Florida Congressman sends dirty email to teens - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Bobblehead · 10-01-2006, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla. -- chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children -- resigned Friday amid reports that he sent sexually explicit Internet messages to teenage boys who worked as congressional pages.

link

Lots of news about this. Google News Search

While every party probably has a bad apple or two (or dozen), probably one of the most worrying things is (from AP, published in the Houston Chronicle):

Quote:

GOP leaders admit their offices have known for months that a Florida Republican congressman was sending inappropriate e-mails to a boy who had worked as a page in the House of Representatives.

You can already see how this issue is being handled by the GOP 'spin-masters'.

Quote:

This morning on Fox News Sunday, Brit Hume compared Mark Foley’s predatory behavior towards underage pages to President Clinton’s relationship with Monica Lewinsky. Hume said that while Foley is now “in total disgrace in his party,” Clinton’s “inappropriate behavior toward a subordinate [didn’t] even cost Bill Clinton his standing in his party.”

link

(Edit: Could a mod fix the spelling of Florida in the thread title please?)

CaramonLS · 10-01-2006, 11:54 AM

I'm shocked they could even imply that pedophila and adultery in these cases are even remotely the same.

Pretty disgusting that they have actually known about it for a while too.

Displaced Flames fan · 10-01-2006, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

Pretty disgusting that they have actually known about it for a while too.

Not really if...

1. The activity has ceased.
2. They were giving him the opportunity to address the issue himself before initiating an investigation.

It seems that this guy only resigned because the heat was about to get turned up.

He should be prosecuted and do jail time.

Britt Hume is on drugs.

CaramonLS · 10-01-2006, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Not really if...

1. The activity has ceased.
2. They were giving him the opportunity to address the issue himself before initiating an investigation.

It seems that this guy only resigned because the heat was about to get turned up.

He should be prosecuted and do jail time.

Britt Hume is on drugs.

Actually I strongly disagree with that, It is really interesting the timing of this whole incident being brought to light. Very close to elections.

Does it say how the information has come out? I've yet to see that.

BTW how much time do you need to address the issue? Considering this was apparently being 'refered to authories' last fall. I'm sure the people of Florida would have like to know their house Rep was a pedophile before letting him actually continue representing them in the house.

Iowa_Flames_Fan · 10-01-2006, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fotze

I read about that and thought it was female pages and thought dirty old man. But when I heard it was male pages I thought oh jeez he's screwed. It shouldn't make a difference, male or female because of the ages, but I think it does for some reason.

I wondered about that too. Not knowing the age of the interns involved, it's hard to say how much of this is about protecting minors vs. outing a closet homosexual. I mean--an 18 yr. old is a "teenager." Still kind of icky for an old man to be drooling over, but it's a very different situation if we're talking about someone much younger.

CaramonLS · 10-01-2006, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

I wondered about that too. Not knowing the age of the interns involved, it's hard to say how much of this is about protecting minors vs. outing a closet homosexual. I mean--an 18 yr. old is a "teenager." Still kind of icky for an old man to be drooling over, but it's a very different situation if we're talking about someone much younger.

The boy was 16.

Displaced Flames fan · 10-01-2006, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

Actually I strongly disagree with that, It is really interesting the timing of this whole incident being brought to light. Very close to elections.

Does it say how the information has come out? I've yet to see that.

BTW how much time do you need to address the issue? Considering this was apparently being 'refered to authories' last fall. I'm sure the people of Florida would have like to know their house Rep was a pedophile before letting him actually continue representing them in the house.

Well, they don't actually have a choice as to whether he continued to represent them or not. That is up to the rest of the House and specifically the ethics committee. The only time the people of his district have a say is on election day...which as you pointed out is right around the corner. That short window undoubtedly helps whatever democrat is running against him immensely.

I'm actually not sure what you were pointing to with the timing. It certainly doesn't help the GOP, Foley's party.

I am as disgusted as the next person and was just trying to offer some explanation as to why some may have known for a while and hadn't acted on their knowledge yet.

The information came from Foley, but clearly he knew somebody was going to out him. Evidently his description of what he did wasn't very accurate either.

Displaced Flames fan · 10-01-2006, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

The boy was 16.

I'm getting the sense that this was a 'mutual exchange of ideas via email'

between the two. Not just a homosexual pedophile soliciting an unknowing page who he thought was cute.

Just as bad. The man is clearly weak.

After reading further, this looks like a pattern of behavior. If a kid was indulging him it may have been simply nothing more than trying to get ahead in his future career.

I'd like to know if he threatened any of the pages with retribution. If that happened, he's going away for even longer.

Bobblehead · 10-01-2006, 03:02 PM

ABC News has published Instant Message logs which are MUCH more explicit than the email message.

And the current headline on ABC News?
GOP Staff Warned Pages About Foley in 2001

Quote:

A Republican staff member warned Congressional pages five years ago to "watch out" for Congressman Mark Foley, according to a former page.

CaramonLS · 10-01-2006, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Well, they don't actually have a choice as to whether he continued to represent them or not. That is up to the rest of the House and specifically the ethics committee. The only time the people of his district have a say is on election day...which as you pointed out is right around the corner. That short window undoubtedly helps whatever democrat is running against him immensely.

I'm actually not sure what you were pointing to with the timing. It certainly doesn't help the GOP, Foley's party.

I am as disgusted as the next person and was just trying to offer some explanation as to why some may have known for a while and hadn't acted on their knowledge yet.

The information came from Foley, but clearly he knew somebody was going to out him. Evidently his description of what he did wasn't very accurate either.

Actually, what I was getting at was, it hasn't been released for a year, but all the sudden gets brought up now?

What it tells me is that the Republicans were trying to do was bury it until after the election OR they would have released it well before to avoid this coming to a head at this crucial time.

This is probably the worst time for it to actually be released, and I highly doubt they did it willingly.

FanIn80 · 10-01-2006, 03:57 PM

OK that is just nasty.

Displaced Flames fan · 10-01-2006, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

Actually, what I was getting at was, it hasn't been released for a year, but all the sudden gets brought up now?

What it tells me is that the Republicans were trying to do was bury it until after the election OR they would have released it well before to avoid this coming to a head at this crucial time.

This is probably the worst time for it to actually be released, and I highly doubt they did it willingly.

I guess.

This doesn't seem like something that can be burried though. And if they were just waiting for the election releasing it after doesn't make any sense either. The guy would still lose his seat.

I don't think there is a conspiracy other than Foley himself hoping he could make it go away. He couldn't.

CaramonLS · 10-01-2006, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

I guess.

This doesn't seem like something that can be burried though. And if they were just waiting for the election releasing it after doesn't make any sense either. The guy would still lose his seat.

I don't think there is a conspiracy other than Foley himself hoping he could make it go away. He couldn't.

The guy losing his seat is secondary IMO, it is the smear on the Republican party which is what I was thinking about.

Heck, it sure doesn't look good when the party of "morals" has a pedophile in their ranks.

BlackArcher101 · 10-01-2006, 05:21 PM

That chat log was disgusting.

CaramonLS · 10-01-2006, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

That chat log was disgusting.

Wow, you aren't kidding. Absolutely disgusting.

CaramonLS · 10-01-2006, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fotze

Ya, it gets grosser every time you read it eh?

You're telling me. I feel worse and worse every time I masterbate to that.

Ayrahb · 10-01-2006, 06:58 PM

Come on you guys! It's OK as long as they don't get married.

Displaced Flames fan · 10-01-2006, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

The guy losing his seat is secondary IMO, it is the smear on the Republican party which is what I was thinking about.

Heck, it sure doesn't look good when the party of "morals" has a pedophile in their ranks.

Nobody believes that crap anyway. (figuratively speaking of course).

I mean, there are deeply religious Democrats and atheist Republicans. Gay and straight on both sides of the aisle. I mean, the Democrats have allowed a murderer to continue in a leadership role in the Senate for decades.

It shouldn't reflect on the party, it should reflect on Mark Foley.

Displaced Flames fan · 10-01-2006, 07:24 PM

I might have to catch O'Reilly tomorrow. I wouldn't be surprised to hear him rip Hume a new one for the Clinton/Lewinsky comparison.

CaramonLS · 10-01-2006, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Nobody believes that crap anyway. (figuratively speaking of course).

I mean, there are deeply religious Democrats and atheist Republicans. Gay and straight on both sides of the aisle. I mean, the Democrats have allowed a murderer to continue in a leadership role in the Senate for decades.

It shouldn't reflect on the party, it should reflect on Mark Foley.

I think people believe that more than you think. Hell, you saw the outpouring of so called 'value voters' in the 2004 election moving en masse to the polls for the republican party.

Religion/Morals are going to be associated with the Republican party as long as the regilious left is continuing to be pushed aside in favor of the right, further dividing the 2 parties.