Rep. Mark Foley drops out of race [Fox: also resigned]

[Dianna]

Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert's (R-IL) decision to have Rep. Shimkus review the page system is particularly ludicrous, given that it was Rep. Shimkus who, despite having been made aware that the boy and his parents were concerned about Rep. Foley's emails, readily accepted Rep. Foley's explanation that he was merely mentoring the boy.

As far as I understand, the parents were contacted by some type of congressperson. There has been no suggestion that the parents were contacting congress because of this matter. I'm not sure if their boy told them about the e-mails, although we do know he fowarded them to others. We don't know if he was particularly upset or bothered as he didn't make an official report. Maybe he just thought it was weird and creepy and sent it to others to show them, "Check out this weird, creepy guy! LOL!!"

If the parents were unaware of the matter until contacted and they were disinclined to do anything. I don't see that as "being concerned about Foley's e-mail".

[Stajack]

And in a case like this, it doesn't matter if the parents don't want to press charges.

Good point, BUT if the boy's parents didn't want the matter pursued, they probably also didn't want it publicized, which no doubt the Repos were more than willing to accomodate them. However, I agree with you that Foley should have been back benched, voluntarily or otherwise.

[Texaggie79]

I'll tell you what's going through their minds... FAP FAP FAP FAP

[Dianna]

the House Leadership should be held to the same, if not greater standard, as a school teacher. That is, if the teacher suspects that their is abuse or an inappropriate relationship involving a minor they are legally required to reported it to authorities.

Morally, ALL people should be held to this standard. But I do not think congresspersons are included under the law.

Personally, I have suspected that abuse of a child was a possibility. It was also possible the kid fell down. The situation was pretty gray so I notified the classroom teacher, the head of the program, the school nurse, and the school Principal. None of them thought it was suggestive enough to report, but worthy of "keeping an eye on".

These decisions are not nearly as easy or as clear cut as you may think.

[penelopesire]

Thought some might want to take another look at this old post:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/935088/posts

It is a post from 2003 when Foley dropped out of the senate race amid rumors that he was gay. Seems someone in his own office spread the rumors according to this article(which is no longer available).

[stands2reason]

Can you not respond without personal attacks?

[stands2reason]

Do you have proof of your allegations?

[floriduh voter]

Proof you say? Everyone but you seems to know...

[AntiGuv]

I've moved Reynolds up to #23. It's still a work-in-progress for my next 'official' revision, but here's the GOP Top 30 on my House list right now.

Lean Democratic

1 (CO-07) Beauprez*
2 (TX-22) DeLay*
3 (AZ-08) Kolbe*
4 (IA-01) Nussle*
5 (IN-08) Hostettler
6 (IN-09) Sodrel
7 (IN-02) Chocola
8 (CT-02) Simmons

Toss Up

9 (FL-16) Foley*
10 (PA-06) Gerlach
11 (NY-24) Boehlert*
12 (PA-10) Sherwood
13 (NC-11) Taylor
14 (KY-04) Davis
15 (IL-06) Hyde*
16 (PA-07) Weldon
17 (OH-15) Pryce <<
18 (WA-08) Reichert
19 (CT-04) Shays
20 (WI-08) Green*
21 (VA-02) Drake
22 (OH-01) Chabot

Lean Republican

23 (NY-26) Reynolds
24 (NM-01) Wilson
25 (CO-04) Musgrave
26 (FL-22) Shaw
27 (MN-06) Kennedy*
28 (PA-08) Fitzpatrick
29 (CT-05) Johnson
30 (OH-18) Ney*

[stands2reason]

Who "outed" him?

[kristinn]

You're misreading what I've written. I'm not going to go back and forth with you on this.

[stands2reason]

And I do know that his primary opponent supporters like yourself have floated such rumors. Where did you get the idea that he was?

[ARealMothersSonForever]

THE MATTER WAS ADDRESSED TO THE BOY'S PARENTS, WHO CHOSE NOT PURSUE THE MATTER.

Then the parents should be investigated for pimping out their minor child to a queer. It is stated that "inappropriate contact" occurred. Anyone that dismisses this as politics as usual is a supporter of the sexual abuse of children.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

On Yahoooo:

WASHINGTON - Rep. Thomas Reynolds (news, bio, voting record), head of the House Republican election effort, said he told Speaker Dennis Hastert after learning a fellow GOP lawmaker sent inappropriate messages to a teenage boy.


Reynolds, R-N.Y., was told months ago about e-mails sent by Rep. Mark Foley (news, bio, voting record) and is now defending himself from Democratic accusations that he did too little. Foley, R-Fla., resigned Friday after ABC News questioned him about the e-mails to a former congressional page and about sexually suggestive instant messages to other pages.

The boy who received the e-mails was 16 in summer 2005 when he worked in Congress as a page. After the boy returned to his Louisiana home, the congressman e-mailed him, and the teenager thought the messages were inappropriate, particularly one in which Foley asked the teen to send a picture of himself.

The teen's family contacted their congressman, Rep. Rodney Alexander (news, bio, voting record), R-La., who then discussed it with Reynolds sometime this spring.

"Rodney Alexander brought to my attention the existence of e-mails between Mark Foley and a former page of Mr. Alexander's," Reynolds, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a written statement Saturday.

"Despite the fact that I had not seen the e-mails in question, and Mr. Alexander told me that the parents didn't want the matter pursued, I told the speaker of the conversation Mr. Alexander had with me," Reynolds said.

Reynolds added that Alexander also discussed it with the clerk of the House, and the congressman who oversees the page program, Rep. John Shimkus (news, bio, voting record), R-Ill.

Shimkus has said he learned about the e-mail exchange in late 2005 and took immediate action to investigate.

Shimkus said Foley told him it was an innocent exchange. Shimkus said he warned Foley not to have any more contact with the teenager and to respect other pages.

Democrats charged Reynolds did far too little and said more digging should be done.

"Congressman Reynolds' inaction in the face of such a serious situation is very troubling, and raises important questions about whether there was an attempt to cover up criminal activity involving a minor to keep it from coming to light before election day," said Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Karen Finney.

New York Democrats hoping to unseat Reynolds blasted the congressman, saying they call into question the Republican's values.

"Mr. Reynolds knew about these allegedly inappropriate emails from a fellow congressman to a minor for months and didn't lift a finger," said Blake Zeff, a spokesman for the state Democrats.

___

NRCC: http://www.nrcc.org/

[ml1954]

I Just Can't Resist Placemarker.

[dogbyte12]

I honestly have just been watching ads really. I see 10 Taylor ads for every Shuler ad. I just moved to the district and don't really know Taylor all that well. Have never even heard him talk on the news, or whatever, I just see his ads over and over and over again. Did I mention they are on alot? LOL.

I am assuming Taylor is going to win here. Shuler appears to be a light weight.

[dogbyte12]

It appears the leadership has been to be blunt lying the past day. First Boehner says he tells Hastert, than he says he didn't, than he says he did but in the spring. First Hastert didn't know, then he knew in the spring. Now Reynolds is saying that he told Hastert when it broke 11 months ago.

This is a circular firing squad. I have one bit of advice. Just tell the damned truth. It won't be as bad as this nonsense.

[dogbyte12]

From Roll Call: Hastert's staff insisted Friday night that he was not told of the Foley allegations and are scrambling to respond to Reynolds' statement.

So Hastert puts out a statement that he knew nothing last night, and now Reynolds says I told him. Boehner is going back and forth on if he told him, and now Hastert is trying to figure out what statement is "operative" now. This is leadership? We need new blood. How about getting some of the younger mountain west folks in charge. They can't do worse.

[vox_freedom]

I have one bit of advice. Just tell the damned truth. It won't be as bad as this nonsense.

[MozarkDawg]

So wait -- the kid was grossed out, his own instincts point him toward letting someone in authority, ie, an adult, his parents, know it occured. Obviously there was some kind of relationship, according to the emails, regardless he didn't realize how far Foley intended to go. That's the M.O. with internet predators, they send innuendo, make suggestive comments in order to see who is going to take the bait. This LA page puts a stop to it, but the parents are "comfortable" with silence. Foley is allowed to continue pursuit, "Hey, let the parents of those other boys worry, nothing more to do with my son." Huh?

Maybe it really is just me, or just a handful of me's, but if my son shows me the kind of conversation he is having via email with a man who is not only decades older, but a SITTING MEMBER OF CONGRESS, I am not going to sit by and watch him chairing hearings on missing and exploited children, sanctimoniously passing legislation on finding and punishing these perverts all the while knowing he is one himself, no way.

That is like the rape victim who doesn't want to endure any more embarrassment or pain, won't prosecute because it means facing her rapist in court -- how many times have we heard the guy got X-number more victims before he was stopped? How many of these pages were to be preyed upon before Foley was stopped?? Who knows how many men are scarred for life, or worse, will BECOME PEDOPHILES THEMSELVES because these parents were "comfortable" and this LA MOC, the GOP Leadership didn't pull the plug when they were first notified??

If you felt that the people you spoke with were going to be proactive in making sure Foley couldn't get near more pages, that may be good enough for you.

They KNEW nothing happened, they KNEW Foley was not kept from any more pages -- the only way that could have been accomplished was for Foley to have been removed from Congress, either voluntarily or otherwise. They knew he continued in his role as chair of that committee -- they sound more to me like they just didn't want to make a stink, good GOP'ers and all. Sad, very sad.