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

Anyone who is looking at this as an “attack on Republicans” by the ‘leftist Democrats’ needs to get off the Bush Bandwagon long enough to realize that this is about PEDOPHELIA and not politics! As a Dad I am horrified by this predator using his elected office to virtually shop for teen meat. It is sick. It is unforgivable. Anyone in Congress who knew of this and did nothing is equally guilty. Foley resigning should just be the beginning.

That’s extraordinary. And disgusting.
But why do you say Foley “interrupted a vote on the floor of the House”?
What is the specific evidence for that assertion? Do you know where he was when he sent the messages? Could it have been from a portable device? If you’re implying he was in his office, isn’t it permissible for a Rep. to come and go from the House floor, even during a vote?
It seems to me that a lot more details and context are needed here.

OK you doubters out there, this is predation at its worst. Anyone who swept it under the rug needs to go right along with Foley!

52 seperate instant message exchanges… I think ABC News better start verifying the authenticity of the documents. These are easy to recreate.

Hey how are all you defenders of this jerk feeling now (see blog from Oct. 1st)? Still think its an attempt by the Democrats to smear this guy? Had Hastert taken care of it when it first came to light, the Republicans wouldn’t have to worry about the timing of the elections!
And I agree with what Wanda Sykes said on Leno last night: “Being drunk doesn’t make you a pedophile!” Alcohol rehab is not going to change this man! He is a pedophile…

Hastert, Shimkus and the rest of them that KNEW, need to go and I mean NOW.

Mark Foley needs help and I would say more than alcholic counseling will provide.

EWWW…and dumb.
How stupid to go after one of the pages.

Any Republican who isn’t demanding the immediate resignations of Reps. Hastert, Shimkus, and Reynolds — each of whom knew about this sicko but covered it up to protect themselves politically — should be condemned and voted out next month.

This is about a sexual deviant who was put in a position of power and he abused that power and should prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
It’s unfortunate the left is going to take this and politicize it just as the right would do if the tables were turned.
I just hope we take advantage of this situation and set presidence so this never happens again!
wishful thinking huh..lol

This is a SETUP! Who ever saves instant message?

If he’s blaming alcohol, that means he was drunk AND having virtual sex while he was supposed to be voting in congress! This is beyond sick. Shame on anyone who is trying to change the subject and blame Clinton for this (believe it or not, Sean Hannity and Brit Hume both did). And shame on those who tried to cover this disgusting offense up.

Why is all this information coming out now?
Foley deserves to be locked up.
But the timing reeks of politics.

JCJC makes a good point, if his excuse was that he was an alcoholic and that these episodes occured when he was drunk, then he has to have by his own admission been drunk while voting on legislation.

How convenient that ABC news trickles this out over a period of days. How long will you be able to get ratings over this perversion? How long was ABC a party to this? Ratings over children – typical American media. Foley isn’t the only party that is disgusting.

I hear rumors that the FBI knew about some of these e-mails months ago. This is all too sicko for me. Its time for regime change. And since power corrupts so thoroughly, we ought to legalize term limits – and throw Foley and a few other folks in jail. Show the world that the “I’m an alcoholic” excuse is no excuse.

I remember how angry the speaker was when the FBI dared to approach their hallowed offices. Im a life-long conservative but it’s time for all incumbents to leave Washington. The speaker is a hyrocrite as he makes himself a wealthy man. Doesn’t any resign anymore?

I think they should take away any pension that he had coming and use it for the counciling sessions that the pages need. If this is what goes on in Congress, no wonder the world is in the shape it is in. This is disgusting!!!!

This is so unreal. He is a sick man to even be typing this to a child! But this also reads like someone is telling him what to type. Is this whole thing a set-up for political gain? It makes me wonder???? The answers this child comes back with almost sounds coached?

This is one sick puppy. More of ‘em got to go.

When you say anybody in congress that new about Foley and his deviant flirtations with Pages, I hope you include Democrats in that. Apparently they have known for several month if not years about this and only now did they come out with it. So much for the protection of our youth by either party.

To any other pages, staffers or other House or Senate employees: now is the time to come forward and let the public know, anonymously if you need to, who the offending Members are. Produce evidence if you can, or the names of people who can corroborate your story. This is not something that can be permitted or ignored, and now is the time to stop it.
Thank you in advance for doing the right thing.

Did Foley actually engage in any physical contact with these underage pages? All I have read about is these e-mails and text messages. This is immoral but is it truly “illegal”?
I mean, Gerry Studds, D-MA, engaged in sexual relations with an underage male page in the 70′s. He said it was no one’s business and was reelected until his retirement in 1996. This was also immoral but I do not remember the moral indignation that is being expressed by so many today.

I’m a Conservative and side with the Republicans most of the time…but this is total crap. Anybody, regardless of political loyalty should be disgusted at this crap. What the democrats need to be careful with is politicizing this, and this would begin with calling for anybody’s resignation without letting the investigation take place. Due process is a part of this country…no matter how much we may not like it.

As repugnant as it will be for me to do so, for this and many other reasons, I will be doing something this coming election day I have never done before: I will be voting a straight Democratic ticket. That’s not because there is a single one of them in whom I place an iota of hope for general improvement of anything, but because the current crop of power-leaders has left me no No NO other choice..

It amazes me that in this day and age people think that any email/IM’s are confidential. Talking about sexual activities, as far as I know, isn’t illegal. It’s weird, to be sure. But not illegal. I think for a mature man to want to discuss this with teenagers shows a degree of mental problems. That being said, Providing a minor with Alchol & possibly ‘hooking up’ is very illegal. We can’t persecute someone for bad judgement.

Foley is sick. No question.
But rather than focusing on Foley and predatory pedophiles like him, you (ABC and Brian & Ross) have timed this story so as to coincide with and effect a national election in hopes that people will be so disgusted with and by Foley’s behavior that they vote against the GOP.
It would be nice if you would set aside your political agenda and just report the news.
Rob

I think the system is all screwed up. They are all a bunch of hypocrites. Perverts.

I am a conservative Republican and a Mom.
Foley and Hastert need to be jobless and investigated.
This is not politics, it is criminal and criminal cover-up if ignored.
If Foley were the guy next door he would be arrested by now and on his way to the sex offender registry.
It is a total ruse he is in rehab.
As a voting Republican I will be watching how my party handles this.
A cover up hurts all Republicans. It makes those of us who despise underage sex as crime look like we are advocates of it.
I am not. I have children and expect that any policy maker voting to protect them needs to abide by his own damn laws.

I hate that fact that important issues such as this are politicized in an election year. Both parties are at fault. The Republicans should have done more to stop it based on what they knew, and the Democrats should have released the information right away instead of holding onto it to use as an election-year October curve-ball. I do have to say that the Republicans are doing the right thing by not backing him. I was disapointed by a similar but more severe circumstance about 20 years ago that involved a certain Democrat who was backed by his party and received only a censure as punishment. I have to hand it to the Republicans for not “circling the wagons” on this one and agreeing to call a spade a spade.

I am a very conservative Republican who is extremely upset with Foley and the leadership in Congress. I hope Hastert resigns, and the party (in the last few weeks before the election) cleans house. I would suggest the House GOP caucus name new leaders in advance of the election…people who are thoroughly vetted for ANY improprieties!

I’ve noticed that some news outlets, notably NBC News and Fox are reporting the rumor that the Democrats knew of these emails and withheld the information until right before the election.
What does ABC News have to say?

Drinking?!? Alcoholism is not responsible for this perversion.
This man needs jail time! Where is Dateline NBC when you need them?
It breaks my heart that he is a member of my party. I most heartily agree that Foley and ALL those who knew about his perversion be removed from office and server time in prison!
That is what would happen to any regular citizen.

I completely agree with and would like to echo the remark by Ms. Benson. Had Foley been playing his online games with an ADULT while delaying a vote, that would be scandalous enough on its own terms. The fact that we’re talking about pedophilia pushes his transgressions so far into the realm of sheer depravity and criminality that ANYONE in that building who knew about it — regardless of title or party affiliation — ought to resign, or be outed by the press. Drain the swamp, I say!

Does anyone actually think that it was only the republican leadership that knew what was going on. There are democrats that knew just as well. The bottom line, however is that as much as republicans or democrats may have known that Foley was a little odd and a little too friendly with these pages, there was no one who had ever come forth with any evidence at the time that indicated that his behavior was anything more than a little too friendly. Now that someone has come forth with info to indicate otherwise, all concerned have called for a full investigation. So for anyoe to call on the republican leadership to resign, perhaps you should rethink, and also consider the fact that it was no secret for democrats either. So should they resign as well.

As a fifteen-year-old girl, I feel that this man should be put behind bars. Who knows how many other minors he might target? I don’t think that men like these deserve to hold any political position and I am absolutely disgusted by the doings of men like him.

This is strong evidence that our government has fallen to it’s lowest moral standing ever. It’s hard not to ultimately feel despair when some of our highest ranking elected officials are found guilty of the most repugnant offenses imaginable. What could one in such a position do that could possibly be more damaging to our society as a whole?

Uh VA Resident before you get to high up on that high horse the democratic leadership knew of this too and were waiting for the right time to let it lose, also large newspapers were burying this as well. So if we are cleaning house lets clean it all.

We are all looking forward to ABC outing the other two members of Congress mentioned. Good job!
Apparently the rule has been that if you are Republican then whatever else you may do is excusable in the eyes of other party members, unless you are caught of course. After that you can only count on the support of dope-addled pundits like Limbaugh.

This incident, and particularly the Republicans’ response to it, is symptomatic of a bigger problem with their control over Congress.
Republicans will do anything to stay in power. We’ve seen how they have sold their principles on things like the deficit just to keep the bread and circuses operating. Now we see that they would sell their own children — correction, YOUR children — to keep the reigns.
Hopefully, the voters, if not entirely aware of this, have at least the vague sense that there’s something rotten in Congress and a great need for wholesale changes.

The thing that REALLY gets me is no one is calling Hastert on the basis of his statement. He keeps saying that he knew about the “overly-friendly” emails, but not the IM’s. That is EXACTLY why there should have been a TRUE investigation when the emails came to light. By inaction, heck, NOT EVEN telling EITHER of the other two members of the Page Committee (one Dem, one female Rep), no one bothered to check with other pages if they had inappropriate contact, etc. Hastert can NOT claim to have vigilence and care regarding the minors in his care when he didn’t do ANY follow through.

Here it is happening in our government and seemingly no one took it too seriously, not even mentioning it to the Page Board. He just got a “word” from an associate?
Does this story not have a familiar ring to it? Our church bishops did the same thing for decades where sexually abusive priests were concerned.
Does it never end? Are we never to hold these people accountable?
Our archaic state laws need serious updating across the country and that includes a “look back window” to prosecute sexual predators who have been protected by authorites for so long.
Sister M. Immaculata Dunn

What I find funny is when this story broke last week there was tons of responses on this forum from right wingers saying this was nothing more than a smear campaign. Now that the truth breaks where are the right wingers now?

Mark Foley was my congressman here in WPB, FL and I think we haven’t heard the worst yet. Based on this exchange it sounds like Foley was doing a lot more than sending IM’s. I believe we will find that he actually consumated some of these relationships. Why is he not already under arrest? Can criminals just check themselves into alcohol rehab to avoid prosecution?

I hope the Democrats watch what they say because, watch, next time a scandal comes out like this it will be a Democrat. This is not about politics, people. Perverts and sexual preditors don’t discriminate between political parties. Don’t think that there aren’t any Democrat perverts or preditors out there. They just haven’t been caught. And just because one is a pervert, doesn’t make them all perverts; if your brother turns out to be a pervert that doesn’t make you a pervert. He, and he alone, has to deal with those consequences and if not in this lifetime, then in the next.

Republican or Democrat, Conservative or Liberal it simiply does not matter. It is beyond wrong! And to excuse it by saying “I’m an alcoholic” makes me even more angry! Take responsibility for your actions!!!!

There is an epidemic of sexual brokeness and deep wounds in our culture – nevertheless – that does not excuse Mr. Foley’s actions. He is not above the law and needs to be brought into account and forced to pay the consequences. This would send a message to the rest of our leaders.

FYI
Pedophilia describes an attraction to pre-pubescent boys/girls. There seems to be no evidence whatsoever that Foley is a Pedophile. The proper name for attraction to post-pubescent boys/girls would be Ephebophilia. There is a significant amount of dispute as to whether such an attraction is inherently pathological. It could just be an uncommon manifestation of normal reproductive biology. Other view it as a milder form of Pedophilia. Needless to say, what truly makes this situation reprehensible is the fact that Foley has abused his position of power with young men who are psychologically immature despite their physical maturity. This is, at the very least, a significant problem in a workplace that is taking on boys and girls as interns/pages.

And his behavior has been known to the House Republican leadership for quite some time, but they decided that keeping a Republican in that seat was more important than the safety of their pages. Does anyone really doubt now that the Republicans will do absolutely anything to stay in power, even allowing animals like Foley to prey on young boys? If he’d been doing this for as long as it looks like then it’s almost certain that he was having sex with some of them, something the Republican leadership was happy to turn a blind eye to as long as Foley did it discreetly while bringing in the money and keeping a seat for them.
Party before country is the Republican way, in all matters. And that goes for the safety and security of our children as well as that of our country.

Don’t tell me that he’ll get his retirement package and benefits!! How to we stop it?

Foley should be behind bars forever! Members of congress who knew about the instant messages should be be forced to resign, the e-mails are a different story, while disgusting they fall short of “internet sex”. But what about the news sources who knew but held onto the information until now? don’t they bear some guilt also?

Don’t vote Republican or Democrat on November 7. Congressional members of both parties knew about this and neither did anything. To have this stuff hit the news cycle 5 weeks before the election smells bad for the Dems and the Reps have nothing to smile about here. Vote them all out! Fresh blood may do some good here.

I cannot help but laugh at the hypocrisy! It’s probably the only way to deal with this kind of behaviour! It’s utterly outrageous and appalling! I expect he won’t be charged with any crime though

any republican OR democrat who knew before this week should resign in shame. i expect there are plenty on both sides of the aisle who kept it quite for their own reasons — republicans to avoid scandal, democrats to release scandal at a strategic point. both are equally disgusting.

The thing that gets me most about this story are the allegations that going back several years, Republican pages were privately warned about this predator and Democratic pages were not.

These moral elitists protected a man they knew was a pedophile and even permitted him a seat on the committee charged with protecting children from people like him.
What more do we need to know about these guys? Throw the bums out.

As a mom and grandmother-and a VOTER- I am appalled at this entire situation. First of all to have a highly regarded elected official behave in such a manner/ the teens responding the way they did to him in the IM’s and the way congress has handled these complaints. Alcohol does not make a person a sexual predator to anyone be it a minor or an adult. If Foley needs REHAB it should be in a prison with all the other misfits of our country.

This is disgusting and to think that he is making the laws of the land. What hypocrisy!!! Everyone who knew this was going on should be made to resign or is the GOP going to say that different laws apply for those in power?

Did Foley actually engage in any physical contact with these underage pages? All I have read about is these e-mails and text messages. This is immoral but is it truly “illegal”?

The boy was at least 16, so it’s not quite pedophilia. In most places in the world, this is legal and acceptable. In fact, it’s even legal in Washington DC, where age of consent is 16! Blimey!

These are not little children. This is not pedophilia. A majority of 16 year olds are having sex. What Foley did is shameful and he should be shamed but all of you wacko hypocrites who are claiming that he should be in jail are going way overboard. What I want to know is how long did the Democrats hold onto these messages to use for purely political reasons? Remember this is the same party that refused to even shame their own politicians when they engaged in similiar immoral activities.

Politics aside, if true, this is certainly inappropriate. More importantly, I am even further confused about what ‘conservative values’ represent (Foley?).
I’m certain there are more of them preying.

This is strong evidence that our government has fallen to it’s lowest moral standing ever. It’s hard not to ultimately feel despair when some of our highest ranking elected officials are found guilty of the most repugnant offenses imaginable. What could one in such a position do that could possibly be more damaging to our society as a whole?

Something smells here….IM’s saved for over 3.5 years? There is more to this story than meets the eye….and now the revelation that there are more than 50 of them? I wonder how long the Democrats have known about this….

This guy is a sicko! We all agree. He’s now toast!
BUT, no one has asked how ABC got the e-mails. Do you think they got them from the Republicans? If not, how do we all feel about being manipulated politically?
Personally I don’ t respond to this kind of crap from either side. It’s blatantly transparent, and, I won’t be taking my eyes off the big issues…border control, the war, terrorism. The rest of you can do what you want and regret it later.

Is this the new Democratic campaign strategy? A few months ago, it was lock up Bush’s Cabinet. Now, it’s lock up Hastert because Foley is a pervert. Get some perspective.

Bootom line – Republican or Democrat – this is a disgusting act by a liar and deceiver who needs to be put away for a long time.
If it comes out that Hastert and the political leadership of the Republican party knew about this and did nothing about it (and don’t blame it on Katrina), I am going to become an independent. I am so sick of both parties’ lies, scandals and political manuuvering that I am about to become and issue only voter.

I’m a STRONG Republican – but this sick puppy needs to be put in the pound for a long time!!!!

This whole Foley mess is indefensible and scandalous enough, but Brian and ABC: where’s the “internet sex” in these IMs? I see some repugnant flirting, but no mention of any overtly sexual or physical sexual activity between Foley and the “teen”. If this is what “internet sex” is, I’m glad I’ve missed out. Your headline is deliberately misleading for prurient and selfish ends. Shame on you.

I think the saddest part of all of this is people are starting to confuse ‘gay’ with ‘pedophile’.
I really wonder if this guy is gay.. no one is talking about his adult partners..
Thank goodness the media confronted this guy so he is now GONE. Sad the leadership of the GOP didn’t do something long before now.

I think his behaviour is quite inappropriate. He should have sent such messages to men of his own age group.

Why do we always try to hold our leaders to a higher standard? Haven’t you figured out yet that they are not in it for us…they are in it for themselves. Our politicians are so power hungry that they think we are too dumb to realize that they are looking after number one, themselves. Sure, Foley is a disgusting pervert but if we knew about all the skeletons in every politician’s closet, the world would be a very scary place. Vote Independent in 2006!!!!!

I think most people would agree, regardless of their party affiliation, that Mr. Foley’s behavior was absolutely disgusting and reprehensible. Why does this incident have to become a partisan issue?

Navin:
You wrote: “As to how and why he was left in Congress, it’s obvious: the Republicans place their grip on power well above the safety of you, me, our children, etc. It’s time to put an end to their lawless, corrupt reign. Vote Democrat on November 7.”
What do you think about Clinton pardoning a man convicted of the same offense? How about a Dem doing the same exact thing, but consummating the relationship in ’83…and then being re-elected? No comment, right?
All of these people are disgusting- REGARDLESS of party.

I am so disappointed to see what is going on. I served as an intern in college then worked in the House full time for another 4 years. I never experienced this, and was proud of my job. I feel awful for future pages/interns as the prestige of this job is gone.

I happen to be a Democrat, but in no way would that change my feelings that whatever party you represent, this kind of behavior (Foley’s) is despicable. Tune into that windbag Rush Limbaugh however, and you will see how he has dedicated every minute of his show since this news broke to excusing Foley. He is convinced this is a political stunt brought on by Democrats close to the election just to further blacken the already tarnished GOP party. Is he nuts????? Does he think we, the voting public, are so stupid that we would vote out an entire party based upon the lack of judgement of one Senator? Rush goes so far as to beat the Clinton drum over and over as if what he (Clinton) did can be considered pedophillia. Pulleez – and is it just me, or does every sicko deviant enter rehab the minute their dirty little secrets are revealed. Once a pervert always a pervert – I agree, anyone who didn’t follow up with this guy after the warning he was given is just as guilty!

I am getting so sick of people telling the rest of us how to live our lives when they are pulling stuff like this. Foley has been a big proponent of censorship in the adult industry. I hope he rots in hell.

Why does anyone assume that Hastert or anyone else knew anything? Hastert says he only knew about email contacts of a nonsexual nature and told Foley to stop. Foley told Hastert that he was just concerned about the kid after the hurricane. Is Hastert supposed to monitor the emails and instant messaging of all congressmen?
This is about a sordid deed by one man. It does not involve a group or party.
And one more thing — how is it that someone had these messages for all this time and releases them right before the election? This is as if Foley had murdered someone, and someone knew it, but released it right before the election in order to smear the other party. So, there ARE two wrong here. Foley is sick. And someone on behalf of the Democrats is a sick conniver.

Its just come out that Fox News had the original mails months ago and refused to run the story. So can all you Republicans looking for an excuse ( no matter how lame) get off that this was some how surpressed by the democrats.

If it is possible, I’m now even more disgusted with Foley’s behaviour.
IF it is found that others did know about this then ALL should be investigated fully.
I’m angry that BOTH parties are trying to use this scandal as a political ‘score’ for their side.
This is NOT about politics-this IS about one mans aberrant behaviour and how he took advantage of his position.
As disgusting as this matter seems to be growing, one thing I keep trying to remind myself of is;
EVERYONE in America is PRESUMED INNOCENT unless they are PROVED GUILTY and convicted in a court of law-
not this court of opinion.
It makes me physically ill thinking that someone may have held this story in order to time it to the mid term elections. I’m not stupid-I know this kind of sleazy politics goes on all the time, but I would hope that it wouldn’t include EVER placing our YOUTH at harm.

How many more of the Foley’s are in our Congress? All of them should be run off. Both parties make me angry. One is using this to gain power and the other is trying to keep power. Pointing the finger is the political way. Neither party is interested in the good of America or they would weed out everyone of these kind of people.

The only difference between Foley and those pedophiles caught in internet sting operations is that Foley is hiding in rehab whereas the others are in jail…but is there really any difference beyond that?

Yes, This is beyond sad. The cover up is worse.
The real sadness because of this is the fact that Adults can not risk even talking with young people for fear of an accusation.
As a youth I had loving suppport of Neighbors (invitations to dinner) Teachers (rides to School in bad weather) Church Family (picnics and vacations).
That is not available in todays hysterical enviornment. Sad indeed ! There are good kids that are in need of attention. No one can help.

We’re all better off without Foley. My only question is – why would ANYONE keep instant messages from 2003?? Has anyone looked into these IM to see how authentic they are and find out why someone would be sitting on these for so long? As glad as I am that Foley is out, the timing on this and the way it’s unfolding seems a bit suspicious.

This man should not be allowed to “hide” in a rehab center. He should be arrested. Just because he is a politician, it does not give him any special rights. The Republican party better deal with this man’s behavior Harshly and send a message that nobody is going to put up with this type of behavior.

Linda, this info from ABC is going public as they get it. The story started when they got the “overly friendly” email on Friday, and has snowballed since then, with apparently multiple pages coming forward with additional transcripts. You’re welcome to put on a tinfoil hat and scream about a Dem conspiracy, but in all honesty, I don’t think the Dems are capable of orchestrating the Perfect Storm that this scandal has become. If there was any question about whether the GOP was fit to lead this country, I think it’s safe to say that it’s been answered quite clearly.

No matter what, people will always try to find a way to make the democrats look bad. This is a GOP (the party of moral values) Congressman, and the scandal involves the GOP leadership,period. Any talk of dem involvment in the timing etc is cynical and morally relativist—this is bad on its face, end of story. All you Republicans looking for a Dem to blame; its a good idea before you vote to see if all the values rhetoric matches the people/party’s ACTIONS.

The authenticity of chat logs is also in question. They are simple text files, with no cryptographic signatures — only his screen name. They would themselves are not even admissable into court as evidence against Foley unless their authenticity can be validated — perhaps by finding the same chatlogs on Foley’s computer after it has been sized by the FBI.

Why not look back my fellow Americans and examine your own moral values. Sodomy is now legal in most parts of the USA; homosexual unions are ‘blessed’ by many Church demoninations. Foley is worse than most but he takes his example from the morally corrupt nation we live in.

Did anyone know about the Instant Messages or did they just know about the e-mails. It doesn’t sound like the e-mails were as alarming. Foley has problems. I wonder if he ever tried to be a boyscout leader.

And how come is hasn’t been arrested yet? Seriously what kind of catholic church golden ticket did Foley get to no to jail for this. Oh wait that is right he is a Republican Congressman not a american like the rest of us.
And what about this kids parents are they outraged? How come they are pressing charges?
Man I need to run for office.

Mike – Monica Lewinsky was 23 at the time she was involved with Clinton. An adult, a college graduate and the relationship was both legal and consensual (even if stupid). THAT’S the difference. And I do believe that ABC, as well as every other MSM venue covered the Lewinsky story in great and continuing detail.
What information do you have that ABC “had this info for awhile”?

Monica Lewinski was 22 years old and a college graduate, a clearly consenting adult, at the time. A pathetic try.

As the law says, if you had knowledge of the crime, then you are considered an accessory to the crime and are just as guilty. Get rid of the whole lot of them!!! To think we have sick and demented people running our country. This has nothing to do with politics. It has everything to do with crime. Put these criminals behind bars and throw away the key. Why should they be treated any differently than the average American? What a disgrace!!!

Where has this instant message been for the last three years? How was it saved? The only method I know is to cut and paste into a text document. It appears Rep Foley was very careful what he wrote into emails which everyone knows are archived, but was “stung” by these IMs, there is a lot more here. Did the Dems and/or ABC have this info for years saving for an Oct suprise? If so who is more responsible for Foley staying, thus having continued opportunity to prey on the young, the Republicans who had only emails or those who had knowledge of the more incriminating IMs?

The difference with this and Clinton is that Foley is targeting UNDERAGE children. Adultery with two consenting people over the legal age, as irreprensible as it is, is not a crime (although you can get impeached for it). Getting involved with people under the legal age is a crime, and people like him should be treated like criminals. If he was doing this stuff with another guy above the legal age, I could care less. But when this is occuring with children, it is disgusting. And as much as the Republicans want to counterattack with “but the Democrats do it too”, they can’t because by saying that they are admitting that they have lost the “moral high ground” between the two parties that they used to distinguish themselves from the Democrats. Boy, talk about being boxed into a corner.

Foley definitely deserves all that he gets from the fallout over this. At least he had the good sense to resign and not attempt to hold his seat.
But there is one important point to remember when looking at this mess; it’s unclear if anyone, (R) or (D) had access to these IM logs prior to the story becoming public. The only thing the (R) leadership admits to seeing are the much less sexually overt emails. Those could be considered overly friendly but are no where near the level of these message logs.
If it becomes known that someone had access to these chat logs prior to the story going public, I hope that person, if they hold public office, is run out on the same rail that Foley is.
Then there’s the questions of any legal ramifications. I’ve seen somewhere that the age of consent is 16 in Washington, so he might not have actually violated any law, just a gross violation of ethical standards for Congressman.

Rather than indulging knee-jerk reaction, has it ever occurred to anyone to ask who else has/had access to Foley’s computer?

I agree with the cusp of the room when you say that this ammoral pederast should be shown no quarter,but there is a bigger hypocrisy at work here. If it were an older man, someone venerated, and a woman in her late teens, early twenties, would this discussion even have grounds? We all know that older men, it has become recent unfortunately, lust after younger men and women, and our society gives it as much attention as one does combing his hair. Something is truly wrong with most people.

Given the fact that there have been congressmen who have actually had sex with pages, this outburst of indignation is so out of line when compared to the previous scandals. This story is also overblown when compared to the school shootings, Iraq war, runaway government control over our lives, and the list goes on. Have you read your teen’s email and IM’s lately. The majority of them write the same things to each other! Punish the guy and get on with more important topics of discussion.

Simply sickening.

This is one sick circus show from our elected officials. Do not vote any one of them back in. Maybe Congres should have to take a breathalyzer before each vote.

It is sad that their is a strong suggestion of Republican’s wanting to hold onto their Florida seat by letting Foley’s behavior slide all this time. What does this show the world?

How could the House Leaders allowed this to go on. And try to hide it. Sick Very sick

Who keeps IMs around? and how do you print them off if they’re on a Blackberry, e.g.?

Policy positions aside — Did any voter ever believe for even a nanosecond that those we elected to congress would endanger teens for political expedience?
They’re toast.

I’ve been drunk on occasion, and never did it cross my mind to go have sex with children. I do not see where going beyond “been drunk on occasion” to “alcoholic” would make one think that was okay, and really, I kind of resent them thinking that we are actually stupid enough to believe that is a valid reason.
*sarcasm* Oh, it’s okay, he can’t help it, he’s an ALCOHOLIC *end sarcasm* Suuure it is. And when they force that one down our throats, then they will fill in the caps letters with any other pidgeonhole they can label a criminal with. Old. Gay. Black. White. Feminine. Foreign. From a ‘bad home’. Slow.
As was previously pointed out, I do not see where he “inturrupted the vote”, either. The facts are bad enough without adding sensationalism to it.
See? Lead by example really works! Our leaders are turning out to be child predators, and it seems much of the citizenry is following.

And the F.B.I. decided that there was nothing here to investigate?

MORE QUESTIONS:
1. This man obviously is an idiot recording these messages.
2. I guess I would wonder about my kid accepting these messages from an adult? Why not turn off the phone, show the messages to parents, teachers, police officers moments after they were sent?
3. Who in the press knew about this and DID NOT report it? Would they be accessories?
4. If any other adults (congress or otherwise) knew about this, are they subject to any violations of any laws? Accomplices?
5. Hastert must reveal EVERYONE (both parties) who is currently suspected of any wrongdoing to clear house. That will cause some sweat.
Don, Houston

Do most people save instant messages? Did someone advise this kid to save the messages for his own protection or as evidence so they could bust Foley? I hope he never touched anyone.

While his actions are certainly unseemly and probably illegal, he is not exhibiting pedophilia, which is a desire to have sex with pre-adoloscents. One’s sexual proclivities do not distinguish between 17 and 11 months and 18 and 1 month. The media, stupidly, seems to draw the line for pedophilia at this legal fiction. Foley likes young men and abused a position of power to reach them, but he is not a pedophile or nearly as sick as one.

Hitting on 17 year old is not PEDOPHELIA. pedophelia is, by definition, attraction to prepuberty children. The age of consent in DC is 16. Its gross, but its not illegal. I’m not defending the guy, we just need to use the correct terminology.

Our “esteemed” elected leaders will probably follow the usual path. They will call for hearings and sit in grand rooms looking stern for the photographers. They will express outrage to any news camera that is in sight. All of them will claim they were deceived by one of their own. And after all the huffing and puffing and acting they will retire to their offices having not accomplished a thing. They will attempt to “ride it out” until we the people forget about it. It’s up to us to keep the heat on or absolutly nothing will be done.

I wonder who is in possession of these instant messages and is providing them to ABC. What are the dates of these IMs? Have congressional democrats or their staff been aware of these messages? If so, for how long? If so, shouldn’t they be required to resign as well? Certainly the democrats only required censure of their own Rep Studds in 1983 when he had sexual relations with a teenage intern. Is precedent of any value in an election year?

Greetings from Canada, where this story is getting some play anyway. It reminds me of the Chinese saying “Big
front, big back.” I asked several friends, and no one had ever heard of Foley before now.

My understanding is that many folks “knew” Foley was gay, just not necessarily preying on teenagers. If they did know about it before hand, whoever did should be forced to resign.
On another note, I think the behavior is atrocious but I love the double standard in our society, because this is a gay thing. If this was a 24 year old guy who slept with a 16 or 17 year old girl it would be statutory rape, but because its a 50 something guy preying on a 16 or 17 year boy its pedophilia. To me this is more of a statutory rape and inappropriate behavior thing. Just think folks, 80 years ago it was not uncommon for people to be married at 16 or 17. I am NOT justifying the behavior and do think he should be charged especially since he is an elected official–I just don’t think this falls in the range of pedophilia/child molester type definition I normally think of. Is he a perv? Yes. is he a child molester/rapist type, I don’t think so. Sometimes that’s the problem with the unseeing face of the law.

foley is a disgusting perverted lying piece of crap & stop comparing him to clinton clinton wasnt going after underage boys he had an affair w/an of age person get over the republican democrat crap HE IS A HYPOCRIT THAT WAS SOLICITING A 16 YR OLD BOY

Couldn’t they tack on the charge of providing alcohol to a minor if that is what actually happened in the supposed meeting referenced above? Actually two minors. This guys has a on-going history of this type of behavior.
He needs to be made an example of because the whole world is watching. Hopefully we will not prove ourselves hypocrites again by only slapping him on the wrist. He needs jail time if a crime has been proven to have occurred.

I think the Clinton issue is not even an issue. What he did was have an affair with a consentual ADULT! He did not prey on minors. Although what Clinton done was morally wrong, he did not prey on young children. That’s more than I can say for the God forsaken Republican leaders. It’s time to stop the Republican reign over our country. Do the right thing & VOTE DEMOCRAT!!

Some of his constituents must have known about him. They had a level of responsibility to out him! Where were they?

There’s a big difference between the Monica situation and this case. Clinton was not sick or stupid enough to engage in sexual contact with a minor; Lewinsky was over 18 at the time, so, while it was a terrible personal family crisis for the Clintons, it was not, and should not have been treated as, a legal issue. Of course, the Republicans used it to political advantage anyway. The Foley case is an entirely different matter by virtue of the fact that MINORS were involved; this definitely warrants a criminal investigation. From what I’ve read, it seems as though Hastert knew about the less explicit emails that were revealed last fall and earlier this spring, but failed to conduct any further investigation. This is very disturbing as one would think that at the slightest sign of children being at risk, our congressional leaders would take swift action to prevent a predator from advancing through the halls of Congress. Alas, as has been the case for the last several years, all these GOP nutjobs care about is holding on to power. Barring another “surprise! weekend before the election” Osama video, the country should get some much deserved relief from this insanity come November 7.

The saying “what goes around comes around” is Karma. A person may think they’re going to get away with hypocrisy and injustice. However, they will usually find in life that there’s no escaping conscience and in some cases, justice.
I’m always amused at those who proclaim themselves as advocates of humanity and proclaim conservatism are the very ones who participate in the indecent acts which they denounce. “Oh, but they’re sinners. They no not what they do.”
There’s a common thread with human behavior that negative actions are caused by something they feel is beyond their control. In this case, congressman Mark Foley is insinuating that his alcoholism is to blame for his pedophilia. Why can’t people accept responsibility for their actions? I’m HIV positive because I did something to get it. It wasn’t drugs, alcohol, or any other vice that caused me to get HIV. I contracted this virus by action. Foley acted on this behavior. It wasn’t alcohol.
It is becoming all too common in our society to blame our bad behaviors on others or even things. But the fact is a person is responsible for their own existence.

Foley is sick!!! and alcohol played no part in his behavior!
And because he has resigned…he should NOT get any pay whatsoever!! Give his last paycheck and all retirement monies to charities. He won’t need money where he is going!!

Yea it is sick and he is sick. Very sick. But condemning him does no good. Likely this behaviour has been in his life from a very young age. I say “go get help” and suffer the consequences. That is the way life works. The political implications are questionable- but certainly the democrats will twist every last drop out of it. But why people are so “shocked” that a Congressman or Senator could be involved is weird. Why couldn’t someone in a position such as that be involved in that? They come into office as flawed humans and some far more flawed than others. It’s ironic that the American public holds politicians in such disdain and then act totally shocked when one does what others in the general public have done. The sad-outrageous part is that he may not be held to the same standard as those in the general public- (ie- “Perverted Justice”)- but then again we have the OJ fiasco- so go figure.

I have to wonder just why we keep voting for these bozos?
Clean the house. These long-serving incumbents think they are above the laws that apply to everyone else.
They MUST go

As a life long Republican, I can finally say that my party has left me speechless. Whomever knew, or had an inkling of Foley’s actions should be brought up on criminal charges. ANYONE, regardless of political party or position held. Any defense of their actions is ludicroius.

NBC Dateline does the show, “to catch a predator”, in which people doing the same thing go to jail. Why has he not been arrested?

Greetings,
Some questions to which perhaps you can provide some answers.
I know why I am appalled, but why is ABC appalled? Is ABC aware that this sort of thing has taken place before by others. And not only in words but in action? Where was the outrage then?
From where did ABC News obtain these IMs from and why is that if these message were generated back in April are they just now coming to light? Got any answers?

Everyone is making this out to be a political thing… eventually this will possibly take a political toll. but the raw data on this suggests that one is a child predetor and the people who did not investigate in congress helped cover up a crime. If Foley is found guilty all those who help hide this should also pay the the legal price. If someone came and told me that the 52 yr old man next door asked for my 16 y/o son or daughters a pic of them, i would not tell him to stop i would go to the cops(expect i have nothing to gain by not going to the cops. The people who decided to pretty much try and sweep this under the rug are criminals as well.. also note i’m a republican and i would be dammned if i vote for any of these hypocrites… unless somthing substancial happens i have a feeling i’m voting democrat.. too many crazy things going on with our party and now you can’t even count the incidents on one hand.

If the interns were warned of getting to close with this guy, are there any others in the House or Senate who are also on the ‘watch out’ list? I’ll bet there are others who are preying on the teens. Do we have to wait for a news outlet to identify the unknown sickos to bring them to our attention? Where is our Congressional leadership?

Isn’t is interesting how quickly these scoflaws check into rehab when they are caught? Didn’t a well-known Congressman from Rhode Island recently check into rehab after a late night accident at the Congressional building? It’s as if they are pleading innocent by reason of alcohol addiction or substance abuse.

He needs to go and to go without all the perks that congressmen get for the rest of their long long lives. Not like the rest of us working stiffs who have no retirement. Maybe while he was having sex with himself he should have voted against all the perks they get. I no longer care of they are Repulican or Demorcatic they are all in for themselves and all they can get. Why is he not in jail!!! Again all of us dumb working stiffs would be.

Foly is bad but the House leadership is worse! They enabled this sick man to continue this charade at tax payer expense.

no typos in his IM’s…wow

People since most of you haven’t figured this out here’s some insight. ONLY the MIDDLE CLASS have a sense of morality. The poor can’t afford it and the rich (like Foley) are above it. So your “moral outrage” means nothing to those who make your laws. They prey on you and they play you like pigeons. They pass stringent laws but they themselves don’t abide by them. They raise their own slaries but they won’t raise your wages. Yet they tell us that they are all — all honorable men.

For those who talk about Monica, homosexuality, and sodomy, do you really think there’s no difference between adult sexual behavior and a 50ish-year-old man seducing a 16-year-old? Do the moral values against homosexuality and sodomy mean that this would have been OK if Foley had seduced a 16-year-old girl? Examine that, then let’s talk about moral values.

Fox News sat on this story for over a month and refused to run or investigate it. So much for you abc/democrat conspiracy.

Seems to me that those who accuse the Dems for bringing out this information weeks before the elections forget that it was ABC that reported it. The same ABC that brought you Path to 9/11. Didn’t see many Republicans complaining about the untrue Clinton bashing weeks before the election. I doubt that Ken Starr will spend 6 million taxpayer dollars to investigate this Republican coverup.
Gaye, Illinois

As a Republican I am ashamed of my party. As a parent, I am outraged by the lack of concern and action by Dennis Hastert. He must go. The time has come. He is now officially in the same league as the guys we see on Dateline showing up to have sex with underaged children.

Good thing Republicans have Diebold voting machines on their side, and the Democratic leadership is snoozing.
Think they’ll lose both houses? Think they’ll lose even one house? Don’t make me laugh.

I think all republicans OR
democrats, anyone holding office, should only hold it for 2 terms. These lifetime pols are sicking, they only help the rich and to h*** with the poor, the kids, ect.
Two terms for all offices everywhere.

Shame on all of you trying to blame this lowlife’s activities on homosexuality or gay marriage! Pedophiles have been praying on children long before gay marriage or gay rights were even an issue. In fact, most pedophiles and child killers are heterosexual men! I knew the so called “Christian right” would jump at the opportunity to blame this on gays to rally their misinformed base!

The folks that knew about this information most likely would use it against Foley for gain if it didnt go public..think about it and you’ll realize this is how things work until all goes public. Republican and Democrat alike play this game everyday…favor for a favor. There are no morals, just what you can get for your constituency.

I’m shocked, though I shouldn’t be, that a scandal that has nothing to do with politics or political parties is being portrayed that way by some. Everyone should be disturbed at Foley’s behavior regardless of their political affiliation.

I find it appalling that NeoCons are throwing Clinton out there like he was a pedophile like Foley! She was an Adult, not a child. That ridiculousness right there should get all you idiots right out of office. No one was saying All Republicans are Pedophiles – they were blaming the man who did it and looking for those who covered it up. I hope Democrats use this to show how sick with power the republicans are and that they will salvage our children to retain their power. SHAME on all of them and you who refer to Clinton!!!! Clinton was no pedophile but FOLEY IS AND HE SHOULD PAY!

Anyone who thinks this has anything at all to do with politics (except the fact that this may have been covered up) is insane. Don’t think that these guys don’t look out for each other, no matter what party they are in. I’m a conservative Republican and I know it goes on in both parties. Yet another argument for strict term limits and no “professional” politicians… but this guy is a nut and a pedophile who is trying to blame his deviancy on alcohol??? who is he trying to fool?
Oh yeah, all of us…

He said he was drinking… That is sufficient for me…
Nobody cares anymore, you liberals just need to get a life…

Make sure this guy winds up incarcerated for the rest of his life.He is less than scum, he abused the public trust and now he should be publically brought to account.
BS on the alchoholisim as a cause, he is a PEDIOPHILE and why is he NOT IN JAIL ??????

I don’t believe it! He was set up, no one would keep all those messages unless there was a reason!! They certainly wouldn’t give them to the MSM to be exposed themselves. Rotten, really Rotten people out there!!

This is pretty disgusting. If I were Speaker of the House and I heard about allegations of *any* sort of impropriety between a minor and another member of congress, I’d have acted on it immediately instead of waiting until election season.
Hastert has no intention of resigning of course, and who knows how gentle the slap on the wrist will be for Foley. In my opinion, Foley blaming his alcoholism is passing the buck, and Hastert has no excuse for not acting. The congressional leadership is very much about “accountability” only if they themselves don’t have to be held accountable.

What I don’t get is Hastert saying in one breath that they knew about the emails last year, then saying they didn’t know anything. “The parents didn’t want us to pursue….” What crap. It’s the LAW to pursue it! And they didn’t. They’re just as sick for sweeping it under the rug!

OR ARE YOU ALL JUST UPSET THAT HE WAS MOLESTING YOUNG MEN, AND NOT YOUNG WOMEN? WHO HAS THEIR PRIORITIES OUT OF LINE NOW?

Former Chicago Democratic Congressman Mel Reynolds received a six-and-a-half-year federal sentence for his convictions of wire fraud, bank fraud and lies to the Federal Election Commission. He also was convicted of having sex with a 16 year old campaign volunteer.
Reynolds was among the 176 criminals excused in President Clinton’s pardons.
Later Jesse Jackson added Reynolds to Rainbow/PUSH Coalition’s payroll.
Deroy Murdock, a columnist, wrote back in 2002: “This is a first in American politics: An ex-congressman who had sex with a subordinate, won clemency from a president who had sex with a subordinate, then was hired by a clergyman who had sex with a subordinate.

Fascinating. We now have the Mel Gibson defense at play on the Hill. The only thing that this guys alcohol issues create is a drunk pedophile.
I think that is needs to be looked at closely to see if the GOP leadership kept this data under wraps, and in so doing condoned it, so as not to risk losing a seat in the House. If that is determined, that the Nixon era, “what did they know, and when did they know it” cover-upstory is back, then there needs to be a raft of resignations.
Bending the rules has always been a practice on the Hill, but to have covered this up, if that is indeed the case, is well beyond that bending the rules.

After looking at the facts of this whole episode it is becoming clear that Foley did not violate any laws as far as I can tell.
Furthermore, if 16 years olds are now considered children by many why are they allowed to be “Pages” in the US House of Reps?
16 year olds are not children unless they fulfill an urgent political need.
BTW, Foley is an idiot that should be gone. Nobody that stupid should be a Congressman. Freak.

I think Foley’s punishment should be left alone with John Walsh and all the other fathers who lost their sons to these deviant psychos.

Ew…what a sicko.

These are the same hypocritical, twisted freaks who just snuck in an on-line gambling ban to a port security bill. They’re telling me I can’t spend my already taxed money on internet gaming while they’re gaming underage boys on the internet. And I’m the one endangering the moral well-being of the country playing cards? Do not confuse this with a liberal rant either. I’m a registered republican and have been for 20+ years.

I’m surprised and dissappointed that the Speaker and the party officials; who have been informed of the matter did nothing. It is very easy for a young man to be coerced by those who are in greater power; and at the age of 16 or 17; we have generally accepted a lack of maturity. Hastert (who I had greatly respected) ought to have been on the case immediately and reviewed the Page program in order to protect these future politicians and bureaucrats who could do so much for this country. It’s a damn shame the program has been defiled by this filth. Resignation maybe, apologies and fixing the problem: that is an absolute must.

sad to see so many coming to conclusions based upon party lines…if this is true, and it seems to be, but there is room for error here as info is coming in so quickly, the guy deserves whatever he gets…
but im sickened by those on both sides who look to use this event for political purposes….
everything today, from soldiers dying in war to violence in the streets to disgusting things like this, are all seen with political eyes, for what opportunity it may present to score political points…and that is just sad…

Hey — anyone who thinks that ABC are “leftist leaning liberals” needs only to look at the corporation. They are pretty much next in line to Fox when it comes to kissing up to Bush and company. So, in other words — if ABC is breaking this stuff, then we are all in a lot more trouble than anyone had imagined. This is coming from INSIDE — and the news is not good.

This is not pedophilia. This is incredibly common. Take a look at Myspace, Yahoo chat, or any other online communication service, and you’ll see how incredibly typical this sort of thing has become. Why attack a Congressman when the country has chosen to ignore how the trend is affecting our entire culture?
A nation of hypocrites indeed.

Foley stepped down. He should step down. Anyone who covered up should not step down but resign leadership roles. Anyone who gave Clinton a pass on the Monica thing can’t object to Foley’s behavior. In fact, I’m still waiting for THEM to step down.

I can’t believe the posts from people who right away go political with the “OMG Clinton too” lines. Give it a rest already. This isn’t a position of power issue or a Democratic hatchet job. Tt’s a pedophelia and covering up said pedophilia issue.
Bill Clinton was dumb, wrong, stupid…yes. It was also legal, consenting, and with a 23 year old woman who knew what she was doing (for the most part). This man, Foley, solicited sex from minors. He is a pedophile. It was covered up in the name of politics to save a house seat during a midterm election season that was close. Comparing it to the Clinton scandal is like comparing apples to front bumpers of a 67 chevy. If you swing Republican deal with it…this is your scandal. If you swing Democrat remember that there are scumbags on your side too.

Please let us know how you were able
to authenticate these IM’s? Log files can be created at will. Find it hard
to believe 3 year old IMs are for
real. And what kid would keep talking
to a pervert over IM? How about
turning on privacy or ignore? This
whole thing smells.

It is time for ABC/Ross to prove that these IMs are actual logs and not simply dialogs created by a DNC staffer using notepad.
Where are the sworn statements attesting that these are valid transcripts?
Where is the certification that a valid “chain of custody” exists attesting to the accuracy of these transcripts?
It is time for Ross to PROVE that Foley was a participant and these exhanges are true and not “fake but accurate.”

No one is arguing the fact that this is disgusting, but you need to look at how old these are how long someone has been holding on to it and why they waited till now to realease them when we here of someone having these for years. It is obviously politics if someone waits 30 days till an election to release them.

I don’t doudt the guilt but I do question the authenticity of the IMs. I’m a computer geek and don’t know how to readily save an IM. So a teen saved embrassing IM for a number of years? How / why did they do it?

Foley’s a pig and should be arrested but there’s somebody out there that knew about this and held on to those messages until now. I wonder when Brian Ross got these IM’s and who gave them to him after sitting on them for so long.

If this wasn’t about politics and about pedophilia as some of you are claiming, why didn’t those that had this information come forward at the time it either happened or the time it was discovered.
For it to be about pedophilia, that is when it should have come forward. But instead, the holders of this information allowed this creep to remain in office for three additional years where he could continue to have this type of contact with minors just so they could release the information the day after it became legally impossible to replace Foley’s name on the Florida ballot.

I don’t know which is worse; What Foley did, the fact that so many Republicans covered up for him, or the fact that so many Republicans are defending their leadership’s response.
They are all a bunch of really sick people.

Who cares about Foley.
The story is NOW about the House Leatdership and their INACTION!!!
Votes and $$ were more important to Denny and Crew than these boy’s safety.

Foley is a sick man. Good riddance.
I hope he gets what he has coming to him. But don’t hand me this crap
that all republicans are like that just because it’s near election time. The democrats have more than their share of drunks and perverts. I wonder if all this is coming out now by design. Does anybody remember Anita Hill?

I am confused. Foley should be punished for any laws he has broken, but 1) why would a page save IMs back in 2003, especially when this is obivious not an unwanted advance, and 2) why would the page turn them over now, right before an election? Strange.

Ricky, Did it ever occur to you that these message logs came from someone other than foley, like…the person he sent them to? …

Hey, VA resident – I haven’t heard any Republican defend this guy. In fact, he is gone already and went the day the news broke. Yet Barney Frank is still in Congress and Gary Studd was re-lected and both were defended by Democrats. It’s just a little hypocritical, don’t you think, as well as a case of selective Democratic indignation?

WOW! Internet SEX, unlike Stubbs, who got an under aged Male Page drunk, then had REAL SEX with him.
Too bad the “credible” and “objective” journalists let that one get away.
I believe they were advocates of “this kind of thing should not force a congressman to resign.”

I probably missed something somewhere but how or from whom did these instant messages come? Who saved them? How were they retrieved? And why are they being given to ABC and not to the proper authorities first? If the true motive is not political then these tapes could have been given directly to a prosecutor and not to ABC. Is this ABC’s way of getting a “scoop”? Hang out all the evidence in the newspapers? Well, he certainly has been proven guilty. No need of a trial here–forget the prosecutor. Just “hang ‘em high”.

sick, sick, sick!! foley should be arrested wherever he is hiding out at, just as all those alleged perverts where on all those dateline NBC stings were!! whats the difference, at least i dont see any. maybe some thin legal question, but i personally see nothing between those arrested on the spot for those offences, and this activity done by foley.

This isn’t a party problem because a bit of research can turn up members of both who have lived thier lives guided by thier groins.
This is about one gay man’s inability to control his desire for underage boys combined with a culture of career politicians feeling entitled to live as they wish beyond the rules of us mere mortals.

This has nothing at all to do with being a Democrat or a Republican. It is a case of a sexual deviant making his way into the Congress.
A common practice in parts of the Middle East, they are likely wondering why we keep trying to destroying ourselves.
This has occurred before. We really need to be more careful who we allow to be in a position of power.

Okay Rita…so we’re blaming the messenger?

Funny, same thing happened to a mayor in a small city in NY… he was soliciting 15 year old girls, and when he got caught and went to trial, blamed it on the alcohol. Incidentally, also a Republican. Apparently this is in the Republican handbook? (yes, it’s a sweeping generalization, but I had to say it)

The story couldn’t be released with so-called questionable timing if there was no story to release.
Foley is a pedophile predator, whether that was released in 2003, 5 weeks, 5 days or 5 hours before an election, the fact that Foley preyed on underage pages does not change.
There is no honor in protecting a pedophile and people that are doing so in the name of political loyalty need to have their heads examined.
Or maybe they’re just drunk.

To me, it doesn’t matter if this happened in 2003 or last week. A crime is a crime, no matter when it happened. And if this did happen, then Foley should be brought to justice.

To those who ask why it’s just coming out now . . . it would have come out a lot sooner if the House leadership had not worked so hard to cover it up all this time.

Can we say “hyperbole?”
Cheese and rice, you people sound like he raped a 5 year old.
16 years old is above the age of consent in most, if not all states. This may be a little creepy, because the guy is 53 years old, but lumping him in with real pedophiles (i.e. People who go for prepubescent children) does no one any good.
If anything he should be punished for his hypocrisy, but let’s put things in perspective here.

First off if these IM’s are real then Foley is a sick man. But what I am wondering is how are these transcripts being verified? Does AOL have logs that can match time stamp and ip addresses? I mean really I can create the same transcripts with the same font and everything. And Foley has admitted that he has a drinking problem has he admitted that he had internet sex with teenagers? Keep in mind I am not defending Foley I am just interested.

This is not about pedophilia. It is about pederasty. It is not kosher to mention this in America today. And I will be lambasted for speaking it, but pederasty and homosexual culture are closely connected.

Slander? Are you on crack? I’d like to see Foley sue ABC for “slander” for publishing these IM conversations. I’m sure he’d win.

Foley resigned and entered himself into rehab. When Dems do this, they stay in office and often get re-elected. Now the media and the Dems want to take political advantage, and most of the willing idiots that have posted comments here go right along.

Finally postings from people who get it. What Foley did was disgusting, but not pedophelia…the kid was 16!!! old enough to consent to actual sex in many states!
What is more interesting is that someone sat on the information for over two years before making it public a few weeks before the elections.
That person needs to be found and charged with child endangerment!

We as a nation are doomed, in no small part to ‘people’ like this that are in power.

Is pedophilia endemic white amerikan males?

Dave, it’s the GOP that has made this a political issue by not lifting a finger to either remove this sicko as the head of the missing and exploited children’s caucus or investigate further to see if any of the friendly emails were more than just that. GOP leadership swept this under the rug, and are now paying for it.
Along with Foley’s reprehensible (and possible criminal) behavior, that’s the issue here.

Palm Beach must be real proud of this guy.So who needs to press charges and who CAN press charges..more of the same.people dragging their feet and not doing the right thing.And people complain about the cost of the war?? Look at the bang for the buck we get out of politicians…and that includes ALL of them.

As bad as this case is, the kid was of the age of consent in DC. Though I think Foley obviously has issues this isn’t much different from zippergate.

What I find most offensive is that thre are so many idiots in this country (and a few on this board) that are more upset about this because the guy was a gay pedophile. Are you people actually saying if the kids had been girls we’d all be having a big laugh about this? The issue is pedophilia, dummies, not homosexuality, though I know whether it’s this, 911 or the cost of price of tea in China, you always find a way to blame it on gays!

First, here’s what Mark Foley had the audacity to say about President Clinton when the Kenneth Starr report was released:
“It’s vile,” said Rep. Mark Foley, R-West Palm Beach. “It’s more sad than anything else, to see someone with such potential throw it all down the drain because of a sexual addiction.”
What’s worse, the Republican leadership tried to cover this up so they wouldn’t lost the Congressional seat in next month’s election. Fortunately, they are going to lose a lot more than one seat.
Throw the bums out!

People bring up the Clinton/Lewinski relationship. Lewinski was no minor and at least is was a male/female assignation. Foley is a despicable predator who is hiding behind a bottle. ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE.

Besides this being a minor, it was a person of authority using undue influence over someone they had an impact on. Yes, Monica was an adult, but Clinton had overt or covert influence over her career, as did a congressperson over a page. Regardless of if the issue was illegal, it was a moral and ethical lapse.

I appreciate all of the work that Mr. Ross has done to uncover this terrible, terrible story. What we need to be doing now is not continuing to release all of this awful information, but be working just as hard to put this guy away and others like him.

If one were to look at history, specifically, the fall of the Roman Empire, what is currently going on with the rulers of this country is only a repeat of history, and I fear is a prediction of dire things to come for our country and civilization as we know it . Things are going downhill in a hurry and It doesn’t appear that there’s much the common man can do to stop it. While I am as disgusted as the next person, I’m not really surprised.

At the end of the day we as the American voters are responsible for the people we elect to represent us in our government
Isn’t it time for us to look and check carefully at the candidates that this 2 corrupt parties select and put in front us to vote for
The message must be that this is the time to brake up the hold of this corrupt parties by electing independent candidates
To congress to move toward a real multi choice democracy as being experienced in other parts of the world.

I cannot believe that Foley’s lawyer issued that statement that said was should “focus on the good Foley has done while in office” and that he is in “no way, shape or form a pedophile” That is a ludacris statement and an insult to the American people’s intelligence. So maybe the guy didn’t actually go as far as to actually touch children, but he’s a sexual predator to say the very least, and should be charged accordingly.

Studds is remembered chiefly for his role in the 1983 Congressional page sex scandal, when he and Representative Dan Crane were censured by the House of Representatives for separate sexual relationships with a minor – in Studds’s case, a 1973 relationship with a 17-year-old male congressional page. The relationship was consensual, but violated age of consent laws and presented ethical concerns relating to working relationships with subordinates.

Those saying Foley should be put in jail must be basing that on the offer of alcohol; the legal age of consent in Washington DC is 16. What Foley did was morally wrong, certainly, but at least the sexual part appears legal.

The guy is sick, he needs to be put in jail, and yes, it’s just another example of this ‘epidemic’ going on in America (maybe it’s just coming to light and has always been here, like gays used to be). At any rate, it’s NOT normal behaviour with anyone under the age of 18! Are you people crazy???

Foley was clearly a pedophile,a drunk and a liar. It makes me ill to think that he was engaging in pedophilia while voting on important issues such as the war in Iraq. Also, I can’t help but wonder if this issue would have received the same attention were he IMing with a younger female. This is a crystal clear expample of what is plaguing this country on so many levels. I hope that November will bring about new leadership in Washington. Can’t wait for 2008!!

Its people like this who are parasites of society. Theres only one solution for this type of behavior, exile. I hope my generation will have a new and better method of extensively examining elected federal officials already in office and those who are coming into office. This is the greatest nation in the world and that means we need the best leaders to interpret our laws and symbolize our country. Let me say to the rest of the world that this particular case of unacceptable behavior in our government has been sought out, and hopefully will be put through our justice system. Don’t feel embarassed as I initially did my fellow patriots. Let us be glad that this man has been caught and let us hope that the good people of our nation will always outnumber and destroy the bad.

Where was all the outrage when Sudds (D) from Mass actually had sex with a page back in 1983? He never resigned and served congress until ’95 or ’96. I agree Foley is a pig and should be behind bars but all the Dems screaming about how bad Reps. are can’t have it both ways.

The Catholic Church learned the hard way. Big Brothers/Big Sisters will learn. The Boy Scouts are still being pressured. Don’t ask, don’t tell. The consequences are coming to light. Now the Republicans are to blame. What irony ? ? ? ?

This seems awefully tame for Internet sex. Yes, it was inappropriate. But it is pretty normal IM chat. If he acted on this, I say hang him.
I was all for prosecuting Mel Reynolds back in 2000. He was a congressman from Illinois that got caught having sex with a couple of 16 year old girls. The amazing thing was that Clinton pardoned him. I say lock anyone up having sex with underage people and make the punishment without parole. If you cross the line a second time, throw away the key.

I don’t care if Foley is a Democrat or a Republican. Infact, I could careless if it is a Democrat or a Reppublican that covered this up. This is about our children and whoever is responsible for with holding this information or sweeping under the rug, should face criminal charges and resign from their seat immidiately. Let’s not finger point. Let’s get the facts and arrest whoever is responsible.

He is in “rehab” for alcoholism for a very simple reason people…out of the spotlight, no interviews to give, no reporters on his doorstep, no press conferences to give…he can stay incognito until after the election. His rehab is what, 8 weeks? Hmmm, election is in 5 weeks. Probably was hoping this might blow over but instead it has blown up.

House Republican leaders had had over 10 months to investigate Rep. Foley and to clear the house. If they had done that, this news would not have become an “October Surprise”. Instead, as in the case of Tom DeLay, they looked the other way despite repeated warnings or mounting public pressure. It is their ignorance, ineptitude, and stupidity that this news blew up in their face, why blame the messenger – media, for exposing it?
What is the difference between Mr. Foley, who preyed on young pages while he was the chairman of Missing and Exploited children committee, and Mr. Dick Cheney, who screwed American public by having closed door meetings with big oil companies while drafting energy bills?

We, the American people, should not rest until every one of the congressional, judicial, and administrative personnel that knew about and covered this up are out of office. It makes me sick to my stomach that these pedophiles and their friends are running our country. Then, this pedophile. Foley, tries to turn things around by entering alcohol rehab. I guess he’s only a pedophile when he’s drunk. DISGUSTING.

It is pretty clear from the excerpts that have been released that the boys involved had little interest in Foley and were perhaps even just letting the situation play out so the truth about him could come out. I think they participated in this as a means to get him caught. Foley should be ashamed.

Jail?
When are we going to learn. He should be in jail in general population. With everyone.
Sick. I am disgusted. Republican here and already wrote my congressional representatives asking all to resign if they knew.
Time to clean house and get this element out of our society. I am in favor of all pedophiles being released into general population. If they survive, then they can get some freaking counseling later.
Oh and blaming this on drinking is a cheap slam on alcoholics. I am recovering for 20+ years.

What Foley is exhibiting in these cases is technically neither pedophilia nor adult homosexuality, even if he is an adult homosexual also. It is ephebophilia: sexual attraction for and action with teens. As with some many Catholic priests, it is homosexual ephebophilia, since it’s with his own gender.

Profile data on pedophiles is kept in every state thru the Department of Health and Human Services. In EVERY STATE, the profile data on pedophiles shows over 90% of molestation activity to be a middle-age, white, HETROSEXUAL male with two or more childrent that has been married at least 5-7 years. Those of you who are SO DESPERATE to blame every child abuse case on Gay Americans are committing cultural slander; and it ain’t cutting it any more. Go find some one else to hate, Gay Americans aren’t putting up with it any more.

And the Republicans preach morality and family values to the rest of the country?

The timing of this is interesting. This/ these teens sure don’t appear to be victims, more like mutually consensual. Could this have been a setup by Dems? Pay the kid to entice Foley, since the ‘secret’ he is gay was all over D.C.?? Why don’t the kid’s parents want charges filed? I smell money.

HE IS SICK, BUT NOT ONLY THIS GUY SO MANY LIKE THIS IN HERE,BEST THING IS GIVE HIM A HARD PUNISHMENT THEN NEXT TIME OTHER PEOPLE THINK BEFORE THEY DO THIS KIND OF UNHUMAN ACTIVITIES.

Wow! Two MsOC (Patrick Kennedy and Mark Foley) both going into rehab when they got caught in a wrong. Is this going to appear as a new defense for other scumbags when they are apprehended? Kennedy’s driving (hereditary?) got him in trouble; Foley, for turning a page (no pun intended).

While I feel Foley is sick and should be arrested, I don’t see any evidence that the leadership knew the content of any emails and nothing Foley has done changes my political philosophy of lower taxes and national defense, so I will just vote for a republican replacement for the perv.

That is a great point CLAYTON. This is something that both repubs / dems must aknowledge.

Henceforth, I suggest that the “I was drunk” alibi be called the “Mark Foley / Mel Gibson defense.”

The sordid case of Congressman Foley shows what a bunch of hypocrites the Republicans really are. They impeach Clinton for lying about his girlfriend but they do nothing about a child molester in their own ranks just to SAVE a house seat. If there was ever any doubt about the arrogance, corruption, and hypocrisy of the Republican Congress this should remove all doubt. Time to throw the bums out. The do-nothing Congress does little more than to rubber-stamp the failed policies of a do-wrong president.

I am a staunch conservative. My first vote when I turned 18 was for Reagan and I have not stopped voting Republican since then, and I vote in Every election. That being said I would be repulsed by any Republican that said this was a political hit. This guy is sick, deviant, and I am shocked he did not end up on one of those Dateline specials. He needs to be locked up and registered as a sex offender. For Republicans to demand anything less would only make them hippocritical as a party that allies itself as being tough on crime.

Foley is getting hit so hard because “protecting children” was how he marketed himself as a lawmaker.

Some of you people are flat out crazy. Just because one guy did something the entire party is NOT corrupt. I vote based on a core belief system. One guy doing this isn’t all of a sudden going to make me think we should bail on Iraq, appease our enemies, acknowledge enemies, think gay marriage is ok, think we should ban guns, raise taxes, become an athiest, and legalize pot!
Bottom line Foley is wrong for what he did. So are a lot of liberals in power for laws they break. It happens on BOTH sides so get over yourselves. All of us have to admit when someone in power does something like this that it’s wrong. EVEN if you vote for their party. Call them on it.

well being born in asia and been living in this country for 13 years I realize that the US law is so confusing…in some states such as Utah, Colorado where polygamy is allowed..an aldult can get married with a minor even under 16 and it is totally acceptable…16 year old to me is “aldult” enough to know what is right or wrong..wouldn’t it be any different if Foley had done it with an 18 year old? or would it be ok if 16 is a legal age which is true in some countries in Eupore…
And we are also comingle this scandal and politics..I don’t think this has anything to do with politics…

If anybody is honest with themselves it will come down to one thing. Guilt is guilt. ANYTIME ANY minor is put in this situation it is criminal. Why any body would bring up Clinton over this belies their sheeple mentality to keep their party in power and be truth be damned and the hell with facts. For many it is easy to say ‘don’t confuse me with the facts”. Well, guess what? The one undeniable fact is this man is a proven Pedophile now and any body who protected him committed a felony. I am a conservative independant and have seen the conservatives taken over by scum CLAIMING to be Christian Conservatives. They are Demons in my eye.

This whole thing stinks. I don’t know what’s true and what’s not and won’t pretend to, but why are we at all surprised? DC has been morally bankrupt for years. Politicians on both sides lie, steal, coerce, and manipulate so much that we expect it. The media protracts, embellishes, hides, and ignores what doesn’t fit their own agenda. So why the outrage now?
People are obvioulsy very worked up about this. Probably some of the same people who support children’s right to privacy, minor’s abortion on demand, homosexuality, free love, amoral education, and acceptance of all “loving” behavior. If this was consenual, which it appears to be based on the above IM, then why would we have a right to impose our morals on them? We tell Christians all the time that they can’t impose their morals, but now it seems as if a whole bunch of us are doing exactly that. Can we have it both ways? Seems like we want it that way.
IMO, if it’s true it’s disgusting, but afterall it’s my opinion which in reality is meaningless.

Groper Gopers,
First, Dem congressmen have been caught doing this also. THEY were censured by a Democratic congress and went right back to their corrupt congressional seat without missing a beat.
HOW LONG has this e-mail mess been known by those who brought it to light just before this election? Appears this would be termed an ‘accessory’ to a crime! Lock ‘em all up, including those who broke the story. You can’t convince me that they haven’t been sitting on this waiting for the right time to spring it!!

I think this is totally disgusting and for all members that kept it quiet they are just as guilty as he is. They should serve time for harbouring a criminal.
Alcohol is just an excuse not a reason!
The only remorse the sob has is getting caught!!

Once again, elected Republican Party officials are exhibiting behavior that the rules either don’t apply to them and that covering up potential scandals that could cost the party seats is the priority. This latest scandal involving Rep. Mark Foley and his sexually explicit instant messages and inappropriate emails sent to male children proves that the Republican Party makes decisions based upon what they consider are for the good of the party and that they couldn’t care less about the public. Teachers are required to report suspected inappropriate actions towards children as a condition of employment. Do we expect less from our elected officials? And let’s call this what it is; this is a pedophile and these are children working as pages. To say anything less makes it seem as though it really isn’t that serious. Immediately, the Republicans should stop accusing Democrats of politicizing this issue. The Republicans did that the second they knew of this and chose to exclude the one Democrat that was on the committee. Foley and those that helped to cover this up be prosecuted by the very laws that he helped to enact.

IM’s for most Internet Services are usually Archieved and available to the sender to retrieve and review going back a few years. So for the folks who asked, they’re not “saved” by the sender but by the Service..if you ever sent one, you should be able to find it relatively easy.
The guy’s an addict—only not with liquor but with sex and sex directed at the wrong audience.
He’s as guilty as all the men who show up on the DateLine stings and needs to be treated as any other American doing the same thing–if in fact it is proven he set up in person meetings for sex.

“This whole think is a stunt by Democrat party.”
This is supposed to be funny, right? You honestly don’t care about what Foley did, but just want to write it off as a political stunt?

Alcohol is a “sympton” not and “excuse.”

He should stand in a court room like anyone else who lures teens into that sort of thing, from the sounds of it, he had been with the boy before, not just in cyberland…why wasn’t he arrested like others are when they commit such acts! makes me glad my kids cannot be pages in congress. As a mother I would be afraid to send them to DC now.

To begin with, we still have some semblance of a Judicial system, innocent until prover guilty IN A COURT OF LAW!! That means ALL parties involved. Some of the posters are right, it’s not a political thing. It has to do with POSSIBLE pedophilia. Not sure if it is because I don’t know the laws in that State. In any case, GET OFF THIS REPUBLICAN/DEMOCRAT THING. You can find scum on both sides of the isle. If your one of the ones trying to attach blame on one side of the isle or the other, YOUR in trouble, you can’t even see the real problem!!!

Why isn’t an arrest and a Trial pending here? Also why was Foley not fired especially if there’s evidence that he sent these emails were sent at work? Someone, please help me understand!!!!!

no matter how many ways this is story is wrote. its not going to make me sweep all gops with one brush its not going to make me vote for dems how many ways can you tell the same story

H A D E N O U G H ?????????
Vote Democratic!
Grandmother of 4, Great-Grandmother of 3.

This demands western style justice. String this guy up and apply a pruning hook in an appropriate manner.

Wouldn’t it be great if the democrats would attack terrorists the way they attack the Republicans?
More dirty tricks from the
party of dirty tricks!

The comments regarding pedophilia are misplaced. This is pederasty, sex between adults and post pubescent teens. If these were 17 yr old females I do not think the outrage would be as great. Thus he is not a pedophile. I think what no one wants to say is that this is of a homosexual nature. I really think that is what really disgusts people. And…it is disgusting. Moreover, it appears so far that certain members of congress only knew about the emails which were not that revealing. If they knew about the IMs then that is a different story and off with their heads. But I doubt they knew. I think judgment must be withheld until you know.

This country is so guilt ridden with sex. And we all got here that way.

He should not get his congressional pension. That is how we can punish him.

IMs are stored on the ISP server. They dont disappear. A simple subpoena to Yahoo, or a similar company can get old IMs

You cannot blame this on the Democrats. Foley did it, other Republicans knew he was doing it. They did nothing to stop it. They should be investigated and forced to resign also. If they had been Democrats, then the same punishment. Its funny to once again see the Republicans turn this around to say the Democrats are playing on it. Hell yes they are, the Republicans would have done the same thing. The Democrats really dont have to do a thing, just sit back, keep their mouths shut, and watch the Republicans screw up, as they have been for almost 8 years. They are doing themselves in. They are the new “Keystone Cops”. But I dont recall a “village idiot” in the Keystone gang…Oh well…always room for George W.

In my opinion, Foley is a Power Creep. Any person or persons who knowingly looked the other way should be charged with complicity.
This makes our whole nation look bad, but the worse part is those kid’s who were manipulated by a sick creep like Foley.
Anyone in any party who tries to use this situation for political gain, should be forced to resign and be placed on a sex offender registry.
See how fast the smear campaign would stop!

To Eli:
Since when is adultery legal? You claim President clinton and m. lewinsky had consensual sex and that it was legal. Since when is it legal to have and adulterous sex affair in the White house legal? You liberals have nerve. A pervert is a pervert no matter what age or persuasion you want to color it. This foley debacle is nothing less than a political party trying to bring the other down before November voting begins! To Lee: I agree wholeheartedly with you. This is an example of what is wrong with our morally bankrupt nation. There is not a day that goes by that you don’t read of an adult that preys upon children. Just look at the number of public school teachers convicted of criminal behavior since the year 2000 in this nation or the number of priests convicted of molesting young boys. foley is a microcosm of of his surroundings. My prediction is that he (foley)is just the tip of the iceberg and more heads will roll from the fallout of this tragic waste of taxpayers hardearned tax dollars. Hey congress, I want my money back!!

Very disturbing. People are correct in saying that it is not a Republican/Democrat issue. As more information comes out it is too bizarre to think that any member of Congress would have known about this and not done something. How long did someone sit on this information before making it public and why now? Whoever sat on it should be questioned too as other Pages may have continued to be in contact with Foley.

I’m going to be devil’s advocate here: where at any time throughout the whole exchange of these published transcripts, did the alleged victims say something even remotely discouraging ? We are not talking about prepubescent children here, because I assume that to be a page they would have to be at least 16-20 years old and of high scholastic achievement. The objects of this man’s totally inappropriate attention should have told him to eff off right away and threatened to report him, but instead engage in coy, flirtatious banter. So I’m not so sure we are talking about completely “innocent children” here.

Foley needs to be out of office, but I don’t feel sorry for the teen.
The teen doesn’t exactly appear to be traumatized to me.

answering ricky g.
I don’t believe it! He was set up, no one would keep all those messages unless there was a reason!! They certainly wouldn’t give them to the MSM to be exposed themselves. Rotten, really Rotten people out there!!
kinda like a blue dress being put in a safety deposit box LMFAO

I’ve read comments from CBS, ABC, FOX and NBC web sites, and the common theme is; the “victims” were 16 or 17, and in many states a 55 year old and a 16 year old doing what is reported is legal.
Are these Republicans really that sick? To think that abusing your power to take advantage of minors is O.K. in their view is obscene.

It’s high time to get to the bottom of this and hang anyone who had anything to do with covering this up. Do the muslim extremists have a point?

It’d be great if Republicans went after Osama Bin-Ladin as vigorously as they pursue children on the Internet.
Too bad Osama isn’t a 15 year old child… Repubicans would have nailed him already.

Mr. Foley is a sick man ~ who has terrorized numerous young men on capitol hill serving as pages, and has been for a long time, who now finds himself exposed as the pedophile he is. How dare he reduce his dysfunction to alcoholism. What’s next to explain his sick behaviour, he was a catholic alter boy and was abused by his parish priest which turned him into a homosexual pedophile?! Give me a break. He needs to be prosecuted under the laws he helped write, and then he should be sent to Gitmo w/the rest of the terrorists!

How did ABC get these IM’s and for how long have they had them?
The timing is quite fortuitous.
And quite curious.

Foley is one sick individual who will reap accrued benefits from the government for being a pedophile. What is even scarier is how many more are doing the same thing but have not been caught. Most politicians think they are above the law and this is one example of that attitude.

As much as I dislike the Republicans (and the Democrats), the key difference between the two with respect to this issue, is that the Republicans resign when evidence of sexual misconduct surfaces while Democrats do not. It’s nice that at least one party’s members still have a sense of shame.
And again, posters who keep referring to this as “pedophilia” need a pocket dictionary.

Foley is not only a sick OLD man hiding behind his suit and power, now he’s playing the “Alcoholic” card….I don’t think so….oh and by the way he’s a COWARD…but then again, so are ALL child molesters and pedophiles!!!

As a father, I am horrified. I hope that he rots in jail forever.

I think before you take and run with this “evidence” as newsworthy you would be wise to remember the Dan Rather documents he reported as authentic regarding Bush’s national guard service. without true electronic digital signatures, encryption methods and a true means of identity management, no one can be sure he really sent these. of course none of that really matters when trying to advance an agenda does it? this can always reported then plead technical ignorance if they are shown to be fake. if he did write these i think he should be punished in the same way as Frank, Studds, Lukens, Crane, other deviate politians who i offer as a reminder that immoral/distasteful behavior sits on both sides of the aisle and is NOT party specific. Clinton may not be a pedophile, but he is a predatororial lip biting rapist.

Why is this a political thing? Whats wrong with you people that are trying to make it a political thing? Is nothing important to you? Have you lost all ability to reason? INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW!!!

I consider myself a strong republican, but there are not two sides to this sort of behavior. He should be thrown in jail. The end.

I can’t believe they’re trying the old “rehab” ruse.
It seems every time Republican elites get caugh red handed they scamper off to the nearest rehab clinic.
It worked for Rush Limbaugh.

This smacks, by the way, of the same type of cover-up that the Catholic Church has now disavowed. It cost the Church millions of dollars and resulted in great shame. Hastert & Co. are as smarmy as the Church was in their cover-up. One, he and Reynolds and Boehner and any others who covered up need to go in shame. Two, a fund needs to be created for the interns affected by all this, carved out of Hastert’s personal fortune, or a lawyer needs to be appointed to charge Hastert with conspiracy and perjury, and to sue for injuries and damages. Three, the interns or pages need to sue the papers for covering up a crime, conspiracy, and sue the hell out of them. If those who perpetrated this, and helped to conceal it, are taken care of, the Republican Party can claim clean hands. Remember, this is not the rank and file, this is the Leadership of the Party.

Monica Lewinsky was born July 23, 1973. She met Bill Clinton on November 15, 1995. Do the math! This blame Clinton business is pathetic… And KK (or Ku Klux),congressional republicans brought this scandal on themselves…because they just don’t have the moral will to do the right thing – not even for the “least” among us – our children. Any republican with an ounce of decency would not even question the outrage and would distant themselves from these predators and power freaks. It’s sick! No excuses.

Some of the comments here are mind-boggling, like those who try to equate homosexuality with pedophilia. Clearly you are rightwing hacks trying to spin this into “our side has pedophiles but your side has gays”. That’s NOT what this is about and no sane person mixes consensual with nonconsensual.
And Patricia… please… does it really matter if he left the room during the vote to send IMs? He was SUPPOSED to be paying attention to running our country, and instead was propositioning kids. Way to focus on what’s important.

I’ve read all the comments posted so far and am encouraged that people see that this is wrong. I believe we are seeing a tsunami of sexual predators due to internet porn. Porn addiction is stealth and is more addictive than cocaine. Different porn=different perversions. Porn changes the neural pathways in the brain. Just watch one of Dateline’s Catching a Sexual Predator(Friday) or do a search on Pornography Addiction. More access to porn=more sexual predators. Enough of the consensual excuse. Addicts lie.

Why is it that the leaders we so trustingly elect are so easily corrupted by the power we give them?
Is it a reflection of the apathy of the American people that we let this kind of behavior go on and on? When politicans feel their job is to stay in office at all costs rather than represent their constituants we have a serious problem. AND for heavens sake, STOP making this about parties. They are both EQUALLY corrupt.

How is it that the IT industry in the private sector can figure this out in a matter of hours and yet, the government can’t catch their own guys abusing the system? I can’t send an email from my work address that has the word *** in it without getting a nasty gram from the security squad – immediately. Given that – you can bet LOTS of people knew about the stuff that this guy was doing. The problem is that no one had the integrity to speak up and stop him.
We need to get a grip on the government!!

To say there is hypocrisy (infering that all Republicans knew of this pedophile’s actions), to make references to the GOP as a “gang of pedophiles” (real cute), and to in any way continue to politicize this issue is so unbelievable short-sighted that it makes me almost as sick as Foley does.
Keep this on topic and don’t make this yet another “Bush bashing.” All that does is to minimize the seriousness of the issue.

This guy gives alcoholics a bad name …

Can someone please tell me when alcohol became an excuse for contributing to the deliquency of a minor, being a pedophile or a sodomist? This pedophile does not require a congressional investigation. Call the cops. Oh, and NO PENSION FOR YOU SICKO!

abc airs a so called “documentary” trying to blame clinton for the war bush got us into and when dems complain we are told “deal with it” but when abc airs something bad about them they are biased. lol deal with it till nov 7

This is truely a sad day for Americans and our society. We have been infiltrated by the very predators that attack our youth, schools and communities. Although it is not clear whether Mr. Foley had any physical contact with these children, his actions clearly state his intent. Due to this I feel he should be prosecuted if possible to the fullest extent of the law. This is not a partisan issue as some would like to suggest, but rather an issue based on morals and laws possibly being broken by someone who holds a responsibility to both our society as a whole and his own community from which he was elected.

This is just the latest diversion that libs have thrown out before the election to provide smoke and mirrors for the fact that they have NO SOLUTIONS to put forth for the problems our nation faces. It’s all they can do. Pathetic. Even though Foley is gone, and we should all go on to SOLVING OUR PROBLEMS, the libs will talk about this ad nauseum until after the election. It’s also the latest thing to try to get rid of the Republican leadership. How many other tries have failed? Chalk this up as another failure.

Whether or not the teenagers involved were 16 or 17 years old is irrelevant they were still MINORS! Until they are 18 years old any kind of sexual relationship or enticement of a minor is ILLEGAL! I love how the Republicans portrayed the fully adult and fully consenting 22 year old Monica Lewinsky as a “young woman” during the Clinton years and yet they dismiss a 52 year old man sending sexually explicit IM’s to minor children as an election year “conspiracy.” Foley’s conduct (whether or not there was actual sexual contact) is not only reprehensible, unethical, disgusting and WRONG but it is indicative of possible illegal behavior and is not acceptable from any adult in ANY position of authority. For a Republican or a Right wing “family values” person to defend Foley or the clueless posse that protects him to this day is despicable!

okay isn’t this like a BILLION times worse than what Clinton did? I mean at least he “wasn’t having sexual relations” with a female consentual adult…not a prepubescent zitfaced boy!
For the republican party to have covered this up or as Hasert has said “not remembered this being brought to his attention”…makes me think maybe this is going on quite a bit. I mean if someone came to me telling me a 50+ year old man that I WORKED WITH was emailing teenage boys sexually explicit emails…hmmmmmmmmm I think I’d remember that.
Good luck republicans…I think you’ve just lost the congress!

What has happened to these people? Is there no honor left in washington? Does the position and power warp ones mind so much that anything goes? It’s time for a long overdue cleaning house. Doesn’t matter who, or what status, clean them out of there. Rep or Dem, clean house. Our government is infested with filth. How can we expect the rest of the world to look upon us favorabily when stuff like this is exposed. Makes me sick to think that the people running this country are involved in such business. Congressmen chasing young boys, presidents having sexual encounters in the most powerful office, what is next? We need to clean things up here before we can ever hope to clean up any of the rest of the world’s problems. No wonder we are viewed and the “great satin”

Has anyone noticed that no EMAILS have been released, only INSTANT MESSAGES that are not routinely saved. This begs the question, who saved these IMs? If the pages saved the IMs, why? especially those that would could prove embarrassing. If they didnt save them, then who did and how did they get access to them. If the pages sent text messages on a cell phone, as would seem to be the case when Foley was voting, how were they saved and who saved them.
Also, the age of consent in DC is 16 so technically anything that happened between a consenting page and Foley, even sex, in DC is not a crime.

Agreed, NO PENSION FOR THIS PERV!

How symptomatic of the illness of our society that public figures such as Mel Gibson and a U.S. Congressman Foley have evoked the alcoholic excuse for revealing their true nature. Too bad Senator George Allen can’t use that excuse. Perhaps it was the the devil that loosed his tounge?

This is an attack on republicans. Democrats own up to their sexuality, so they know to keep it legal! When you deny being gay for long enough, you think it’s evil anyway, so you don’t care whether it’s an adult or a child you’re having sex with. Real gay people(the ones that admit it) only have sex with other adults.

To MB..
I haven’t heard any of us “Right Wing Family Values Persons” defending Foley. From what I’ve seen, they have only been pointing out the hyprocrisy on your side. If it is a democrat, it’s OK..pardon him. If it is a Republican…hang him high.

Sorry folks, I agree he should be out of office but should be voted out. THe democrats do not take things like this seriously and there is no reason the repubs should either. Interestingly,
The facts are A congressman, alcoholic or not, communicated sexually explicit messages to a 16 year old page whether in session or not. According to the laws in DC so far, no laws have been broken.
Age of consent in DC is 16. FWIW

I think Foley did the right thing and resigned. He is a sick person and if he did anything beside writing to the teens, he should be prosecuted. As the left reminds us all, if he was just writing, Free Speech. I find it interesting that ABC News sat on this story since Hurricane Katrina last year. I guess there was not an election then!

Since all of the major players in the Republican Party have agreed that the Democrats and Independents in Congress were not informed, and since Ol’ Dennis and the President are always talking to each other, I wonder what Bush knew and when he knew it. Ol’ Dennis must have told him fairly early on, not just last Thursday, that the stuff would hit the fan over this one.

I’d respect most of generically anti-Republican commentators more if they could spell…anyhow, I regard this as a disgusting yet isolated incident of misconduct by a single congressman that in no way represents the integrity of the political party as a whole. What he did was entirely reprehensible, but the fact that this is being propagated throughout the media so soon before election time (which I doubt was the intent of the young men involved who wisely informed other adults of the situation) does give it the smell of a smear campaign – sure, Foley’s career is rightfully over, but exploiting an event that was certainly disturbing for the youth involved is a political tactic far more disgusting than any attempt by the G.O.P. to handle the situation discreetly.

Yes- Foley is one sick, perverted piece of work.
He deserves the full weight of our Judicial system wrapped around his
neck and thrown overboard.
What bothers me is the political blame game- Democrats pointing fingers at Republicans. Democrats trying to crucify as many Republicans as possible by stating they were aware of what Foley was doing and therefore are just as guilty as Foley. Seems that it doesn’t matter if the knew or not- “Guilty by association”. It seems to me if these “Finger Pointers” are pasting out guilt- then they shouldn’t overlook the Parents of the Pages. The same Parents that let this perversion carry on, & they knew it was. And what about the Pages- the were old enough to know what was going on. Only now do they come forward. They could have reported this to FBI, Police or others 2-3 years ago. I’m from West Palm Beach- Yes, I did vote for Foley. Just like others I didn’t know. Hine sight is 20/20.

Some of you talk about how Monica Lewinski was 22, as if, somehow, that is different… Apparently all of the sex, how ever deviant and disgusting, was consensual, or as consensual as the Lewinski incident could be.. (Given that the HIGHEST EXECUTIVE in the nation was telling her to do what she did, OF COURSE there was no harassment whatsoever!) When Barney Frank was busted having a homosexual prostitute ring that ran out of his office, SOME people said that critics were gay bashers! Also, we haven’t heard much outcry about the Chandra Levy incident…. (of course we could go on, but we all know that the DC politician is the scum of the earth….)

If Foley were female and with a 16 year old male, I bet there would be a much different reaction. There would be a lot of chuckles and remarks and people thinking it was awesome. People need to be honest about homosexuality playing a big part here. And the pages here were over 16, sexually mature, and over the age of consent in much of the country. That isn’t pedophilia. Most guys that age are sexually active anyway, just with girls/guys their own age.

Blame Clinton. Blame the victims. Blame the Democrats. Blame the media.
Blame anyone except the pedophile and the Republican leadership that covered for him.

Someone mentioned that 16 year olds are not children. Last time I checked, 16 year olds are children. The law says they’re children. It was as if this person was excusing this PEDOPHILE because some people see 16 year olds as young adults…well, what about 15 and a half year olds or 14 or 13… No excuses!!! This is as bad as those female teachers who molest their male children but then get off!

maybe it was not him that sent these newest ones? and as people known of them for years, now why did they come out now?

Alcoholism DOES make people act on impulses and creates temporary insanity. Many alcoholics under the influence commit acts of violence and yield to sexual temptations that they would not at all if sober. This does NOT excuse Foley’s unacceptable acts of pedophilia but if he is indeed an alcoholic, then his disease has to be taken into consideration. He ruined his career for nothing. That is certainly a pitiful act of active alcoholism.

ABC doesn’t want you to know it, but in the 80′s there was a DEMOCRAT HOUSE MEMBER who actually had SEX WITH AN UNDERAGE PAGE. They didn’t ask for him to be removed, and didn’t ask for the Democrat speaker to be removed either! He went on to be re-elected 6 more terms. Well, well, now what we have here is more democratic hypocrisy isn’t it?

Clinton never pardonned Mel Reynolds. Get your facts straight.

The timing is very, very suspicious. ABC needs to disclose how they came about this information immediately! This is an outrage if ABC knew about this and let it go on.

My understanding is that the Republican leadership was not aware of what Foley was up to. All they had access to was a single inappropriate, but not necessarily predatory, email exachange between Foley and an aide. Which they took action upon. More proof is needed as to a republican cover up before they are blamed for Foley’s perversion.

..and the plot thickens…now his attorney says he was molested as a child and is gay. Is that supposed to excuse what he did?
…and the “this Dem did that”…”this Dem did this” argument is LAME. Even steven is the best the Republicans have got?

E-mails are not personal. Foley is like your regular Barney Frank.
Why are we digging up this dirt after so much time has passed, and just before elections.
This whole thing smells of dirty politics. I think if the people involved are at least 18, who is to say what is good and what is bad. I think that Mr. Foley showed poor judgement in involving a congretional page.
Was this a crime? No
Was this foolish on his part? Yes
For the good of everyone, he should not have resigned. He is as we say. Outed.
Why we are blowing this up and all out of proportion, I can guess. POLITICS front and center.
Lets get of this junk, and concentrate on winning in the war on terror.

I think it’s interesting how ABC is groveling in the mud publishing all the lurid details of the IM’s. It’s not necessary. But anything the libs can use as an excuse for indulging in their low-life escapades I guess…..they love it.

It’s funny how all the comments in here are basically in line with the accepted way of thinking. I posted a different view and my post was never included. So much for fair and balanced viewpoints from ABC news.

Is anyone bothered by the fact that if a sixteen year old who engages in sexual conversation is deemed a “child” needing to be protected, but a sixteen year old who murders someone is an “adult” who needs to be locked away for life?
What the Congressman did was wrong not because he is an “adult” and the sixteen year old pages are “children”, but because the level of dishonesty between this nation accepts when we discuss sex, sexuality, youth and what it means to be an adult. By all accounts many of the exchanges we are hearing about seem consentual. Isn’t it a shame that once again the nation is sending a message to its teenagers that they are “children” unable to make a decision about their sexuality, desires, wants or abilities. It is hardly a wonder that American teenagers are less curious, self-critical, analytical or accomplished than their European or Asian counterparts. We are a nation of hypocritics and emotionally underdeveloped adults.

Jay: The Hewlett-Packard corp might have an issue with your conclusion and your notion that women would do a better job than men is unfounded.
Aside from the LAST two female chairs of H-P, also consider Martha Stewart, Leona Helmsley, Rosie O’Donnell, and Kate Moss. Nope, women are not any better at running businesses, not even their own, as men.
As far as abusers always being men, how about all those school teachers, and female coaches, and female scout leaders who have been having sex with boys (and girls) AS YOUNG AS ELEVEN YEARS OF AGE.
This is a “human” problem, not a “male” problem.

Lets do a fair investigation. In addition to investigating Congressional Republicans, ABC needs to explain why 3 year old messages are just now being revealed. Were people paid off to provide this information? Why release it now? What is the democratic party’s role in leaking this information. How long have they known about this information? Why are they outraged now when they defended Clinton’s misdeeds.

A nation gets the leaders it deserves…regardless of party.
Is anyone really shocked?

Instant Messages (IMs) are NOT EMAIL and are not saved unless one of the parties actively saves them. So if Foley didnt save the IMs and I am sure the pages didnt save them (especially the IMs with embarrassing admissions) then WHO saved them, how did ABC get them and why so long after the fact.
Maybe someone should check the computers in the page dorm for spyware.
Also, the age of consent in DC is 16.
In the eyes of the law, a 16 yo page is a consenting adult.

Looks like we have a feeding frenzy over the Foley affair. My view is that there are a lot of hypocrites here and on Capitol Hill only worried about protecting their self-righteous and political asses. Foley did not do anything that probably all those horny senators and congressmen have already done or thought about doing. Only difference is they were not caught doing it. Sad, very sad.

you just have to love all theese knee jerk reactions. it is a sad state of affairs when we the people, who have the power of the vote, wont get rid of every compromised politician. that would require voting out every one and i do mean every one. time for change and we are not going to find it in a two party system

I keep reading comments like “this guy should be put in prison for the rest of his life”. Gee, until we find out that he actually had sex with these teenagers, dont you think that might be just a little harsh.
I admit that he definitely crossed the line and his behavior was inappropriate, and there should be an investigation to see if things went further, but at this point his life is pretty screwed!
As far as the leadership knowing of this interest, how could they keep quiet not knowing if it could advance further to include sexual contact? In many ways they might be more criminal than Foley in this matter!
I think they should resign their posts if only for the good of their party. This would take away an issue for the Dem’s, but as a bleeding heart liberal I hope Hastert sticks areound!

Well, now Foley is trying to blame his actions on the clergy. What a guy!

this is ridiculous …we need to get rid of these bums in washington!!!

This is a classic case of pedophillia, older person going after a pre-pubescent person.
If it was a case of a 16 year old girl, it would STILL be pedophillia
Gay people are in ADULT relationships.
Straight people are in ADULT relationships.
Pedophiles go after children.

Thank goodness Congress doesn’t allow members to bring their computers on the floor of the House or Senate. I used to think that was a Luddite rule, but it would boggle the mind to think that Foley conducted that IM exchange on the House floor.

Who cares what the age of consent is in D.C. I keep seeing all these comments, “the age of consent is 16 in D.C. so it’s okay” Are you kidding me? Foley is a pervert…period. Hastert did NOTHING to stop Foley, or to protect the kid. They both should suffer consequences for their actions. As regards the Dem vs. Rep issue—shouldn’t be an issue. The R’s are in charge of the House. Take responsibility and act like grown ups. If the D’s win the election they will win it on a whole slew of other things that have pissed people off about the Republican lack of leadership, this is just the latest, yet probably the sickest.

Dear Kristen:
The Iraq war has only made the US more of a target. We are no safer than we were on 9/11.
What a delusional world you live in.

If this guy was a democrate not a word would be said. It would be swept under the rug. This guy is sick and needs to be in jail

Is Foley a closet Scientologist also? He was courted by them attending their meetings, receiving special leather bound editions of their books and supporting them in their fight against attacks in Germany. Reportedly he is in Clearwater (Scn HQ) for rehab.

Again, the prude Americans pretending they are so shocked, as if the sky fell over the earth. First of all, the pages Mr Foley chatted with are NOT children (a 16 year old has sexual maturity). This is not the first time this happens. In the past a Representative had sex with a female page and nothing happened. These young people at 16 and 17 already know what they want. If they hang out, or chat online with anybody, they do it voluntarily, they were not raped. I remember when I was 16, I wish I had as much sex as I could get. In countries where the age of consent is 14 such as in Canada, sociologically this wouldn’t be an issue at all, but we are in Jesusland!!!

SIN?? Only religious nuts refer to mental illness as SIN. No wonder we can’t get anyone to care enough to provide mental health insurance. Our society is mentally ill starting with Mr. George W. Bush. He keeps sending mentally ill troops back into Iraq who are on PROZAC. How sane is that? Get HELP for the GOP; send them all to qualified psychiatrists (M.D.’s) – Please!

Foley is just another of the many phony hypocrite politicians, who has or has not yet been exposed.
It makes no difference whether Foley is Republican or Democrat, I will not be among the fools that will waste time making this a partisan issue.

DEMOCRATIC LOGIC: Blame the Republicans for Foley boy terrorism and blame Bush for world terrorism. That’s how the Dems think. Bush didn’t fly into the Twin Towers and the Republicans didn’t send those IMs. How about convicting the perpetraters!
But the Lefties are a bunch of hypocrites when they don’t convict their guys for drownings, relations with boy minors, adultery on government time, homosexual
prostitution…and the list goes on!

You know what sucks about this is that if this had been me or any other regular joe blow that wasnt in our congress, etc etc…they would have my butt in jail so stinking fast it would make my head spin and thats the sick truth! I know, as a parent, that if this guy did this to my son I would kick the living snot out of him!

Foley is just another of the many phony hypocrite politicians, who has or has not yet been exposed.
It makes no difference whether Foley is Republican or Democrat, I will not be among the fools that will waste time making this a partisan issue.

Monica may or may not have been consensual depending on how you look at Sexual Harassment in the Work Place by someone in an obvious position of power. But there were certainly a lot of allegations against Clinton in respect to women where it was not consenual. Anyone remember the names Wiley and Broderick? Most of you do gooders did not get upset with Clinton over these very similar circumstances. You got angry with the accusers. I agree that if Foley is guilty (and his actions would lead me to believe that he is) he should resigned and be charged if what he did was illegal. Anyone who covered up on either side for any reason should also be punished. However, wouldn’t it be nice if people could get the facts before they go off the deep end and start calling for people to be crucified? If you are calling for people to be fired or forced to resign, when you don’t have any facts, you are making this a Republican attack and playing politics. A rose by any other name is after all a rose.

I think that it is time before this really gets out of control that we all take a step back and take a deep breath. Yes the X-Rep. Foley needs help and looked into for criminal activity. The news media needs to stop trying this man and the other people in the house including the Speaker in print and on TV. Then all of us out in the public need to allow the law officials to take the correct steps into who did what and when. I am sick of the people esp. Rep. Pelosi and others of lynching the Speaker and others before they have had a fair trial. And if they have done something wrong and or unethical it should be handle appropriatly not like it is now.

They need to do the same thing to Foley as they did to Stubbs, Frank, Mel Reynolds and Clinton.
Oh, I forgot, those guys didn’t have cyber sex with thier pages/interns.

A.) I am a Republican, NRA member, conservative, etc…neck as red as a sunset.
B.) Foley is NOT a pedophile – 16 is not pre-pubescent.
C.) Predator is a bit much. From the IMs I’ve read, his cyber-paramour was more than willing.
D.) Anyone using this to score political points is an ass. Comparisons to Studds or Clinton are inaccurate, and only muddy the waters.
E.) Any ranking Republican who tried to conceal this should resign in disgrace.
F.) Any Democrat – or member of the media – who sat on this until weeks before an election, in an attempt to score political points, influence an election or score a scoop, should have to resign in disgrace.
G.) Foley is an evil creep, a pervert and a hypocrite. He belongs in jail (general population), after castration, and at least one good to-within-an-inch-of-his-life beating.

It needs to be a felony for a teacher, preacher, politician, or cop to have sex with anyone they work with. These perverts have been trying to screw these Paiges since the idea was conceived. They have too much time on their hands and need to be working instead of screwing kids.

I beleive Foley did the right thing and resign. Any member of Congress that behaves this way in either Party should take note to what Foley did. My questions are, why did ABC News who broke the story, sit on the story until now. ABC News got this info last year at the time of Hurricane Katrina. Apparently it was not as big of a story then. Oh, there was not an election. Not to condone Foley’s behavior, it was sick, but as the Constitution states in Article 1, and what the Democrates fight for, what is the problem with emailing messages, as sick as they are, as long as there was no action. Foley and anybody else that knew about these IM’s or harbored them until now should also resign in disgrace.

Now he is saying he was molested and is gay. Why didn’t he just say he was gay before? Why now? A lady I work with met him briefly at a luncheon and said he was proudful, cocky and strutted around making sure he was in front of the cameras! He sure is in the spotlight now!

Monica was 19 when it started, and everybody forgot about power and harassment. Anybody have 19 year old daughters out there that think they’re just fine with predators like Clinton?
Stubbs (D) -with a 16 year old page. Nobody in the Democrats ever asked the guy to leave.
Franks (D) – with a boyfriend running a prostitution ring out of Frank’s own apartment. Still there.
Kennedy (D)- with a 23 year old staffer who just ends up dead because he drives off the bridge (probably drunk), and leaves her there.
Foley – forced to resign. By Republicans.
At least they chastise their own. Democrats DON’T CARE about any of it.

Foley might be a twisted pervert with kids but I bet that at least 20% of the democrats in Congress and the Senate are also screwing around in some fashion also. The Dems are a bunch of losers; calling the kettle black!

Well North Korea is ready to launch a nuclear missle, China is holding at least 50% of our debt,Venasula is buddying with Iran to aim missles at us and our congressmen are cutting deals,etc and having online sex. This is ancient Rome all over again.We need a third political or fourth party to clean this mess up.

Nobody wants to open the door to this closet, because there are many closets like this in Congress, Courts, Classrooms, Pulpits, Studios, etc…

So last Fridays excuse was alcohol. Yesterday its mental illness. Today it’s that he was molested as a child.
What is it going to be wednesday?. Blame it on mommy for not breast feeding him ?. On Thursday he will blame the aspartame in diet soda.

Revolting and narcissistic, but a not an uncommon pathology among entitled, white males; if convicted he should, and probably will, serve time. The only thing more shameful is the “abuse excuse” that we are now being fed. Please. Heaven forbid he should own it. Oh for antiquity, where the mortally shamed just opened a vein.

I think Mark foley is cute

BUSTED!

So let me get this straight. First he blamed it on alcohol. That didn’t seem to garner the sympathy he needed. Now he’s a molestation victim?
If this doesn’t work, what’s next? Can nobody be accountable for their actions these days?

IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT PARTY YOU ARE IN.WHAT THIS CREEP FOLEY DID WAS WRONG.IT IS TIME FOR PEOPLE TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN ACTIONS.NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE.OUR GOVERNMENT WANTS THE PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT PARTIES TO FIGHT LIKE KIDS.GET A CLUE.LETS MAKE THEM ALL DO THE RIGHT THING OR GET THEM THE HELL OUT ON NOVEMBER.GO VOTE FOR THE WORKERS,NO MATTER WHAT PARTY!!!!!!

I LOVE IT, no matter how much you try to compare stuff from years ago to today to justify this great october surprise. lol, all the bitchin in the world is not going to stop us from taking the house in nov.

Bandwagon conservative-bashing for errant homosexual behavior. Kind of similar to over & over the “Catholic priests” being blamed for raping little boys, but never, not even a single “fair & balanced” newspaper ever mentioning that the male priests were practicing their homosexuality, not their Catholicism while engaging in their homosexual rapes.

I’m sorry, but does anybody ACTUALLY believe that these IMs are genuine? Compare the text to the previously released IMs. They don’t match. They’re not even close.
Oh, wait, I just got confirmation on their authenticity . . . from Dan Rather.

Oh, now the pervert says he was molested. When all else fails, blame someone else. I really don’t give a d…. if he was molested or not. At some point people have to start taking responsibility for their actions.
This is where a liberal society leads you. Waaaaa… it is never MY fault, it is ALWAYS someone elses. And if that doesn’t work, then run with the moral equivalency! Joe Blow did it, so it can’t be too bad.
Stop rationalizing evil behavior and call it what it is. Just plain repugnant and WRONG! There is such a thing as black and white. Not everything is grey as the liberals would have you believe.

Has anyone verified that the instant messages are legit?
Either Foley or the teen would have needed to have logging software for the IM to even have been saved wouldn’t they?
Do you know how easy it is to fake an IM conversation? It’s incredibly easy.

You know, I hope there is a whole big shake up. I am a republican and I don’t care. I want the people to be heard not this continual PC crap that all politicians shove down our throats. Anyone new coming in though? Well, they are going to have to be real careful…because in this day and age, there aren’t any secrets anymore. Things get exposed and broadcast loud and widely. All newcomers are going to have to be like Caesar’s wife…above reproach.

Why was this information held back for three years before coming to light? If you are part of whatever is behind this delay– in any way–you should turn in your journalistic credentials. Have other pages been exposed to this danger because you held back? What kind of person exposes young people to possible danger while he holds onto a story? Please explain.

“Too bad Dems; you are still going to lose the Senate & House races this Fall; nice try – you losers”
keep dreaming, we have a contract to buy the house and will close the deal nov 7,
oct-surprise, surprise

In answer to ‘Why hasn’t he been arrested’
Because the age of consent in DC is 16!!!!
16 16 16 get it!
16 is the age of consent in DC
Look it up for yourself….16 16 16
You don’t see that in the news anywhere, do you????

I feel sorry for Foley’s family and friends (if he still has them). Imagine being the wife and hearing your husband has been in the closet the entire time and then only finding out in this manner.
I feel sorry for America and the world as I think this is more of a symptom rather than the core illness itself. There are a series of viruses quietly wreaking havoc on our future and we are too busy pointing fingers to notice. It goes way deeper than political party affiliation or family background. It’s been coming for generations and is being kindled by horribly poor use of available technologies like TV and Internet.
What a shame we turn away from a brilliant future of peace, happiness, and the like to follow this path of self-destruction and foundationless beliefs.

Stop the partisan sniping! This man is a sicko, and I frankly don’t think party has anything to do with it. Based on what I’ve seen I have one question: Why were these emails witheld until the election? This guy’s sick and should have been confronted ASAP. The partisanship before justice angle is unconscionable.

You are absolutely right Paula. It is incredibly easy. We used to do it all the time in AOL and make up these hysterical and very realistic IMs. No way to tell them apart actually.
So on face value, IMS mean nothing but I gather the Foley camp is not disputing them.

Why do my comments never get posted to this blog? Do I not have 1st Amendment rights?

What 15 year old kid would have the foresite to save these emails & IM’s for three years to say I can affect the next election. Get real, its a plant!!!

You got my vote Scott – doesn’t matter if you’re a hypocritical Republican or wimpy loser Democrat.

All that outrage and disgust… Jesus would say that whoever has not sinned should throw the first stone. Do you people feel better about yourself when you put other people down? Are you sure you are that perfect? Would you judge your brother/sister/father/mother or child the same way if they had done something similar?

Forget for the moment about what Democrat did this before what Republican did that. Let’s simply state that the only person responsible for this sick behavior is Rep. Mark Foley (R) FL. Not his drinking, not his Mom or Dad, not Uncle Ernie,…Mark Foley.
No has suggested credibly that anyone in the Republican leadership knew or tolerated Foley’s sickness. If he broke the law he should be tried and sent to jail. No more, no less. If anyone is trying to exploit this for political gain, I say they are not much better than Foley because they are using a tragedy for their own gain. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if, just once, something bad wasn’t turned into a politcal sideshow designed to further one party or the other’s fortunes?

Pages turning over chat transcripts? Pages worried about elections? Don’t you think goverment officials are given laptops that log communications since they often have privy to top secret docs. This is 2006. GOP is reading your email right now! Getting an IM history is so easy a 13 year old can do it.

“God Help America if the democrats regain power. I like Toronto Canada…maybe I will check out Realtor.com”
lol, you are so blinded by hate that you dont even realize that toronto is 100 times more liberal than any dem. i would love to see all GrOPers move to toronto.

What evidence is there that this IM was ever written or sent? Are we supposed to take ABC’s word for it? How do we know that it wasn’t made up, given to ABC and they didn’t bother to vet it? We don’t. It’s not like ABC has a reputation for careful reporting. Foley’s clearly a creep, but that doesn’t mean that half or more of this stuff isn’t made up.

Hey everyone. This is your America. This is your Congress, your Senate, your Judiciary Branch and your Presidency. If you feel surprised by the actions of this politician, or any other for that matter, then shame on you! This is the exact reason for the degredation of America. Politicians who care not for anything but themselves and their position. He is not the first and not the last.
Maybe if we make politicians tell the truth from the start instead of saying what a certian constituency wants to hear at the time, we might find out how dishonest and mentally deranged our Government really is!

If Foley isnt prosecuted to the full extent of the law for this– I won’t vote for a Republican dog catcher for many years to come.

I just LOVE how Republicans are trying to say media insitutions, some of whom first forwarded this on to the FBI, are more responsible than GOP leaders who bear ultimate responsibility for it and did nothing while taking PAC money from Foley. I mean, I understand the need for partisan defense, and I know that the media often IS out to get Republicans. But at a certain point defense starts to sound like delusion.

I am a registered Republican from Florida’s 16th district. I am ashamed to say I was duped into voting for Foley in 2004. I will not vote for ANY Republicans this time around. I have never voted a straight-Democrat ticket in my whole life but in 35 days I will do just that. In Washington they have treated the country like dirt, allowing thieves (Duke Cunningham), con men (Abramoff-Tom DeLay) and now perverts to “serve” as long as they vote the Party line. In Tallahassee they have bowed to every big business interest they could get by with, while ignoring public education. We can not stay this course one day longer.

How many boys did he get…..?16 is the age of consent…he is gay…..leave him alone….the 16 year old boys no what they are doing…they want sex just like everyone else….

just goes to show what type of people are in the government. it makes me sick. especially since the news is making a huge deal about it. it has been on the news for 3 weeks now….dont ask how its been three weeks. time is a complicated cycle that many dont understand.

Please stop using the term “pedophilia” to describe this situation involving 16/17 year olds. GO LOOK UP THE WORD IN THE DICTIONARY. This is not pedophilia. We’re talking about young adults here: 16/17 years old, not 10 year olds. As if tons of teenaged guys this age aren’t dating and even having all manner of hardcore sex with multiple partners already. STOP EXAGERATING. If they weren’t flirting with Foley, they’d probably be out having booze and sex parties with their peers anyway. Were you people born yesterday? Honestly… I’m certain though, that if people (or even their parents) find out the identities of the pages involved that they WILL suffer psychological harm from public exposure of their homosexual sex lives… but ironically, not from the sex itself (or in this case, no sex, as there WASN’T ANY SEX).

From what I remember…Karl Rove talked about the “October Surprise”…not the Democrats. The “blame the gays” argument from the republicans is certainly not a suprise. Foley using the fact he was molested by a “clergyman” is not a surprise. Republicans have always had the knack of going on the attack mode. What does amaze me is that people do not realize what the impact of Foley being closeted as a gay man…working as a republican representative…has on this issue. Foley being a gay man is not the issue…being a closeted gay man…trying to pass himself off as something he was not…is the shame of it all. Whether he wrote “naughty” (to quote Tony Snow) e-mails to boys or to girls under the age of 16…Foley shows himself to be a pig…

im a republican. a pretty staunch one. i dont care. this is just gross. kick him off.
and for those who say “how did abc get this…”
i dont care.

Foley’s behavior was obviously disgusting, but it is odd that the pages saved the IM’s, just like it was odd for monica to save the blue dress(at the urging of linda of course). It’s also becoming clear that the media knew about this months ago but waited until now to release it. Sorry folks, but the sad truth is that this is just the usual b.s. politics and everyone involved looks pretty pathetic.

Innocent until proven guilty!

The age of consent in DC is 16.

RJ is spot on!! Its only about staying in power and getting re-elected. The two party system is broken and can’t be fixed.

The idea that it’s perfectly OK to engage in sexual behavior with 16 year olds because “they are doing it with their peers” anyway is ridiculous. There is a reason why 16 year olds are MINORS. Do you remember the terrible decisions you made when you were 16? We can’t stop kids from having sex with each other, but we can stop adults from taking advantage of the naiveness of kids.
We’ve made the age of majority 18 because we, as a society, figure that once you’re old enough to go out in the world and do your own thing, you need to be responsible for your own decisions. 16 year olds still live at home with their parents and go to compulsory school. They aren’t capable of making decisions like who to engage in sex with. Maybe they do it all the time. That doesn’t mean that adults who know better should be allowed to take advantage of them.

Can we *please* remember that homosexuality and pedophelia are separate issues? NOT THE SAME. Most gay people have relationships with consenting adults. Foley’s problems are not that he could be gay, but that he likes young people.

This is more than a pedophile. How did ABC get this information? Must have found the Page? or did they get if off a file server somewhere?? If MaF54 was using his PHONE, who is intercepting these messages??? Its unlawful to listen to anothers telephone messages or calls. COME ON ASK QUESTIONS!!!

Whoa, righteous people! I was only 16 when a man my father’s age took me under his wing and changed the direction of my life by helping me to accept myself, by introducing me to music, literature and history, by steering me to college and–most importantly–by loving me. I shudder still, at age 70, to think what my life might have been without his intervention. Yes the relationship became mildly sexual, but to label him as a “pedophile” is just legalistic and ludicrous. This mentoring relationship between an older man and a young man is as old as the Greeks and has flourished at all times and in all places. Foley has surely violated his special responsibility as a congressman, but he doesn’t deserve the vilification from the self-righteous.

I would like to know how anyone can get IM’s or emails off AOL, Yahoo, or MSN or MySPace, assuming thats where they came from. The Foley act its self is bad. But getting the personal email or IM’s of someone may be a bigger crime in the end.

I am so sickened with the thought of Pedophiles even being in our Country, let alone, one of our Leaders. This is where all our Freedom of Speech has gotten us. Our system that sticks up for the guilty one, as long as they have money. Put Foley away for a long time. All sex offenders with minor children are the scum of the earth. NO SECOND CHANCES for Pedophiles.

At the factory I work at, a co-worker’s 16 year old son had an affair with a woman in her late thirties who also worked with me (legal here). The relationship was exposed. Everyone at the plant talked about it daily for months. All the guys I worked with thought it was great, made endless jokes, and made comments like “God, I wish I coulda got my hands on her.” Etc, etc, etc. Even his own dad bragged him up. Out of dozens and dozens of people I heard comment about it, perhaps a couple people thought it was inappropriate. The only person who really seemed to care was the woman herself, who abruptly quit and moved outta town like a batt outta hell. The boy came to the refinery some time after it was exposed, and when people mentioned it to him he just blushed and got this contented grin on his face and the guys joked around with him about it. To him, it was a good thing obviously.
So, this has me thinking. Is this Foley thing really about the age so much as it is about the homosexuality? ‘Cause up ’til now I got the impression that everyone thought the teen boy with an older woman was pretty darn cool or something.

Another family oriented republin at his best….

If he were on your competitor’s show, “To Catch a Predator,” he’d be on his way to jail by now. Thanks to your work, he will be soon.

If MaF54 was using his PHONE, who is intercepting these messages??? Its unlawful to listen to anothers telephone messages or calls. COME ON ASK QUESTIONS!!!
Posted by: Barry | Oct 3, 2006 8:25:25 PM
Probably the “watergate” burglars. You do remember watergate don`t you?………hehehe

Let’s see…first he’s caught doing something he definitely shouldn’t be doing, then he claims to go into rehab, then he claims he was molested by a clergyman but can’t name him or the church. If this man were pinocchio, his nose would be as long as his genitals should be stretched, before they castrate him.

Kudos to RJ! Realistically and succinctly put. And both Dems and Reps can just shut up.

Just lookin at Foley`s picture makes me glad he IS NOT my kids wrestling coach.

One question. If he was your neighbor what would want to happen?

This is interesting. All these liberals and dem stating that this homosexual relationship is wrong, and that one of the two consenting parties should be sent to jail, and the key thrown away. What a turn of events! Can we count on their suppot against gay marriage in the future? Of course not. Not because one of the parties was 16 (of age in DC), but rather it is opportunistic now to blame the entire Republican party for one man’s wrong.

First our President is having sex with interns in the Oval Office and lying about it and now a Congressman having sex talk with miner boys on the House floor. This is bigger than Democrat and Republican it is a reflection of our society.

The only way Republicans can keep the power in the house and sentae is if everybody resigns, now and move on.
Do it for your country. Do it for the troops who are figthing for your freedom in the Islamic Republic of Iraq.
Just do it.

If Foley was a Democrat he would have just earned consideration for ’08 ticket. However, the GOP did the right thing and flushed him.

Gerry Studds, Gerry Studds. At least people are spelling his name right. Too bad they’re forgetting the Congressman censured with him in the same vote–Republican Rep. Dan Crane of Illinois. He didn’t resign, either.
Oh, but it’s very different. Crane’s page was 16.

Any one in a position of Authority over a minor (ALL of congress) and having knowledge of abuse of a minor in must report to authorities immediately. If they held on to these IM’s for ANY length of time before their “release” to the media, THEY and all parties concerned are GUILTY of a CRIME themselves or NOT reporting such abuse – MEDIA OUTLETS and POLITICIANS of BOTH PARTIES INCLUDED. Grandmother PELOSI should be aware of THAT.

It’s no use arguing. People are irrational. The fact that 16 is the legal age of sexual consent is being completely ignored. Everybody wants to think it’s 18 or older.

I also wonder why this kid happened to save those IMs and emails, but now that I think about it, if I get messages from somebody famous, I’m going to save them too. I’ve got love letters from a well-known professor. I’ve never had a reason to show them to anyone, but I’ve got them. . .

Hang on!
IM produces a plain old text file that can be easily modified using word pad or note pad. Both are native, easy to use Windows text editors. Moreover, you can use those editors to create brand NEW IM chat logs of an incident the NEVER, ever happened.
Let the FBI and others sort this out before folks start a lynch mob! Remember everyone except illegal aliens have “Due Process.”
And don’t bang the GOP in general for this fool’s bad deeds. There is way, way too much at stake. Get a grip. Calm down. Let the process work!
TJ

NOPE. The Legal Age Of Consent in Florida is 18 years, NOT 16. Look it up.
At the time of Jesus, kids got married off at 13.

foley’s sick and disturbing behavior is unacceptable, and should go punished. however, what some of you fail to realize is that this is not exclusive to his party. what this is being made out to be is an attack on the republicans. and this goes further than just the foley instance, because there is mention of other issues in some of these comments, and it makes me sick to see that this is what they are using as their weapon. when will the democrats realize that this country will not fall to their name calling and finger pointing until they actually do something that proves them capable to run this country?

So checking yourself into a Rehab Clinic, hiding behind the “Doctor/Patient” confidentiality clause, will NOT make this go away…
You should not use the Crutch, SO many people use..”Oh, he/she was abused as a child”.
So, if you grew up Poor does it give you the right to STEAL, later in life? NO!
For once TAKE Responsibly for your actions Mark Foley, and not hide behind the doors of an Alcoholic Rehab Clinic!

That sick…Real sick

First, the alcohol made him do it. Second, it was the unknown clergyman, from the unknown denomination that caused him to do it. Who next? Marie Leveau, the voodoo queen. Perhaps she cast a spell over him.

From Washington Post article by Howie Kurtz today:
“On Friday afternoon, a strategist for Rep. Mark Foley tried to cut a deal with ABC’s Brian Ross.
The correspondent, who had dozens of instant messages that Foley sent to teenage House pages, had asked to interview the Florida Republican. Foley’s former chief of staff said the congressman was quitting and that Ross could have that information exclusively if he agreed not to publish the raw, sexually explicit messages.
“I said we’re not making any deals,” Ross recalls. He says the Internet made the story possible, because on Thursday he posted a story on his ABC Web page, the Blotter, after obtaining one milder e-mail that Foley had sent a 16-year-old page, asking for a picture. Within two hours, former pages had e-mailed Ross and provided the salacious messages. The only question then, says Ross, was “whether this could be authenticated.”

term limits, Term Limits, TERM LIMITS!
Power + privilege + time = Corruption

A highly unpopular war, whose death toll of soldiers is nearing that equal to the casualties of 9-11 itself, and along with other things, now a sexual scandal? Not just a sexual scandal, (as a president having an affair with an intern, a consenting adult is more of a sexual scandal) but pedophilia?
Now, what is good is he is resigning and is getting help, (and this is just my opinion) but this should clue people in to the fact that republicans/conservatives are not morally superior to others as they so often portray themselves. Beware of individuals such as these (ann coulter, bill oreilly…) and what darkness lurks within (…i’d mention george bush, but his darkness is in plain view, although he sees it as a bright white holy light). But like I said, this is just my opinion…
Don’t vote republican ever again.

Hey Mike, 16 years old is NOT the legal age of consent in ALL STATES. It depends where this pervert was when he was sending the twisted IM’s. I cannot believe that anyone would stick up for Foley in this situation! So 15 is too young but 16 is ok because it’s “legal” in some states?! It is WRONG, it is SICK and the man deserves to be put in prison-Bottom Line. With great power comes great responsibility, and this is the most irresponible behavior I could ever imagine!!!

The Studds scandal happened over a quarter of a century ago…The leadership in Congress behaved inappropriate then and the leadership in Congress is behaving innapropriately now…We cant do anything about the past, but we sure can do something about it NOW…Vote the rogues out of office!

It’s sad to see all of the anti-gay posts. Think about it. Who are the pederasts? Is it the closeted gays, or the ones who are out and who have dealt with the ignorant discrimination you see posted here? It’s the closet cases every time, same as in the Catholic Church scandal. Give me an out gay any day, they are decent and moral people just like most of us. So stop scapegoating them.
It’s pathetic that this creep Foley came out as “gay” right after getting caught. So typical. Like he came out as an alcoholic seeking treatment. Somehow he thinks that identifying with these groups will help him. Neither group wants him, obviously.

to Gls and all of the others who have posted in regards to the legal consent age being 16, while that may be true, there are still limits and and statutory laws in place. A 53 yr old can in no way lawfully solicit or have inappropriate relations with a 16 yr old legally in the United States. All States have a maximum of 3-4 years in age difference for those under 18 for a sexual relationship to be considered lawful and consentual.
As for the politicization of this, that is definitely out of line, both the dims and the repugs have their fair share of losers. I honestly believe it is time to start fresh and remove every incumbent, they have become drunk and fat on power and do nothing to serve you or I, and worse yet, they do it on our dime. I don’t feel represented, do you?

What an abhorrent, sordid mess … what else would you expect from the repressed troglodytes in power? That such a monster could ascend into the GOP’s upper echelon speaks volumes about the Grand ‘ol Pedophiles. Snow’s first comments were bliss for us libs: “naughty,” Mr. Snow? The Daily Show was TV gold: Foley Erect hedline, video of Caligula the film and of a 10-year-old boy page telling James Stewart’s Mr. Smith that if he “needed anything, call a page.” The Radical Right is in decline and will eventually return to its proper place in political discourse: the fringe.

Hastert acts like he is entitled to his job. He is entitled to be Speaker.
He is shocked anyone would try to interfere with his entitlement – no matter what he’s done.
Pathetic.

This is just another Republican scandal that can be clearly traced back to being the fault of Democrats.
Republicans aren’t responsible for anything.
Ever.
I used to be a lifelong Democrat but this latest Republican scandal is the final straw and now I’m voting Republican Family Values all the way!
Democrats simply can’t be trusted to protect our country from Republicans.

When I hear his lawyer say his client has never done anything with any of these young males, and then read these IM’s I get a bit confused. Am I the only one who thinks these imply he has met with some of these boys alone before. “We can get some Ice Cream” … or talking about coming to his place to drink. Me thinketh there are some pages out there with a story they are to afraid to tell.

Finally, someone put the politics aside, and mentioned that the age of consent in a majority of states is 16. If a 16 year old kid, willingly engages in sexual conversation, flirtation, and intercourse, however “immoral”, it is still their choice. Thus they share accountability. Anyone remember Gary Studs? Save your feigned outrage for the voting booth and act like the tools you’ve all become. Truly sad.

It seems to me if this page was a female instead of a male this would be statutory rape and discussion of pedophilia wouldn’t even be discussed. This has been blown way out of proportion. The Leaders of the House told him to stop after seeing the emails and with no knowledge of the Instant messages a member of power like Hastert would ultimately think that his telling him to stop would be suffice. This talk about House leadership really is total crap

I just find it interesting that he used “your” instead of “you’re”
what an idiot!

Although, not surprised to find out that a congressman would do such a thing, I am pleased to hear so much of America blasting him as the scum he has chosen to be. As the mother of a child who was molested by a man who’s position as a policeman protected him from prosecution, I say that the harshest penalty possible should be given this pervert, and every community in America should follow in removing those “public servants” who prey on children. May God bless and cleanse America.

I think the GOP should learn a lesson from this…when they lie with ‘dogs’ who live liberal lifestyles, they get up with ‘fleas’. They should have stuck with their moral standards instead of being politically correct. How hypocritical for the Democrats to exploit this scandal and act so shocked that the scandal involves teens when the Democrats are the ones who introduced and support the gay lifestyle in public schools, teaching kids all about how to have safe anal and oral sex. And hey, what’s this about Foley saying he was sexually abused as a boy? I thought gays claim that they were born that way and that homosexuality wasn’t an ‘acquired taste’.

Republicans have proven they are willing to excuse lies which started a war, they excuse America using torture and now they excuse pedopiles in their ranks.
I’m sick of the excuses, there obviously is no crime sick enough to turn these creeps into decent citizens.
We are all being preyed upon by the Republicans but their willingness to look the other way when our children are molested by their own leaders just so they can keep their majority? It’s time for some convictions and a whole lot of resignations.
This is disgusting, like Abu Ghraib, like the new gulag and torture Bill, and like Jeff Gannon. Sick and hypocrytical traitors.

Who’s been harboring a molestor for THREE years? If you knew these things were going on, and did nothing about it, you’ve obviously not only condoned this behavior, but also protected it. Why did you wait til not to disclose the info? To protect the child?

Foley’s only crime was being a republican gay hypocrit!
Yes, he was wrong to have disrespected the “rules of engagement” against fraternizing with a congressional page.
But what he should have done was come out, and have healthy open relationships with other gay men of legal age.

Excuse me. All of you who want to exuse this man, either because you hate Clinton or because you support Republicans. It really doesn’t matter at all. What matters is the impact this man had on kids. Yes, kids. Argue however you will about whether the ‘kid’ in question was above or below sixteen years old. Sexual abuse is defined as a matter of power. Part of that power is usually defined in terms of older/younger. Usually, we look at an older teenager versus a child under twelve. In this case, (as in many sexual harassment cases) the ‘child’ was 16 years old. Certainly not an adult, but not a child, either. This is where the question of power comes in. A page has no power. A Congressman does. A 52 year old Congressman certainly has the power to intimidate a 16 year old. (Do you remember when you were 16?) Someone in a position of power over someone who has no power, who makes suggestions of sexual activity, is guilty of sexual harassment, at minimum. Period. Period. Period. Even if the guy were only a regular old jerk who held some power over a kid, asking him to measure his penis would be harassment. In a position of Congressman, as well as the guy in charge of preventing child endangerment… a 16 year old page with ambition will hardly complain. That’s why the power disparity is a problem, and why it’s looked at. There is no question who had power, here.

Send him to Abu Ghrab. Oh wait, thanks to the traitors on the left, the terrorists are living the life of luxury. I’d rather have Foley in office than the hate-America crowd like Pelosi, Reed, Turbin……Pass a bill forcing liberals into re-education camps before they do anymore damage to the country they hate.

I email dateline awhile back about a case of a white man from Indiana who have issues but his family kept it undercover and moved him to flordia. This guy married and killed his wife like an animal. Again, it is a lot of these kinds of white males in America and have always being there,since 1776and before. I think most families members know how they are but want report it or just be in denied. All men in this country are not the same. But, this is what this society want us to believe to protect men like foley and all of his lookalike. Also, think about the school shooting in the country.

[quote]It’s no use arguing. People are irrational. The fact that 16 is the legal age of sexual consent is being completely ignored. Everybody wants to think it’s 18 or older.[/qoute]
So both parties were in DC? or different states?

Foley is a sick man and should be prosecuted for what he did. But it is simply not logical to connect everyone in the same political party to his *personal* actions. He may call himself a Republican but nobody in this party wants him. Hastart is not his daddy, and is not responsible for what he sneaks around doing. Nobody, I repeat NOBODY, can an inclination of the explicit side of these emails. Believe me, the Republican party is not stupid, and would not think that could just be “brushed under the rug.”

Any wrongdoing should be punished. Foley should have stuck with over-18 males if he must do this. That said, Democrat sshould not use this a political issue which I’m sensing they are. This is Foley problems. It deals with our fallen human natures and it plagues both sides of the aisle, whether Democrat or Republican. If not pedophilia, then probably other sins.

I consider myself right-wing and very conservitive…but I don’t think Foley represents my party and beliefs, infact…I hope he ends up in jail for his actions.
Makes me wonder about something my dad told me long ago, Even if you support a party, a view and an overall cause in Washington…in time that party will break apart and make mistakes and crash themselves.
Wonder if thats happening to the GOP as we speak?
I’m voting for some democrats this year, not for my personal views, but for my country.

No one has mentioned that besides the obvious predator behavior from Foley towards an underage boy this is also a form of sexual harrassment in the work place. Foley was in a position of power over the page. If there is lack of success prosecuting Foley under the laws regarding internet solicitation of minors, then the next route is to prosecute for sexual harassment in the work place. Foley needs to go to jail. Whatever route the prosecutors have to use to get him there for a while is fine with me.
The whole story is astonishing, I’m sure especially for those crazy Florida voters who voted him in so many times. You never can tell about people. Parents, we need to beware. There’s sicko’s all around us – just check your address in the registered sex offender database. What has bothered me looking at that list in the past is that these molesters dont get jail time – most get parole and that is it. Maybe this national scandal will outrage people enough to elect tougher judges that will give harsher sentences including jail time to get these life-ruiners off the street, off the net, and out of our neighborhoods. Our children’s lives and well being depend on it.

It is so upsetting to think about the fact that politicians can get away with things that would get us civilians locked up.

This guy sponsored legislation to protect children from predators, using the internet. I guess he wanted to have them all to himself.
It really concerns me that anyone who knew would cover it up.

It’s amazing to see what lengths the republicans will jump to justify Foley’s behavior. What makes this really stink, once again, is that the republicans think they are morally superior to democrats. The republicans are the party that ran with the “family values” slogan. The past six years has proven to be one of the most morally bankrupt periods of U.S. history.

I think if anyone is to blame here, besides Foley, it’s the voters that put him in office… not eough people vote, and that number is split into half of people who actually care obout this country rather than their hidden agendas.. The Government is the Problem, it’s the Politics at work.. Sign up, Vote, or Stop Complaining!

“and the home of the free”….

Interesting isn’t how the hatred and the indignation of the Republican Party spent millions durin the Clinton Lewinsky trials, yet Clinton ran the country well and NOBODY died as a result of it. The USA is in shambles and of young American men and women have been killed in Iraq…for what? Oil and lies? Shame on you Republicans!!! Why are not Bush’s daughters over there? Are the children of Congress and the Senate members over there getting killed and maimed. I think not. As usual the Republicans need to blame gays. Foley did worng true…but the Republicans need to wake up! God bless the Democrats!!!

Any Republican or Democrat who knew about this and said nothing should be PROSECUTED!
As far as “liberal” media outlets holding on to this info until now… What about FOX NEWS? They were some of the first to know, and said NOTHING until now…
There’s plenty of shame to go around for everybody.
Let’s ditch this whole Republican/Democrat plan we’ve been going with… clean house… and start over by voting for PEOPLE who we believe in.

Those who call for “the whole bunch” to be thrown out should remember who resigned when Gerry Studds, Bill Clinton, and Barney Frank were caught in far more ugly situations – no one.

Other than sending a few emails, what proof is there he has done anything? And they’re not kids, they are 16+ years old. I don’t understand what all the fuss is about.

As long as the GOP (God’s Onerous Pedophiles) are in charge, you’ll be seeing more corruption and hypocrisy.

What took Brian Ross and ABC to report on this information. Brian Ross himself reported that he and ABC have had this information for many months, but were to busy to report on it.
Why did they put these children at risk? Please answer this Mr. Ross and ABC.
By the way this in no way excuses Mark Foley from what he did, it was dispictable and should be investigated and charges brought if possible.

I can’t believe they put this guy as the head of Missing and Exploited Children!!!
It’s time to clean house and everybody who knew about this has to do the right thing and resign NOW!!
I can’t believe they want to hold on to their power so much that they’re willing to risk losing the entire House of Representatives instead of admitting they made a mistake, resigning and moving on!
They’re falling right into the Democrats trap!!!!!!!!!!

Who cares?

Why haven’t the people of Florida demanded that this predator be immediately removed from his office? Also, why haven’t the DC police formally charged this man as a predator? Alcohol has nothing to do with being a pedophile (as does being gay as it was suggested this morning!) This man has no right to represent his “constituents” in his home state and he certainly has no business being allowed to “resign” and then blame everything on alcohol and a bad childhood! When is this country going to hold EVERYONE accountable to the same set of laws and code of conduct! Lock him up and set up an investigation against all of his “good ole boys” who covered for him all these years!

1. It is definitely past time for new leadership. Hastert and everyone else involved with this crime and coverup should be jailed along with Foley. Where the hell is the real leadership in this country?
2. ABC, if you did know about the story much earlier and not report it, then I have little respect for you.
3. From another line of thought: Given the scrutiny that Bush has been under, could it be that the Rove/Cheney gang has thrown Foley under the bus to take the heat off Bush?

I understand the need for the “concrete evidence” for a criminal investigation, but for those asking to see more validated evidence before forming an opinion-GIVE ME A BREAK! This guy is a sick predator and I don’t care if all he did write were “overly friendly” emails (which is doubtful!) how do we know what he was doing-or has done. The obvious fact is that he is out looking for young boys and that makes me furious. People who sweep this under the rug are guilty of letting this society sink further into this kind of sickness. And yet some of you still need to “see the facts”. That’s for the lawyers. It is all self evident to me. Those “friendly” emails turn my stomach. In cases of pedophilia, intensions should be enough to put someone away for treatment. Otherwise, some poor kid is going to pay the price for our negligence.

To those of you morons that keep bringing up that (allegedly) the Democrats knew about this as well… Seems to me that if that is true then they are just following the examples of the GOP for using scndalous news for political gain. Oh? That’s different you say? The GOP are just a bunch of hypocrites!!
Term limitations is the only long term solution for some of the ills of this country. Career politicians need to end!

I was just reading that Foley’s attorney claims that he was under the influence of alcohol when he was sending these IM’s in the middle of a vote. Doesn’t that mean that he was drunk during the vote as well?

With the intermittentcy of breathing, it is amazing that while the “people” complain and are “appalled” at the actions and “morals” of those that are in the positions of the greatest and highest levels of “our governemnt” it is those same “people” that re-elect the same garbage year after year. It is time to finally, get rid of the trash. What pride is there in seeing that this is what our government has come to? We all need to look into the mirror.

Foley should be prosecuted, no doubt. But before we throw all republicans under the bus, we should determine what exactly was known and whether or not any attempts were made to investigate Foley. Clinton’s abuse of power over an intern, although she was not a minor, was just as much an abuse of office. Let’s get Foley out, and everyone else who injures our youth because of their political status. I wouldn’t mind wiping the slate clean, getting rid of all incumbents throughout the entire country, and starting over.

I guess it’s not so easy being morally superior to everybody else after all.

Clinton doesn’t seems so bad. Floridians elected this guy…no surprise….cess pool of America so who do you think they would vote in.

people people people~~ predators of this nature will not ask of ours kids what congressional party do they belong to. That means nothing to them, this guy is mentally sick, its a shame he was in government and voting to create laws to protect our society. He should be thrown in jail for life. Rep/Dem does not matter here, he is our worst nightmares to parents.

Foley is repulsive.
That his superiors knew about “over friendly” communications with exclusivly male + underage pages, that Foley had a reputation 5 years ago for being too friendly too often so that they warned each other about him… How could they fail to investigate that or connect some dots? Would they have missed it if it was thier kids? I doubt it. That is incredibly negligent, incompetant or worse.
The Leadership is elected to do better than this. Far better.

No excuses for Foley. Glad he’s gone. At least he had the decency to resign. Why didn’t democratic Rep. Gary Studds, who did worse and served another 13 years. Why didn’t Democratic Rep. Barney Frank who’s episode was as bad, and that 1989. The Dem’s evidently knew about this for a while. How long have they been holding it? Why didn’t they go to Republican leadership with the info first?

The leadership of BOTH parties knew about this for almost a year, IF NOT LONGER, but neither side did nothing.
I can understand the REPs keeping it quiet, but it is the heighth of hypocricy for the DEMs to set on it until JUST BEFORE the elections.
We have the best Congress money can buy, because MOST of them have been bought off by “campaign contributions” in return for favorable votes on bills favoring big corporations like Microsoft and other special interest groups.
It’s time to “clean house”, and the Senate. When you go to the polls in a few weeks VOTE for independent candidates and if there are none then vote AGAINST the incumbant. You couldn’t get any worse than what we have now. If you keep your representative because he bring Pork to your district then you deserve the corruption you’ll get.

If these allegations are true? Let the true facts come out. The only true facts are when Ex President Clinton abused the office as a true sexual predator and abused Monika. The democrats tried all they could to say this was not a case of abuse. Well, I say this is where it all started. Clinton is a sexual predator from way back. Why isn’t he put on the front page as to what he really is. With Foley you do have a possible paper trail, but is it set up? Lets wait for the facts.
Wayne

Once again, a perv is a perv is a perv. That said, I would like to see ONE prominent Democrat speak out against the ACT ITSELF, instead of the REPUBLICAN accused of it.

Tuvok: Term limits are not the answer to what ails this country. That’s just a fancy way to duck what you,as a citizen of this country,should be doing…reading up on the candidates,deciding who you think is the better one…and VOTING. THAT is true term limits. But,then again,that would require getting accurate information instead of relying on campaign ads and infotainment. It’s no wonder the percentage of people who’ve checked out of the voting process has been going up over the decades.

I can’t believe that this person helps run our country. Goodness.

It would be nice for Brian to explain this at this stage…
But since he hasn’t…
Why is it no one took the time to educate themselves on the difference between pedophilia (pre-puberty) and pedarasty (post)?
I agree with some that they should investigate the entire hill, it’s about these teenagers… not politics.
BTW, this is not a case of consent… it’s 16 in DC as well as Florida; It’s a fed case because it’s the internet and under 18.
Foley not only preyed on kids… he totally abused the office as representive in this great country.
BTW… I heard Foley doesn’t drink, and i’m trying to see if the ‘clergyman’ is still alive.

I think it’s impossible for news agencies to put aside political agendas, because as institutions themselves, they become political bodies, b/c they have to survive, like other institutions, in a task environment that can be extremely hostile to the viability of the institution and its ability to survive and sustain itself over time. And then you’ve got all that market-driven competition and profit–how can a news agency not be consumed by politics when, by it’s very nature today, is deeply embedded in a political and capitalist system, that by its very nature is extremely hostile.
This is not to excuse any ethical misconduct that may have occurred on the part of the major media–I don’t tolerate corruption in any form, but it might explain this misconduct and motivate us to scream louder for FCC reforms that will break up media conglomeration.
Everyone is political. and we will never escape the politicization of media reporting, but balanced and ethics driven news was born in an environment and an ara of DIVERSITY OF OWNERSHIP, which naturally produced a more diverse (and hence more balanced) perspective of appriate news content. The grassroots mom and pop stations were better able to maintain ethical standards because they were held accountable at a local level by their consumers in their market–people they actually knew and cared about. This was the check and balance of the old non-conglomerated system.

What if some Democrats knew and held on to the story for political reasons? Hastert knew about the Email, which wasn’t sexual in anyway. It’s not like he asked him to send a nude picture! But who all knew about the IM’s, and how long have they held back? That is the real question!

There was no Democrat and media outrage when it was discovered that democratic congressmen Barney Frank and G. Studds were having sex with teenage pages. The Democrats and the media smell blood and are in a feeding frenzy. Any word on the true victim or is that not what’s important?

I agree get rid of the trash. Vote for Kinky (Texas)

Reality check time. If he had been cybering with a 16 year old female would any of you be so outraged? I doubt it. Yes what he was doing was wrong. But let’s not dramatize this into a case of “predatory pedophilia” just because the person he was cybering with was male. Had it been a female, you would have shrugged and said “she looks grown up to me.” Having said that, he really should resign

I’ve often said that we really need to clean house, no pun intended. By that I mean all the way down White House to Congress. Because when the NEW ones get in the Olders one are still there and it’s buiness as usual. Just teaching the new one the old ways. It’s a real shame that as a great country we have all this garbage going on. I say LOCK them up and throw away the key. Also stop trying to hide behind excuses. Grow up and take responibilites for your actions.

When did BR become aware of the existance of the IM’s?
Was it one of the pages involed providing the source information or a third party?

Great! Now he’s blaming Catholic priests for his perversion. Even if it’s true, that’s no excuse for what he did. The timing of his so-called admission is suspect. It also makes one wonder about the bill he introduced to protect children from predators. This whole incident is just too twisted for words.

For all of you, who turn this into a political issue, shame on you. This isn’t about politics, sick’os across the world exploit children every day. “Foley the Pig” is no different than any pedophile out there except for the place he works. It is too bad the media, democrats & republicans use this to better their positions.
I’ve had to type this message twice because when I try to post it the ABCNews server is busy. Bet their ad revenues are going through the roof. Democrats (those with and without skeletons) are using it to their advantage in an attempt to gain majorities this Fall. Republicans (those with and without skeletons)will use this to their advantage by getting in front of cameras or the press and sighting their voting record on child crimes to protect their seat this Fall.
Making this a political issue takes away from those that need our help – children. Awareness needs to be heightened, laws stiffened and punishment harsher for anyone who takes advantage of children in sexually explicit ways. That’s what this issue is truly about; those that use it to gain an advantage are just as guilty morally as those doing these despicable things to our kids.

What ever happened to freedom of speech? It doesnt matter what Foley said, its what he did that counts. And why don’t all of you who vote, make the absolute right choice and vote libertarian? Voting Dem or Rep is the same thing, they both do the same things.

Hmm, shouldnt have done that. But nothing about the email is demented, The kid is 16, we were doing faar worse…

Wolverine 79707,
Yes they did and still do. They may have got rid of a pedophile but those that knew and did not come forward to the authorities immediately are still there representing not only you but me and the rest of the country. The Republican leadership had an opportunity to force this person out of his place in congress and didn’t do it. It wasn’t only male House Pages at risk, it was any young male with whom he came in contact.

Enough of the ‘set-up’, ‘phony messages cause they’re not encrypted’ and ‘he didn’t do anything illegal’ garbage.
This guy would throw himself under a bus if he thought there was a young boy waiting for him.
The ony thing political about this fiasco is keeping those in the know in office. Seems Bush is saying the exact words ad nauseum (You’re doing a great job) that he did about ol’ Brownie right after Katrina…..

I am a Rebublican, but today I have to admit that with shame. Foley and ANYONE ELSE, on either side of the isle, who knew about this and either actively covered it up or simply ignored it should resign or be impeached.
That said part of the blame for this staying under wraps belongs to the boys parents who didn’t want this matter persued. If it had been my son I would have raised holy hell. What is wrong with people today?

Has Brian Ross ever actually watched a vote on the House floor? He must not have, or he wouldn’t have said Foley “interrupted” a vote.
I realize Ross is desperate to keep his ratings up, but this isn’t journalism, it isn’t even news. How long the Democratic Congressional Committee and other Democratic arms have known about the emails and the IMs – now that would be news, and would be pertinent, wouldn’t it?

Who cares why ABC, Brian Ross, et al are trickling this information out. Why try to redirect the attention to the media. The bottom line is that a US Representative has been having solicitous internet communication with minors….PERIOD!
It’s not ABC’s responsibility to govern the action of the House of REpresentatives btw….let us not forget that if it weren’t for the Media, we’d never know this type of stuff happens because it’s CLEAR that those in charge are willing to do everything in their power to cover it up.
If anything is sickening, it’s the pervasive culture of lies, cover-ups, arrogance, corruption and self righteous ideology that is prevelant in our government today. This is a perfect example of what happens when a single party controls all branches of governments. NO CHECKS & BALANCES and the result — CHAOS AND CRIME.

Shameful !!
Did he think he was above the law ?
If he was a Dem, the story would have a 36 hour life span in the news.

Why are we grouping a pedophile with other people on his party ticket? What does this have to do with them? He has resigned but should still be held accountable(bring charges against him)for his disgusting actions. Do we call for the resignation of the NBA or Coach of 1 (or even several) person’s actions or what about the NFL or the local police force or even the entire Firefighters Union for a few individuals who are creeps? Did we punish the entire Democratic party for Bill Clinton or McGreevey’s sexual misconduct? NO! When are we going to make Individuals be accountable for their actions? Parties don’t commit these crimes – People Do!
I, for one, hope he gets the maximum penalty (because he was in a position of authority which helped him to manipulate these poor kids! I feel so bad for these boys, who probably never had a homosexual thought, until he introduced it to them – they went along reluctantly at first. They are scarred for life. So let’s go after Foley (and of course anyone who KNOWINGLY allowed it to continue, but keep our political opinions out of it.

some of the comments here have made me disgusted to be an american citizen. i understand those republicans who will still vote republican after this but to blame the democrats?? you are nuts!! i dont blame the republican party for one man sexually harassing these boys, i blame the man – i dont care what politcal party he is in. where have some of your values gone?? reading all of this have just made me so upset and ashamed at my country. some of you here (not all!) really need to think about what you are saying.

Does the Congressional health insurance policy cover rehab or is Foley paying for it out of his own pocket?

Boy the Vast-Right-Wing sure has to go back some 30 years to find a page or 2 … don’t they?
this is 2006 and this GOP House sat on this crime against Teenage pages for the last 6 years or more!
for what?
POWER!
I would say since the day this creep came into office!
all these excuses on this blog for supporting a 16 year-old kid getting those nasty email & other messages is insane. I am a grandmother and if it was my grandchild, I would be down on the floor of the House with my broom.. chasing down U KNOW WHO.. givin him U KNOW WHAT…
JUSTICE for JUST US!
it really is time for these GOPers to come to terms with their power grab & give it up for TRUTHINESS…

ew.

Yes, it’s predation but remember that there are people in (mostly) the liberal ranks who effectively want to legalize this behavior by lowering the age of consent for homosexual umm, intercourse to 16 or even lower. Would this still be crime then?
I hope this will all be remembered the next time there is a vote on whether homosexual seduction of a minor is a crime.

You know what amazes me? A member of the Republican party is outed as a pedophile who has been preying on teenage boys for years, and suddenly other Republicans (not ALL of them, to their credit, there are some who are justifiably disgusted) start screaming and pointing at Democrats. It must just be an automatic reflex.
What exactly do Democrats have to do with Republican Foley being a pedophile? What do Democrats have to do with Republicans shushing this, covering it up and hiding it? If people are going to claim that the Democrats “outed” this right now for electoral reasons, then I say why didn’t the Republicans who KNEW about this going way back do something about it long before now? They could haev AVOIDED this. They could have approached Foley privately, let him know what they knew, told him they won’t tolerate this in Congress or in their party, and he has to resign. He doesn’t have to say why, but he has to go. Why didn’t they do that, so as to avoid all this?
I mean, come on and all, you know there’s a pedophile in Congress in your own party and you just look the other way?

“Where was the same outrage from the Dems. when Clinton was getting serviced by an intern in the Oval office.” posted by Mike
Democrats weren’t upset? WRONG!! However, big diff between the Lewinsky scandal and this…where to start??? How about with gender and age? At least Lewinsky was a consenting female ADULT, and his actions weren’t federal offenses, although the republicans tried to impeach him for it. Hmmm, what do you suppose they were most upset about…the fact that he was getting oral sex, or that it was from a woman??? And the Republicans are the “Family Values” party?? Give me a break!! The Clintons went through an inquisition while they were in the White House and stayed together as a family through thick and thin. And let’s not forget about that charming Newt Gingrich who served his wife with divorce papers while she was in the hospital with cancer. He was having an affair….yeah, lots of family values in the “Republic” party.

It is very nice to hear about how everyone thinks Foley is a pervert. I personally believe pediphilia is very wrong. But have you thought about how it is that some men and women joke openly about pedophilia. The definition of pedophilia says “sexual desire in an adult for a child.” It doesn’t say “sexual actions toward a child.” What happened between Foley and the underaged youth under his domain is repugnant ( which by the way is a word found just below Republican in the dictionary). But this sort of thing has been going on for 1,000′s of years. YEAH, don’t get me wrong, I for one am very glad to hear all of the fuss being made over this issue, I only would like to address how our society may be part of the problem. There are men who marry girls under the age of 18 in our country. There have been songs sung by the Rolling Stones that would suggest the sexual desire for young girls. There have been jokes and comments made in my presence by gay and straight men about the sexual desire for young boys and girls. The perverts cross a line that our society runs along the edge of. I would like to ask that we pull away from this line if we are to criticize the perverts for crosing it.

Mark Foley is a disgusting sick pervert! How dare the republicans cover up for this heinous act. All who knew needs to turn in resignations right now. What a shame and disgrace! How can this administration speak to any other country about morals. Shame Shame Shame on you. Just sick!

I want to know how long has CREW been feeding Brian Ross information about Foley. I want to know when the first communication happened, and I want to know why it wasn’t immediately reported.
I want to know what journalistic principle Ross applied to justify hiding information that Foley had progressed from a writer of creepy e-mails to an online sexual stalker.
I want to know why Brian Ross didn’t turn these facts over to the police to prevent Foley from committing a crime and instead held them to take them public himself.
Pulitzers are, one supposes, more important than a child being sexually abused.

The kid wasn’t being COACHED. He was CLEARLY uncomfortable. Anyone with any sensitivity can tell that. His responses were completely confused. Does that REALLY bespeak sexual maturity? Those of you who say that anyone under the legal adult age is sexually mature or that he was trying to ensnare the former congressman are clearly missing some key cerebral components.

God Bless America.

Why is there so much fuss over Foley’s alleged e-mails and instant messages? I don’t condone what he did at all. It’s disgusting and sickening. However, why is this all we hear and see on the news? I don’t remember this much media coverage when Clinton had sex in the White House and lied about it!!!! At least Foley stepped down and committed himself for rehab. That’s more than what Clinton did.

Let’s all just calm down. What Foley did was wrong, but he is human and should be forgiven. Clinton had cyber-sex with Monica (among other things) and no one seemed to think it was a big deal. The democrats are going nuts as are the mainstream liberal media, playing politics with this issue. Foley admits he’s gay and nothing has happened other than messages back and forth; not condoning it but just stating a fact. Before we get into a gay-bashing and throw them all out mentality let’s wait for some facts and perhaps a little compassion.

And we all know that it was really CREW that withheld the info, so they could release witin 6 weeks of the election. Crew is lying about sending it to the FBI.

The only thing I know: all of them are a bunch of hipocrits and bi-moral. As same as their leader: an alcoholc man, called Bush.
You should take care of this country, but no to figth against muslims or foreigners, but the power behind the power. Do you remeber the Roman empire?. So, it’s up to you..!!
Peace with you..!!

He (Mark Foley) learned form the best…CLINTON. Under the desk with an Intern. This is the kind of example the Clinton Era has left.

Fact Check:
It should be noted that in the 1983 page sex scandal that both Dan Crane (R-Ill.) and Gerry Studds (D-Mass.)had relationships with pages who were of the age of legal consent (17 y.o. at the time).

As I read the comments I am irritated that anyone can walk away from this thinking Republican vs. Democrat vs. WHATEVER! Was the leak of the news timed to coincide with the elections? Most probably! Have there been blemishes or incidents like this on both sides in the past? DEFINITELY!
This is about someone operating as a predator. This is also about a damaged system that enabled him to do so. No matter what side the offenders are on, they need to be prosecuted!
The alcoholic argument makes me sick! Yeah, it may have lowered his inhibitions, but it did not place those desires and thoughts in him. Those desires had to be already there.

“I LOVE IT, no matter how much you try to compare stuff from years ago to today to justify this great october surprise. lol, all the bitchin in the world is not going to stop us from taking the house in nov.
Posted by: mike | Oct 3, 2006 7:22:29 PM”
You dont know Americans very well, do you?

What is really disturbing here are the number of male, Republican leaning posters who believe that sex between an adult and a teenager (above the age of consent) would be justified.
Do all of you moral high-ground right wingers realize that in your partisan appeal to “reality” you are advocating for the same treatment for your teenage sons and daughters?

why doesn’t ABC release the full transcript of the instant messages?

Well, here we go again. Watch what happens in this high profile case because from celebrities to politicians, it doesn’t matter what they do because they will never serve a day in jail for ANY crime(s) they commit be it drunk driving (Hi Mel Gibson) or underage drinking(Hi Lyndsay Lohan) or this clown Foley. Whatever they do and this is BAD, they NEVER get the punishment that Jane or Joe Public would get doing the same thing. This is not a political incident, but because it was brought to light near an election, that is what it will be called. The timing was suspect, but, it was done. All I know is that Foley and his minions WILL make excuse after excuse for his behavior. It would be nice if Congress listened to the American people and passed laws so that when one of their own resigns or is found guilty of a crime that they forfeit their cushy pensions and free lifetime healthcare. We all know i would never happen, but, it might make some of these clowns think before they act.

this LA teen must be taught a lesson to lie about such things and ruin lives, where are his parents in not condeming such trash.

Gerry Studds actually had sex with a 17 year old boy and got three standing ovations from the Democrats! But hey, that was over 20 years ago and I guess it was OK back then. Right?

this is why i am not INTEREST in politics.
for a great country, USA is going to the dogs.

Hey, George Washington had an affair with his secretary so that must mean Foley is innocent….LOL. You wingers are funny with your history excuses.

His lawyer is now saying that he only naughty emailed when he was drunk and only at home. But obviously he must have been drunk at work cause he nasty IMd the boy in the middle of voting!! A drunk voting perv congressman…Great!

First of all, the clinical definition of “paedophile” is an individual who possesses a paraphilia for prepubescent or peripubescent children. The children in this case, however, were hardly preteens. According to the DSM-IV, erotic or romantic attraction to adolescents exclusively — that is, children who have already begun puberty and are developing secondary sex characteristics — is NOT a psychological dysfunction in and of itself. Second of all, adults who have any degree of prurient interest in teenagers (exclusive of abusive behavior whether that be assault, rape, etc.) is known correctly as pederasty. Pederastic relationships do not statistically coincide with adults who seek out to psychologically and physically exploit and harm “little boys and girls”. The two groups are in fact, quite disparate.

surprise. another right-wing, konservative hypocrite busted. the wheels of justice won’t be the only thing grinding in cell block D

What is exceedingly outrageous is Hastert’s assertion that this scandal was brought on by the democrats and the media. What is the underlying presupposition of that statement? That had it not come out they would have continued to cover it up????

Polosi voted for Studs to remaine in Congress!!( look up ALL the facts)…it is a R/D issue to her.This is made clear by her vote- So Ms, Polosi it was ok for you are a D but not if you are a R. Polosi should GO she is purly political and she should go with Foley!

These Fools that didn’t take action against this pervert should be shown the door Bush and all his Religion crap is gettig old to . Can’t the Republicans see he would do anything to keep the house and senate. Even at the cost of many young men and women. We need an investigation Of all his messy actions.

There is nothing sick and/or disgusting about pedophilia. Pedophilia is humanistic and natural as any other sexuality. It’s just that we have a negative hysteria going around something that is different or taboo. Foley is a great man who served our interests well. Why do we need to put our noses into his personal life; especially when he didn’t commit any criminal offense, I don’t know. I do know that we’re a bunch of hyprocritical idiots by reacting negatively to such. Pedophilia is about “child” “love” not “child” “molest”, plus I’d like to believe that these individuals were young adults. Why must we continue to repress child sexuality when it exists and persists despite all our stupid efforts? Why must we remain oppressive to pedophiles who only want equality and freedom, just as your dummie has? Why does society want to continue to demonstrate hatred and taint what pedophilia really is?

I really don’t understand why everyone keeps calling what Foley did pedophilia. That’s not what its called. What he did was first and foremost statutory rape, because they were of the age of legal consent, however Foley was obviously too old. Pedophilia ranges from birth to about 12 years old. After that its adolescent-philia, or adophilia, which ranges from about 13 to 16. Foley is not guilty of pedophilia, he is guilty of consensual sex or sex related activities with a minor who is of the legal age of consent. Oh, and by the way, Alex, thats disgusting. True that pedophilia basically means loving children, but children are not meant to be sexually active. Their minds are far too undeveloped to comprehend what they are doing, and it is a traumatic experience for them.

t’s possibly just because I’m from Europe but I genuinelly don’t get why you’re all so het up over this. In the UK the age of consent is 16, in France, 14. Maybe if you weren’t such a bunch of gay-bashers he could have had a normal relationship

Ewwww. Sick