Posted on 09/29/2006 12:56:16 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - Rep. Mark Foley (news, bio, voting record), R-Fla., resigned from Congress on Friday, effective immediately, in the wake of questions about e-mails he wrote a former 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.
The two-sentence statement did not refer to the e-mails and gave no reason for Foley's decision to abruptly abandon a flourishing career in Congress.
Foley, 52, had been a shoo-in for a new term until the e-mail correspondence surfaced in recent days.
His resignation comes less than six weeks before the elections. It was not clear how Republicans would fill his spot on the November ballot.
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.
It was not clear what prompted Foley to abruptly decide to give up a successful career in the House.
Foley, who represents an area around Palm Beach County, e-mailed the page in August 2005. The page had worked for Rep. Rodney Alexander (news, bio, voting record), R-La., and Foley asked him how he was doing after Hurricane Katrina and what he wanted for his birthday. The congressman also asked the boy to send a photo of himself, according to excerpts of the e-mails that were originally released by ABC News.
Foley's aides initially blamed Democratic rival Tim Mahoney and Democrats with attempting to smear the congressman before the election.
The e-mails were posted Friday on Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington's Web site after ABC News reported their existence. The group asked the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to investigate the exchange Foley had with the boy, who served as a page for Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-La.
"The House of Representatives has an obligation to protect the teenagers who come to Congress to learn about the legislative process," the group wrote, adding that the committee, "must investigate any allegation that a page has been subjected to sexual advances by members of the House."
Three of the five emails have been released. I have a feeling ABC is sitting on the bombshells to drive interest in their news show tonight.
Too bad it's not Lindsey.
Remember the Congress critter who bedded an intern - Studds? He refused to listen to the rebuke.
And there's Clinton. And a few hundred more.
I have noticed.
At least Foley did not marry, create children and fool around with boys while his wife was delivering a babe.
McGreevy is so disgusting because he put the health of his wife and baby at risk. I would guess that almost everyone around knew Mark Foley was a homosexual. Foley was a damned fool to email kids. He should have known he could be set up.
There were always rumors about this guy and it looks like they were true.
WHEN THE HELL IS BARNEY FRANK GONNA RESIGN, HUH? EFFING DEMOCRATS...
Please tell me he's not married or worse, has kids....
What changed is that the dems have something on Foley, something that now won't be handed off to the media. Otherwise, he wouldn't have resigned -- not at the age of 52, just before a re-election bid that was sure to succeed.
I don't think he does.
You are correct about the nuttiness stuff. Actually though, Cape Cod is/was a more conservative part of that District.
The South Shore is where Studds was supported heavily. Studds why my Rep. for a while there and it drove me crazy that so many people kept voting for that POS!.
What is it about Florida? It has to be the water they are drinking.
The two different standards of behavior arise naturally out of the two different constituencies. Republican voters tend to believe in traditional standards of decency, democratic voters tend to not believe in them -- so if a bill clinton type conducts himself like a dog in heat, votes and campaign contributions will rise. Conversely, if a Mark Foley type does likewise, his base of support will quickly abandon him. This is the political price of paying more than lip service to the question of character in public life and it's a practical advantage the democrats have over the Republicans.
Or maybe in front of him.
He started out as a conservative but over the past ten years, his ACU rating has steadily dropped, his most recent score being in the low 60s.
I suspect the dems have had the goods on him for a while and have finally lowered the boom on him. Who knows? Had he thrown more House votes their way or gone over to the left side of the aisle, he might still be a congressman.
"What's Barney Franks position on this?"
Not sure if he knows. He may need a heads up. HAHAHAHA
That much was obvious to me decades ago and was highlighted by The Bent One's unpenalized perjury and bogus "apology" on the heels of his own scandal and impeachment.
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