder why he resigned so quickly. Yes, the way Foley approached the young man is exactly classic pedophile strategy. And the think that Foley was Chair of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children-so he could learn some tips? Is he also a closet member of NAMBLA?

If the man wasn’t a goofball, we wouldn’t have a reason to resign now wouldn’t he? When will elected officials WORK for a living – and simply made their districts a better place?

If the congressman is innocent, why resign? If I were falsey accused I’d hold on to my office and fight to clear my name.

What do all those defenders of Foley think now that he has resigned?

I’ll sit this one out and wait for more info before believing one way or the other, but, the hair on my neck still went on end when I read the story. It also disturbs me that he resigned so quickly.

Why do you blame Brian Ross or Democrats for a Smear Campain? It was the Congressional Page that freaked out and perceived the e-mail exchange as “sick”. It was also the page that reported this. If you want to blame someone, blame the boy for making this out to be more than it was. It’s the media’s job to report such things. If it had been a democrat you sending e-mails to a page you would immediately call him a pedophile and demand his resignation. The usual conservative double standard and lack of integrity is disgusting!
You have to wonder why Foley resigned so easily? A guilty conscience perhaps? Maybe Foley isn’t as innocent as you make him out to be.

If this is an innocent exchange of e-mails, then why did the Senator resign and not defend himself? This is a very strange action for someone who is being portrayed as an innocent person being slammed by the other party. Politics aside, why did he resign???

Hey you conspiracy idiots “FOLEY RESIGNS”.
Total sexual predator but you can say it was a smear campaign all you want and believe it.
Cannot wait to see how many others he has set up for propositions.

The blinded Folley Followers are sure quiet now. Seems there is more to the story and it is exactly what ABC reported AND MORE. Shame on those who follow blindly and do not ask questions…expecially about our children’s safety.

Looks like a number of Republicans owe you a very serious apology, Mr. Ross.
My thanks to you and your staff for doing what journalists are supposed to be doing – uncovering corruption and scandal that threatens the stability and credibility of our government. This type of work, I am certain, is what the Founders had in mind when they used the Constitution to guarantee freedom to the press. Regardless of the demonizing you’ve suffered, you did your job, and are a credit to ABC.

For all you who claim it was pointless news, now that the Congressman has admitted to wrongdoing and resigned, what do you have to say for naivete!!

I am “confident” that all of those persons who were so sure that this was a smear by the democrats and the media will now demonstrate their superior maturity and wisdom and will acknowledge that they were wrong and apologize to those people whom they attacked. I think that will happen the same time that they admit that no WMD/s were found in Iraq and that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 (after all, even President Bush has conceded that).

If he is innocent, why did he resign? There must be more to this than meets the eye.

Congressman Foley did NOT resign because of the e-mails. Apparrently, ABC reported that there were explicit instant message conversations also discovered. We have to wait until the ABC Nightly News to get the details. All the network would say is that the messages involved “organs and acts”.

FOLEY RESIGNS: “I am deeply sorry and I apologize for letting down my family and the people of Florida I have had the privilege to represent.”
With this resignation, Foley is owning up to his inappropriate behavior. It’s pretty clear now that he was not innocent, and it also suggests that he has even more to hide. I do hope the investigate this formally. Ew. Yucky men in power. Ew!!

Gee, kids– the Congressman has resigned! I don’t know about YOU, but it’s been MY experience that congressmen don’t RESIGN over innocent misunderstandings, slander by the evil press, or 16-year-old pages who are hell-bent on destroying a man’s career just to get their names in the paper (every 16-year-old’s dream, of course). Gee, you know WHAT? Maybe Ross’s journalism was entirely accurate. Maybe this wasn’t a “non-story” after all, but an actual important piece of investigative reporting. I feel immense pity for those of you who cannot see the TRUTH when it smacks you in the head. And I will say a prayer for all of you now, that you may, by the grace of all that is RIGHT and JUST, have the scales fall from your eyes. Why? Because, as I recall, both God and Jesus, in a little book called the Bible, said some important and releveant things in there about honesty and truth.

He resigned. If it was all innocent, this would not result in resignation, and public apology by him. Nobody’s perfect. Resignation was the right thing to do.

Forget all the stupid political banter… while the initial reports that were released were inconclusive, that’s no excuse for not checking out the story.
And since the Congressman resigned, it suggests there was wrongdoing.
We need to quit painting with such a broad brush and start getting rid of the problems on both sides… demanding high ethical standards of our public officials and getting rid of those who don’t measure up!

We have the constant threat of terrorism by a world that by and large, hates our guts, two wars going on, an environment that needs some serious attention to name just a few issues of the day. Why are midterm elections turning into a “who likes who” high school girl calibur discussion and what exactly did he mean by, “what stuff do you like to do?” Could we maybe focus on the country’s many many problems? Could we keep our eye on the ball for once?

slow news day? are we still at war with iraq? last i checked we were. if this wasn’t a big deal, i’m sure abc could spend all day telling us how HORRIBLE things are over there. if any thing, the republicans should be happy about this. everyday spent talking about anything besides iraq helps them. this perv is a martyr for the republicans. at least for a couple days.

What the kid wanted for his birthday was more democrats in congress. Brian is just trying to fulfill the boy’s birthday wish!

Isn’t it Republicans who were heavy supporters for the rights of whistlblowers, yet when it’s one of their own they promptly pounce the messenger?
Hilarious.

I think Foley’s resignation was the right thing to do. It is obvious he has some serious issues to deal with and it is naive to think that his IMs to the 16 yr old boy were innocent.
For Foley to take the risk of sending a boy he hardly knows inappropriate IMs shows that he is likely out of control–his behavior is sloppy and he is taking risks a rational person would not take. My guess is that we will hear more things Foley has done (similar to this) in the upcoming days. He would not have stepped down unless he knew more evidence of his inappropriate behavior had been discovered. If he wasnt guilty he would not have apologized to the public and his family.

I don’t enjoy people losing their career over their stupidity. It’s a shame.

The guy resigned. Do you get what this means? If this were an innocent exchange, do you think he would have resigned? Really.

I too am a huge Bush hater, but come on, be sensible, this is a huge witch hunt. I hate Democrats, not nearly as much as I hate Republicans, but to have this guy resign for being friendly is just downright cruel. I feel bad for him, his life is in shambles for reaching out to a kid.

Although this may be a smear campaign – and the timing is very suspect – we cannot overlook the fact that meat of this story is being saved for revelation on TV tonight with Charles Gibson. Everyone here is commenting on what has been currently released but from what I am reading about the other items in the text, it included discussion and commentary about “sexual organs” among other completely inappropriate subjects. When this is finished, it appears that this is a real story about a man with real problems.

I am amazed at the number of people who think this is a witch hunt and want to call ABC news left wing. This young man did not work for the congressman. There was no need for them to communicate on a personal level. Also, if the congressman feels that he has done nothing wrong why did he resign? The man is a freak and you all know it.

Mr. Ross…you’ve done fine work and it is amazing to me how many conservatives went ballistic over Bill Clinton’s sexual exploits yet cry foul when one of their own is caught in sexually inappropriate situations. You did not bring Foley down. He did it himself and no one has described this situation better than the young male who received the e-mails: sick, sick, sick, sick, sick

If it was nothing. . .why did the man quit? You do not quit, becuase of some e-mails. What has yet to come out must really be bad. Forget whaich party he is from. . .you just do not cross that line with anyone under 18.

Why would someone so innocent quit so quick?

It seems that a few folks only read the cursory story before commenting. This is a guy who was having sexually explicit conversations with a minor including the discussion and mention of “sexual organs.” The meat of this story is being saved for Charles Gibson’s Prime Time special this evening so many are just reading the tame versions out right now. Dig a little deeper and you will see a sick man regardless of your political stance.

C’mon folks, open your eyes, wake up and smell the coffee. You’re totally ignoring the OTHER messages that have come out…the ones from maf54 where Foley asks the kid if he’s wearing his boxers, and says he’d like to take them off, and asks the kid if he’s getting “horny” to which the kid says “a little!” I so LOVE LOVE LOVE watching a right wing Republican moralist like Foley getting caught in the worst kind of hypocrisy like this. They used to say “the only thing would keep (insert name) from getting elected would be getting caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy!” I LOVE IT!!!!

I am gay. The words in that email are those that could be of an “older” gay man. That doesn’t mean he was looking to get in this 16yo’s pants though. A lot of middle aged gay men like to have younger guys around them strictly as friends, and in the gay community it’s not uncommon at all.

Score another victory for the “family values” party. Sexual predation is not a family value in most parts of the country, but I guess as long as you’re in the GOP having it come into the light of day is just a partisan witch-hunt. Boy I would love to hear more apologies from the PURE IDIOTS on this board who jumped in to defend Foley before knowing the full extent of the story.

I wonder if you Foley defenders feel a bit foolish, now that the DETAILS of his IM’s have been released to the public? Or do you still think the poor “confused” child misinterpreted the meaning of “strip down and get naked”???

None of the people who defended the slimy pedophile will come back and post an apology, they all lost their jobs when he resigned.

Three critical factors here. 1st – The kid is 16 page. 2nd – Foley is in a position of authority, as a Congressionman and co-chair of the House Missing and Exploited Children Caucus. 3rd – He contacts this kid on the premise of determining how he (the kid) is doing after Katrina.
Two critical determinations here. 1st – No way this is the first time – Foley’s approach is text book. Review behavior profiles on predator tactics. 2nd – It’s a community’s responsibility to protect its children. (16 year olds think they’re grown, but they’re not.)
One critical question. What will Foley’s peers do about this?

It never ceases to amaze me how defensive the “holier than thou” get when one of their own is caught doing something illegal, unethical or inappropriate. However, when someone of the opposition does anything that has any remote resemblance, they will crucify him/her. This is a clear example of double standard that typifies the “compassionate conservative” republicans.

The question that begs to be asked to me is…if these emails were , why is Foley resigning??? Who would resign over emails?

If you think Rep. Foley was just being “nice” to engage a 16 year old kid in suggestive and off-color emails, then I think you just fell off the proverbial turnip truck. Foley didn’t resign because his “niceness” is misunderstood and I wouldn’t doubt there are more kids with a Foley story to tell.

What the heck is wrong with half of you people? Did you write that this was no big deal or a “smear campaign” before you read the entore story. This is obviously not innocent. It is disgusting and anyone who makes excuses for this sick-o Republican should have their own head examined. Read the transcripts people! Stop making excuses

It’s interesting to me how these Republicans who write here are defending blatant child abuse. As I recall they made a big deal of Monica Lewinsky. I think this is far worse especially considering the fact that the boy could have become a page for Foley. I read the transcript of the instant messages between them and in my mind damage has already been done to the victim.

Congressman Mark Foley’s office says the e-mails were entirely appropriate and that their release is part of a smear campaign by his opponent.
LOL.. Wow.. the funniest thing on TV in the new Fall Season raves “me”.
You smeared yourself sweety. I wish he’d get vengeful and take down some of the other hypocrites in Washington with him.

How can you people defend Foleyz? A man charged with protecting children from predators? and he is a predator! Even if it was political timing, does it make a difference? What he did is in no way excusable.

I’m a man who would love to see the Democrats take control of Capital Hill again, but nothing in this story comes close to implicating Mr. Foley.
Although it is questionable as to why he is having conversations with a 16 year old on the internet from his personal account, he does not deserve to be hung out to dry based on the content of this story. ABC lets report on his record, not the lame contents of his emails. It would serve his constituents and Americans much better and more meaningfully.
When did ABC News decide to go into the tabloid business anyway?

I know that it is difficult for most people to understand or believe how common sexual abuse of young people is. It is a complex issue.
All adults in a society should take any and all accusations very seriously.
It far to common for people not to want to believe it and turn their backs on the victims. It is devasting for anyone who has had their trust violated.
In this case an investigation shoud be launched to see what happened, who knew what when, what steps were taken if any to confront the behavior.
Instead of attacking the messengers, the page, or even Mr Foley we should be asking thoughtful questions and receiving clear answers.

Please read the whole story before you make comments. If you read this guy’s IM conversation that he had with a high school boy you will clearly see he was not in any way concerned with the well being of these kids, he was using them to satisfy his own twisted desires. He is a clearly a pervert who deserves to be treated just like any other pedophile regardless of his political affiliation.

The notion that Democrats have poisoned political discourse by pointing out that a Republican crusader against pedophiles is himself a pedophile is silly. Framing this as a gay issue is wrong, too. It’s about a Congressman using his position to make a personal approach to a minor .
That Foley resigned rather than defend his messages as innocent suggests that there’s more to this story than the ABC reporters could verify well enough to support publication. If, as some have suggested here, it’s an open secret in Foley’s district that he’s gay and he gets elected anyway, his sexual orientation alone is not what he and the House Republican leadership want to hide.

I am a Republican, living in foley’s district. this is not about whether he is gay or not (I don’t care) He is a hypocrite and that bothers me. Hope he hangs.

this isn’t a joke- and it’s only going to get worse for foley- this is just the tip of the iceberg, trust me. wait until the truth REALLY starts to come out. this guy is SICK. let’s just say it goes beyond email- including sleepovers at his townhouse in DC, explicit sexual conversations online (there’s nothing vague about these- unless you consider asking about the size of a penis as “harmless”), etc. the guy resigned because he’s not stupid- he’s sick.

I cant believe that some are talking about Foley being gay. That is so not the point. He was seducing a child….a child!! It doesnt matter if it was a female or male. Anyone who attempts to put any blame on the child is just as bad as Foley. Those on the right need to live up to their claims of being good Xians, and recognize that Foley was immoral and dangerous. Your true colors have come out….Your party first, your moral values second. Sad.

Also, Gary:
All pages are employees of the Office of the Clerk, not individual representatives. Some pages may, however, ask their sponsoring member of Congress or a member they know well to write a recommendation for them. I doubt it’s a setup.

What about that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” from Clinton’s era? What is person guilty of–I did not see him on the Dateline Perverts. What is wrong out there? Too much so called news-

Yo Vinnie…
Those men on the Dateline show “To Catch a Predator”…first of all, a member of the clergy at our (former) temple, who was “a nice guy” was caught “red-handed.” He will no longer have the “option” of abusing the hundreds of children who attend activities at the temple.
Do you know what sexual harrassment and pedophilic behavior is? It’s highly illegal.
Those were real “men” on that show who were trolling for jailbait online. Why, Vinnie, do you not understand that this is REAL.

Judge not, lest ye be judged.
Matthew 7:1
So a chicken hawk comes home to roost – even Jeb Bush has deserted the ship and advising fellow Republicans to cut and run -

Any objective viewer of this story must recognize the inappropraiteness of a 52 year old man sending sexually suggestive messages to a 16 year old boy. It is especially ironic that Congressman Foley helped to enact laws that he may now be charged under (soliciting underage sex). While I believe a person’s private life is their business, adults in positions of authority should not take sexual advantage of underage minors, nor should they be the hypocrites who condemn others for the very acts they themselves are guilty of.

Democrat attacks on Republicans? This is a sexual predator of children. If you mean to imply that such activities are the exclusive province of the GOP, you are simply wrong.

Why is anyone defending Foley? In terms of things that should get you kicked out of Congress, soliciting sex from 16-year-olds qualifies.

Thank God that this man didn’t hit a capitol policeman or get arrested for dui at 2:00am on his way in to congress to vote.
I say ,give him the same treatment or 10 day re-hab, and lets get on with real problems.

Just end the page system. And no more altar boys/girls either. Ever heard of Little Red Riding Hood – “grandma what big teeth you have!”
no more!

ok, so maybe many reader here did not read the actual transcripts, and are bading their opinions on the brief excerpt in the story. please, please read the transcript. it is horrifying. and it details an adult male in sexually explicit converation with an underage person. there is no “fluff” no room for other interpretation. it is wrong, and as a mom, i am SHOCKED at all the folks coming to this guys defense. shame on you. shame.

How to avoid being found out by the media:
Never ask questions in any emails to teens
Register as a liberal politician
If it gets hot, come out of the closet don’t resign. It makes life terrible for the left.

I love it! These republicans demonize the opposition as morally bankrupt; but most of their scandals involve homosexual behavior! Incredible that anyone still listens to them ponificate on so-called values. What a bunch of liars and hypocrites, it permeates the entire party: they wouldn’t know reality if it came up an bit them.

This guy is a serious perv! He says that he works hard in Congress to put internet predators in prison for soliciting sex from under age kids…Can you say hypocrite?

I’m a registered Democrat and I’m embarassed to admit after all this scandal. Mark Foley has an incredible reputation in this community and for all of Florida. I’m also an Adult leader for a youth group in South Florida. Mr. Foley has always been a great supporter of this youth group and has always been a person to count on. He also has been one of the few politicians who truly support our troops in the military. Mr. Foley was one I could count on for any support when it came to recommendations. He was considering recommending my own son to help him get into the US Coast Guard. My son completed a 3 year program the Congressman believed in a we hoped would have recommended my son based on his completion of the program. I think this ruthless attack on such a dedicated indiviual is really showing how insecure the Democatic party has become. Mr. Foley’s email that I’ve seen have been totally innocent in every way.

If Rep foley was not guilty, why did he resign so quicky huh huh. Think about it. Why a young boy, so many available adults out there men and women. So this wonderful man goes after the innocent. He should go hide his head in hot coals. Maybe this way he can come out of closet now, ha ha. Shame on you Republicans for defending him. A loving Democrat.

Was it a weekend assignment for the entire staff of the Republican National Committee and the GOP Congressional reelection committee togo on this ABC blog to make excuses for why this is not serious, to claim ABC is blowing this out of proportion, and to assert that these emails are innocent.
Are we supposed to believe that a Congressman resigned abruptly because what he did was innocent. Only Tom Delay would do a thing like that.

someone days ago said, “he is gay. Lots of gay guys like teen-agers.” Whoa. that is not true. He was someone on the foley side.Foley probably isn’t gay, he’s a pedophile. He likes children and THAT is against the law.

What the hell is wrong with some of you people? How the hell can you defend this guy? Recent developments have revealed that Foley sent “Are you wearing boxers”? “Strip.” There were other references to sexual organs. Wake up and smell the damn coffee, will you?

chairman of exploited children committee, criminal charges should follow

I think Foley is a disgusting perv and he belongs in jail for even talking to a child the way he did. He makes my skin crawl. He is no better than any other pedophile on the street. He should be brought up on charges for the things he said. Who the heck is protecting our children from this jerk?????

Despite what some idiots on this blog are saying, this is a big news story. As usual with a beltway scandal, the focus will be on the cover-up and the fact that top Republican congressmen knew that Foley had inappropriate relationships with teenage boys but did nothing. The real question will be what will the Democrats do this this. My guess is that they’ll let this slip through their fingers as usual. If they do, then they don’t deserve to be elected because they still haven’t learned to play the game that the Repuplicans are so good at playing. It’s your turn up to bat, Democrats–do try not to screw it up this time.

Politics aside. Mark Foley has a serious problem. Not like, hey he needs some kind of psychological help, but rather he needs to be taken off the streets. I live in his district and yes, I voted for him a few times. I don’t really care about his sexual orientation, but I do have a problem with his lust for young underage boys. I’m sure The National center for Missing and Exploited Children have alot to say about Mr. Foley. He should to be held accoutable, criminally, for his actions. And so do all the people who covered for him and hid this for the last 5 years. Any other average Joe who did this would, I hope be arrested. So why not Mark Foley? Oh yeah, I forgot, he’s a U.S. Congressman and is above all us other mere mortals.

I cannot believe, or stomach, the number of comments here that excuse or minimize the seriousness of Foley’s alleged behavior! Are you the same people who didn’t give a fig about Clinton’s behavior with Lewinsky, or brushed off the Catholic priests accused of molesting boys? People, these guys REPRESENT our country, our religion. What the hell is wrong with you? If serious allegations are made, against ANYONE, they DESERVE a full investigation. Nothing less will do. Do you think you, as a common citizen, would get a break if the accused were you?! Sheesh!

I’m guess Tom hasn’t read any of the most recent transcripts.
I too live in the Congressman’s Congressional District and I was flabergasted that he would resign over the first few e-mails that were released to the public.
And now we know the rest of the story.

So you all think that a 52 year old man telling an 16 year old boy that he would like to take his pants off is just blowing smoke. You people are the problem with the Country today.

Unless there is more to the dialogue, the only thing inappropriate in this email dialogue with the young page is that the young page asked for a reccommendation from a congressman he didn’t even work for during his tenure.
This is horrible that this man’s career has been smeared over a witch-hunt.

This congressman is disgusting and perverted. He needs to be punished somehow..

The Congressional leadership knew about this situation a long time ago and chose simply to tell Foley not to do it anymore rather than to impose harsher discipline. So any complaint about the timing of this story is moot because the Republicans had a chance to take care of it months ago when it would have faded somewhat in the minds of voters by November.
This was an opportunity for the Republicans to show that they were tough on inappropriate behavior. Now their cries for an investigation is too little, too late.
BTW, Foley’s behavior, if verified (which it appears to have been verified) is grounds for termination at best and a basis for a criminal trial at worst.

Never ceases to amaze me how many republician morons jump to this sick clowns defense. The fact of the matter is this is a 52 year old man telling a 16 year old boy how he would love to slip off the shorts he was wearing! If you idiots don’t find anything wrong with that then this country is more screwed up that anyone could ever imagine. What great family values you all seem to have.

I’m not an American, therefor having no ties to Democrats or Republicans whatsoever, but it never ceases to amaze me that such news items in the US always seem to culminate in partisan bashing.
I’d say it’s quite simple: there is a kid that came forward with some sort of allegation, apparently backed up by a number of e-mail messages… let the DA or prosecutor or whomever is supposed to act on this investigate it and be over with it.

Deceit is Discreet’s next-door neighbor or co-worker or family member or hotel stranger or bartender or one-night stand or internet buddy or ….

I can not believe people do not have a problem with Foley’s emails. Shame on you for putting politics ahead of principals. Is this the way republicans think? What if it were your child he was hitting on! Shame, shame, shame on you!

We’ve finally gotten to the point where we can look an obvious pedophile in the face, ignore the actual victims, and slip right into political debate. Shame, shame, shame on all of us. And if you’ve read the IM exchanges and believe this is innocent, you are criminal jaded.

I’m correcting my own blog above… Instead of saying “guilty until proven innocent”, I really meant to say, “Innocent until proven guilty”. Which one really applies in our society now??

Oh how hilarious in retrospect are the initial reactions from the republicans above from 9/28! You sad people…”a slap from the Left”? Try unmasking a predatory pedophile, people. Thanks ABC News.

hmmm maybe the right wingers that are crowing about a “witch hunt” would be well advised to read the additional pages that have texted back and forth, most notably the one that Foley continously asks how he masturbates and if he was hard.

witch hunt… how about kid hunt! this guy is a perv… what if it was your kid he was lusting after… what a joke! by the way I have this lovely peace of land to sell on the GULF… any takers… eply if interested, I’ll give u a po box to send the cashiers check… becuz as stupid as some of these responders are and sound I know someone will bite my offer.

As a single father of two girls and one boy, I had to be extra careful of my conversations with minors. This is not a political issue, but a personal one. The Resignation seemed to lead one to believe that ‘where there was smoke…”

In 1995 I went to DC to rally congress for our “Right to Life” movement. Congressman Foley was extremely polite and helpful. We each signed our names in the visitor’s book and every year since then he has personaly sent my husband and I a Christmas card. Not even my good friends and neighbors have done this. I am only pointing out what an expressive person he seems to be. When a friend ran for Congress, he took her under his wing and personally acquainted her with the individuals in Congress who could help her the most. He did not ask a page or an assistant to do this, he escorted her around the capitol himself.

IT IS SAD THAT SO MANY ARE BLAMING EVERYONE… EXCEPT MARK FOLEY!! MARK FOLEY IS A PEDOPHILE…AND PEOPLE ARE BLAMING THE REPORTER..DEMOCRATS..ETC!!
THINK PEOPLE…DONT BE LEMMING!

Foley voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, so America is safe from the spectacle of having two little bride figurines stuck in the frosting on the top of wedding cakes, but whether teenaged page boys are safe is another matter.

Republicans are unbelievable. Blaming the liberal media, then the victim. When are these people going to realize the irony of their supposed moral superiority?

I’m always amazed at how these so-called “men of power and prestige” seem to think this type of behavior will go unnoticed. I don’t care what their sexual orientation may be or their personal gratification habits are, but to knowingly enter into an online conversation and express such things with a minor is unacceptable on all levels … from the local pastor to the president of the United States. Common sense doesn’t cost anything. Too bad, most people seem to lose it when they get power. Forget the party baiting. This issue is simple. It’s about unethical, immoral behavior. That doesn’t change no matter what side of the ballot you butter your bread on.

clinton more worse then foley…right!

The man is twisted, why was he not done like dateline and carted off in handcuffs…the intent is obvious. I could care less if the man never touched the child…the child. What was his job title? Job description? Again, republicans and democrats talking out the side of their mouths.

Lawton Chiles is turning over in his grave! Foley is a pedophile, just read the transcripts! Having a child describe his privates to him and how the child masturbates??? Come on people! This is not a right, left, moderate, conservative, Republican, or Democrat issue!!! This is a grown man, an elected official sworn to protect our rights, and best interest, hitting on a 16 y.o. child… Absolutely horrible, and then for people to just focus on the political spin… Give me a break! The guy needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. He’s lucky that I am not the boy’s Father, he would have a lot more to worry about, than just political fall-out!

Hastert doesn’t remember, Boehner wasn’t sensitive to the nature of what was going on. These are the people who voted for a bill to do away with habeas corpus? These are the Leadership of the Party. These are corrupted politicians who don’t ask, don’t tell. I have come to agree that these people aren’t Republicans at all but Liberals who “spend and spend” and “create bigger government.” We do need a real third party, a conservative party that is compassionate, not the phony Republican Party that exists to feed the piggy snouts of those who now hold office. Let’s get these smarmy guys out, Foley and Hastert and Boehner, and the Abramoff crew including Mr Bush who, you may remember, was good friends with Lay at Enron, and the forty (?) others who have been convicted eating our taxes and depleting our Treasury. Where is the surplus that Clinton, another dummy, left us? The sooner Bush is gone and a real conservative takes his place, the better; in the meantime the only hope is to balance these clowns off with a Democratic majority for the short term.

Wow, I can’t believe anyone had the guts to defend Foley after his resignation. So the emails weren’t sexually explicit, but the guy resigns anyway? Gee, maybe he just wanted to jump out of the frying pan before it got too hot? Only he knows what a full investigation is going to uncover regarding additional emails and instant messages that haven’t yet surfaced. And I agree 100% that this is NOT politically relevant, it is a matter of a PEDOPHILE being exposed for exactly what he is.

For those of you who are defending Mark Foley, you obviously haven’t read the rest of the e-mails and instant messages that leave no doubt about whether his actions were inappropriate. I’m 15 years old and I have had everything there is to know about avoiding sexual predators drilled into my head countless times and am often told about how much effort police are putting into stopping them, so why is Foley still walking around? And for people who are looking out for the best interests of the American citizens, the Republicans were sure trying hard to keep people from discovering a man who was preying on under-age boys.

And another thing….. If Foley is a drunk all the sudden, how could he type on a keyboard so clearly?

Foley quit so fast that it is obvious things are far worse than we think. Wait until we hear the rest of the story…. I’ll just bet there are plenty of youngsters who will come forward. There is a great liklihood that Mr. Fooley has had sex with them according to the haste with which he resigned. I agree with the rest of you who say that those who knew of Mr. Fooley’s deeds should burn in hell with him.

Thank You to the above statement!!That’s all that needs to be said.

Thank goodness the rest of Foley’s messages were made public and he resigned ON HIS OWN before Hastert forced him out like DeLay was. Today, when I read the first messages that were posted on September 28 and 29th,I could tell a lot of Rovian Republicans wanted everyone to believe this scandal was a plan by Mr. Ross, ABC, and the Democratic smear machine just before elections for political reasons only. What about the kids? How can so many Americans be so dumb?

Folks laugh at, or point political fingers about this, to cope with the horrible toxicity of it. This is victimization. The young have been victimized and there was no one protecting them. In the Catholic Church investigations, victims still suffered trauma decades later, physical contact or not. Yet again, we are vividly reminded that children live in a country which has still not ratified the UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child. (Only 2 countries have not signed.)

What is really going on??
This appears to be just more conjecture and political foolishness.
While the politicians and media fiddle about what is happening behind the scene??
This is most likely a smoke screen to cover up something bigger going on in the government.
Both parties are self interested and not doing their elected jobs.
It appears that government is broken and the media just fuels the melt down.
The media is sex crazed and irresponsible, that all.!!
Wake up before it is too late!

Yeah this is news. Pervo news. The kind the networks like best. What galls me is that the msm brings up crap like “will this hurt the gop in the upcoming elections?” why should it? a perv is a perv is a perv, democrat or republican, either should get rid of him. why should there be fallout against the gop? it’s this kind of biased, one-sided crap that gives cnn, abc, etc. a bad name, and why fox kicks their asses. Thanks, -Nick, Honolulu, HI

It’s all Clinton’s fault….

I am a sickened by the actions of Mr. Foley. No one should be communicating with an underage child in the fashion that Mr. Foley has done. Yes this is an abuse of power but it happens and has happened in both political parties. Mr. Foley resigned from his post, as well he should have, but let us not forget a few short years ago when we had the President of the United States wagging his finger saying he didn’t have sex with the young intern. And, I might add that he made this statement while under oath. So no party is immune to these types of disgusting acts.

ouch – now all you nay-sdayers apologise……

wow…that the first time i have ever seen a man use his lawyer to come “out”…

Why are so many so upset about the truth? It is what it is, disgusting. So sad that this man represents the Republican party. Maybe the Republicans should keep a more watchful eye of who they “support”. Pretty sad that it was “covered” up for so long. Great timing!

It seems like half the people responding here have not read the rated x email.I dont think they would be saying ” Where’s the New’s here.”

It is disgusting isn’t it “CITIZEN OF USA”? So he represents the Republican party. What party did Pres. Clinton represent when he did his disgusting things with Monica in the Oval office while “running our country” on the phone.
PLEASE!!!! Guess it doesn’t matter what party one represents, does it???

The real issue is whether OTHER Pages were exposed to inappropriate behavior because of the failure to censure Foley’s known conduct. Foley can do anything he wants with whomever he wants as long as everyone involved are NOT minors. There is NOTHING appropriate about the communications with the MINOR Pages and it is clear he is using his position and his access to entice teenage boys for his sexual arousal.

Simply put: This was the act of a pediphile, beginning the process of seduction. feeling things out so he could eventually feel his victims up. Those who ride high horses, fall the furtherest. Now let’s see if Foley’s bones –and those Republicans who attempted a cover-up–are picked as clean as those folks in another not-so-distant scandal. At least, that was between two of legal age for consent. The wheels of justice turn slowly, but turn they do–literally and figuratively.

Why have all of the “excuses” being issued if his e-mails were “innocent?” First, he was molested as a child. Not only that, but secondly, he was molested by a priest (a little late to be coming out with this isn’t it), Thirdly, he’s gay (now that’s Gay Bashing – being gay makes you a predator). Fourthly, he’s an alcoholic (boy, he made it to rehab just in time so the media can’t get to him). But wait, we’re yet to see the Race Card (they’re picking on him because he’s a Black Female). Just give us a break and let’s get some honest, decent people in Congress

“How can a Pedophile get help in an alcohol rehab place???”
perhaps it was a rehab place that specializes in underage drinkers…in which case he’s just crusing. ;)

enough with the clinton/lewinsky comparison already. she was 22 and consenting. the child was 16 and, if you read the instant messages, clearly not comfortable with the conversations.
how on earth can you equate sex between consenting adults with a man hitting on a minor? that’s just wrong. not to mention stupid.

Don’t you love a group that takes the moral high ground and yet, as a whole, their behavior is that of liars, cheats, thieves,and ultimately, bafoons.
Then one gets the privilege to read comments from the ignorant that support such behavior.
LMAO!!!

Comparison of the congressman’s actions with those of President Clinton’s is ridiculous. Monica was 24, this boy is 16. How many other pedophiles (straight or gay) are lurking in Washington? Maybe recognition gays (equal rights) in America will encourage folks to come out of the closet and help clean up our political system.

This is absolutely ridiculous! I logged onto comcast’s website and they said “Foley is gay?” From a few emails people are making the worst of assumptions. And by the way Charlie, this has no parallels with the OJ case… that was a murder-this was an email. I’m a moderate and this is a classic case of slanted press bashing one side to make the other side look better. I yearn for the day where we can get some nonbiased news. Come on ABC, why stoop down like this? This is garbage. Get some real news to report. Maybe it’s time to start checking out CNN instead. This is ridiculous.

Hey guys…
Why would a man of his position ask a minor personal questions to begin with? He crossed the line between appropriate and inappropriate, regardless of the actual words exchanged.
By the way, Mr. Bush wouldn’t have addressed the matter had it not been fully substantiated. Why do you all think we are hearing the whole story while this is still an ongoing investigation… Wow.

Nobody ignored anything. There was nothing wrong with the emails. Those people have better things to do than worrying about emails that have nothing to be worried about. What were they supposed to do? Tell this very important guy who’s been working for our country for decades : Stop writing emails asking people how they are? According to the logic of these media people whose only purpose in life is to find who to blame and who is responsible… the media and the democrats… are they going to blame AOL too? Gimme another break!!!

Hey Jim Moran … the reason the Democrats aren’t saying anything is because they don’t have to.
The Republicans are doing a good enough job smearing themselves by trying to distance themselves from Foley as quickly as possible … or blaming the victim … AFTER they puffed themselves up and said this was all a smear campaign by Foley’s opponent.
There’s nothing the Democrats could say or do to make the Republicans look worse than they are making themselves look.
Signed, an Independent

These comments discounting the story vindicate traditional network news and disredit internet-based slime.

I don’t think ABC is out to smear Foley. Remember that ABC showed that ridiculous “The Path to 9/11″. If anything, ABC (owned by family values Disney) probably loves the Republicans.

Why are so many blaming the victim? This has nothing to do about the right or the left, this child obliviously was uncomfortable with Foley’s behavior. Should we just ignore that and keep child predators in Congress? By the way this e-mail was only one out of several that were overtly “friendly” and inappropiate. Don’t make excuses for this man, he has issues, but Republicans are so swift in cover up and protecting their own they lose sight of the interests of common people. Don’t blame this teen to excuse a child predator…

At the expense of being “unpatriotic” or “assisting terrorists” . . . it’s way beyond the time to begin to start walking the ethical walk rather than just talking it.
I’ve observed that generally the more moral a person, the less ethical. The way the Republication leadership has handled this situation so far seems to support this observation.
Every time one of these guys gets caught (lying, stealing, etc.) they claim it’s a political plot to smear them. This gets very old after the 5th, 10th, 20th scandel.

Good grief. I want to ask the other posters here… what do you like to do for fun besides come to this page. OK arrest me now for being friendly to you. Drive-by media attack does not equal “news” again. I wish I could have these 2 minutes of my life back.

Interesting to look at the comments one week later. Most that I read (and there were many) were blowing this off as overblown hype. Sounds like people hear what they want to hear. Do all of you complaining about the witch hunt, rumor mongering and help for the Left still stick by your commentst that this is all a tempest in a teacup?

Me & my friends used to joke that even if Bush was found in bed with boys, the Repubs would still back him to the hilt. The Foley incident shows that our joke is not far off the mark! It’s amazing seeing the “family values Free Republic” right-wing crowd defend pedophilia!

Appreciate Brian Ross and his investigative team. Too bad about your “entertainment” division.

I assume that everyone defending Foley failed to read the IM correspondence about masturbation and asking the kid to measure his penis size. I hope so. Even without that the first emails are suspicious, though admittedly not definitive. Adult strangers – and a professional contact is essentially that to a teenager – do not give birthday gifts (why ask if not planning to give) or need photos. If those who saw them as not concerning are parents, please cancel your internet service and take down your child’s My Space page. You are not informed enough to protect your child from the internet to which you are exposing them.

you know what i dont get is why are we talking about this i mean they spent how many dollars on putting bill clinton on trial for having oral sex with an adult and we have a child molester and thats what he is running around stalking little boys and this is a no brainer he should be under the jail i mean anyone else would be locked up and having a date set for his trial i dont who told it they should be thanked this guy has been at this a while and a molester is a molester money or not lock him up and let the courts work it out hell anyone else would have been in jail i guess if you are rich and white the rules dont apply justice should not only be blind but it should apply to all

Congressman Foley actions are an indication of how bad things have become in the american society. Retrospectively, past western civilizations like ours, have gone on the same path leading to destruction. I am reminded of the fox and the hen house. Have we lost our moral compass, or does it really matter? Otherwise we are forced to bare the consequenses of a few who seeks to live outside of our chosen and preffered moral boundaries.

This is about protecting minors! Does it matter the timing matter. More importantly the congressman disgraced himself, not for being gay, but for being completely dishonest. He helped write the laws he broke…literally. IF YOU HAVEN’T DONE SO ALREADY, READ THE IM TRANSCRIPTS. IF YOU CAN SAY THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT, THEN YOU NEED HELP ALSO!
Geez you have got to be kidding me, has the morals of the country gone completely down the tube. By the way I am a conservative.

For the people who think this is “being blown out of proportion” and who think this is “just another slap for republicans”, HAVE YA’LL NOT SEEN HIS IMs????? He used sexually explicit words when speaking with a page! I am a former senator page (not from the same place) and NONE of the people that I have ever worked with have ever spoken or even made references to that. Not only did he contact a page in a non-proffessional manor, but he also asked him if he was in his boxers! What is that?? I think you people who are sooo concerned with “republicans being slapped” need to take another look at what is going on.

As if this recent scandel of a politician ( Foley) is shocking?!!Come on,,they all live in crooked houses! What makes me mad is, We the tax payers are picking up the tab for their lurid internet trists!

Oh Wow , What a substantial News story, I hope the terrorist don’t use this to bring down our country.

scroll up to the first few postings from our right wing friends…..talk about jump on the defensive bandwagon. Its over for you guys…

Just another hypocritical republican. When will decent people wake up and throw these guys out of office. For me, a republican of some 25 years, I am going to vote the straight Democrctic ticket for the firs time in my life. It’s not so much a pro dem vote- but and ant-Bush administration vote.

HOW WILL ANY OF YOU GUYS FEEL IF THAT BOY BEING SOLICITED WITH E-MAILS WAS YOUR SON. THE NEXT TIME YOU DECIDE TO PASS JUDGEMENT, IMMAGINE IT BEING YOUR CHILD. TO ME, HE WAS WRONG, HE’S A REAL SICKO!!!!

WOULDN’T IT BE GREAT TO TURN ON THE TV AND HEAR ANY U.S. PRESIDENT, DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN GIVE THE FOLLOWING SPEECH?
My Fellow Americans: As you all know, the defeat of Iraq regime has been completed.
Since congress does not want to spend any more money on this war, our mission in Iraq is complete.
This morning I gave the order for a complete removal of all American forces from Iraq. This action will be complete within 30 days. It is now to begin the reckoning.
Before me, I have two lists. One list contains the names of countries which have stood by our side during the Iraq conflict. This list is short. The United Kingdom, Spain, Bulgaria, Australia, and Poland are some of the countries listed there.
The other list contains everyone not on the first list. Most of the world’s nations are on that list. My press secretary will be distributing copies of both lists later this evening.
Let me start by saying that effective immediately, foreign aid to those nations on List 2 ceases immediately and indefinitely. The money saved during the first year alone will pretty much pay for the costs of the Iraqi war.
The American people are no longer going to pour money into third world Hellholes and watch those government leaders grow fat on corruption.

Where is Mr. Mark Foley now? Has he been investigated for the email(s) to a 16 year old? Did he have other contacts with other young people? Did anyone check his private accounts to see if he sent other emails to minors. I may have missed it, but is Mark Foley getting a “free” pass because of his political power? Why did he run off to a clinic? Why didn’t his staff do the contacting? Why did he use his private account if it was official business? Who is responsible for checking Mark Foley’s actions?

Thats true, but we should pay attention to patterns. I think the moral of the story is to remember to tell our kids that if a republican asks you to get into their car – tell an adult!