Yesterday’s surprise resignation of Rep. Mark Foley (R-Florida) over sexually explicit emails he sent to a 16-year old boy was certainly bad news for national Republican strategists, putting what by all reports was a safe seat into unexpected contention.
And we want to make this explicitly clear: we’re not criticizing the man for his lifestyle, though some would argue that being a gay Republican, even a closeted one, itself constitutes a masochistic act. If we weren’t talking about coming on to minors, well, we wouldn’t be talking about it.
House Majority Leader John Boehner admitted to the Washington Post that he’s known about the emails since “the spring” and never did much about it. Meanwhile, Speaker Dennis Hastert nervously ordered a review of the Congressional Page program to “make sure the pages are safe.” Given that this is the sort of thing that they run FBI sting operations to root out, Hastert’s approach is probably the smarter one.
This scandal won’t be on the front page for long, though it could make the Republican “2006 Values Agenda” a more complicated sell with some audiences. According to sources, Marilyn Musgrave says there was always something a little weird about the guy.
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I don’t think we’re talking about a gay republican here. I think we’re talking about a pedophile republican. Don’t blur the distinction like the Musgraves of the world do.
And the real issue is Boehner’s coverup, which left young pages at risk for political purposes. That’s inexcusable.
Thanks, Ralphie, for putting this in proper context. It’s the age of Foley’s victims, not the gender, that makes this creepy. This would be just as bad if the ex-Congressman were making lewd advances at 16 year old girls as it is 16 year old boys.
The GOP Values Agenda. . . .indeed!
According to press reports, rumors about Foley’s lifestyle predate by many years any allegations of inappropriate contact with minor children. It was apparently used against him in a primary election at some point. We just wanted to point out how that’s not the issue here.
What “blur” does Musgrave make? Do you have an example?
(My guess is that you are just blathering, to hear yourself blather.)
On the topic of Congressmen lacking moral character, what about the Barney Frank debacle where his prostitute live-in lover was running a prostitution ring out of Frank’s Washington residence? Frank was asked to resign but refused to do so.
http://www.washingto…
Barney Franks’ live-in lover was a 26 year old, street-wise grown man, not a teen-aged boy. Do you think you can comprehend the difference?
So that excuses Barney Frank? What don’t you understand about both activities being illegal? Can you comprehend?
Speaking of Boys to Men… Every year the Gay organizers of the parades across this country allow a groups like NAMBLA to march. (Nambla stands for North American Man/ Boy Love Association – A gay group advocating the proliferation of pedophilia).
Apparently there isn’t any difference in the “Gay Community” between men and boys.
Do you have a shred of evidence that that group has ever march in a gay pride parade in Denver? Put up or shut up, you homophobic bigot!
Easy there FrightWig. You shouldn’t point to the obvious. Is Barney Frank from Denver?
and you resort to calling names. So which way do you like it OQD? Should we talk about the ugly, perverse routine practices of homosexual acts?
back in your cage frightwig
What do you find perverse? Are you just a total homophobe or what? As far as NAMBLA is concerned they have been repudiated by gay communities across the country so that line doesnt hold water. Just because you are intolerant of a whole class of people does not mean that their actions are perverse, unless you welker or rowland.
What was meant by that line that gays are only young? Last time i checked they span the ages kinda of like the former mayor of Spokane, of course he did die from prostate cancer, but I am willing to bet that you will say there is a causal link there. Your intolerance is pathetic.
Point # 1: Barney Frank had a consensual, private relationship with Steve Gobie, an adult man who engaged in an illegal activity (or at least illegal in 49 of the 50 states, prostitution). Barney Frank was not engaged in prostitution.
Point # 2: As far as anyone knows, Mr. Gobie’s “victims” were other adult men (if you can call them “victims;” I call them “tricks”), not children.
Point # 3: The Gobie affair occurred circa 1986, not ten or 11 months ago. During the last 20 years, Barney Frank was been re-elected nine times. I think the people in Barney Frank’s C.D. have acquitted him of any wrong-doing which apparently exists in your confused mind.
Point # 4: When it occurred 20 yeas ago, the House Democratic leadership authorized a full investigation during which all of the sordid came to light, unlike the apparent cover-up engineered by the current GOP leadership to protect Mark Foley.
Point # 5: Barney Frank’s name will appear on the ballot in Mass. this Nov. I suspect that he will defeat his Republican opponent (assuming that they are even running one) by a better than two to one margin. Perhaps even three to one.
Mark Foley’s name will be on the Florida ballot but the votes cast for him will not be counted for him. And I strongly suspect that his name will garner fewer votes than that of his Democratic opponent.
you lose.
No matter, OQD, Barney Frank essentially allowed a prostitution ring to operate out of his residence.
He was asked to resign, and he didn’t even have the decency to understand how wrong the incident was on its face. Frank’s lust for power trumps all!!! (with exception to his lust of young men).
Barney Frank’s conscience was seared long ago and has demonstrated his inability to understand right from wrong.
What kind of a legislator is that?
He makes the laws, but he is not required to keep them.
REX LEX!!!!
He’s gonna make one hell of great chairman of the banking and financial services committee in January. And one hell of a good role model for young gay men and young lesbians!
there’s are reason most “gay” men are young. I think you know why.
“When you have to explain you lose.”
ROFLMAOPIMP
This statement is, hands down, the silliest thing ever posted on this site. A nice way to declare victory in debate, although not an honest way.
allowed a male prostitute to pose as a journalist, and toss soft questions at the press secretary. The male prostitute had many visits to the WH. Who was he visiting, and why hasn’t the “liberal” press said anything about this?
This is the part where you can say NAMBI will probably show up to a gay pride parade in Frank’s district too.
NAMBLA did march one year in Denver several years ago (late 80’s I think, don’t trust my memory that far back). They registered under a different name and the parade organizers did not realize who they were. By the time the truth was known, the parade was already under way and it would have cause a bigger legal mess to prevent them from marching than to allow them.
Gay groups routinely blocked NAMBLA from participating in Gay Rights parades beginning in the 80s and the organization is virtually nonexistent today.
http://en.wikipedia….
Since you made the charge, however, the burden of proof that it’s still happening falls on your shoulders.
because most of its members are in prison (where they belong)……..or on the House Ways and Means Committee.
It is a mainstream gay rights group.
has just made himself the honorable chairman. Way to go Mark!
You write: “Every year the Gay organizers of the parades across this country allow a groups like NAMBLA to march.”
Provide ONE reliable online source for that statement. You can’t. It’s false and you know it. You knew it when you wrote it. How sad, pathetic and despicable.
The people who commit pedophilia are often “fine, upstanding, churchgoing” citizens who are given cover by creeps like you. Shame on you.
Perhaps your next post will be that the Holocaust was a myth.
What is it about your branch of the party that you fail to grasp that you’re in trouble because of YOUR conduct. You are destroying the Army, you are bankrupting the Treasury, the scandals involving personal corruption just keep on coming. The mantra was “Character Matters” not “The Other Guys’s Character Matters”.
It’s not about Barnie Frank, it’s about the conduct of the Republican party. A corrupt and disfunctional government is unacceptable whether it’s run by Clinton or Bush.
Pedophiles are adults who have sexual attraction to pre-pubescent children. Most 16 year olds are roughly in the same pubescent state as 18 year olds, and the fact that the legal age of consent is 18 does not mean that all people under that age are physically/sexually children, even if they are legally children. The DSM IV defines pedophilia as the attraction to “sexually immature” children, usually under 13, and it indicates that 16 year olds are old enough to be pedophiles themselves. I see a *big* difference between someone who is sexual with a 16 year old and someone who is sexual with a 10 year old, and so do mental health professionals who treat people with paraphilias.
I’d say what we have here is a sexual predator who preys on younger/powerless people, and since he’s gay (or bisexual) those people include young men. Who knows why he expresses his sexuality in that manner, but given that he’s a member of a group that hates people like him, I don’t find it that surprising.
Are you a member of NAMBLA?
One of the interesting things about Foley was that in his effort to conceal his pedophilia and depravity, he got his face and name plastered all over the place as supposedly protecting our youth from sexual predators.
When someone like Frightwig goes to such incredibly perverse, bizarre and totally false efforts to link NAMBLA to Democrats to mainstream gays, one may begin to wonder what in the world is going on.
I’m just someone who studies human sexuality for a living. I’m not condoning sex with post-pubescent minors, I just don’t think it necessarily makes someone pathological in their sexuality, nor do I think it is the same as sexually abusing a small child.
I think fnordian here makes the point that it is ok for Gays to sexually exploit children. The “real” crime here is that he was Republican.
Will Marilyn stand up to Republican “Leadership” of Hastert and Boehner who kept Foley as the chair the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children during this time?
Marilyn: is it just talk, or do you actually care about morals?
to vote Democrat for the first time, I would still call on the Congresswoman to take on the House leadership and at the very least call for Boehner’s resignation. It would likely help her pick up a few votes, if indeed Rep. Boehner actuall did resign as a result of the Congresswoman’s request. He is Tom DeLay’s replacement, for the love of God.
Anyone know what the process is for replacing him on the general election ballot?
Or can he be replaced at this point in time?
stays on the ballot, and the votes cast go to whomever was picked by the executive committee.
So the GiGi rule exists in Florida.
if Gi-Gi got the idea from former Florida Secretary of State, Katherine Harris!
Unlike here where the legislature has been given the opportunity at least twice to have a similar law and chose not to do so. Here Gigi made the law herself without the legislature, or the authority I might add.
….similar to that which Gi-Gi Dennis has decreed for Colorado where a substitute candidate can be put in place and the votes cast for the former candidate are credited to the replacement candidate.
does the Dem run against a discredited congressman?
Is the replacement candidate’s name also on the ballot and votes counted for either candidate will go to the replacement?
If not, then you have the weird situation of Foley not being a candidate but trying to get people to vote for him in order to secure the victory for his replacement.
If Foley is not a candidate, can he legally spend any campaign funds promoting his candidacy?
I’m trying to sort out how this all works and what the ramifications are for the Dem candidate.
The Dem (himself a recent convert from the GOP) is almost assured a victory.
The replacement candidate’s name will not be on the ballot (they are already printed). Foley’s name is on the ballot and he is legally the candidate for that district. Therefore he can continue to spend his campaign funds to get his name elected.
The replacement cannot raise camapaign funds because he/she is not an official candidate.
The likely scenario here will be:
Exec. Committee will pick the replacement next week. There will be an effort (how big? who knows) to educate people in the district that a vote for Foley is actually a vote for the new guy/gal. If tey are smart the GOP will stress “voting for the party, not the man” and probably play the “we have to keep control of the House” song.
The Republican candidate for Lt. Governor, Janet Rowland, issued a statement this morning expressing “great relief” that no live animals were either injured or destroyed during any of Foley’s acts of debauchery.
Cowboy logic…
There is no arguing with cowboy logic. The Sierra Club and the US Forest Service were presenting an alternative to northwest Colorado ranchers for controlling the coyote population. It seems that after years of the ranchers using the tried and true methods of shooting and/or trapping the predator, the tree-huggers had a “more humane” solution.
What they proposed was for the animals to be captured alive, the males castrated and let loose again and the population would be controlled. This was ACTUALLY proposed to the Sheep Grower’s Association by the Sierra Club and the USFS.
All of the ranchers thought about this amazing idea for a couple of minutes. Finally, an old boy in the in the back stood up, tipped his hat back and said, “Son, I don’t think you understand the problem. Those coyotes ain’t f—in’ our sheep – they’re eatin’ ’em.”
Sounds like an idea which some yuppie bureaucrat in the U.S. Farm Service in D.C. would come up with!
This is very bad news for Republicans on a national scale, and will have impact here. It now appears that the House Republican leadership were covering up for a pedophile in their midst. This not only endangered the young people in the page program, but makes them appear to be hypocrites. This will most likely disharten those “values voters” who are credited with giving Bush his second term, and now must feel betrayed by Foley’s acts.
It used to be a joke that in Washington, Democrats got in trouble for sex, and Republicans got in trouble for money. Now, it appears that Republicans are now getting in trouble for sex, too.
I brings a whole new meaning to Bree’s comment last week, “I don’t do THAT…I’m a Republican!!”
First, he got her all hot and horny because he was a bigger cleanliness freak than she was……
First, he got her all hot and horny because he was a bigger cleanliness freak than she was……
Although Republican Foley had to resign and give his seat to a Democrat because of his appalling emails, let us not forget the help pages give to R’s. Who else will teach Speaker Hastert the words to our national anthem if not a page? Who else will tell Republican majority leader Boehner that smoking 10 packs of cigarettes day is bad for his heath? Who else will bring sanity to a Republican party flush with personality disorders?
Perhaps a page can explain to Rep. Marilyn Musgrave that voting for CAFTA was not good for the farmers in her eastern Colo. district. She doesn’t seem to be able to grasp that by herself.
I have had many conversations with local farmers about the Congresswoman’s CAFTA vote. For those of you who don’t know, CAFTA is and will continue to be an economic boon for the multinational corporations, all of whom hold a tremendous amount of clout with the Bush administration. Apparently it does little to improve, and in many cases makes worse, the economic plight of a large number of farmers in both Colorado and the US. The area of contention with the local farmers is this: even though there is one ConAgra in the Congresswoman’s district and hundreds of farmers, she chose to vote with the administration and house leadership rather than vote for the wishes of the majority of her constitutents. I hope this helps clarify the issues of how the Congresswoman voted on CAFTA.
Talking about forgetting the words to the national anthem, I heard our very own flag neck tie wearing republican Rep. Lundberg forget the words to the national anthem while singing it at a House Republican fundraiser in Invesco Field.
What a buffoon.
Kevin Lundborg, along with Dave Shultheis and Jim Welker, Colorado’s own version of the Three Stooges.
The fundraiser was a success in the amount of money raised. If there is one thing David Balmer knows how do, its swindling money out of the pockets of the rich. He gets elected to the Colorado House, and then carries no legislation but rather continues to raise money for stooges like Lundberg, Welker and Schultheis. It’s a shame.
then he allocates extra (and under the table) to the candidates/legislators who are backing him for leader. All against the knowledge of May.
And he’s only been there for two years. Isn’t that a post that usually goes to a junior or senior, not a sophomore? Ambitious upstart, isn’t he? Nancy Spence watch out….. you may have a primary challenger in ’08!
“Oh I wish I was in the land of cotton…”
And if you are so disloyal to the Republican Party as to write this kind of thing, I must ask: Were you there? If so, are you a Republican legislator or House candidate? If so, shut up and quit talking about your colleagues–they may just start watching you and forgetting the words to the song in front of several hundred people may be the least of your worries! And since the only other people there were lobbyists, which group were you representing? I want to make sure they know so that I can get their business from you because you can’t keep your mouth shut and tend to business. The purpose was not to report on the attendee legislators and candidates. The purpose was to raise funds for R’s that agreed with you and/or the industry you represented.
Musgrave does not blur much of anything. She votes with Republican leadership 98% of the time, and has accepted and kept over $60,000 from Tom DeLay, Bob Ney, John Boehner, Roy Blunt and the rest of the republican cronies who white wash every single scandal in D.C rather than actually admit their mistakes like the moral christians they claim to be.
These people are as dirty and corrupt as the russian mofia (oh right Beauprez has ties to that as well).
Marilyn also voted to weaken house ethics rules when DeLay was majority leader. These people do not have consciences.
Isn’t pedophilia a threat to marriage? Where is marilyn on that? I guess it’s not a big deal for her unless it’s a democrat. What a hack.
All their opponent needs is a picture, or even better a video of Foley giving them a hug. The hug brings out all the images of what he did and transfers it into that hug with a fellow Representative.
As to the leadership – those that covered up for him – I hope they lose their individual elections. That will send a message loud and clear – don’t cover up for sexual predators.
I think this leaves just one question about the house election – how large a majority will the Democrats have?
…It could really hurt Beauprez. That “culture of corruption” tests well in moving numbers, as I’m sure the idea of Leadership covering up this crime and being all-around hypocrites. No good republican reads this story and isn’t pissed as hell at those that knew and did nothing.
Team Ritter: I see another chink in the armor of Beauprez.
are all pervs repubs or are repubs all pervs?
Here’s a link the conversations he had with the victims.
http://www.browardpa…
I started reading it, but got depressed and stopped.
I read the whole thing. Time for a drink. I’m just sick to my stomach. Poor kid. He knew it was wrong and kept trying to cease, but our good predator friend just kept on pushing.
I just saw Ed Perlmutter’s commercial re: protecting children from on-line predators. Excellent commercial but I haven’t seen it before. Did he just put this together in the last 24 hours? The tag line is: “Congress Has Got To Start Protecting Our Children For a Change.”
http://news.yahoo.co…
The emails that were published on the link blah posted above makes for a heck of a sexual harassment lawsuit IMO.
It looks like the “blame game” is going to go on for a few more rounds. Nobody (Hastert, Boehner and/or Reynolds) wants to take the fall for the cover up of Foley’s misconduct.
Just when I started having fun going around saying, “Words are to Republicans what candy is to pedophiles,” the GOP goes and spoils it with an erruption of pederasty. I can hear the talking points now, “Silly Democrat, didn’t you know that there are Republicans who are both BS artists and pedophiles? This is why you liberals will never win an election ever again.”
Have any of Colorado’s U.S. Reps weighed in on what should be done about the House leadership and its apparent cover-up of Mark Foley’s child abuse?
Tancredo wasted no time firing off a letter to the Pope last month. I would hope he would be right on top of this. If Foley had been a Latino and/or Democratic rep, we would have heard holy hell coming out of Littleton.
And then there is our Queen of Family Values, Marilyn Musgrave. So she issues a statement saying that she always thought that there was “something weird” about Foley. You don’t say? So what do you think should be done about Hastert, Boehner, Reynolds, and Foley’s other enablers?
It’s unfortunate that Joel Hefley is retiring and was already dumped as Ethics Committee chair. I disagree with him on about 99% of substantive issues, but he has a set of cojones and a sense of right and wrong.
If he had remained as Ethics Committee chair and if the leadership had sent this case to Hefley’s Committee (instead if covering it up), Foley probably would have been booted out last year.
It would be an act of political courage for Congresswoman Musgrave to come out and take on the House leadership. And I mean REALLY take them on, not just a wink and a nod with some rhetoric about accountability that lets them ride on through the election. The Congresswoman is very influential with the House leadership and very close to President Bush; she may be the only person in the US that can speak with credibility on this issue. If she does not immediately distance herself from Boehner and Hassert, condemn them for their actions and CALL FOR THEIR IMMEDIATE RESIGNATION she will have NO credibility left with the Republicans of CD4. This is a despicable story. Please Marilyn, help us rid the Congress of these corrupt leaders who so flippantly covered up this pariah — (they were no doubt focused on the war, tax breaks for the wealthiest 1% of the country and making sure low income people (many of whom have been bankrupted by medical costs from lack of access to health care insurance) can’t run away from their doctor-creditors through the filing of bankrupcy and start life anew; all while the pharmaceutiacal companies that feed on the government trough mount record profits).
We really must keep our eye on the things that are important and keep our democracy strong — and that begins with authentic LEADERSHIP.
In case anyone is interested in her recent speech proclaiming gay marriage as the single biggest issue facing America today, and that if we allow gay marriage to go forward, that we will have lost ALL of our religious liberties in the US, here is the link:
http://www.youtube.c…
Frightwig (did I get the name right?) offers the argument we heard from priest
apologists..that somehow if it is an adolescent who is being exploited and destroyed, it is not as bad as if it were a child. Damm them all to hell.
Power corrupts…absolute power corrupts absolutely. The Republican leadership had responsibility for the safety of those pages and abdicated that responsibility. The protection of their power base was more important. Get the s.o.b.s out of our House.
As a Republican I am absolutely sick about what we now know has been a cover-up by House leadership on Foley’s activities. I would suggest that at next weeks fundraiser for Congressman Beauprez that Congresswoman Musgrave, Congressman Tancredo and Congressman Beauprez lock hands with the President on stage, denounce the lapses of the House leadership — and call for their immediate resignation. It’s time to clean house.
….and it would be a profile in courage, but it aint gonna happen.
Right now, the House GOP Conference is hunkered down in damage control and scape-goat identification mode.
In the next week or two, they may make one human sacrafice (it could be a big one, like Hastert), refer the rest of the culprits to the ethics committee, and talk about al Queda and terrorism.
It’s an updated variation on Richard Nixon’s old strategy for handling scandals: fire someone who was involved and then change the topic of discussion.
Dennis Hastert has denied – then retracted denial of – knowledge about the Foley situation. He’s a liar, more interested in power than in protecting our children, and worse, the investigation he called for appears to authorize the FBI to look into who LEAKED the e-mails, not who knew about them. John Laesch, a Gulf War I vet, should be elected in Hastert’s place.
John Boehner, as the new majority leader, has admitted knowing and not doing anything to remove Foley from his leadership positions – especially the Missing and Exploited Children’s Caucus. Mort Meier is running against Boehner, and should server Boehner his ouster as a reminder that protecting sexual predators for power games is not acceptable.
John Shimkus was the chair of the Page Board, and *after* learning of some of Foley’s predatory e-mails, he still allowed Foley to take a page to Morton’s for dinner. Danny Stover is running in this district against Shimkus, and of all of the Republicans implicated so far, it is Shimkus that most deserves to be replaced, IMHO.
And NRCC Chair Tom Reynolds was told early on by Rep. Alexander, whos page made the e-mail complaint against Mark Foley; his reaction was to approve his chief of staff to continue on as Foley’s adviser and campaign manager. Reynolds is already in a tough battle against Jack Davis, and this scandal may be the issue that tips Reynolds out of the office…
According to the latest reports, only pages recommended by Republicans received any warning at all about Foley. Pages recommended by Democrats were not warned, because that would have meant notifying a Democratic Party representative…
So even to the limited extent that they warned these kids about Mark Foley, they drew a partisan line and only warned Republican pages about the pervert and left the Democratic pages in the dark?
At least so say the Democrats in the House. Pelosi’s statement said that, and so did the Dem on the Page Board, who I have to presume is the guy who would have been notified. I’ve been reading so much in the past couple of days that I can’t confirm this, but I believe Shimkus admitted as much in passing while describing the initial “investigation”.
BTW, a rumor out of the FBI now has it that one of Foley’s IMs is apparently explicit enough to violate a “solicitation to meet” clause in the law; the IM arranges for “dinner and afterwards…”, with Foley trying to lead the page on for details about just what “afterwards” might entail. It’s interstate, so I’m guessing Foley’s violations will fall under Federal definitions of “minor” in re. sexual predator laws, which means 18 and under… (There has been some question about whether or not this was even illegal, as DC law defines the age of consent as 16 or older for boys.)
Hastert has a press conference in about 1/2 hour; we’ll see what comes out of that, though I expect it’s about time for spin to set in…
The age of consent thing may not simply be 16 for all types of misconduct, but may be 18 for certain actors and victims.
There are some states (I don’t know about D.C.) where based upon the nature of the relationship, victims up to 18 are covered.
In Colorado, for example, there is a separate form of sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust. I think it can go up to 18.
D.C. MIGHT have something analogous. These pages are like students and the Reps/Senators are like teachers.
that any time someone in a position of authority maxes sexual solicitations toward anyone who is working under them it’s immoral. Doesn’t matter what genders are involved or their ages, although such a large age gap makes matters worse.
Rep. Dale Hildee, the sole Democrat on the House Page Board, issued the following comment just now:
I think he’s unhappy. I think I’d be unhappy, too. Republican leadership – it’s not about caring, it’s about the selfish control of power.
I wish I could say that I was surprised by what the repubs are doing, but I am not. They are trying to do damage control, but that will not be effective. The only effective means will be a Nov. 7 enema
Apparently there’s a third Representative on the House Page Board – Republican Shelley-Moore Capito – and she’s just come out saying the the House leadership shut her out, too.
Just a good-old boys club, apparently. No Dems, no women (or is it just no non-leaders…).
Fire the bums. No more elected office for them.
Apparently, CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington) found out about the scandal in July and reported it to the FBI. But over the past couple of days it has appeared that the FBI was “just getting started” on the investigation. Why is that? CREW has called for an investigation by the DOJ’s Inspector General, because it appears someone at the DOJ or FBI has covered Rep. Foley and the GOP House leadership so far.
It was thought that CREW was the source for ABC’s story on Foley, but that has since been denied.
Remember, folks – it’s not the crime, it’s the coverup.
Where are our oh-so-concerned Republican Representatives? What does Marilyn Musgrave have to say on this? Tancredo? Lamborn, even, since he just got an endorsement from Hastert the other day?
Spoke to press secretary in D.C. office 20 minutes ago.
Q: Does Rep. Beauprez support Hastert and the rest of the Republican leadership based on their response to Mark Foley’s e-mails?
A: we’re not making any public statements about it, but the congressman is disgusted and looking forward to a fair trial and and a fair prosecution.
Q: But does speaker Hastert and the rest of the Republican leadership have his support?
A: (after putting on hold for about 10 seconds) Yes, he does support Speaker Hastert and the leadership.
“A: we’re not making any public statements about it, but the congressman is disgusted and looking forward to a fair trial and and a fair prosecution.”
Uh…has he even been arrested yet? I am all for putting this guy behind bars, but arent they putting the cart before the horse? Apparently, the word has come down from up on high that he is going to roast. I bet they have AA in prison.
That doesn’t sound premature. but if you look over at Talking Points Memo, Republicans are shying away from supporting their leadership or declining to comment. At least Beauprez is taking a stand, even if he’ll have to go another way before long …
At least he didn’t say, “We’re looking forward to a fair trial followed by a fine hanging….”
We’re looking forward to a nice swath of finger pointing that will ultimately lead to it being the dems fault, followed by a nice, discreet presidential pardon.
There will be a nice overly generous (probably just in time for the Christmas holiday) plea bargain offered to the disgraced Congressman by some assistant U.S. Atty. appointed by Shrub and Alberto VO5 Gonzales……..oh Alan, here’s your cue!
RedGreen……Thanks for the report on Beauprez’ position on Hastert’s job as Speaker.
That, of course, was at 3:42 (M.D.T.) this afternoon. It’s now 6:38 p.m. In Beauprez time, that’s close to a lifetime.
Has he reconsidered and reversed his position on his support for Speaker Hastert?
Doesn’t the F.B.I. director report to the Atty. Gen. and the Prez? I find it hard to imagine that some minor field investigator at the F.B.I. would be asked to look into a change like this against a prominent (i.e., member of the GOP leadership) Congressman and not pass the info. up the food chain to the Director. What did the F.B.I. Director do with that info.? Take it to his boss?
There’s also another issue. Foley was a Republican Rep from Florida. The titular head of the Florida Republican Party is, of course, its Governor, Jeb Bush. When did Jebbie know?
Gonzales (maybe even Ashcroft) knew and had a hold put on it. You’re right – you don’t investigate a sitting Congressman without notifying at least the Director, who probably goes to the AG’s office for direction.
JEB! is probably off the hook, though I wouldn’t bet my life on it. He’s going to have enough problems trying to convince voters to vote the “Foley” spot on the ticket…
Focus on the Family finally weighs in. Surprise, surprise, “This is not a time to be talking about politics,” says the group that can talk nothing BUT politics when Dems are involved.
http://electioncentr…
Apparently on three seperate cutaways on Bill OReilly’s show the picture was of Mark Foley the Democratic Representative of Florida. I would like to say that I am shocked, but its Oreilly and any lie is good enough for him as long as it disparages dems.