Posted on 10/02/2006 11:17:51 PM PDT by beaversmom
Scandal: Right after Mark Foley was revealed to have had inappropriate e-mail conversations with a 16-year-old page, he resigned and checked into rehab. Now, what did Democrats know, and when did they know it?
Yes, you read that right: the Democrats. It's of course clear that Foley, a Republican representative from Florida, resigned for good cause. We don't defend him or his inexcusable behavior — good riddance.
But it didn't take long at all after Foley's resignation for the Democrats to call for an investigation of the entire Republican leadership in the House, charging that GOP stalwarts knew early on that Foley, as they like to say in the rehab business, had a "problem."
Democrats have begun losing their once-significant lead in the polls, and a mere five weeks remain until the midterm elections. Is this scandal the Democrats' own "October Surprise," meant to throw the GOP into a tailspin shortly before the vote?
Recent polls show Democrats aren't doing very well on several key issues. What better way than a good, old-fashioned sex scandal to get people's minds off such things as the importance of winning the war in Iraq, our ongoing vulnerability to terrorist attack and the necessity of keeping the Bush economic boom going?
As it is, Republicans deny knowing about the explicit text messages that Foley sent to a 16-year-old congressional page back in 2003. In repudiating Foley, House Speaker Dennis Hastert called the messages "vile and repulsive."
Despite this, the immediate take by Democrats and much of the mainstream media was that this was a classic example of Republican hypocrisy — talking "morals" and "values" while all the time shielding a child predator. But it was nothing of the kind...
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
Well said!
I don't know what the heck you are going after me for. I said I'd been away and hadn't been able to follow the story from the beginning, so I was asking questions. Take your vengence out on someone else please.
they have been taught ....no celebrated for turning gay in the public schools.
It's was addressed and swiftly. Foley resigned...he's gone.
You're behind on the story. They didn't know, even though the MSM wants you to think they did.
Because the Republicans DIDN'T know until the IM's were broadcast on ABC News. SOMEONE (not a republican and most definitely NOT part of the republican house leadership) gave those IM's to the press. The leadership came out AS SOON AS they found out about it. I don't understand how they could possibly be incompetent, unless you expect them to read minds.
Cindie
The leadership knew the parents didn't want the matter to become public about the over-friendly emails.
And that is all they were at that point...over-friendly. GOP leadership only learned about the other lurid emails a couple of days ago.
Remember they don't just try to best their opponents at the ballot box, they are on a "search and destroy" mission!
This seems like a talking point I've heard repeatedly, but I'm not usre it is sticking. I suppose no one could say this was handled "well".
If it really is a Dim ploy you must admit it is being very well executed.
Most would have done the same thing in Hastert's position.
The family characterized the emails as overfriendly. They they were not sexual...just "overfriendly".
Hastert can't very well call an investigation over emails that are simply overfriendly. He did the correct thing.
Not really. It's already backfiring on them.
The libs have overplayed their hand again.
This story will be gone in days IMO.
Thanks,
That's a keeper.
Which law?
The Leadership was informed that a family complained that Foley had sent inappropriate emails and the family would like it to stop. The family refused to hand over the actual emails citing privacy concerns (good parents apparently) but told Congressman Alexander (D) that there was not any sexual conotation to the emails. I believe there was a story from the American Spectator or another conservative publication which said the original emails were (1) Foley asking the boy for a photo to keep with their records so that Foley could remember the pages when references were requested; and (2) Asking the boy what he would like for his birthday.
Now, this might be overly friendly for an older man to email back and forth with a child, but easily explainable to the Leadership as an innocent attempt to stay in touch with pages or just being friends with the kid. The leadership told Foley to knock it off and stay away from the pages, per the family's request. The head of the Page program, John Shimkus was notified as well. As far as the Leadership was concerned --- BASED ON THE CONTENT AS REPORTED BY CONGRESSMAN ALEXANDER --- they dealt with the issue and met the request of the family to end the emails.
Based on the content they knew, there was no reason for them to see this as anything but a constituent not comfortable with the congressman emailing a kid to get a photo for his records, or giving a birthday gift. Nothing sexual according to the parents, per Alexander. That's it. They did their job. I don't think Hastert was ever even made aware of the facts - and why would he be?
That's a good question, and I think the answer is that the Republicans may have believed the last thing the Dems would do is something like this in that the Dems may have a ton of sex-stain laundry in the closet the Republicans know about as well.
I hate to think this, but could it be that there is an unspoken agreement in DC that nobody squeals on anyone about anything except when the information becomes known and is made public by someone who doesn't belong to the club?
Some would say that guilty knowledge is the glue that binds them all together, affording them all a modicum of job security and an extra measure of legislative leverage.
We'll know soon enough if those closet doors are pried open and and few more dirty bundles comes tumbling out in the next couple of weeks.
Excellent summary
Bttt!
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