Republican Mark Foley in happier times, at the American Council of Life Insurers 1999 Capitol Challenge invitational. That’s all I’m sayin’. JN
Nothing like putting the fox in charge of the hen house. Representative Mark Foley was the chairman of the Missing and Exploited Children’s Caucus. That headline is a reference to Foley’s statement when he introduced new legislation in July to protect children from exploitation by adults over the Internet (!!).
You already know the basics from ABC News and Jane, I’m sure, so I’ll just jump right in to this AP report:
Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., abruptly resigned from Congress on Friday in the wake of questions about e-mails he wrote a former teenage male page.
"I am deeply sorry and I apologize for letting down my family and the people of Florida I have had the privilege to represent," he said in a statement issued by his office.
His departure sent Republicans scrambling for a replacement candidate less than six weeks before midterm elections in which Democrats are making a strong bid to gain control of the House.
Foley’s two-sentence statement gave no reason for Foley’s decision to abandon a flourishing career in Congress. But several officials said the resignation had been prompted by the e-mails, and he took his action as fresh details emerged about electronic messages he had sent.
Foley, 52, had been a shoo-in for a new term until the e-mail correspondence surfaced in recent days.
His resignation further complicates the political landscape for Republicans, who are fighting to retain control of Congress. Democrats need to win a net of 15 Republican seats to regain the power they lost in 1994.
Florida Republicans planned to meet as soon as Monday to name a replacement in Foley’s district, which President Bush won with 55 percent in 2004 and is now in play for November. Though Florida ballots have already been printed with Foley’s name and cannot be changed, any votes for Foley will count toward the party’s choice.
Campaign aides had previously acknowledged that the Republican congressman e-mailed the former Capitol page five times, but had said there was nothing inappropriate about the exchange. The page was 16 at the time of the e-mail correspondence.
The page worked for Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-La., who said Friday that when he learned of the e-mail exchanges 10 to 11 months ago, he called the teen’s parents. Alexander told the Ruston Daily Leader, "We also notified the House leadership that there might be a potential problem," a reference to the House’s Republican leaders.
Say WHAT? The Republican leadership knew of this "potential problem" ten or eleven months ago? That’s right. Rodney Alexander told them, and Foley himself was the deputy whip and a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. They knew, and they let him stay. In his seat, in his leadership role, and, disgustingly, in his chairmanship of the Missing and Exploited Children Caucus? Are they that fucking corrupt?
Yes. They. Are.
If you can stomach reading it, here’s what some Republican "leadership" looks like, when it’s preying on young boys.
Oh, Abraham. Whither your party?
Update: Another Republican chasing little kids.
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Fitz! Nix!
Jen!
Resignation!
Please god let him be prosecuted under his own law
You swim swiftly, sharkbabe!
Pages, and I’ve known some, are taught Rule One of Paging: All Members of Congress are Your Supervisors. So, this isn’t a just predation scandal on Denny Hastert’s watch, it’s a Workplace Sexual Harassment Scandal. This employer, on our dime, sexually harassed a minor in his employ.
And he’s a Republican. Or do I repeat myself?
Let’s see, fat Dennis Hastert was talking about Democrats “coddling” terrorists this week…
How long has Dennnis Hastert been “coddling” Mark Foley?
-GSD
GSD @ 7
Ohgod, that looked waaaay too much like “cuddling Mark Foley”…
If the Republican leadership ( i.e. Hastert ) knew about Foley’s little problem for the better part of a year, aside from being unethical not to remove Foley from his responsibilities, if what Foley did is illegal then wasn’t there some aiding and abetting going on? Sorry for the run on sentence.
We see now why there was never any significant ethics reform in the House, the Republicans would all have to resign if they followed any real ethics guidelines.
This certainly does seem to put a dent in the Republican party’s usual “bad apple” defense, dunnit.
just came over n got lucky, thunder!
Can somebody tell me why no repuke sexual creepiness/lawlessness ever seems to get more than a second of of coverage in the MSM.
WTF – zero traction, no matter what! You watch – this will never be heard of again as of tomorrow morning.
Link to Foley’s website
Sharkbabe @ 11
I’d like to say that it’s because it’s so commonplace as to not be especially newsworthy. But while probably true, that is most assuredly *not* the reason.
Trying to sneak into high school locker room chats, and then sending their college money to the defense firm with the most political contributions.
Maybe this is the tipping point. We can only hope it finally resonates with the people. They (the Repubs) are so incredibly corrupt.
Get out the vote. Work hard folks. Get out the vote.
g
Eli @ 8
ewww…. the visual, the visual…
(awaiting the graphic…) :)
no, I think ABC thinks they have a winner with this one, they can milk it for lots of content. 20/20 GMA, Nightline, etc.
Mark Foley (R-NAMBLA).
Just to let you know, the link “here’s what Republican leadership looks like” at the end of your post, to the .pdf files, locked me up at work using IE and the same thing just happened (twice) at home using Firefox. Maybe somebody who’s a LOT more tech savvy than I can figure it out.
I just updated the story with a link to this press release:
Press Release
NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING & EXPLOITED CHILDREN
JOINS WITH CONGRESSMAN FOLEY, SENATOR HATCH AND VICTIM FAMILIES TO ANNOUNCE TOUGHER SEX OFFENDER LEGISLATION
WASHINGTON, DC – May 18, 2005 – The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) applauds Congressman Mark Foley (R-FL) and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) for introducing sweeping legislation that will overhaul our nation’s current sex offender registration and community notification law entitled the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Act of 1994.
“Today, there are more than a half million sex offenders that are “supposed” to be registered in the United States; however at least 100,000 of these offenders are actually “missing” from the system. This is a massive problem,” said NCMEC President and CEO Ernie Allen. “I commend Congressman Foley and Senator Hatch for recognizing that the current federal sex offender law needs to be revamped. This new legislation will help build a more comprehensive system for tracking sex offenders and better protect our nation’s children.”
NCMEC believes this legislation, “The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act of 2005” will increase and tighten tracking of sex offenders and provide standards for notifying the public about these predators. It will integrate more than twenty years of legislation into a more consistent way of governing how sex offenders are monitored and how communities are notified.
Highlights of this legislation:
Full Integration: The bill fully integrates the “Megan’s Law” and “Lychner” amendments into the Wetterling Act.
Expands Covered Offenses against Children: The bill adds the “use of the Internet to facilitate or commit a crime against a minor” as one which could trigger registration.
Bi-annual, In Person Registration: Sex offenders will have to re-register in person twice a year (every three months for a sexually violent predator) – not just once.
Tracking Devices: Requires a first time sex offender to wear a tracking device for the duration of their supervised release and requires a second time offender to wear the device for their lifetime (sexually violent predators must wear a device for their lifetime). The type of device will be determined by the U.S. Attorney General after consulting with the states.
Taxpayer and Social Security Information: Allows for the release of taxpayer and Social Security information to be released to law enforcement when necessary in trying to locate the sex offender or verify information supplied by the sex offender.
Sex Offender DNA Database: Establishes a new federally maintained sex offender DNA database.
Model Sex Offender Registry: Requires the U.S. Attorney General, in consultation with the states, to develop a sex offender registry that can be used by those states that currently do not have such a registry or prefer a better system.
Currently, there is a wide disparity among the state programs, in both registration and notification procedures. NCMEC believes this is a serious problem due to the mobility of our society and has led to “lost” sex offenders who fail to comply with their registration duties. In addition, there is a lack of resources to enforce these registration laws on a regular basis. More funding is necessary to assist states in maintaining and improving these programs so a comprehensive system for tracking sex offenders and alerting communities can be developed.
According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice, on average, child molesters were released after serving about three years of their seven year sentence. And released sex offenders were four times more likely to be rearrested for a sex crime than non-sex offenders.
Allen added, “Without reform, the current situation poses an enormous challenge for law enforcement trying to keep track of these offenders and evokes unparalleled fear among the public. There is a clear need for more consistency among state programs for sex offender registration and community notification. Our law enforcement agencies deserve more and so do our most vulnerable members of our society, our children.”
About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
NCMEC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. NCMEC’s congressionally mandated CyberTipline, a reporting mechanism for child sexual exploitation, has handled more than 300,000 leads. Since its establishment in 1984, NCMEC has assisted law enforcement with more than 104,000 missing child cases, resulting in the recovery of more than 89,000 children. For more information about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST of visit its web site at http://www.missingkids.com.
CONTACT:
Communications Department
NCMEC
703-837-6111
Full disclosure:
Slothrop was a page in the Kansas State Senate when he was a mere 12 years old. He was treated with dignity and kindness throughout those weeks and remembers mainly the huge mural of John Brown that hangs in the Kansas state capitol lobby.
I think John is telling us something about fierceness and American politics.
I am John Aravosis’ neighbor and read not only AMERICA.blog, but many blogs he links to, including this one.
I have been sending little bits of money to Democratic candidates all over the country.
I got started on this road when a very close friend of mine (who lives in Virginia!) sent me an email asking me to contribute to the campaign of Tim Mahoney in Florida. My friend went to college with Tim in West-by God-Virginia and is a frat brother. So, I did–more than once.
If everybody who reads a Progressive blog will send $20 to Dems who have the merest chance of unseating a rethug, then we could take back our country. DO IT!
kirk murphy @ 16
Thankfully, my Photoshop skills are virtually nonexistent.
I would enlist the aid of the shadowy and mysterious Codename V. if she weren’t currently out of the country.
Marion in Savannah @ 19
hmmm. it’s working for me. it’s a link to the emails/IMs that ABC posted.
I did, threw an Andy Jackson at Ned. Will get some for Webb next payday. Looks like the whole rotten house is ready to collapse.
GregL @ 15
Good thought. Aren’t they supposed to be all for “Family Values” and “Protecting Our Most Precious National Resource?”
Oh, gosh… Maybe I’m mistaken… family “values” means the cost of gas maybe, and “precious national resource” might be oil??? Nah, they really LOVE them some children don’t they….
Eli @
18
LOL
Thank God I just finished that cup of coffee.
It is such a gift to make people laugh, Eli!
Marion in Savannah @ 26
I wonder how many families not named Manson have torture as a value.
#19,
Crashed FireFox once but worked when restarted.
Not sure why, but I had a number of tabs, so maybe it was memory.
Pretty sick stuff though, maybe the browser is trying to spare you the details.
I wanna know if that’s Foley in the Goatse picture?
Y’all have seen Goatse, haven’t ya?
Margot @ 27
That is so true, because I never get paid for it.
Jennifer Nix @ 24
EWWW… them… I finally got to them by going directly to ABC News. I found it fascinating that they had to put up a “only for really, really mature adults with really, really strong stomachs” kind of warning. Yech. I’m off to talk to Ralph on the big white phone and then scrub my brain with Clorox.
Eli @ 31
I’ll make some brownies with green chili and send them to you, how’s that? Mmm, chocolate and chili, very good.
Margot @
33
Mole poblano??? YUM…
Margot @ 33
Mmm, that could work…
Hasert should resign immediately. He knew about this for 10 or 11 months and did nothing. This is a disgrace.
My girlfriend was kind and thoughtful enough to get me jalapeno jelly for my birthday this year, even though she personally thinks it’s completely vile. Yummy!
OT, Charlie Brown put HIS foot in John Doolittle’s (Do-nothing’s)ass. Linked him during a debate to One Eyed Jack Abramoff and sex slavery/forced abortions in the Marianas.
How’s Jack working for you now Johnny?
Guitar Playing Bastard @ 30
Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow, brain… dirty… need… scalpel…
Millineryman @ 36
And, at the same time, business as usual.
Mark Foley
Hastert’s Coverup–THE Issue of The Campaign!
I don’t think we quite grasp how momentous this is. Hastert may well have broken the law, as an accomplice after the fact, at the very least. And regardless of his legal culpability, his moral culpability is clear. I diaried about it at MyDD. If the Democrats can be roused to an appropriate level of response, this can be the end of the whole conservative/GOP moral superiority charade, at least as anything close to a credible electoral narrative.
It’s one thing to have an individual engage in morally questionable behavior. It’s quite another to head an institutional coverup. And that’s precisely what we have here. It’s time to lean on this, hard, hard, hard!
Instead of 5 weeks of the GOP attacking the Dems as “soft on terror,” we should being seeing 5 weeks of the Dems attacking the GOP as the party of child sexual predators, the party with no moral compass whatsoever.
Dennis Hastert should resign immediately, along with all his top lieutenants. Every GOP candidate should be forced to take a stand, either calling for their resignation, or defending them. This is it, folks. This is the straw that broke the camel’s back.
If we make it so.
Eli @
37
Pepper jelly is almost a food group down here… But the real food groups are the 4 G’s:
Grits, greens, grease and gravy.
(Ask TRex and Patrick if you think I’m funnin’ you!)
Eli @ 37
Wow, that stuff burns going in AND coming out! Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” comes to mind.
ha ha very funny…
Someone needs to mail Foley a copy of the “Cartman joins NAMBLA” South Park epi.
It’s not clear from the reports so far what triggeded the disclosure today. The Republican Leadership must have known that this was about to come out, but who tipped off the press (on Friday afternoon, again), and why?
Stories like this have a tendency to bury other
stories. Was this planned? What’s the news that the some Republicans would want to bury, even with other bad news for Republicans?
1. A British story about the UK trying to divert the war from iraq to Afhan? US news missed this. Further reporting on the NIE? More generals calling for Rummy’s replacement? Curfew in Iraq based on coup rumors?
2. Abramoff memos tied Rove and Susan directly to influence peddling — and possibly linking that to getting contracts for Home Security — the Abramaff scandal moves directly into the WH but that wasn’t reported on tonight, that I saw. Is Rove throwing Hastert under the bus?
3. Woodward’s Book. The networks and cables are running strong with this, but also spending equal time on Foley.
Just speculating, cause this stuff is not always just fortuitous.
Bush and Hastert wanted to spend the day slandering the Dems on national security, but Woodward and Foley have preempted them.
Twisted Martini @ 44
Gives the expression “Shit-FIRE” a whole new meaning, eh?
Try some raw habaneros.
“Oh Abraham. Whither your party?” Abraham, were he alive today, would in all likelihood be a liberal, or perhaps even a progressive Democrat.
Was reading a thread about Foley on DU. About half way down the thread Totally Committed posted a cartoon that had me laughing so hard my sides ache. Spew warning
http://www.democraticundergrou…..id=2854462
GSD @
7
If you count coddling as foreplay, he’s been coddling Foley just long enough.
Foley was in Abramoff’s skybox for one of the “events” also attended by Alaska’s sole US House Representative – Don Young. Who needs Jeff Gannon when your buddy comes in with a six-pack of pages?
Guitar Playing Bastard @ 48
No way dude! My brother in law ate one at Christmas one year on a dare and he was absolutely miserable for an hour. I’ll stick with a Peppar Martini-Peppar Vodka with a Jalapeno stuffed olive. Nostrovya!
It looks to me like the whole Repug House leadership had been covering up a crime for close to a year. Is anyone going to hold them accountable? What about a criminal investigation?
All the more reason to change the balance of power.
scarecrow @ 47
IMHO, this is a rather poor choice of distractions. If it was just Foley, they could write him off as one bad apple. But if (and this is a *huge* if) the media hones in on the fact that the Republican leadership knew and did not care, that sends a message of deep and pervasive immorality at the party level.
Color commentary apropos of nothing – the Page School i.e. high school that pages attend, is in the tippy top rafters of the Library of Congress oldest beautifulest building.
When I get to work early (6:30 am) and am walking from my parking lot, there as regular as the sunrise at First and E I see a gaggle of the page kids on their way to work/school. Like a string of ducklings. Makes me smile inside every time.
Doesn’t make me want to fuck them.
Sharkbabe @ 56
Perv.
So, are we all agreed that even if some Dems screwed up BIG TIME and voted for that excrescence of a torture bill we’re still going to vote for Dems??? I seem to have spent the last 2 days trying to explain to people who were saying “no vote, no money, no help” that even though my congresscritter (John Barrow, in case you want to contact him to try to get his mind right) voted for it he’s still better than the repellant Republican. Is the hand wringing officially over? Thank heaven.
Does NARAL support foley? Just askin’.
Dead girl or live boy, you say….
Marion in Savannah @ 58
I suppose. Can we primary the fuck out of them in 2008, though?
Aren’t the House Republican Leadership guilty of a conspiracy to cover up?
HAVE YOU HAD ENOUGH…of the pedophiles….a president with no brain and a smile.
IT MUST BE A LANDSLIDE!
Eli @
61
You bet your sweet liberal butt. And I intend to write Mr. Barrow a rather snappy letter letting him know that we intend to …
Millineryman @ 35
The fuck yeah buddy
Then again, let’s remember why Hastert was brought in – they couldn’t find ANY un-sick-sex-fuck or non-adulterer after Newtie went down
Eli @ 61
But if any of them has a Republican opponent who uses their vote for torture and against the Constitution against them, then they get what they deserve, and should serve as an object lesson to the rest of the party.
Paul Rosenberg @ 42
I think you may be right. It’s interesting that the TV reports so far have not picked up on the 11 months notice to the leadership. So there may be a confirmation issue going on, cause I can’t imagine there aren’t reporters all over this.
But this is the Republicans’ Lewinsky scandal, only worse, because it’s kids and knowledge by the leadership of the Congress.
If this is all true, then the Dems tie it all together with:
Rove and Abramoff => corruption in the WH and war profiteering
Bush and Cheney = Rummy => incompetence in waging the war and profiteering
Corruption plus incompetence => losing the war, but => war profiterring
Even Rahm could win with that.
Eli @ 65
As far as I’m concerned anyone who voted for that piece of crap should have him/herself “necklaced” with it. An ugly image, from South Africa, but ugly times warrant ugly images.
Twisted Martini @
17
And they could use some good press from a ‘fair and balanced’ perspective…
These Republicans are: a) so twisted, b) so sick, c) so perverted, d) so corrupt, e) so incompetent, f) so racist, g) so delusional, h) so out of touch, that even our beloved Democratic Party will retake both houses of Congress in November!
http://www.eonline.com/Feature…..view4.html
From an interview he did:
What else do you love to watch?
Oh, Ally McBeal! Yeah, I love Ally. And I’ve always been a fan of Melrose Place. I’ve followed Heather Locklear’s career since Dynasty. That’s when I met her. Then she took on the role in Melrose. You know Heather’s going to be doing Spin City, playing the mayor’s political consultant. I can’t wait for that.
[E! Online looks astounded.]
Yeah, I know–should a congressman be talking about watching shows like Melrose Place? Listen. It’s what I call “Getaway TV.” After hours here, you need to go home and zone out. At the end of a 12-hour day in Washington, you don’t want to go home to Nova or something.
scarecrow @
47
I agree scarecrow.
OT, how does Disney/ABC get this? Is this a
kiss on the mouthbig “thankyou” for the 9/11 hitpiece on Clinton and the truth? Rover knew he had a scoop with Foley, good news or bad, Rover will make the most of it. (He gave it to Disney/ABC, because he knows he already has Pox News.)OT Eli at 6:34, LMAO.
Thanks Jen for a great post.
George @ 70
I’m just amazed he didn’t mention Nikolodeon…
If this is all true, then the Dems tie it all together with:
Rove and Abramoff => corruption in the WH and war profiteering
Bush and Cheney = Rummy => incompetence in waging the war and profiteering
Corruption plus incompetence => losing the war, but => war profiterring
Even Rahm could win with that.
I would go with immorality instead of corruption. It spotlights the cynical lie of Republicans as the “moral values” party, and it’s broad enough to encompass pedophilia *and* torture.
Sharkbabe @
64
Hastart should resign, but I hope he fights all the way through the first Tuesday in November. And I hope our candidates and the media keep pounding the Gestapo of Pedophilia about why they aren’t demanding that Hastert and anyone Hastert discussed this with resign.
Man, ABC World News Tonight was grand. You know this Foley thing was their exclusive. So tonight I could scarcely get over the one-two-three punch they delivered as their openers.
First they began with the Foley story and how once they began reporting it, other young pages felt emboldened enough to offer up their chatroom histories with him.
Then story two: Woodward’s new book including every new bombshell reported in the NY Times including how Tenet tried to warn Rice in July 2001 about possible terrorist attacks on the U.S. And, of course, the every block buster bit on Iraq.
Story three: Abramoff, Whitehouse visits and possible payoffs.
Holy Crap! And that was just in the first 15 minutes.
The Repubs have to be totally freakin’ out now. Turns out WE had several September surprises. :D
Eli @ 61
I have been having these thoughts too. How do I reconcile my support for Stabenow (MI) with the fact that she has voted to shred the 4th, 5th and 8th amendments.
How do we (the constituent) get it through our elected officials heads that, STANDING UP FOR THE CONSTITUTION does not mean you are standing down for terrorists.
I called Stabenows office and was very vocal in my disappointment. I told them I could no longer support Stabenow beacause of this issue.
BUT I CAN’T SUPPORT A REPUBLICAN!?!
PLEASE FDL…we need a TREX smackdown on these spineless Dems.
Eli @ 73
Friendly amendment accepted.
oddball @ 75
At the very least, we need a way to send the very clear message that IF YOU LOSE, THIS IS WHY.
Mark Foley on “Mission Accomplished”:
Paula Zahn: … Let’s revisit that number again. Fifty-six U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq since the president’s speech. Do you think it was premature for him to have made that speech?
REP. MARK FOLEY (R), FLORIDA: Not at all. In fact, it was very important to set the record straight that the fighting was over. The fighting against an armed enemy was over. We liberated that capital, and you can see the joy of those in that city celebrating the removal of Saddam Hussein. Every time you have a conflict, there is going to be clean-up activities. Every life lost is a tragedy. And the president regrets every life lost, whether it’s American soldiers or our allies, the British. But you can’t continue to call it a war when the armed forces you are fighting against have given up and surrendered.
So I think it was the appropriate call. The celebration on the aircraft carrier was indicative of a mission completed. But now much remains to be done.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRA…..se.09.html
Oh, well! Can’t be right all the time! Maybe he should have spent less time watching Melrose Place.
The torture/immunity bill was passed now all of the bad news that could have possibly been averted comes to light.
If the thugs will screw with your children they will certainly imprison or torture them. They only demanded immunity from torture.
Eli @ 73
As much as I hate to say it the “immorality” meme may not work. I’ve heard WAY too many comments on liberal blogs conflating “morals” with “Republican shit.” Consider the attacks on Obama when he talked about a moral basis for the party… (Yeah, yeah, I know…. money where mouth is, but that’s not the issue here.)
There seems to be a branch of the Dems that gets all its panties up in a bunch if anything that smacks of “religion” or “moral imperative” is mentioned. Does anyone have an idea of how to deal with that?
Slothrop @ 21
Slothrop, are you still in KS?
GOP Pedophile Under Arrest in Colorado –
I have an idea.
We managed to get Crashing the Gates bought and distributed all over Capitol Hill.
Can we get copies of How Would A Patriot Act? in the hands of the DEMS that voted in favor of the Unconstitutional Torture Act?
I will buy the first copy to send.
What was the name of that bookstore???
Foley must have been the only one not to get the memo from Herr Karl that the October surprise is supposed to come in October.
Marion in Savannah @ 80
I wish I did. The New Testament would be a very powerful weapon against the Republicans, who are the spitting image of its villains.
-ck- @ 82
Clearly the strategy is to “flood the zone” with so many Republican pedophiles that we just lose track of them all.
I’m waiting for the inevitable announcement that Mark Foley has enterred rehab for alcoholism. It’s the evil demon rum that caused this along with Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction, and the general permissiveness on TeeVee. I wonder if Bob Ney’s program has room?
Eli @ 86
Ain’t THAT the truth! You want to know how a REAL radical acts? Read the first 5 books of the New Testament. Book 5 is not called the ACTS of the Apostles for nothing! I tend to get my marching orders from those books: Feed my sheep. What you have done to the least of these you have done to me. Don’t get me started!
You know what’s so amazing about this Foley thing for me is that I am not in the least bit surprised by the hypocrisy–and the hypocrisy is ABSOLUTELY STAGGERING. Foley sends perv instant messages to underage boys and this guy’s the head of the house internet sex crimes panel (or whatever the hell it’s called)?! That’s just breath-taking! How is it even possible for these people to tell the American people they are the party of morals and values and not be laughed out of the room?
I was just going throught the comments on the ABC news blog, and wingnuts are actually trying to make THIS about Clinton, too. Saying that Democrats are hypocrites if they stood behind Clinton after (of-age) Lewinsky, if they are going to attack Foley. They point out that Republicans “distanced” themselves from Foley. Please! The Republican leadership KNEW ALL ABOUT Foley soliciting underage kids FOR A YEAR, and let him stay in charge of that caucus on Missing and Exploited Children. It doesn’t get any more diseased and power-crazed than that. Throw the kids under the bus, but don’t let anyone know about any corruption and despicable acts committed by ONE OF THEIR OWN.
John Casper @ 88
So, now we have to figure out how this is all either Hillary’s fault or the Clenis’ fault…
Jennifer Nix @ 90
Yeah, this is *exactly* like Clinton-Lewinsky. The parallels are just uncanny.
GSD @ 7
Hastert coddles sexual predators for LTEs and Republican House leadership possibly aids and abets workplace sexual harasser — part of an call for a immediate police investigation regarding who knew what when.
Oh, come on Eli and Jennifer… EVERYTHING is Bill’s fault. Or maybe it was Hillary who drove him to it because, as we’ve heard recently, she’s WORSE THAN SATAN….
OT but OMG..
It’s started already.
From Raw Story http://www.rawstory.com/news/2….._0928.html
Jeebus, I’m a legal resident alien (also been here almost 30 years) and this made my heart skip a beat.
I’ve been through a lot in my life and am not easily frightened, but I gotta say this really has me scared.
I may really have to consider moving back to Canada.
Foley could resign today because it’s payday today.
Ney is still collecting a pay check!
Is our children safer?
Marion in Savannah @ 95
LOL. I’m just always shocked-anew at how their “brains” work.
Marion in Savannah @ 94
I’m assuming that they’ve already made the argument that Clinton made everyone think this kind of deviancy was okay, and poor misguided Foley was just following his lead. Or something.
Dumb question, irrespective of Foley and the coverup, could there be more individuals involved? I keep thinking Foley resigned pretty fast which might preclude any additional investigation by the House, the old “the bad apple’s gone, nothing here to see” cover.
Behave, or I’ll put up a recipe for Habanero Ice Cream!
I would certainly like to know who within the GOP leadership knew about Foley. This makes Clinton/Lewinsky pale in comparison. Hastert should resign, he is knew and did nothing. Whatever system of protection was in place failed. And these assholes were/are in charge.
I was just thinking how bad the recent Catholic Church scandals were, and were made worse by the fact that many of these Bishops moved the offending priests. Not quite the same, but Denny knew for a year and did nothing. Ruh Roh!
It’ll be very interesting to see what Pelosi does with this.
Marion —
Suggest a different take on this: I can’t think of any reason why progressive democrats should give up the word “immoral,” merely because the rightwing of the Republican party does not understand and has tried to distort its meaning.
And I’ll take the word “liberal” back, too, thank you. Having a “peace President” instead of a “war President” would be a nice change. Compassion and humility are strong, not weak virtues . . . because they take real courage, not phony blustering by a bunch of bullies, and so on. And is there some reason to apologize to people who think kidnapping, indefinite imprisonment without judicial recourse and torture are virtues and signs of strength?
I want my language back, and my country.
My comment from earlier today (italics added) before the latest story about the leadership…
Professor Foland @
20
I hate it when my cynicism is confirmed.
Next questions for Hastert and Boehner:
1. Are there any more pedophiles that you know of that you appointed to the Committee for Missing and Exploited Children?
2. Have you been notified of any other pedophiles in the Republican caucus?
You get caught sheltering these people, you better be prepared to get asked these sorts of questions.
In most places, a failure like these idiots did would get you thrown in jail.
joysness @ 95
Wish I could move to Canada.
posted on an earlier thread today…
NZ Expat @ 160
scarecrow @ 106
Foley is a freak and borderline pedophile; Hastert was worse-he knew a crime was committed and did nothing, to protect his party. Party before Country.
The Foley scandal may re-enforce the already negative opinion the public has of Congress and Washington, which could hurt Republicans this fall.
Florida Republicans could name a replacement candidate for Foley as soon as Monday. Foley’s name will appear on the midterm ballots and cannot be changed, but any votes for Foley will count toward the party’s choice.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITI…..index.html
Another republican chasing little kids.
joysness @
96
Crap. That’s scary. You need to consider whether you’re in a blue state (lucky) or a deeply red state (less lucky). However, taking off the tinfoil hat here, I’m old enough to tell you that you need not fear, and that calmer heads WILL prevail. I wish I could find you the quote from scripture, but to paraphrase from somewhere:
All will be well, all will be well. All things will be well.
We may not see it now, but it WILL get better. If I didn’t believe that this nation would repudiate what the Congress just did I would be forced to get a gun…
Jennifer Nix @ 91
If that is the Repub’s reaction, they will regreit it, Jennifer. The dumbest thing the Repubs can do is try to rationalize/defend this. The hypocrisy thing cuts both ways — but this was kids —
Catholics (and others) have been dealing with this issue for years, and they’re really disgusted at the way the higher-up clergy tried to rationalize this, after covering it up. This cost them a large part of their congregations and their money — and they’re still closing parrish churches here in Boston. This is big.
if you’re disgusted at Denny Hastert now, contribute to his cute and progressive Democratic opponent, John Laesch, thru ActBlue http://www.actblue.com/page/blueamerica
I certainly want to see the Republican Party pay dearly at election time. That said, I want to see the idiots in charge of the House or Representaives prosecuted for what they allowed to happen with Foley. If it was the Demeocrats in charge I would feel the same. Foley is not a borderline pedophile, he is a pedophile.
I wonder if the Congress and the individuals involved can be sued for sexual harassment and maintaining a hostile workplace, or does the law exempt Congress?
Twisted Martini @ 110
So we can count on Repubs keeps our children safe from pedophiles unless they’re REPUB pedophiles. I guess they’re better, huh?
Who’s gonna keep us safe from Repubs?
It’s no coincidence that almost all of these stories of gross (in both senses of the word) immorality/corruption/evil/perversion are about the GOP.
Think about it. This is the party of authoriarians, big-time!
Now, who gravitates toward authoritarianism?
Answer — People who desperately need a rigid structure and hierarchy and a punitive world-view full of often-arbitrary pronouncements of “good” and “evil” with nary a shade of grey, no matter how nonsensical that categorization turns out to be in reality.
And who are these folks who need rigid structure, often? People who CANNOT trust themselves, people who use the two major defense mechanisms of projection and reaction-formation to try to live with themselves in this scary world. The reason why they see this world as so frightening is because of their INTERNAL world, which REALLY scares the living daylights out of them. Of course this love affair with “discipline” and “authority” ends up being futile.
It’s not that the GOP demands that you be a pedophile to join, it’s that people who are pedophiles or suffer other similar serious types of moral sickness (such as sadism) are attracted, from the get-go, to the authoritarian basis of the Republican Party.
Jennifer Nix @ 91
Jennifer, there are two talking points wingnuts always rely on:
1) Michael Moore is fat, and 2) Clinton got a bj.
That’s it…Disaster in Iraq, Katrina Fiasco, Kleptocracy Out of Control…means nothing. See 1), and 2).
ifthethunderdontgetya @ 119
Also, 9/11.
You better get a permit if required in your area and lessons while you can.
scarecrow @ 106
Hell, yeah. So do I want it all back. I put flag stamps on my letters upside down. However, we’ve got something like 6 weeks to get the job done NOW.
AFTER we have the Congress we can worry about fixing the language and the memes. Eyes on the prize today, and we’ll figure out how to fix the rest later. (Fixing Bush’s mess will probably take 20 – 25 years. I won’t live that long…)
Eureka Springs, AR @ 121
Stock up on ammo – it will get worse before it gets better.
chisholm @
105
She could suggest that Foley and Hastert be waterboarded until they start providing names, times, dates, places……
People who prey upon the young are, after all, a ticking time bomb, as O’Reilly, Hannity, Coulter et al have so sincerely mentioned in the past.
Fixing Bush’s mess will probably take 20 – 25 years.
Well, bear in mind that the next Democratic president will have truly extraordinary powers…
Mrs. K8 @ 119
Marion in Savannah @ 113
It use to be really blue but now the repugs have control of our Senate and we have a Dem Governor so it’s iffy. A lot of neocons have come here over the last several years which does not make me happy.
I do try to keep a positive attitude but this past week has been really trying.
I’ve been crying (like a lot of you) for a few days. It just breaks my heart what has happened to this country.
I know it will get better but I’m not sure I have the strength to wait that long.
I do, however, get strength from all of you wonderful people here. That’s why I visit daily.
Helps keep me focused.
I screwed up and made it look like Mrs K8 said it but she didn’t.
Check out – if you haven’t already – this piece in today’s NYT.
http://warner.blogs.nytimes.com/
It’s kinda really interesting along these lines.
Sorry. It’s been a looooong week.
Okay –
I’ve hit on the marketing strategy for Victory –
We are into the Wholesale Advertising Season — nuance is sooo last month.
Remember the Club for Growth Attack on Howard Dean in Iowa?
The DNC needs to return the favor to the GOP –
15 seconds tops — works on radio or TV . . .
Howard Dean will love it — and WE will fund it . . .
chisholm @ 105
I’ll be interested to hear what The Voice of Morality in Congress has to say (aka Holy Joe Lieberman).
My local school system can’t figure out why I’m such a damned privacy freak about my kids.
They violate their own privacy policies whenever they let vendors acquire info about my kids — like the folks that are the school photographers, or the other unsolicited providers of “safety ID cards” for kids (and if memory serves, it was NCMEC that was offering free photo ID’s last year at school, along with putting the kids’ names in their database). We know NOTHING about these people, there are no vetting processes, no auditing…and they get my kids’ faces, names, even their addresses and phone numbers if I buy photos.
And then Foley happens. This scenario is EXACTLY why I wig out on the school system.
I’m pissed off yet again, but this time Repugs actually gave me something that I can use to make my case.
I’m going to take this entire story to the school system administrator and explain this one more time s-l-o-w-l-y about the lack of vetting, auditing etc. on their vendors; if it doesn’t click, I’m going to go to the school board.
What I’d like to know before I do this is whether the legislation Foley was involved in was modified to provide him protections he might not have had previously.
*ilson46201 @ 115
I just sent Laesch a $100 worth of Kick-Hastert’s-Butt! It is a big butt to kick and kick and kick! And kick some more!!
ifthethunderdontgetya @ 130
Are those crickets I hear?
Aravosis at AmericaBlog has a great post http://americablog.blogspot.com
Joysness,
It really will come out okay. I promise. My people who came here in 1620 and 1622 had their doubts… My people who fought in the Revolution had their doubts… My people who fought in the Civil War had their doubts… My people who fought for this country since before it was a country have had their doubts in every generation. But we’re still here. And we’re still strong. This is the credo that keeps me going. Rely on it. I do.
It is time to AAAATTTTAAAACCCKKK!!!!
As Speaker of the House, Hastert is ultimately responsible for how the organization is administered.
The House has a formal program that employs young people (children) as pages. Hastert is ultimately responsible for how that prorgam is administered. Because there are children involved, Hastert has a moral duty to see that they are safeguarded.
So it turns out that a pedophile (Foley) is fooling around with the underage pages. Hastert finds out, and does nothing, for almost a year?
This is an open and shut case. Hastert has breached his moral duty, regardless of whether he broke any laws.
And further, he covered it up.
AAAATTTTAAAACCCKKK!!!!
joysness –
The person swept up in detention in the article at Raw Story is in some way related to Larisa Alexandrovna (on the staff of Raw Story). The story notes that they “grew up together” and makes the point that Larisa was not at all involved with the writing of the story.
I read a thread at Democratic Underground about this situation last weekend, and it seems the whole family is pretty distraught, as you can well imagine.
This is very scary stuff. Note the arrogance of the official who states “we’re such a good agency” in spite of the fact that they’re WITHHOLDING MEDICATION from a woman with a heart problem whom they’ve stuffed into a legal “black hole.”
Goddamit, these fuckers are EVIL.
Well, for what it’s worth, here’s my letter to my Congresswoman tonight:
Let’s try a little less GOP-pedophilia and a little more San Francisco Family Values, okay?
oddball@76..I get worried when I seen “Should I vote for a Dem who voted for…” This country is down to the wire; the Nov election is a pure party vote. If a new Paul Wellstone was running as a Republican against Nelson, I would for the Dem.
Remember Ralph Nader..I don’t think any other individual in American history has done more damage to this country.. and he knew better. The only vote to save this country is D.
FWIW, Mark Foley is a Roman Catholic. All he has to do to receive the Eucharist, is get absolution from a priest.
According to Roman Catholic canon law, if Foley divorced his wife and married another
adultwoman, he would not be allowed to receive the Eucharist, ever. The Roman Catholic Church doesn’t give absolution for that.windje @ 12
The campaign website seems to have shelved it’s previous header image, in which Foley is handing out an American flag, surrounded by little boys in camp uniforms.
http://www.markfoley.com/img/mark_foley.jpg
neurophius @ 137
And More AAAATTTTTAAAACCCCCKKKKKKK!! (That felt goood!!)
Remember! Hastert does have BIG BUTT. Plenty of space for lotsa people to kick it at once!
Ed* 73 -
but dammit, as with everything else, the dems will refuse this baseball bat on a silver platter too.
until dems get as mean and focused and opportunistic and (temporarily tactically necessarily) heartless as Rove the de facto king of the propaganda lizard brain universe – even videos of Jeff Gannon sucking Drunky will have zero traction.
No dem pol will denounce Foley nor use this to denounce the numbing endless pattern of repuke sex malfeasance and hypocrisy.
Until we have built the equivalent of their Lewinsky noise machine which goes for their throat and has the stomach to hate and destroy them, not only on this but the real stuff, nothin don’t matter.
I’m sick of us libs and our humanity vis-a-vis these fucking monsters. This is the most unimaginable genuine fourth reich being built before our eyes. And the Rove machine can STILL make a news cycle of Bill Clinton’s socks being insufficiently pulled up in a tv interview.
Steve @ 139
I reluctantly agree. What truly depresses me is that if they win, they’ll take it as proof that the Republican-appeasement strategy works.
Steve @
140
HEAR! HEAR! Don’t get me started on Ralph Nader. You’ll have to put up some sort of scatology blocker…
I have this fantasy, that this crap about Foley (I used to live in FL, when he was at his peak, in fact) was exposed as the result of the first of a series of “October Surprises” by THE DEMOCRATS. Some type of stealth agenda that my man Howard Dean’s got goin’ on.
Because that would mean that little bastard Rove now knows the nerdy kid he’s been beating up’s big older biker brother just showed up, and it’s going to get bloody, and end real badly, real soon.
I SO-o-oooo want to believe this!
John Casper @ 141
It depends on whether or not he could get an annulment… Folks like thee and me couldn’t, but with enough money and influence??? Yeah, here’s your permission slip…
AZ Matt @ 143
I’d prefer to keep Hastert’s *BUTT* out of this conversation…
This weekend I am at the corner of Rt. 210 and Glymont road with a sign –
SAVE THIS COUNTRY
STOP BUSH
DO SOMETHING
Mrs. K8 @ 119
Mrs. K8, that’s the most succinct operational definition of authoritarian psychology I’ve ever read.
Good on ‘ya (in the General’s chastely heterosexual sense. Don’t tell Cletus, OK?)
John Casper @ 141
pssst — Foley is officially ’single’
I wonder how the Florida College Republicons feel about Foley now?
http://www.dustinmhawkins.com/…..15;296.jpg
neurophius @ 149
I would really like to see him arrested by the Capitol Police Department.
It looks like Sherrod Brown has been disabled from the Blue America Act Blue page.
PS. Howie, don’t beat yourself up over it. Nobody in the comments when he was here caught where he was coming from either (knew he’d vote that way etc)
Impeachment Happens –
I’d love to take a look at what’s on the other end of your link, but it’s behind the “Times Select” wall. (And I’m not giving those bastards any of my money.)
Can you briefly summarize what it’s about?
Mrs. K8 @ 118
I have a nice cell in a very structured and rigid environment that they will find most welcoming.
AZ Matt @ 133
GOP Congressman? – they’ll probably match your $100 if you keep kicking –
double for the whip
and triple for the steel-toed boots
Marion in Savannha @ 136.
Thank you. You make me feel better. I know it will happen I just wish we didn’t have to fight so hard. I’m really tired of fighting the good fight and getting kicked in the head repeatedly.
Some days are better than others :)
Mrs. K8 @
156
Can you give me a hint? I actually subscribe to the NYT (my old home town paper) so if I know where to go I can pull it in for you.
Eli @
37
Eli, if you like jalapeno jelly check out the New Braunfels Smokehouse down in NB, TX. They have jalapeno jelly, natch, but they also have jalapeno/peach, jalapeno/strawberry and some other jalapeno and something-or-other mixes that I can’t remember right now. They’re all danged good. Then again, everything they make is good. They have a catalog and online store, but you have to call to get some of their really good stuff (like their pineapple bread-n-butter pickles, or, better yet, their house brand pickles–god almighty damn, those are the best pickles in the world!).
Barry Champlain #147 — go ahead, indulge in that fantasy, revel in it.
I can’t swear to whether it’s true or not at the DNC’s level, but I will tell you here in my state that certain, um, opposition research activities have been conducted that have garned extremely interesting results.
And they are being applied.
If it’s happening at state level, what the heck, enjoy your fantasy.
Besides, Dems would be doing nothing that the RNC hasn’t already done; amazing that the RNC hasn’t come up with anything yet, yes?
Tighty-Whities and Republicans Who Like Young Boys
and Chris Wallace Soils His Armor.
Republicans have a bad day…
We have Mark Foley a republican congressman from Florida’s 16th Congressional District, a 52 year old man, sexually harassing a 16 year old (boy) congressional page, resigning from congress immediately. The congressman was even asking the young boy for photos of himself. Sexually explicit computer messages. Something like “Would you please slip your tighty-whities off for me.” and “Are you turned on?” Creepy times 10.
We have snippets of Bob Woodward’s new book, where Laura Bush is walking around the White House hallways calling for Don Rumsfeld’s resignation.
Then a CIA report that says that the invasion and occupation has made the United States LESS SAFE and recruited 1 million new crazed terrorists who are willing to kill themselves and all of us.
Reports are now saying that American troops are coming under attack 100 times EVERY SINGLE DAY. That’s an attack about every 13 minutes. Give or take a roadside bomb.
Crooked republican lobbyist, Jack Abramoff now is being reported to have had hundreds of meetings inside the White House. Offering gifts to the richest men in the White House. Free concert tickets, free dinners to nice restaurants, free trips, free travel. FREE FREE FREE.
Quite ironic how the poor of Katrina were left to starve and die, but Bush’s friends get concert tickets and a free meal. The average American can’t afford to take a vacation and these corrupt pieces of human garbage get free trips to Scotland to play golf. All they had to do was agree to screw over the Indians. It seems from the evidence that it was an easy call for them to make.
The question one wonders is how much more harm to America could George Bush and the republicans do to America if they were with the other side?
And finally Bill Clinton’s slam dunking of poor Chris Wallace. Mr. Wallace ended up peeing all over himself and lying about all the tough questions he asked the Bushies.
All this and we left out, TORTURE. George W. Bush will be known forever to history as the torture president. Both al Qaeda and the United States, I’m afraid.
Oh yeah….I almost forgot. MA-KA-KA!
LJ/Aquaria @ 160
Oh my. Maybe I could wash it down with some Dublin Dr Pepper…
I think it’s real important for John Laesch, Denny’s opponent, to clarify this issue for Illinois voters. Decent people don’t like talking about this kind of obscene activity, but they shouldn’t be represented by a Congressman who enables it either.
It’s just disgraceful that young people who go to Washington to learn about democracy get treated this way by Republican leaders in Congress — shameful and worthy of dismissal from duty. I hope Hastert’s constituents understand their Congressman’s role in this travesty.
========
Had Enough?
========
Thanks, Kirk! :-)
I think it’s not a bad idea if we start explaining to our friends and acquaintances about this psychological reality, as it’s not that hard to understand at all, once you see its own internal “logic.”
People frightened of their own inner darkness —-> desperately (and futilely) cling to authoritarian leaders.
These are people who lie to start wars and send Americans by the thousand to die for their egos. They trample the Constitution and our rights without a blink. They loot our government and our resources and wrap themselves in the flag while doing it. A little sexual perversion? For them, this truly is kid stuff.
Republican leadership, Archdiocese of Boston, what’s the difference?
Hugh @ 166
Ultimately, I don’t think this is going to take them down. But if it did, it would be akin to getting Al Capone for tax evasion.
eli@145..I don’t like it either. The Thursday vote was the worst thing that has happened to my country in my 63 years and perhaps in its history.
The wall of Constitutional protection was breached for the first time and that can never be undone. To me, subversion of the Constitution is the only treason to this country. Hopefully a Dem congress can start the process of bringing these treasonous criminals to justice.
Twisted Martini @ 17
Fine with me, as long as they take a good long look at how the Republican bosses enabled Foley’s conduct during the next, oh, six weeks or so.
Hey Jennifer — You know what we really need?
Paul Rosenberg’s point reposted as a new FDL post.
Then we can SPOTLIGHT the hell out of the fact that Hastert is complicit, aiding and abetting a sex offender.
Just sayin’. ;-)
Marion, thanks!
Take a look at the link given by “Impeachment Happens” in this thread, comments 126 and 128.
He/she thinks what’s at that link is relevant to what I said about why sickos desperately need authoritarian leaders.
Hugh @ 167
Yeah, but it’s the combination of sexual perversion and kid stuff that’ll resonate with Middle America. Look how successful those Dateline: To Catch a Congressional Predator programs have been!
The sad thing is, lurid and inappropriate chat with underage boys probably has a lot more resonance than thousands of dead Americans and Iraqis.
Jennifer Nix @
91
I’m pretty disturbed by those ABC commenters, too, though I should’ve known, since there seem to be such an abundance of people who can’t grok the idea that WOMEN are CONSENTING ADULTS who get to make their own choices. But please, the clever meme-spinners here, we need to defuse the right-winger “at least he resigned, Clinton blah blah blah…” poison. Pardon mixed metaphor.
I (foolishly) read some of the evidence… I work w/college students and they seem purty young to me; this parent-aged guy hitting on a kid who needs to get back to his AP English homework, EW EW EW.
(Am reminding myself that, whatever other machinations are involved here, the fact that these other kids/young men/etc. have come forward means that they themselves are going on with life and are not in hiding.)
Eli @ 175
Yes, it’s sad, but if it’s more effective to talk about sexual perversion with teenage boys IN THEIR EMPLOY — then let’s talk about that. For the next six weeks, if necessary.
Let’s not forget that the goopers are still the party of the coverup. The party of nixon lives. It is the party of watergate, the party of iran-contra.
TeddySanFran @ 176
Hey, whatever works. Betcha Mullah Dobson and Falwell and Robertson won’t have a word to say about this either.
This might have MSM legs. Per CNN’s Dana Bash Foley was warned a year ago by…didn’t quite catch it….the Ethics Committee (?) to knock it off.
This was on Anderson Cooper 360, first hour. No transcript yet up at CNN.
… just think of Speaker Denny Hastert as sort of an Archbishop who has a ‘problem priest’
sharkbabe@150..If I see you on Indianhead Hwy in a few weeks, I honk the horn on my way to St Mary’s County.
*ilson46201 @ 180
So Foley will become a representative somewhere else?
Eli @ 164
Or maybe some Mexican Coca-Cola, made with real sugar, not that horrible corn syrup.
Maybe I’d better not tell you about the jalapeno-stuffed olives and sweet fire pickles–marinated bread and butter, with jalapenos…?
–edited to add link.
LJ/Aquaria @ 183
Crap, I’m gonna have to come down for a visit, aren’t I…
TeddySanFran @
165
Another victory for the 50-state strategy. I’m sure they laughed when it was suggestd to run someone against Hastert.
Eli @ 183
A jail cell with Cunningham would be a good place for him.
Rayne @ 172
We can also spotlight the MyDD posts that are tracking this angle. Use this link:
Spotlight
and then paste the MyDD permalink into the space that pops up (delete the duplicate http stuff at the front). MyDD is one of the Spotlight-supported blogs.
Nah. You can order directly from NB Smokehouse, at least for the food goodies. Although it helps to know a local, since not everything they have is in the catalogue… ;)
Has this list of Republican pervs been posted here yet?
Oklahoma kiddo @ 49
Lincoln had some rarely-quoted things to say about the priority of labor over capital. Not quite Karl Marx, maybe, but I’m sure today’s Grouchy Old Perverts would just as soon see it stay in the memory hole.
Republican House Speaker Hastert coddled a pedophile.
Pass it on.
Sharkbabe –
God bless you and your sign!
(If I were physically able, I’d be out there with you. Thanks for letting us live it vicariously through you. Whatever each one of us can do is exactly what we need to do.)
Vice President Dick Cheney shot an old man in the face. Republican House Speaker Hastert coddled a pedophile. Pass it on …
neurophius @ 191
Denny Hastert is a pedophilophile.
Oilfieldguy @
190
Well, there’s a reason my mother’s always called it the Grand Old Pedophile party…
Vice President Dick Cheney shot an old man in the face. Republican House Speaker Hastert coddled a pedophile. John Doolittle supported sexual slavery and forced abortions. Pass it on …
what’s strange about this is all the ‘Republican’ top guys into sex with children. they are just sick… from the teen hustlers who were give a tour of the white house under George Bush 1, to shrock, to jeff gannon, to this… I thought the people at the blog Rigorous Inuition were all just making up wild stories. No wonder they want to prevent gays marrying. It will make being a closet case less dirty.
Guitar Playing Bastard @
48
Glad to see you GPB.
Funny story (in between my rants).
I was at the Grateful Dead show in Denver in December 92. All the heads around us were dipping into their magical sacks of goodies (been there).
My buddy and I had a little Ziploc full of Habanero bits. We had a great time; plenty of adrenaline all around!
Rigorous Intuition. there is a long history of abusive sex in GOP circles. no wonder they are so interested in our sexlives.
steve talbert –
Forgive my ignorance, but who is “shrock”? Am I suffering from pre-senile memory loss?
President Bush branded his fraternity brothers. Vice President Dick Cheney shot an old man in the face. Republican House Speaker Hastert coddled a pedophile. Pass it on …
Mrs. K8 @ 201
Check the link to the list of Republican pervs. His picture is along the left side.
*ilson46201 @ 181
Bingo
Also, Hastert doesn’t have the completely
bull-shitahistorical seal of the confessional to hide behind. My take is that Denny has “supervisory” authority over Foley and the pages.Jennifer Nix @
91
Great then they can be the party of NAMBLA.
I say we put them up with him, his (immature and gross) instant messages about jer*off techniques out in the open and especially in front of the so-called security moms.
‘be afraid of thm coming for your son one way or another’
Vice President Dick Cheney shot an old man in the face. Republican House Speaker Hastert coddled a pedophile. John Doolittle supported sexual slavery and forced abortions. President Bush ordered the CIA to torture people. Alberto Gonzalez said that was okay. Duncan Hunter said habeas corpus doesn’t matter. Pass it on …
John Casper @
71
Not happening. Not even Rover can make Chicken Salad out of this Chicken Shit.
Mmmmmm… Habaneros… Love those. Slice up a few, throw them in with some local sausages and onions and green peppers. That’s a hugely popular appetizer on the Rio Grande. They serve it sort of like fajitas, except the heat source is put right there on your table to keep it hot, keep it good, until it’s all gone. Good stuff…
Are you still here Ms. Nix? I have a question for you.
Thanks, Eli. Will do!
Oh wait a minute, I just remembered. Isn’t this the guy whose audio ad in a gay hot sex publication was outed by a gay political website (whose name escapes me right now — maybe it IS pre-senile memory loss, after all).
OK, I’ll go double check. Be right back.
Republican House Speaker Hastert is endangering our children. Pass it on…
All this gives a new spin to the Republicans obsession with torture. It’s just another kink: “Let’s protect the country and can we have whips with that too?”
Clearly, the Republicans aren’t going to investigate this event–there’s not a single thing a party member could do that would force their hand in such a way, even when it’s not an election season.
So my question is, to determine what kind of legs this story has, is there any sort of a legal dimension here that they simply can’t ignore? Are their laws against sexual IMs with 16 year olds? And if so, does knowing that someone has committed this crime, and you do nothing about it, make you an accomplice or an aider/abetter?
And is there enough evidence of a crime that a non-Republican-controlled law enforcement agency can get involved on their own? IE, the DC police? Or law enforcement in the pages’ home state(s)?
Again, if this whole thing is in Republican hands then the story is going to wither on the vine within a week, no matter how salacious. Hastert et al will be able to ride it out if they’re calling the shots.
Eli @
87
Guffaw!
BREAKING from TPM:
Foley Update: Rep. Alexander (R-LA) tells paper he informed Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) of Foley/underage page contact.
Yup, Edward Shrock, that was him. Still can’t remember the website that outed him, but that’s OK. So many GOP creeps with their outrages, I need some sort of extra auxiliary file system in my brain.
*ilson46201 @ 214
With a leader named Boner, you know they think with the wrong head.
Paul Rosenberg @
42
This gets to the essence. We need to turn events and observations into talking points. We aren’t scientists: “Oh, what an interesting observation.” We are activists. Hastert’s enabling of America’s number one sex offender is a talking point. The Republican Speaker of the House, the third person in line for the presidency, put a known sex offender in charge of Congress’s Committee on Exploitation of Children. (That makes him as evil as some notoriously predatory bishops.)
Eli @ 126
I’m not sure which party Superman belongs to.
Just read some of the Foley emails posted on AmericaBlog. Revolting.
Does anyone remember the rumor from the 80s that the Repubs had a boy sex ring going on Capitol Hill, and that our own Jimmy/Jeff/Guckert/Gannon might have been one?
*ilson46201 @ 214
Republican House Majority Leader John Boehner engaged in a coverup of Republican Congressman/underage page contact. Pass it on.
EvilDrPuma @ 218
I’ll give you a hint: Superman never lies nor kills.
TPM/Josh is staying, uh, on top of this Foley story and who in the leadership knew. Latest post sez:
Uh oh. How many people will believe that the Speaker’s office was informed of something this incendiary, but he was not?
“It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native criminal class except Congress.”
–Mark Twain
Even truer now then when he said it.
neurophius @ 220
If it’s confirmed that Hastert knew, we can change that to “Republican Congressional leadership engaged in…”
EvilDrPuma @ 218
Just point me to the nearest phone booth.
chisholm –
If you can chase down the story of the DHS public relations honcho (GOP, of course) who was arrested for IM sex talk with a cop posing as a young girl, you should be able to see what the exact charges were.
What with my lousy memory (this is distressing me), of course I can’t remember the guy’s name.
How come Republican sex is always so immature and sordid?
Balrog, you think it’s just by accident of good journalism that Disney/ABC scooped everybody else?
I really think Rover gave this to them. He knows the story is going to get out anyway. Rover wanted it out on a Friday. He wants it to get lost in the stuff about Jeanine Pirro taping her husband, Woodward’s book, and the NIE. It also ties Disney/ABC more closely to the GOP, two networks in your hip pocket are better than one and this returns Disney/ABC some of the credibility they lost over their 9/11 hitpiece.
I certainly hope I’m wrong, but this looks like Rover to me trying to minimize damage.
John Casper @ 141
That doesn’t keep the bastard out of jail. (And, by the way, do we all know what happens to child molestors in prison? Not pretty.)
From the Grand Old Party who prefers torture of innocent men women and children we have a few favorite extra curricular activities highlighted. President Bush branded his fraternity brothers. Vice President Dick Cheney shot an old man in the face. Republican House Speaker Hastert coddled a pedophile. John Doolittle supported sexual slavery and forced abortions. Pass it on …
oh and Randy Duke, Bob Ney etc.
Mrs. K8 @ 227
Brian Doyle
John Casper @ 229
I dunno. It smacks of crediting the guy with driving the car that ran over him.
Mrs. K8 @ 226
I’ve pretty much sworn off blogwhoring, but it’s just so conveniently packaged…
it’s time for me to repeat my boasting :: I’ve never knowingly had sex with a Republican !
John Casper @ 228
I can’t see where ABC/Disney is doing Republicans any favors by airing this story.
Thank you, LJ!
I miss the days when my near-photographic memory would pull out details like that immediately. And that was just a couple of years ago!
Oh well, at least there are some generous Firepups who help out, for which I’m very very grateful.
*ilson46201 @ 215
And the Hits Just Keep on Coming! LOL
The NIE
Woodwards book
And…?!?!?
Hey, Karl! Welcome to October Suprise!!!!
And let’s not forget this other DHS winner:
Frank Figueroa
UptownNYChick @ 228
LOL They repress themselves but erupt every once in awhile.?!
*ilson46201 @ 235
Ditto. But then again, I’ve never had a thing for older guys. Ba dum dum.
On Monday we should be calling to ask our Blue Congressional Representatives to file ethics complaints against Boehner and Hastert.
We need to keep this story alive past the Friday night dump. You may think it’s too big to dump, but that’s what I thought about the head of the CIA being entangled with hookers and felons at the Watergate.
They’d be the first ethics complaints in this Congress (!) and would certainly get attention. I like to think I live in a district with a Rep who might volunteer to be first in line :)
*ilson46201 @ 234
Same here, *ilson. And it was no accident.
*ilson46201 @ 235
Me neither, but I am a girl….
and mature
UptownNYChick @ 243
If you mean “girl” literally, you still have a shot.
Eli –
Number 3 on your list looks very interesting indeed. Too bad the link goes to an Edmonton publication which wants $10 to cough up the article.
Do you know more details about who that guy is, and who exactly’s responsible for not following up on catching 1500 consumers of child porn?
One aspect that is particularly suspect in this is the timing. You dump bad news on Friday so that it’s stale by Monday. Then too there is the fact that this is the last day for Congress before they adjourn and scatter to the four winds. Probably just a coincidence.
UptownNYChick @ 228
I think your question contains its own answer.
Marion in Savannah @
43
Mother&Sons (Paula Dean), 1790’s, and Mrs. Whoever-the-Hell’s near SCAD for family-style lunch. Pedicabs through Spanish-mossed trees. Good stuff!
Ah, yes. In the fine tradition of Republican chickenhawks like Harold Carswell and Philip Giordano, we now have Mark Foley.
Oilfieldguy @ 217
BADDDDddd one! :-# By the way Drudge has up just a tiny line about Foley. Nothing on Boner, Hasert and other Rep leadership knowing this pervert was on the hunt ten months ago. [I needed real restraint not to add something on Gannon ace reporter.]
Hugh @ 246
Let’s see whether ABC–or any network–continues to cover it next week.
Mrs. K8 @ 245
Hrmf. I hate it when that happens.
Try this.
And yet they seem to reproduce at an alarming rate.
Much as it chagrins me to admit it, I’ve had sex with Republicans. There wasn’t much else in Dallas if you were the kind of girl who attracted rich older men (hey, somebody has to do it!).
tommy yum @ 241
I had the good taste to pass on the necrophilia cheap shot that came to mind.
neurophius @ 251
It *should* be a big deal, but Gannon should’ve been too.
Hugh @ 247
These congressional pages come from all around the country. I don’t think their parents are going to sit still for this type of crap. I would guess more than a few of them will be talking to their congresspeopele.
Well, HuffPo’s helping out.
The fact that GOP bigwigs knew about this is their top headlined story, with a pic of Foley’s nameplate on his Congressional door.
UptownNYChick @ 253
All it takes is once a year.
John Casper @ 229
Friendly Ghost Casper,
You may be right. But I prefer to think that the Good Guys held onto this one until after the last possible bill passage by the FukOff-Licans to minimize its import.
Either way, Rove trying to gild this lilly takes a HUGE leap of faith.
The Days Between favored us this time.
Hugh @ 247
If they’re scattered, they’ll have a harder time getting their stories straight.
hey gang
someone, somone better than me at making cool sharp kickass 30 second videos make SOMETHING that nails this on the head in a way even the dumbest of the dumb could get, and let’s go after these guys. I’m sick of the fucking GOP winning all the time.
one other question (and I”m not trying to be a smartass I’m Just Curious):
When did writing stuff like this:
Worst. President. Ever.
With each word having its own period get to be in style? And what am I supposed to be reading when I see this? I never understood it but it seems like it’s become the preferred way to say short sentences.
JUST ASKING. REALLY!
gregdewar.com @ 262
As a frequent user of that particular style, I would say it textually represents slowing down and speaking each word separately for additional emphasis.
Vice President Dick Cheney shot an old man in the face. Republican House Speaker Hastert coddled a pedophile. John Doolittle supported sexual slavery and forced abortions. President Bush ordered the CIA to torture people. Alberto Gonzalez said that was okay. Duncan Hunter said habeas corpus doesn’t matter. John Yoo said we have a wartime Constitution and a peacetime Constitution. Pass it on …
from an unlikely source:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=17292
~~Senate’s Short Work Week
Sen. Arlen Specter, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, last Monday delivered an unusually candid assessment of the Senate’s notoriously light work schedule.
In a National Press Club luncheon speech, Specter noted it was “very hard to convene a Monday morning hearing” because of extended weekends. He continued: “We’ve fallen into a routine . . . of starting our workweek Tuesday at 2:15 after we finish our caucus luncheons, and people start to get edgy and heading for the airports early on Thursday. So we might increase the workweek by 50 percent, say, to three days.”
Realizing it was highly unusual for a senior senator to talk so frankly of the chamber’s work habits, Specter quickly added with a smile: “By the way, that’s off the record.” The speech was broadcast live on C-SPAN.
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001637.php
Court to challenge torture law
OT – Raw has up enough top priority bits to cover a week of posts: Baghdad is in complete curfew because of Intel issue; Diebolt put in patches in Georgia; Middle class in terrible shape. But the Foley story is sordid enough to perhaps stick – and it hits where the repugs are most concerned: values and family.
EvilDrPuma @ 261
I certainly hope the Democrats don’t let that interfere with this opportunity to portray the Republican House leadership for what it is. I want to see a Pelosi press conference on Monday calling for Hastert’s and Boehner’s resignations because of their covering Foley’s conduct up and continuing to allow him to endanger children for almost a year. And I want to see a chorus of press conferences around the country from Democratic House members in their districts coming out in support of Pelosi’s demand.
Do you think they can manage that?
Eli @ 260
I guess.
Yuck. All this talk about Republican sex is creeping me out and my boyfriend comes back in town Monday night.
Got to clear my mind of the awful images of Reppublicans falshing through my mind.
UGH.
Eli @ 260
They split like amoebas.
So TPM is quoting RollCall interviewing Shimkus, GOP deputy whip I believe, and he says that when he was notified of the inapprorpiate emails it was the emails the ABC rolled out yesterday–the more innocuous ones.
So here’s the next question–is Shimkus lying? Did he see these lurid ones or did he see the milder ones, and Foley misled him?
Another question: just how many pages are we talking about here? Did one get the milder IMs, and the other one got the more hard core? Or is this all the same kid?
Too late. Mexican Coke has been made with corn syrup for a couple years now. Yeah, I know that sucks. Sorry.
Now we know why the GOP House leadership got all huffy about the FBI raiding Congressional offices – what kind of magazines does Denny keep in his desk ?
UptownNYChick @ 269
Whatever you do, don’t picture Denny Hastert in a thong.
As noted above, I’ve already had my worst cynical thoughts on this scandal confirmed in the course of only a few hours. But there’s no way Rover is in charge of the timing here. It completely steps on the Great Victory in the War on Terror. Honestly, yesterday there was a lot of anti-Dem sniping on our side, which Rover must have been gleeful over. Hard to think of anything to galvanize and energize us more than something like this, especially as it comes with a gift of a free House seat.
But I totally agree that it is possible for this story to die, so we need to keep pressure for action from the Dems. More than a speech by Pelosi, ethics complaints would be (metaphorically) live ammunition.
Eli @ 275
Thanks a hell of a lot.
EvilDrPuma @ 262
Will the Beltway reporters pursue them into those scary lands beyond the Beltway? Then too there is the question of how this might have affected things if it had been dropped into the middle of the torture debate. It kind of puts a dent in that whole “Trust us” spiel.
*ilson46201 @ 274
Interesting point you bring up. Will there be raids on Republican offices?
EvilDrPuma @ 276
My work here is done.
Eli @
275
I haaaaate yooouuuuuuu!
Come on !
Denny’s sick !
He was a wrestling coach !
motherlowman @ 280
I am blessed with a very un-vivid imagination. So I’m basically, like, a carrier.
neurophius, tommy yum, Balrog, others, the first question I would invite you to ask, is when was the last time ABC News scooped anyone on anything in Washington, D.C.?
Do you think a Democrat gave this to Disney/ABC after the 9/11 hitpiece? That really does not make any sense. Until I see evidence to the contrary, this story came from Rover. The Dems didn’t know about it, but Rover knew he could not keep the secret for much longer.
Rove will always get some value from a scoop. Fox is already in bed with Rover, they can’t get any tighter. The smart move was to give it to ABC, because this helps their credibility problems after the 9/11 hit piece on Clinton. Rover wants ABC to appear credible, so he can have them echo Fox News in the future.
If you have evidence that Disney/ABC developed a journalistic backbone after their 9/11 drama, I am certainly interested.
My guess is Rover also wanted the story out on Friday. That way next week all the GOP can say in response to questions, “that’s old news.”
The question for Hastert, Alexander, and Boehner isn’t “What did you know?” or “When did you know it?” It’s “Why didn’t you call the police?” It should be asked, over and over and over.
Why didn’t you call the police?
OK folks, Balrog is going to make a call here.
All of the reports of ReThug leaders knowing about this for nigh on a year, there can only be one explanation:
This is OUR October Surprise. Launched when it was needed most.
Whether I’m right or not, we need to act on this news. This one does have legs.
EvilDrPuma @ 230
will he tearfully confess that this has happened to him because of childhood abuse by his priests?
John Casper @ 283
“Everyone knows the Republicans are the pro-pedophilia party.”
LJ/Aquaria @ 255
The closest I’ve come is a Reagan Democrat. Shit happens ; )
My soul mate
I know what the Republican response will be:
“Nothing new here. We’ve been
fuckinghomeschooling our children for years.”Eli @ 275
Cozumel @ 288
I have a Star Trek girlfriend: Green as a roulette zero.
Suggested new slogan: If you can’t trust them with your children, how can you trust them with the nation’s problems? With your rights?
Hugh @ 291
What *won’t* the Republicans molest?
Jennifer Nix
Completely OT but just got home and started reading this thread. The photo of Mark Foley at the top is from the Capitol Challenge, a 3-mile road race held each year in early May for teams comprised of congressional reps, staffers, gov employees, armed forces etc.
ACLI is the current sponsor. Event is put on by old friends of mine…
Question- what’s the usual age of consent? I assume 18, but does it vary state by state?
Republican mating call:
“Here kiddiekiddiekiddiekiddie!”
Eli @ 280
When Tommy the Bugman DeLay went down in flames, the goopers had the chance to put someone different in charge.
John Boner was/is the Ohio version of Tom DeLay. Relentlessly corrupt and dishonest. If his lips are moving, he’s lying.
Balrog @ 286
I completely agree, it does have legs, and I didn’t mean to imply otherwise.
Dave Latchaw @ 273
Last time I bought it about a year or two ago, ours had sugar, still. Some of the varieties of Mexican sugar don’t taste like our sugar. To some people, it tastes like a cleaning product, and that’s what the Mexican Coke tastes like to them.
But again, it’s been a while since I bought it. They may have changed the formula of late.
neurophius @ 211
Trust a Republican with my teen? NEVER.
Is Michael Jackson Republican?
If this is what the guy was doing via email to pages, I have to wonder what he was doing in person.
ember @ 287
To be honest, I don’t give a rat’s ass.
Actually, I do give this much of a damn: I believe that pedophilia is symptomatic of a psychiatric disorder, but to my knowledge, it’s pretty much untreatable. A pedophile doesn’t need to be in prison, he needs to be involuntarily committed for psychiatric care, with no privileges for unsupervised movement outside the unit, until such time as effective treatment does exist. I have no problem with Foley being made comfortable, but he should be allowed no contact with any minor if he is convicted, for the rest of his life if need be.
My wife was abused by her grandfather, and I see her live with the consequences of that every day. Not again. Never again.
This Foley story kinda steps on the new damning Woodward book about Iraq, doesn’t it?
Eli @ 280
You’re making me re-think sending you those yummy chocolate/chili brownies….
Valley Girl @ 302
I’m wondering how much of this was done in his personal office. You know, on the taxpayers’ dime? I seem to recall these Republicans being mighty het up about the behavior of a certain Democrat that took place on “their” dime, in “their” house.
Eli –
Thank you. That story is so sad. The fact that the kid involved, Justin, warmed up to these creeps just because they asked him how his day went and he was lonely is really heartbreaking.
John Casper @
71
*ilson46201 @ 305
I’m watching the rerun of Countdown right now, and Keith is giving heavy coverage to Woodward’s book. Hasn’t mentioned the Republican Congress Pedophilia Sex Scandal yet, don’t know if that had broken when it was taped.
Late Nite avail upthread
come and get it
http://www.firedoglake.com/200…..us-things/
Valley Girl @ 295
Age of Consent, North America
Margot @ 304
I do what I gotta do, you do what you gotta do.
LJ/Aquaria @ 311
LJ- thanks for the link. Interesting that the age of consent for consensual hetero sex in DC is 16- no rules for homosexual sex! FL hetero 18.
neurophius @
310
On the contrary. It’s a high-brow/low-brow double whammy.
Eli #275 — Agh…the nerve endings attached to my retinas are scorched!!!
But I couldn’t help thinking of Lakoff, for a teeny moment.
Don’t think of an Elephant…in a thong.
Heh. It’d be funny if the whole scenario wasn’t so disgustiong.
Wait a minute –
Someone in another blog said that “age of consent” only means when teens have sex with OTHER TEENS.
When an adult has sex with a sixteen year old, it’s still statutory rape.
Isn’t that true?
Valley Girl @ 312
New Mexico is… peculiar.
Mrs. K8 @ 317
I know that to be the case in Iowa. I can’t tell you how many other jurisdictions handle it that way.
BTW, this story is going to get bigger and bigger. The man sounds like a serial offender, and there’s blood in the water now. That brings out lawyers. Everyone involved may dodge criminal charges, but every teen with a saved copy of an instant message is going to have nice little civil suit. And if it’s dated within the last 10 months, you can go after Hastert, Alexander, Boehner, and Shimkus for not protecting you. I’m betting there will be at least half a dozen teens involved by Monday.
ok cool. I honestly didn’t realize that’s what it meant.
I tend to revert to emphasizing certain words with uppercase letters which is like, so 80s. And really, probably really dumb.
Eli @
264
EvilDrPuma @ 319
It varies from place to place. The teen-on-teen rules are usually referred to as “Romeo and Juliet” laws.
Frank Probst @ 320
Isn’t technology wonderful?
gregdewar.com @ 319
I do that too, usually when I refer to the way something is being framed.
The repugs shouldn’t be allowed to investigate themselves. Foley was involved in criminal acts violating his own law, and Hastert participated in covering it up. This needs to be an independent criminal investigation, appointment of a special prosecutor independent of the attorney general.
Bill R. @ 323
Ken Starr *lives* for this kind of thing, right?
Mrs. K8- I or someone needs to more research- bec. I thought that in many places “adults” were 18 yo or over. That bec. of the draft age.
Bill R. @ 325
Absolutely right. It should be very, very clear by now that this cabal can not be trusted to run a meaningful investigation.
EvilDrPuma @ 326
Helloooo, Pat Roberts.
Chart linked above says Iowa ages 14(pc) 18(npc)- pc= parental consent, npc= no parental consent.
Any bets on how soon the “ripped from the headlines” episode of of “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” will be coming out?
Valley Girl @ 330
Is that so…that’s really bizarre. I assume those rules were devised by representatives from the southern two tiers of counties. It always seems to me like those folks think they’re living on the Alabama border.
Mrs. K8- also from my experience in CA (which as 18 as age of consent) I don’t think there is a distinction between “teens” and “adults”- I remember this well because I was 16 when I started college, and I remember jokes from peers about not wanting to even date me, because if it “went anywhere” it would be statutory rape.
Frank Probst @ 331
Man, this weekend, the phrase “ripped from the headlines” will be taking on a whole new meaning.
I posted this above, but since y’all are still here, thought it should be here as well:
Mrs. K8 @ 18
America is shocked at each and every occurrence of the Elmer Gantry syndrome. Why the hell can’t we get the picture? Sexual exploitation seems to be an occupational hazard in religion, therapy, teaching, and any place else where an alpha male (or lesbian female) can display their charisma.
Stupid me. I had noted this for years but always wondered why I never heard of modern Catholic priests being involved — I grew up in that culture. But within the last 15 years, the truth has finally come out: the Catholic heirarchy had been more effective than the less heirarchal protestants in hiding their sins.
My point is that this behavior is closely related to the stuff that John Dean talks about. Give authoritan people a position of dominance, and they’ll inevitably turn it into seductive sexual exploitation. Statistically speaking, I don’t think they can help themselves. (And I’m not excluding Bill Clinton.) Obviously, most people in these professions are professionals, perhaps even saints. But the most sanctimonious are so often the preditors.
Mrs. K8 @ 334
Mrs. K8- TRex prolly would- as he’s in GA. His late nite is up.
chisholm @
272
Not sure, but my understanding is that the page from Louisiana got the (milder but slimy) emails, and that those are what were reported about a year ago. The IM messages are from other individuals. Here’s what ABC is saying:
“The Washington Post” has a story up. Hastert and Boehner don’t have their stories straight.
OT, and EPU’d:
Excellent rationale and logical progression.
The diagram is a large file – easy on the servers, gentle readers
…
Gangster shit it is.
I am calling to the race. All races.
I am not from an elite in any society that I live in, and I have no claim to superiority over anyone.
Why?
One word:
Jazz
Better than I’ll ever be.
…
Now … Did I not force attention to some issues? Things that needed to be said?
I think I did, without question.
A lot of peoples mental faculties got energised. That’s the point.
Some (caution : potential strawman) disagree with my methods…And others attempt faulty analysis.
That’s freedom.
Are the people not more active and aware? Does it not range in places of discussion from fine table talk to the street?
If not, why not?
What I created was not intended to stifle discussion in any way, told no-one their place, and anyone who argues that it did is a fool.
I can do no more, as a self-styled artist.
What can you do?
What can we all do?
AZ Matt @ 271
the visuals suggest reliance on asexual reproduction is their sole reproducive stragegy
even microbes have standards…
Off to bed. I’m still depressed about the Torture Bill, but at least the Foley story will shit all over the signing ceremony.
Frank Probst @ 339
Is Peyronie’s contagious?
Frank–Yeah, this is a major shite storm and they’re not wearing raincoats. Boehner’s CYA comment re: Hastert is completely awesome and as someone said elsewhere, this is really an every man for himself moment. Nice.
And to all the people who are wondering if Rove is somehow involved in all this–I find that very hard to believe. If he were managing this thing he’d be managing it. Stories would be coordinated, etc. I think this has caught them all way off guard.
So–the Democrat on the House page panel, the one they kept out of the loop–does he have any procedural recourse in this situation, viz his duties being abrogated? Footnote question, but could have something to it.
And since this has now been handed over to the House ethics panel, are the members allowed equal authority (I really doubt it), or will the leader call the shots? Can a member do his or her own investigating, or is it all under the direction of the panel leader? I’m just trying to guage how much teeth this panel will have.
Frank: you made a great point about the pages emerging from the woodwork, and civil suits, but ultimately the timing of those suits wouldn’t have the macro political impact of a truly effective Ethics Panel investigation, right?
On the other hand, the sordidness might achieve critical mass even without a real investigation.
Frank Probst @
320
Lyrebird @
338
Lyrebird’s catch (italics mine) makes me think Frank Probst is very, very right…
I’m no longer very worried that this will die out by Monday.
chisholm @
344
It hit critical mass with the “handjob” IM.
Intense…if it comes out that Hastert and other party higher-ups shielded and protected a sexual internet predator (Foley) then the press is going to rake them over the coals so thoroughly that even if the HEP investigation is a total whitewash it won’t matter–the conflicting statements, the outrage from the bobbleheads, and above all the back-stabbing will totally bring them all down. Ahh, the Weekend of the Long Knives. I am cancelling everything for the next two days–at least.
Sounds like there’s lotsa pages talking to ABC:
from http://blogs.abcnews.com/thebl…..the_s.html
Lyrebird @ 338
In that same ABC link this also jumped out at me:
“One former page tells ABC News that his class was warned about Foley by people involved in the program.”
Hmmmm, so pages were warned? By whom exactly? How many others “involved” in “the program” knew? For how long?
A former page? His whole class? Just how long
many yearshas Foley been sexually preying on minors, and just how many classes were warned about him?Frank Probst @ 342
I wonder if the Chimp will issue a “signing statement” when he signs the Torture Bill. Something like,
“Yeah, sure, McCain and Warner and Graham think they got some concessions from me in that ‘compromise’ I agreed to…heh heh heh, now I’m just going to ignore those so-called concessions and do whatever the hell I want to…9/11…war on terra…I’m the Decider…Goddamn piece of paper…heh heh heh.”
And the other money question here is the genesis of the ABC story–who what where when and how. My gut tells me that this is the type of story that emerges without a political/dirty trick dimension to it–but on the other hand, the timing is huge.
Eli @
8
Ohhhh, my mind’s eye got a cramp….
Eli @
87
Well, as Foley says, they are harder to track than library books….
If I were the parent of a page — and there are some who are Democrats — I’d get in front of a teevee camera so fast with questions for Denny Hastert about keeping my child safe from predatory Congresscritters. C’mon, page parents, let’s hear some noise out there in the Congressional Districts as your incumbents get home to campaign for re-election!
UptownNYChick @
228
Umm, dunno for sure, but if you’re stuck at the emotional development level of a thirteen-year-old and you spend your whole life learning how to fuck people, it’s bound to rub off on your social life….
EvilDrPuma @
219
Superman fights for truth, justice and the American Way. Obviously a Democrat.
Reports from the Laesch campaign indicate that he’s prepping for a presser tomorrow. I sure hope he calls for Hastert to resign his seat for enabling the pedophile.
Rover must be too busy with the Abramoff/Ralston coverup to help his House Leader buddies — Boehner’s said he talked to Hastert about it six months ago, and Hastert said it was being handled. But Hastert’s office already said his office had been informed, but the Speaker had not.
Bus, meet Coach Hastert. Boehner pushed Denny hard.
A slight variation from the movie “Syrianna”. These fuckers can’t even run a brothel efficiently. Sure I’m the last post. g’nite.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 49
Abe and Teddy would both be good Democrats today
in case anybody cares, Baghdad might fall before the election
might happen next week …
sorry…paraphrasing a little ditty me old da used to tell me about hitler.
I may not be the sharpest kinfe in the drawer sometimes,but this much I do know:
Had this been my son(who is now 13)that Foley was trying to seduce,a certain congresscritter would have found himself not just face to face with me,but also my large,tatooed,biker husband.And if I found out that the House leadership turned a blind eye to this,they’d be dealing with us too.You can mess with me all the live long day,but you don’t go near my kids. Not if you want to remain in good health.
I know there’s a list somewhere of all the GOPervs out there,it’s time to start using this as part of our own “surprise”for these creeps.
Foley isn’t a borderline pedophile,he’s a pedophile. And these guys hardly ever get caught the first time they do this kind of crap,they usually get caught only after leaving a trail,a long trail, of victims behind them.
If a doctor,a teacher or a social worker knows of a case of child abuse and they don’t report it,there are laws that make them complicit in the crimes. Hastert knew this guy was a creep and did NOTHING. Party triumphs over country AGAIN.
I get the feeling that alot of people knew about this(and probably know about others).The House and Senate are like little small towns where people know most of each other’s business. I don’t give a flying damn what political party someone belongs to,if they knew this and did nothing about it they need to be brought up on charges just like their buddy Foley needs to be.
WTF is going on in this country? There seems to be no shortage of male preditors in the US today. Why?
Yes I agree with you the case of Foley should have been discovered long time ago. He is a very sick person and should get a medical treatment.
Thank you for sharing this story with me !
John Casper @
299
Casper, I know you weren’t implying otherwise. I think we agree on this.
Cheers, B
As of Saturday morning the Chicago Tribune online story about this, with six names in the byline, does not mention the name Hassert. Hassert represents a suburban Chicago district. In other words they are treading very lightly. The Trib is traditionally very weak on national stories, which is why you never see it linked to.
I’m betting Hasserts name comes up on the talking heads shows Sunday. I figure Thursday before Hassert’s name appears with Foley’s in the same Trib story. The Trib sadly was always a few days behind the curve on last summers story about Hassert cashing in on the Prarie Parkway road project he earmarked.
There is zero chance Hassert loses in November by the way.
The Illinois GOP is a shambles despite the fact that it is totally divorced from the wingnut center of the Party. The reason for that is peculiar to Illinois politics and believe it or not is due to Lincoln. You see in Illinois the pride of being from the Land of Lincoln is taught in school from an early age. Therefore most disinterested voters are by birth and training Republican. They don’t ask why, they just are. Therefore firebrand ideologs never gained traction there because ideology was not necessary to gain support. I was born in McHenry County and there has never been a Democratic county wide official elected there, ever.
Illinois GOP polls in general take the term mediocrity to a whole new level.
Nuclear Ice Cream!
From: kludge@*****.com (Scott Dorsey)
Newsgroups: talk.bizarre
Subject: Nuclear Ice Cream
Date: 28 Jul 2001 15:44:59 -0400
- Four large ripe red habanero peppers
- One quart heavy cream
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
Take two peppers, place in blender and chop finely. Add two cups heavy cream, and mix in blender at low speed for a minute or so. Cream will be somewhat puffed up with air at this point but by no means whipped.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and do the same with the rest of the cream and peppers. Then mix it with the first batch.
Add the sugar, and stir in well. Don’t put the sugar into the mixture in the blender, but mix by hand. Leave this mixture at room temperature for one hour to allow the pepper oils to properly go into solution.
Freeze in standard ice cream freezer until stiff, then transfer to deep freezer for final hardening.
The final ice cream is light and airy and will have a pale pink cast to it. It has a fine, sweet pepper taste and a strong afterbite.
–scott
I think it was origianlly for jalapenos – all the habaneros I’ve seen have been fluorescent orange.
Now that Foley has resigned he will have plenty of time to party with his South Florida neighbor buddy Rush limpBaugh. Hey, they could invite a few Dominican youngsters. Hey they could invite Katherine Harris, she might like Dominicans as much as Floridians. She would like to share with them her position on number of issues no doubt. Jeb would probably have to attend also to keep an eye on his Katherine. They could sit around and shred more Abramoff documents etc. and listen to that ‘Lollipop’ song that limpBaugh likes to play all the time. Hey why stop there, maybe Dubya could pop in with his dearest sweetest Polish ambassabor friend. Maybe Ann Coulter will be “down” for this party also – as you know she may or may not reside in Florida. Tom Delay you are not busy and it may one of your last chances to party for a good while and Foley was one your buds. Hey Foley had many other Republican Congressmen who thought he thought he is leadership material – invite them too. The GOP – Grand Ole Perverts.
Pretty much what we have come to expect from the Corrupt Bastards Club
Sick. Sick. Sick.
Few things are left for me to be outraged about. Forget ’sick’. How about depraved? Foley is clearly one who exerted his position of power for self-serving ends but that is nothing new with the main players in this administration. Loyalty is their buzzword…forget the Constitution, forget Honor, forget Human Rights, forget Dignity… Now, What about Foley’s superiors…the supposed ‘leadership’ who is now blaming their inaction on the parents of the victim? Why did this come out on Friday? The results of the “investigation” (ha) will come out after the election…Monica Lewinsky was an adult. This Page is legally a child. There is little hope for our country…
Oh, allow me to add a bit for those of you watching the Senatorial race in Virginia. I received a letter from the campaign which purports to be from Felix’s wife,Susan, about a month ago. This bizarre three pager contains a bit of timely news…allow me to quote from it so those of you who believe it can then wait breathlessly for the way our junior racist, er, I mean senator responds….”And one of the things that keeps me worried and up at night are the dangerous Internet predators trying to get a hold of our kids. Because even though we lock our doors and put alarms on our windows, these vicious criminals can enter our homes through the Internet. That’s why George has taken the lead in the Senate to protect our children. He’s working with concerned Republicans and Democrats to pass new laws and insist on better enforcement to protect our children from Internet predators.” Well…well…well. Mr. Macaca has a lot of ’splaining to do with regard to his ‘good buddies’ in the other chamber. VOTE FOR WEBB…Clean the House and Senate!!!
Mark Foley, you reap what you so, and what comes around goes around. I hope you get the max allowed by law, and on the sex offender registry, and that if you know anything about John Walsh, you squeal on him as well. ROFLMAO!!!!!!
Now you will get 1st hand experience on these laws that you helped pass.