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Foley e-mail sex scandal hits the GOP hard
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 10/3/6 | Carolyn Lochhead

Posted on 10/02/2006 9:19:15 PM PDT by SmithL

Questions remain about who knew what, when -- and the case turns off the conservative base.

Five weeks before a midterm election, when Republicans are already on the ropes, the last thing the GOP needed was a homosexual pedophilia scandal.

Former Rep. Mark Foley's salacious correspondence with teenage boys working as congressional pages is the kind of story that not only obliterates interest in whatever bills Congress passed before leaving town but promises to hit a much rawer public nerve than the corruption scandals that have already removed three Republicans from office this year.

It strikes especially hard at "values voters," the conservative Christians who make up the core of the Republican Party.

"This kind of thing just should not happen, and there is no excuse to justify it in any way." said Rev. Bob Schenck,... National Clergy Council, a politically active group of conservative church leaders.

"A big deal should be made of it, and we intend to make a big deal of it," he said. "We plan to address it in pulpits across the country, that this is an egregious moral violation, and we all will be held accountable."

A swirl of unanswered questions remain over who in the Republican leadership knew what about Foley's exchanges and when they knew it. GOP leaders dismissed the first e-mail exchange that came to light months ago as "overly friendly," but some conservative activists now say the messages "had predator written all over them." Foley, a Republican congressman from Florida, was chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children.

A criminal investigation has been opened and shows every indication of keeping the scandal alive through the election.

"The electorate is 20 percent Republican, 20 percent Democrat, and 60 percent disgusted,"

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bobschenck; foley; instantmessages; natlclergycouncil; notboys; notpedophile; punishall4actsof1; rinowatch; wasnotemail
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To: SmithL

I don't see how it could hit the GOP 'that' hard. After all, it's not as if mainstream American voters connect conservative Reps to homosexual pedaphiles. That connection would more likely be made to the DemRats.

Just as most mainstream, average American voters have become familiar with DemRat tactics in an election year (Rathergate comes immediately to mind), I realize the desperation of the left and how they ALWAYS pull these last-minute slime routines. But honestly, I don't see this as critical. I see it as just as irrelevant as pretty much everything else the DemRats have managed to come up with to use and throw at Bush, Rove, Cheney, Rumsfield, Condi and anyone else they consider to be a threat.

Also, as has already been pointed out, by linking Foley's sexual preference (homosexual) to a charge of pedaphilia, the DemRats are, once again, still and as usual, shooting themselves in the a....er....foot. And I, for one, love it when that happens.



61 posted on 10/02/2006 10:32:30 PM PDT by XenaLee
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To: SoldierDad
In Oklahoma, we have TWO good ones: Inhoffe, and Coburn. They are conservative and I always have the feeling that they listen to us.
62 posted on 10/02/2006 10:38:09 PM PDT by singfreedom ("Victory at all costs,.......for without victory there is no survival."--Churchill--that's "Winston")
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To: George W. Bush

I didn't say I thought they would.

I said it's been done before, hence my respect to history, and no one can predict at this time how they'll react at the polls this year.

The sum of my response is that it is too flippant to dismiss it will not occur, and too fatlistic to assume it will. There is not enough information to draw a conclusion either way as this is still settling distastefully around the country.

Though the Dems aren't helping themselves by evidencing more blood lust for Hastert then for Foley and his affect on those pages. That isn't going to play well either.

Honestly, I just see further alienation of the public from both parties over this in the end.

Though I will say I disagree with your assumption this is over by next week. The Dems have never stopped attacks based on polling. They just keep going until they wear people down. The only thing that could temp cause this to cease is a Republican win at the polls. Furthermore, they have been leaking info slowly. Expect more damaging leaks to come to keep it playing in the media.

BTW, I didn't state I thought the DUI was a non-event. I stated I voted for him anyway, but I was NOT pleased he hadn't mentioned it himself. The DUI was forgiveable absent any fatalities. So long as lesson was learned. It was the lack of honesty that killed him in 2000 with Est. of four million sitting home.


63 posted on 10/02/2006 10:47:02 PM PDT by Soul Seeker (Kobach: Amnesty is going from an illegal to a legal position, without imposing the original penalty.)
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To: singfreedom

In CA we have two bad ones, and I know they don't listen. I've emailed both. Boxer didn't even take the time to respond. Feinstein berated me for my opinion on the Iraq war, while trying to convince me that her belief the President "lied" us into the war was correct. When I challenged her on her position she failed to respond again. Thus, they don't listen to their consituents who don't buy into their bull.


64 posted on 10/02/2006 10:49:59 PM PDT by SoldierDad (Proud Father of an American Soldier fighting in the WOT)
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To: SmithL

Social conservatives do not like homosexuals holding public office even if they are Republican.

Most social conservatives, the category this story is supposedly describing as "value voters", are glad that Foley is being replaced.

It will make those in his district more likely to vote Republican.


65 posted on 10/02/2006 11:00:32 PM PDT by unlearner (You will never come to know that which you do not know until you first know that you do not know it.)
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To: John Valentine
How times change - or is it that Foley is a target Republican and Studds was a mascot Democrat.

Of course it is a partisan issue. When dems do anything that is unethical,consider Patrick Kennedy, all they do is say they are sorry or check themselves into rehab and everything is okay. Reelection, not an issue. They will be reelected. I'm waiting for the token democrat Barney Frank to come out in support of Foley or else ask him for references.

66 posted on 10/02/2006 11:10:13 PM PDT by taxesareforever (Never forget Matt Maupin)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist
This is a local problem that local people in Foley's district will handle. I doubt that most of Middle America even know who Foley is or cares. This scandal is strictly limited to politicalholics on the blogs and in the MSM.

Ever watch the evening news or Jay Leno or David Letterman, etc. They have been beating this to death. I wouldnt be surprised if by the end of the week more people knew who that a Republican congressmen had to resign because he was messing with a congressional page than know who the Vice President is. Definitely more than know who Hastert or Pelosi are.

You seem to overlook that dealing with issue is going to require a lot of the GOP leadership's time when they should be dealing with the election. It has the head of the congresional campaign committee at loggerhead with Hastert. Hastert and other GOP leaders will probably be less inclined to go out and campaign for other congressmen because they dont want to be dogged by questions about Foley. Its going to make it difficult for Republicans to run a values campaign. Instead of talking about national security and the war on terror, now the discussion is about abuse of power and the do nothing congress.

67 posted on 10/02/2006 11:16:07 PM PDT by Dave S
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To: McGavin999
The conservative base isn't that stupid.

Brother Dobson was bitching this morning about Foley and the fact that congress hasnt done anything for the values voters who put them in office. I wouldnt be so sure.

68 posted on 10/02/2006 11:17:53 PM PDT by Dave S
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To: doesnt suffer fools gladly
I admit I haven't been "on" that long this evening, but I haven't really sensed any "infighting" on the site today? Everyone seems to pretty much recognize its yet another Democrap "smear campaign".
69 posted on 10/02/2006 11:20:19 PM PDT by singfreedom ("Victory at all costs,.......for without victory there is no survival."--Churchill--that's "Winston")
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To: newzjunkey
Clinton PARDON of convicted Congressman Mel Reynolds who (among financial crimes and child porn charges) had sex with a 16-yr-old female volunteer. Reynolds has gone on to work for Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH

Oh great,now Republicans are going for moral equivalency. Damn things are getting bad around here.

70 posted on 10/02/2006 11:20:33 PM PDT by Dave S
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To: SoldierDad
That is terrible! I know there are a lot of people in California, but when your reps feel like they can ignore you, that is really tough. It should be tough on them as well. They do it long enough, they might lose their jobs!
71 posted on 10/02/2006 11:29:28 PM PDT by singfreedom ("Victory at all costs,.......for without victory there is no survival."--Churchill--that's "Winston")
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To: taxesareforever

What is the big deal? We are talking about Instant Messages. Which were mysteriously kept, and THAT IS ALL. There have been no allegations of Foley doing anything, no bodies mysteriously dieing or disappearing. Not even a dead women in a car in the water.

This is getting more press play than the LEAKS of secret information to the NY Slimes, or the KILLINGS, RAPES, AND CRIME OF ILLEGAL ALIENS.

If anything we should be outraged at the press for pushing matters that are worthless in the long run, and ignoring matters that will get us killed or destroyed as a culture.


72 posted on 10/02/2006 11:30:13 PM PDT by Exton1
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To: Dave S
I don't think it has to be though. There are tactics that can be used to divert attention back to the important issues. Like reminding voters of what happened with Franks, Studds, et al., and how there stories were handled so very differently. After all Foley is GONE.

It can be done but the Congresscritters are gonna have to be prepared to answer in just that fashion, not some long drawn out long winded semi apologetic answer.
73 posted on 10/02/2006 11:39:05 PM PDT by singfreedom ("Victory at all costs,.......for without victory there is no survival."--Churchill--that's "Winston")
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To: Exton1
If anything we should be outraged at the press for pushing matters that are worthless in the long run, and ignoring matters that will get us killed or destroyed as a culture.

I do believe that conservatives see thru the smoke screen of MSM. They are such a sleazy bunch. It's no wonder the liberals hold the MSM in awe. Same boat heading in the same direction.

74 posted on 10/02/2006 11:52:58 PM PDT by taxesareforever (Never forget Matt Maupin)
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To: Exton1
I can certainly agree with that! There are too many other horrifically important issues that should be in the spotlight. FOLEY IS GONE! The FBI is checking to see if he broke any laws. Now we need to move on.

But, we also must answer MSM/Dim questions with questions of our own: Why is Foley being treated differently (even if nothing physical happened) than Studds, Kennedy, Franks, Reynolds (when something physical DID happen), etc.? Eventually they would quit asking.

Can someone tell me how ABC got these email/IM when law enforcement has to jump through all kinds of hoops to gain the same information? The timing is just too suspicious!
75 posted on 10/02/2006 11:53:17 PM PDT by singfreedom ("Victory at all costs,.......for without victory there is no survival."--Churchill--that's "Winston")
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To: George W. Bush
Obviously, our sleazy congresscritters can't be trusted alone with them. For Pete's sake, they're congressmen, not priests.

Now that's funny.
76 posted on 10/02/2006 11:57:57 PM PDT by LanaTurnerOverdrive
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To: stephenjohnbanker

Oh I don't know, it's just how they mention it. This past weekend on Fox News Sunday, Mara Liasson couldn't scream a defense fast enough of Barney Frank as not being involved with a subordinate after Brit had the nerve to lump Bawney in with Bill Klintoon and Gerry Studds. It was whiplash inducing.


77 posted on 10/03/2006 4:02:58 AM PDT by Dahoser (God bless our troops and at home defenders.)
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To: CharlesWayneCT

Right now, I'm almost wishing Foley would stand up and say that what he does in his private life is HIS business.

That the publishing of his emails and IMs are an invasions of HIS privacy.

That's exactly what the Democrats have done in the past.

And why exactly is it that a Kennedy does a DUI, has and accident, CHECKS IN for ALCOHOL treatment and is a fine example to all because he recognized his problem and faced it head on.

What a joke.

I think the Dems are going to overstep this one and WELLSTONE it.


78 posted on 10/03/2006 5:02:22 AM PDT by musikman
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To: Dave S
Brother Dobson was bitching this morning about Foley and...

Brother Dobson is an idiot, just as he proved during the Harriet flap. What a maroon.

We need to eject political preachers from GOP politics. The net result of the Falwells and Robertsons and Dobsons is about as healthy for us as the Dims with the Ref-vrend Jack-son.
79 posted on 10/03/2006 5:08:46 AM PDT by George W. Bush
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To: CharlesWayneCT

This is maddening! One or more Republicans mess up so some decide to punish THEM by staying home and letting the real enemy of value voters, the Rats, write the laws and run the country. Dumber then dirt!


80 posted on 10/03/2006 5:40:54 AM PDT by bybybill (`IF TH E RATS WIN, WE LOSE)
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