Posted on 10/01/2006 11:18:38 AM PDT by Republican Red
Foley setup?
As Im a constituent of Rep. Mark Foley, Ive been keeping up on this story about his alledged computer sex with a sixteen year old male page. In light of the fact that he resigned its obvious that the incidents took place. But there are many, many questions about this that need to be looked at.
First, I dont condone these kinds of actions in anyway. Im former law enforcement and even worked to help capture child predators on the internet before people even knew what that was, so Im not defending Foley. However watching the news coverage today I have to wonder about a few things, and got to checking around.
Although not confirmed, its being thrown around that ABCs primary source for the computer chats and emails is the liberal watch dog group CREW.
Significant, because while there is a story about how the GOP leadership knew of Foleys actions for at least a year, after which he was ordered to stop contact with the teen, there reports that CREW also knew of the allegations months ago. In fact according to reports, CREW had contacted the FBI, and were waiting to go public when ABC posted the story. So the obvious question is Why wait? I think its obvious they were waiting to have the greatest effect.
It is interesting that CREW now is calling for an independent counsel to look into - not Foley - but the GOP leadership. This less than fourty-eight hours after his resignation. Pretty darn quick I would say, since the facts are still coming out. Its almost like they had it all .like, planned.
Its also interesting to note that for the chat transcripts to be available for us to read they had to have been purposely logged, or in the case of text messages, saved. Again, ordinarily this is done in criminal investigations to obtain and preserve evidence. However, its not something one would necessarily do otherwise. Just from my observation reading one of the chats from one of the pages indicates responses that knowleable, graphic and leading. In other words, not the normal responses of someone who is being approached. This is the kind of tactic we used in law enforcement when you are trying to corale these kinds of people.
So the point-blank question I have is was at some point the teen in the more graphic posted chats coached by someone? If so, by whom?
Again, while I do not condone his behavior - as there is no defense for it, something just doesnt seem right about all this. Make no mistake, entrapped or not Foley should be prosecuted for his actions espeically in light of his end of the conversation, and in light of his position. Yet it does seem that there is much, much more here than meets the eye to this story and much more to come to light.
UPDATE: A DOJ friend of mine throws this wrench into the mix. He notes that in DC the age of consent is 16, which at least the cases such in the transcript where it looked consensual, legally there wouldnt be anything to charge him with.
Hes right.
UPDATE: In light of hysterical conservatives calling for Dennys head, Say Anything gives them a chill pill for now.
UPDATE II: Im not alone in my suspicions. Rick Moran writes:
My good friend and fellow American Thinker contributor Clarice Feldman left a comment that deserves to be elevated for greater readability. It is, something of an eye popper:
Reportedly the St Pete Times had the same information in August 2005 and wrote nothing about it either, apparently because the emails do not constitute illegal conduct, they are just creepy, and the boys parents did not wish to pursue this.
The far more damaging IM messages were released by CREW , the same public interest group which is representing the Wilson/Plames in their laughable suit against Cheney, et al.
When did they get the IMs? Why did they wait until now to release them? Is there any indication the Republicans who looked into THIS MATTER had any knowledge of their(the IMs) existence.
Pardon an old ladys suspicions. Ive seen this dance too many times before.
I read this morning that a Monroe, LA newspaper also had the story and didnt run with it because there appeared to be no impropriety.
And one more point that our dimwitted lefty friends cant seem to wrap their miniscule brains around; the incident that was brought to the attention of the Page Board is unconnected to any of the raunchy, sick emails ABC news got from, as Clarice informs us, CREW.
Seems CREW has some explaining to do.
UPDATE III: CREW is a George Soros funded organization, but there is more:
From 1995 to 1998, CREWs Melanie Sloan served as minority counsel for the House Judiciary Committee under Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.). Before that, Sloan served as the nominations counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee under Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.).
According to GOP research, Mark Penn, who had been a pollster for President Clinton, and Daniel Berger, a major Democratic donor, are on CREWs board. Spokeswoman Naomi Seligman declined several requests to reveal the membership of CREWs board, although she confirmed that Penn and Berger are members. Last year, Berger made a $100,000 contribution to America Coming Together (ACT), a 527 group that was dedicated to defeating Bush in the presidential election, according to politicalmoneyline.com, a website that tracks fundraising.
So we have a person who served under Clinton, and Rep. Inpeachment Conyers, who just happened to obtain emails and chats and holding them to just six weeks out of a midterm election where IF Democrats gain control of Congress, said Rep. Conyers has promised to impeach President Bush. More here.
Right. CREW was also instrumental behind the get Delay effort. More on CREW here. By Sloans admission, when she came on board at CREW her mission (before anything was known) was to get Tom Delay.
However, if CREW did indeed withhold evidence against Rep. Foley, for any length of time, they may have stepped over the line. In any case, I think they are going to have some explaining to do.
Great list. Let's all send this to the MSM.
I wonder what John F. Kerry has had to say about the whole scandal? Jimmy Carter? Has Mr. Carter weighed in on the "culture of corruption" of the Republicans in this Foley scandal?
I am reminded that Mr. Kerry's good friend, Peter Yarrow, (of folk singing "Peter-Paul-Mary" fame) ---who rode with Kerry on his 2004 campaign bus---in 1970, plead guilty to taking "immoral and improper liberties" with a 14-year-old girl! Yarrow was 30 years old at the time.
According to media reports, the girl and her 17-year-old sister went to Yarrow's hotel room seeking an autograph, and the musician answered the door naked, pulled her into the room and tried to rape the 14 year old. Yarrow served three months of a one- to three-year prison term. In 1981, he was pardoned by President Jimmy Carter.
Yes, the Dems really hold the high ground on this subject, don't they?
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