Posted on 09/28/2006 3:21:37 PM PDT by slowhand520
Sixteen-Year-Old Who Worked as Capitol Hill Page Concerned About E-mail Exchange with Congressman September 28, 2006 3:06 PM
Rhonda Schwartz and Maddy Sauer Report:
A 16-year-old male former congressional page concerned about the appropriateness of an e-mail exchange with a congressman alerted Capitol Hill staffers to the communication.
Congressman Mark Foley's office says the e-mails were entirely appropriate and that their release is part of a smear campaign by his opponent.
In the series of e-mails, obtained by ABC News, from Rep. Foley (R-FL) to the former page, Foley asks the young man how old he is, what he wants for his birthday and requests a photo of him.
THE BLOTTER RECOMMENDS Congressman Ney Pleads Guilty to Accepting Lavish Gifts NY Moneyman Arrested in Teen Sex Scandal Check out the Brian Ross Webcast on Home Page The concerned young man alerted congressional staffers to the e-mails. In one e-mail, the former page writes to a staffer, "Maybe it is just me being paranoid, but seriously. This freaked me out."
Foley's office acknowledges that Foley wrote the e-mails to the young man but says they were completely innocent and that Foley is at most guilty of being "too friendly and too engaging" with young people.
The e-mails were sent from Foley's personal AOL account, and the exchange began within weeks after the page finished his program on Capitol Hill. In one, Foley writes, "did you have fun at your conference…what do you want for your birthday coming up…what stuff do you like to do."
In another Foley writes, "how are you weathering the hurricane…are you safe…send me an email pic of you as well…"
The young man forwarded that e-mail to a congressional staffer saying it was "sick sick sick sick sick."
Foley's office says it is their policy to keep pictures of former interns and anyone who may ask for a recommendation on file so they can remember them.
The Congressional page program was started in the 1800s. In its current form, juniors from high school work on Capitol Hill after school or over the summer. The young man in question did not work or intern for Foley's office.
Elizabeth Nicolson, Foley's Chief of Staff, said they believe the e-mail exchange began when the page asked Foley for a recommendation and that the subsequent exchange was totally innocent. She said Foley's office believes the e-mails were released by the opposition as part of an "ugly smear campaign."
Boy are folks around here talking.
Sounds to me like the kid is gay and is trying to imply that something he wished happened, happened. Sorry, but just asking for a photo isn't asking for sex (unless he asked for a photo of the kid nude)
You are exactly correct!
I was an intern BEFORE it was a porn star role.
Seriously, though, pages are a lot younger than interns. Typically, interns are college age and pages are high schoolers.
An internship usually lasts for the summer or over a semester and the page position is the same amount of time, I believe.
At any rate, the experience was invaluable for me. I never looked back after my summer in Washington DC. It helped me to hone in on what I wanted to do -- taught me as much about what I didn't want to do for a career as well.
Despite the negative media hype, I would still highly recommend it.
Smells fishy to me also .. but at the same time .. it doesn't look good for Foley
...bad Ray bad
Well, back when I was a young man seeking a summer job at a government agency in Maryland, I asked my Congressmen for a letter of recommendation. He didn't know me, but he wrote one anyone. He was trolling for either a vote or... well, Lord amercy we, lets just not talk about it.
By the way, I now know how the world works. His staff wrote a letter, with government franking priveleges, and the recipient agency had a staff who wrote the nice Congressman back a nice letter, on government time and government postage saying that they didn't really have anything right now, but if something opened up they would get right on it.
Were arguing between world's first and second oldest professions.
Thank you for your perspective! Although none of my children has a job offer of any sort at this point, I do try to consider the positives and negatives facing them, and try not to be over-cautious or over-confident.
(Sigh - I need a drink! :=)>
Even Greta and Nancy would have a hard time making a case out of this....for now.
sw
Well, I live here. I was a teenage boy once. I have had advances from obnoxious queers. Its not a reason to stop living - or to tell my son to stop living. Besides, talking about sexual predators and teenage boys - well.......
Agreed. I fully admit that it was a different time when I had an internship. But it truly was life-altering for me and for that, I am eternally grateful.
I think, as a fellow parent, there comes a point when you have to have faith that the moral code you instilled in your child will carry with them in any situation.
There are some really fine offices on the Hill, despite stories that all is rotten, that can offer a young person a truly great internship in a safe, interesting, fast-paced, remarkable, history-making environment. Nothing else like it.
What's that old joke? Thge only thing he ever TURNED DOWN was a page/intern.....FACE DOWN! LOL
I have hosted a couple of my own interns. I went out of my way to make sure they were positioned in good offices in the center of things, got in on important conversations and meetings and even got to see a lot of stuff that goes on that reflect a less than totally "seemly" picture of how DC operates.
There is nothing in it other than trying to help a young person - I was one once - get a view of where he - or she - might be headed in life and figure out how to get there. Among a lot of ornery cynical folks in Washington tired of the ratrap of all day trying to do each other in, the opportunity to take some time to help out someone starting out on a professional life and education (i.e. a sixteen year old) is really a big lift, one of those few small opportunities you get in your day to do something positive.
Not every one is BJC.
Bingo! You hit the nail on the head.
And because the experience really changed the course of my life entirely, I try to do the same thing that you describe.
It is a true shame when those who have the morals of an alley cat damage the reputation of the whole program because I am quite certain parents would think twice about sending their children to DC for the summer. Darned shame.
Now since the kid may not be from Florida, and perhaps only Floridians can write via the official page, maybe it could be that.
I did find a site that alleges that Foley is gay. Where is the proof? Rumors and innuendos don't cut it.
Whichever way this swings, we aren't getting the full story.
They shouldn't. The population of sexual predators in DC is actually quite low. They are kept in check by journalistic predators looking for a seedy tale to tell to sell newspapers - and steer a vote. Also, folks who don't live her don't understand - it has got to be the stodgiest place in the country. It is inhabited by bureaucrats. When they drive they hog the middle of the road and go 20 in 45 lane.
7/11/2006
FOLEY INTRODUCES SWEEPING LEGISLATION ATTACKING INTERNET CHILD PORN INDUSTRY
WASHINGTON - {Congressman Mark Foley (R-FL) introduced legislation last night along with Congressman Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA) that goes after the Internet child porn industry and for the first time would hold credit card companies and Internet service providers accountable if they knowingly facilitate child pornography.
details
First post that makes any sense.
But Chris Wallace would've asked him about it.
Well ... what?
Again, I really appreciate your perspective, and it might be of personal use to us someday!
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