GOP Staff Warned Pages About Foley in 2001

Puts Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky in perspective. (She was age 22 when she began working at the White House.)
And the “he had power” – and so people were “hesitant to report” his behavior thing is just sickening.
We asked for big government, and now we’ve got it, complete with a governing class which lives by rules remarkably distant from those which apply to, say, the average American who earns a wage, lives in fear of being accused of sexual harassment, and, if the volunteer to work with young people at their church, are subjected to extraordinary scrutiny.

How did Rep. Foley get the pages email addresses? I am not condoning what he did, but question why anyone would give him their personal email info.

How come we’re only hearing about the Republicans who do this AND NOT THE DEMOCRATS WHO DO!?!?!?
GEEZE THE MEDIA IS BIASED!

These revelations are utterly reprehensible! Foley is obviously a very sick man, but if Republican leaders charged with overseeing his behavior are found to have to have known about his attempts to engage these children in sexual activities and to have covered it up, this is this most hideous abuse of the public trust that I can remember. The pages had been proudly entrusted by their parents to serve the House of Representatives and our Nation. If my teenage child had been one of the pages targeted by Foley and then left unprotected by Hastert and other House Republicans, I would have demanded criminal charges be brought against the whole crowd long ago.
Susan Barta
Texas parent

Can we just call it a conspiracy now? I mean if it walks like a duck…
Seriously, what else can you call it? The pages sponsored by Democrats were not warned about his predatious behavior. The only Democrat on the page committee was purposefully kept in the dark. The leadership covered up a crime, defined in legislation the offender wrote for at least a year and possibly five years. Just so they could hang onto a seat.
The crime took down one congressman. The cover-up looks poised to take down a lot more, and they are in leadership, so they have a lot more to lose. Their craven disregard for the children entrusted to them is staggering.
The party of “Family Values” is hoisted on it’s own pettard after all the preening and posturing and holier-than-thou sanctimony. And boy do they have it coming.
Schadenfreude indeed.

It is time to search all the email traffic and instant message traffic of every government employee and prosecute those that are involved in such action.

Well, so much for Republicans whining about Clinton’s consenual affair with an adult woman. I just read the full text of Foley’s little IM session with this UNDER-AGE BOY and I just about puked. This is a sick man.
If Speaker Hastert knew about this beforehand, he and anyone else who covered it up should resign immediately.
I don’t get outraged by much that politicians do anymore. Sex scandals, lies, etc. I mean, come on, they’re politicians. But this is repugnant. So much for the GOP Holier-than-Thou routine.

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It should come as no big suprise that the GOP knew about Foley’s scandal back in 2005, yet keep it under wraps.
Do you think that, just maybe, if the Dems at least controlled the House that they might have been able to investigate the early rumors on this Foley scandal?
Nah. No way. Banish the thought from your minds. All hail the GOP, Party of God and all that is right and just in America.

if there is anything going on with the Democrats, rest assured the Rebublicans will find it. ‘The media is biased…’ riii..iii..ght. that’s why we never heard about any scandals during the Clinton administration. That’s why there were no questions about Kerry’s medals.
Please.

This is shameful. As a conservative Christian Republican, I say get rid of the whole bunch if they knew about it. I would rather lose the House than support people who were aware of this but did nothing.

Bill Clinton’s admittedly disgusting relationship with Monica Lewinsky happened when she was an adult. Seriously, is there one Republican anywhere in this country who can just admit to doing something wrong without trying to justify it by claiming that Bill Clinton did it first? Or to pretend that people of the other party are doing exactly the same thing that Republicans are doing but no one is looking? It seems to me that if there’s one thing Republicans CAN do, since they can’t seem to manage a war, a natural disaster, or a country effectively, is Oppo research. If they haven’t dug dirt of this magnitude up yet, then honey, there just ain’t any. I can’t wait to see how Republicans are going to try to avoid responsibility for this one!

How much longer will the American people out up with the Republican Party and its leadership, as more and more secretive dirt seeps out about them every day? Wake up America!

tonight, Bay Buchanan said on cnn that every mother in the U.S.will be up in arms[paraphrased]to learn the GOP leadership knew about Foley,and if after the FBI investigation determins former Rep Foley broke the law,he should be tried in a court of law and if found guilty, be sent to prison,and if those that covered it up,to the jeopardy of the children,will have to resign be cause they have broken the publc trust,which is down to 20% now. jimdon

I hope there is a special place in hell for Mark Foley and his ilk.
If not, I’m sure Halliburton will dig the hole if the terms are right.

As we recall, Americans were subjected to 24/7/365 coverage of the Lewinski affair for four continuous YEARS, and then impeachment was brought, purportedly not because of the affair per se but because of attempts to cover it up. This repugnant media bias swayed the electorate just enough to allow Bush to then steal the office of President via highly questionable and unamerican Diebold blackboxes and an ensuing Supreme Court debacle, leading directly to truly disasterous consequences not only for our country, but for our world itself and future generations. Therefore, the very least the media by its own standards must do is cover the Foley story 24/7/365 for the next four YEARS. If it does not, we will demand to know why not.

Dear Maggie,
Please reread your comment.
Please reread your comment.
Please reread your comment.
Get it yet?

This is looking more and more (to those who bother to pay attention) like a smear on Foley. What’s sad is how the public is jumping to conclusions calling him a “pedophile” for messages.
Isn’t it funny that if he had had sex with the kid, it would have been legal, but to send these e-mails isn’t?

I just read the chat Foley had with that kid. I don’t believe it until I hear Foley admit it.
Does Foley know how to spell “your”? (you’re)
If he actually wrote that crap and believed he could get away with it, that is unflipping-believable.
But, I also know how dirty and crooked Florida Politicians are, on BOTH sides of the aisle.
Hey, it is hard to believe!
Anyone that knew about this activity and didn’t report it to LE for prosecution should be thrown to the wolves along with Foley.
I am so sick and tired of these slimey crooks!

But WHAT WILL WE TELL THE CHILDREN?
Remember that rallying cry from Republicans during the Clinton/Lewinsky fiasco? She was a consenting adult.
How about the typical Republican mantra, “but..but…but… Democrats have no plan?”
Reply, “Democrats have no plan to molest your children!”

Would all the liberals just get a grip already!? Foley is scum. Anyone who knew but didn’t report it should be prosecuted and excoriated. But now ALL Republicans from leadership on down are guilty? “Holier than thou?” Oh brother! Suck up that saliva, calm down and wait for the facts.

Studds was censured, as was his Republican counterpart, Dan Crane, who admitted to having sex with a 17-year-old female page. Neither man resigned (contrary to another conservative talking point I’ve seen making the rounds.) Crane apologized, but was defeated when he ran for relection in 1984, Studds was unrepentent, but won — and was reelected four more times after that.
Make of it what you will. The voters in Studds’ district were certainly more forgiving than I am. Speaking as a father, I’d burn them all at the stake, age of consent or no age of consent. But they were treated exactly the same by the then Democratic House leadership.
What’s more, I’m not aware of any evidence, not even a hint, that the leadership knew about the affair before the story broke, or attempted to keep it quiet, or tried to protect Studds.
Can anyone say the same about the current House leadership? I mean, with a straight face?

Foley is a sick man and his actions were repugnant. However, the actions of the GOP leadership is far more reprehensible. they knew that this man is a child predator and they continued to support him. They placed politics over the welfare of our children. What can you say of such men?? words cannot describe… their cold blooded calculations. This is not about democrats or republicans it is about right and wrong and nothing more. To those spin doctors on the right, understand that these actions cannot and should not be defended. For gods sake, in this case be an American, not a republican. And if you cannot then be a mother, father,brother, sister or friend. but do not allow such action to be swept under the rug.

“Isn’t it funny that if he had had sex with the kid, it would have been legal, but to send these e-mails isn’t?”
When you consider that Foley co-sponsored the legislation that made sexual contact with an under-18 via the internet illegal, it goes from funny to hilarious. In a really warped kind of way.

I say lets have term limits.

This is a gut wrenching story. It never ceases to amaze me how often the most condeming voice is the one actually commiting the acts he/she so vehemently condems. I hope Mark Foley is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. And for all those folks on Capitol Hill who were aware of Foley’s repugnant behavior, let’s hope they are proscecuted as well. Each one of them had/has a “duty to act” and chose not to do so. They are as quilty as Foley.

I am wondering if anyone has seen Dateline’s “To Catch a Predator?”
I think it extremely likely that the emails that Foley sent the 16 year old boy from LA were feelers to see whether or not this boy was willing to “play ball” so to speak. I wouldn’t think that a man of Foley’s stature would just jump right into “Are you horny?” with a congressional page. I would assume that a someone with the even the smallest amount of self-preservation would want to make sure that their target was receptive to such talk.
I wouldn’t be the least surprised if the intial interaction between Foley and the pages of the dirty IM’s didn’t start out much the same as the more innocent emails in question. There is actually a term that law enforcement uses for this behavior, it’s called “grooming.”

This Republican Congress is
sick sick sick sick sick sick sick sick sick sick sick sick sick
From its leadership on down.
Vote them out.

Its not just the Repubs. There is something seriously wrong with “our” representatives. It is as if they think they have their own little stable of sex toys and they all protect each other from one another’s indiscretions.

I think some people should put this in perspective. As disgusting as his behavior may be, the most ABC has been able to accuse Foley of so far is possibly engaging in dirty Internet text messaging with a willing teenage boy. I didn’t know it was a crime to be “overly friendly” — whatever that means.

Foley has now gone into rehab. Thank God he has an illness and isn’t just a lawbreaking child molester. This is what we get from the Republicrats and the Demonicrans. Time for a new party, one made up of sober normal people who are subject to the laws of the normal people, paid a more reasonable wage, denied the priviliges of power, and represent the people. There is no difference between the new “liberals” and the new “conservatives”. They are ALL self-centered, over-privileged, power-driven enemies of the people. I am not surprised in the least that they all have drinking problems… after all, nobody sober would seek office!

Let me get this straight.
In 2001, pages were warned about Foley but nothing was done about Foley.
In 2001, only Republican pages were warned, not Democratic
pages.
And the party involved is devoted to “family values”.

And to think we keep voting these people back into office year after year. All of them need to go Democrat and Republican!

I just heard on CNN that the Republicans have have appointed “independent” officials like Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and FL Gov. Jeb Bush to investigate whether any laws were broken, etc.
Give me a break! “Independent”, what a joke…

Yes, what this repugnant, dispicable, and criminally-insane AND CONGRESSPERSON did is absolutely unforgivable, BUT THE IS SOO SIMPLE AND ELEMENTARY: “we give these “career-criminals” ONLY ONE-TERM CONSECUTIVELY”!!!! That is to say, that they CANNOT succeed themselves in “public-office” again, and again, and again whereby they BECOME “CAREER-CRIMINALS” because power and fame corrupts and destroys humanity!

Oh Yeag a re-hab for drunks is really going to address his hunger for young Congressional Page’s. He is a PERVERT and is just another example of our present degraded soceity. The FBI will screw up the investigation anyway and another one ‘SICK PERVERT’ will slip through the cracks!

First of all his party affiliation has nothing to do with this. Republican, Democrat, Green Party; non of this matters he is a sick pervert that needs to be kept away from children. To all of you that keep saying the pages are not children, they are young adults. The only reason he is not corresponding (as far as we know) with younger children is because the pages cannot be any younger. His politics are not the issue; his corrupt usage of his position and potential abuse of these kids is all that matters. Anyone that covered up for him for any reason should also be removed.

I’m curious… Is Foley claiming that the booze made hime do it? And if booze turns you into a pedophile why isn’t the GOP trying to push for prohibition?

No, this doesn’t “put Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky into perspective.” Clinton wasn’t impeached because of the affair, he was impeached because of perjury, trying to get others to commit perjury, etc.
Yes, Foley is disgusting, and it’s a damn shame no one took action on this long ago. Pathetic.

why are these elected officials not drug tested? we test garbage collectors but not the people with the power in government?

READ THE ENTIRE TRANSCRIPT of the text messages he was sending to one youngman. –THIS IS NOT BEING “OVERLY FRIENDLY”, THIS IS CYBERSEX. THROW THE BOOK AT THIS S.O.B.!!

Goes into rehab all of a sudden, where, for the next 30 days or so, he cannot be reached for comment or make any statements that can be “misinterpreted” during the crucial last weeks before the November elections. How transparant is that? Wonder if the alleged cover-up was in any way “inspired” by those who brought us the infamous Roman Catholic Church Hierarchy and their unspeakable hijinks. Tell me, just where are the Leaders that CAN be trusted? Not in the U.S. Government. Not in the upper echelons of organized religion. Not in Corporate America.

I am amazed at all the comments offering up excuses for Foley’s behavior. Those of you saying that “16 is the age of consent” over and over again…remember that for the future. Remember that when your child is drawn into a relationship with an older individual. You wouldn’t be hypocritical…I’m sure. You seem so confident in your opinion now…just don’t forget it.

It does’t just affect Republicans. Look at Mel Reynolds, former Democratic Congressman from IL. Now convicted child rapist, and on the Sexual Offender Registry in IL. Just look it up. Lets get of these Wackos, Democrats, Republicans, et al, who prey on children and put them in the big house.

Hats off to the Republicans who are taking their party to task. I do the same to the Dems, and like you, everyone ignores me and pretends that the few excuse-wielding whiners represent us all. I think our main issue is with the people who are Republicans because they think they are oh so morally straight and narrow. Quit fooling yourselves. Washington, DC is a cesspool, and almost everyone in it is completely without morals and/or ethics. There are exceptions – a few decent people who manage to stay uncorrupted while there – but one thing is for sure… you can’t make it to the WH with your morals/ethics intact. Got a favorite Pres.? Think they are “good”? Think again.

Paul-
Do you have kids? 16 or 17 is still a kid. Young men? maybe, but the emphasis is on YOUNG.

Foley, the Chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children. You can’t make this stuff up.

A young boy and many more may have been abused and all people here can do is attack each others political parties. Shame on you.

For those all Christians holier than thou, the base of the Republican Party? Wake up and smell the coffee, the slogan of the GOP is Sex, lies and audiotapes….instead of the Family values Party. It’s time for Americans to clean HOuse and sweep off these people. Please Vote in NOv.!!! Down with the Bush Regime, the world is pleading with all of you! and yes, God Bless the World not only America.

Every member of Congress should be given a lie detector test and have transparent e-mail.
This is disgusting. We need to “clean house”…literally.

Foley is a sick man because a sane, mature 55 year-old will not be emailing 16-year olds with sexual insinuations (i.e. am I making you horny?) Republican supporters must stop making excuses and muddying the waters by citing … Clinton. Foley must be held accountable as well as Hastert & Boehnert. Disgusting that they allowed Foley to keep his position all these years. Those who knew should have told Foley to step down & to go into therapy. Now it’s too late.

Come on. He didn’t have sex with anyone. He is guilty of being inappropriate and abusing his position. The “kid” was 16 and willingly engaging in communication. I don’t know about the rest of you but I had sex at that age, which in DC is the age of consent. You people are all freaking out because he is gay.

WHY did this kid respond to the instant messages and why did he save them.. and why are they showing up now right before elections. HMMMM….

Pedophiles seek sexual involvement with young children who have not yet reached puberty.
This is not a pedophelia case.
This young person was a 16 year old teenager .. not defending Foley but to brand him a PEDO is just wrong.

Ever heard of Democrat Rep. Gerry Studs? He was repimanded in 1983 for having sex with a 17 year old male intern and propositioning two others. The Senate voted to censure him and he told them to kiss his rear by turning around and not listening to the censure and by refusing to apologize. He was re-elected.
So, if Foley was pressured to resign, the standards have actually risen a little. LOL.

Okay. A lot of misinformation on this blog.
1. The legal age of consent in Washington is irrelevant. Foley emailed one page who lived in Louisiana –the legal age there is 17. The emails sent to that first page were fairly innocuous. About what he wanted for his birthday, and wanting a picture of him.
2. In the above case, consent does not enter into it, as the page emailed to others that Foley was ‘freaking him out’ and mentioned the word “sick” 13 times
3. There were other emails to a page in TX (age of consent 18) In these, Foley wants to know masturbation techniques, penis size and comments on the guys butt. Foley was in Florida when he emailed the second page (age of consent 18)
Now. Age of consent matters only for State Prosecution. When a crime crosses state lines, it is a Federal offense as well as local. An act can be locally okay but be a crime if it breaks federal law. States have different ages of consent. The federal age of consent is 18. Once Foley emailed to another state he was breaking federal law conerning soliciting sex on the internet (he tells one boy to strip off his boxers for him and asks if he is hard) So understand, whoever keeps bringing up consent laws of DC–NOT RELEVANT, unless DC wants to prosecute. For the purposes of Federal law, definitely a good chance a crime was committed. Also, the age limit as established by Foley himself for internet sex crimes is 18.

Funny how democrats have such a short memory concerning this type of disgusting activity. Remember 1983 and Democratic Congressman Jerry Studds, who actually had sex with a 17 year old male page, and was simply censored by the house and not forced to resign by the democratic leadership. Talk about a double standard, but I guess 1983 wasn’t an election year.

HMMMMM…..
Does anyone care that this perv was soliciting sex from CHILDREN?
We’re not talking about boys above the age of consent. It’s ILLEGAL (not to mention immoral) to solicit sex from children.
Foley’s just the tip of the iceberg – whoever knew about this (going back FIVE years!!??) and did NOTHING needs to be punished at the ballot box!
Or do “family values” include soliciting sex with minors? There is absolutely no possible justification or defense for this. At least Clinton stuck to those old enough to have a drink.

If Members of Congress are sending out e-mails and IMs via equipment owned, operated, and paid for by the U.S. Government, then the House Clerk’s office has the authority to review every e-mail and IM message sent by any Member of Congress or his/her staffer to see if anyone is sending inappropriate messages. There is no privacy in the workplace and neither should Members of Congress enjoy privacy in their Congressional offices. I’ll just bet a review of all e-mail and IM messages by the House Clerk’s office will show that Mark Foley is just the tip of the iceberg.

This blog is a prime example why this country’s future is in big, big trouble. It’s not about what’s good for the country anymore, it’s what’s good for one’s party or point of view. These responses are riddled with this very issue. The action’s of one person in no way demonstrates the action of all. Until we can get together and end this bitter, selfish, politcal correctness BS this country is buried in than I’m afraid we’re done; and we’ll all be yearning for the days when we could speak out like this. Speak out, but for the good of the whole – not the one.

OK, we now have the president of the page alumni saying that pages were warned to be careful of Foley back in 2001. Foley meanwhile, quickly checks himself into Rehab and through his attorney says that he has “issues” with the bottle and “emotional issues” And if that’s not enough, we have Hastert and other politicans scrambling to cover their collective butts. In case we have anything left in our digestive tracks, the FBI is now conducting a preliminary investigation in order to determine whether a full investigation should take place. Is it just me or does something or a whole lot of somethings seem horrible and obscenely wrong here?! I have emailed both of my Fl Senators and my State Representative and they will NOT come out publicly and demand an immediate full scale investigation in Mr. Foley’s “alleged” actions! As a matter of fact only one politician replied to my email… saying that while she shared my outrage, there was nothing she could do. I am sickened to the depths of my soul by Mr. Foleys actions and am HORRIFIED by the inaction of our justice system

Will we widen the investigation far enough to catch all of the sickos that we call ‘leaders’? I seriously doubt it. Watch the big finger pointers cover their own butts, happens every time. The process is broken and thousands of corrupt politicians are allowed to continue their molestation of America unimpeded.

Go through the email of every federal employee? No privacy for anyone? I thought some people supported our rights to privacy. Guess not.

Ok. So he is guilty of sexual explicite emails? Did he do anything physical to any of the pages? I think what he did was discusting but remember Democrats are looking for anything right now. This looks big in thier little eyes.

Why are these showing up right before elections? Because it’s politics. I wonder which side is happier – the Democrats for being able to take shots at a Republican party that pushes ‘conservaitve social values’, or the Republicans who have something big and loud to distract the public from the controversial civil rights changes they are about to enact. Wag the dog, indeed.

And there is no evidence that republican knew anything about “SEXUALLY EXPICIT” IM’S! The hypocrisy! I am ashamed to say I am a registered democrat who , thank GOD is no longer a part of this hypocritical party of thieves. We have all those who gave a pass to Clinton, and all the other perverts out now screaming. Makes me ill.

Since we are all so interested in when Republicans and knew, and what their motivations were for witholding this information, hs anyone asked how long democrats knew about it?
And how long did they sit on the story until that magical 40 days until election morning arrived?

It’s funny reading the tit-for-tat ramblings between both sides. He did this, but he did that yada yada yada. Truth being that both parties have members who are not the idealistic icons we perceive them to be. They are humans with human faults.
Republicans are crying because once again egg is being thrown in the face of this administration’s members who preach the campaign of “Family Values” who once again are showing their hypocracy. They who focus their campaigns on people that are so blinded by religion that they can’t see the facts before them. Maybe this will open some of their eyes.
I’m also reading about the timing of the release of these e-mails and IM’s that it’s all a manipulation on the medias part prior to the mid-term elections, isn’t also amazing that our gas prices have fallen dramatically just recently, hmmm… just prior to mid-term elections hmmmm. It goes both ways on any issue but I am convinced that this administration has deceived Americans and the world.

D.A.R.V.O.
Deny
Attack
Reverse Victim & Offender
Remember that acronym. It’s what molestors and predators do when they’re confronted by their victims.
Already you see it happening from the Republicans.
Deny: “It was just naughty emails”
Attack: “The Democrats are doing this for partisan advantage”
Reverse Victim & Offender “Mark Foley is being persecuted for nothing more than sexy talk with young men.”
I don’t think it’s going to stick though. The Republicans have made too much political hay demonizing homosexuals for their base to let this slide now.
Talk about being hoisted upon their own petard!

Sorry, but age of consent in Virginia is 18.

Well first I would like to thank ABC News for breaking this story and potentially saving some teens from being preyed upon. Sixteen year olds may look like adults but they are truely children that need our protection. There were a couple of posts I actually agreed with: Ultimate power corrupts and let’s do term limits. Lastly the only thing that made this a political problem for the Republican controlled Congress was that they made the choice to cover it up for political reasons. How sad and what a horrible choice.

When are the people of this great nation going to finally WAKE UP and realize that WE have the power to put people in office and the power to get them out. It’s called the VOTE.
So WAKE UP AMERICA….it’s time to get up off your butts and VOTE…and, YES, your vote does count! Quit being so lazy…if you don’t vote then don’t complain.

Fox News keeps labeling Foley a Democrat from Florida. This is a new low for the media in this country.