GOP Leaders Assail Foley Amid Democratic Criticism (CNN Spin)

cnn.com ^ | 10/1/06 | unknown

[beyond the sea]

(snips) --

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Republican leaders mounted an effort to explain their own conduct after the resignation of Rep. Mark Foley and suggested there should be a criminal investigation of Foley's contacts with congressional pages.

A strongly worded statement assailing Foley from the chamber's top three Republicans came as they tried to answer key questions: What did they know and what did they do about it?

Calling the contacts "an obscene breach of trust," the congressmen said in their statement that "[Foley's] immediate resignation must now be followed by the full weight of the criminal justice system."

"The improper communications between Congressman Mark Foley and former House congressional pages is unacceptable and abhorrent," read the statement issued by Majority Leader John Boehner of Ohio, House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert of Illinois and Majority Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri.

ABC News on Friday evening reported details of three exchanges of instant messages sent in 2003 between teenage male pages and someone using the screen name Maf54, which ABC identified as Foley. The congressman's initials are MAF, and he was born in 1954.

In one of those exchanges, Maf54 advises the teen to "strip down." In another, when the teen says he's wearing a T-shirt and shorts, Maf54 replies, "Love to slip them off of you." And in a third, Maf54 asks, "Do I make you a little horny?" (More details) Democrats suggest cover up

The scandal comes just weeks before the November 7 midterm elections, and Republicans were hurriedly trying to find someone to replace Foley. Foley, 53 and single, had been favored to win re-election in the Republican-leaning district running against Democrat Tim Mahoney.

Democrats sought to take advantage of the bad press.

[onyx]

Thank you. The facts always get lost amongst the hand wringing.

[beyond the sea]

Is there anything illegal about the messages he sent?

As I wrote earlier, the "legal expert" on CNN said, "yes" he can go to jail for what he supposedly did.

But personally I don't know much about all that.

[beyond the sea]

No, I don't believe that it does.

[beyond the sea]

Thanks for that........ but excuse my ingnorance... what is an IM?

[Non-Sequitur]

What about post # 45???

What about post # 46???

[beyond the sea]

Oh thank you...........

:-)

I still have to get out of here.

;-)

[onyx]

Instant Messages --- as in MSN Messenger or Yahoo Messenger.

[onyx]

Go tiptoe through the tulips...lol.

[Jim Noble]

IMs = AOL instant messages.

All of Foley's sexually explicit correspondence (so far revealed) was in the form of instant messages sent under the alias maf54 (Mark A Foley, born 1954).

As far as I know, there are no sexually explicit emails.

Now, the emails he sent which have been disclosed, viewed in the light of the recently revealed IMs, constitute obvious trolling.

But without the IMs, a boss or supervisor (and Hastert is neither) is in a tough spot to INTERPRET the emails as sexual in nature, UNLESS said boss or supervisor a) knows Foley is gay, and b) is willing to hold a gay man to a different standard than he would a normal man.

[beyond the sea]

Hastert did not see the original text of the e-mails, due to the wishes of parents and was told that they were not sexually explicit, but overly firendly.

Good to hear.

By the way, this is NOT exactly how this is being reported on ABC and CNN already!

They are in a stampede.

Stuffingenvelope's show this morning ought to be interesting, to say the least.

And next week Chris Matthews will be spittin' more than ever. He is going to be sickening.

[Pusterfuss]

Do you think they were merely "overly friendly"?

I have no idea because I haven't read any of them. My point was, and still is, that there is a gaping double standard. I happen to think our side is more honorable because they resign when caught. (Please, I know there is no honor in doing something you get caught at)

I do not condone anyone abusing a minor sexually or any other way. Foley was wrong, and Foley is gone.

[onyx]

Both shows preach to the choir.

[beyond the sea]

..... working with Christmas ferns today.

;-)

[onyx]

Oooooooh, NICE!

[beyond the sea]

I have no idea because I haven't read any of them. My point was, and still is, that there is a gaping double standard. I happen to think our side is more honorable because they resign when caught. ---

agreed..... have a good day........ gotta get out of here.

[Dane]

I don't listen to the talking head shows anymore and my blood pressure is way down, and also the talking heads shows ratings are really miniscule compared to the general population.

The best thing to do when you overhear someone spewing the media line is to correct them with the facts and point out where the media has been wrong in the past(and that's lots of times)

[veronica]

Well, it's appalling, but I am sure that while Jim McGreevey was turning tricks in filthy roadside men's rooms, Democrats were quite aware of his alternative lifestyle. Barney Fwank's too...

[veronica]

Not to worry. The Dems and their pimps in the press always overplay their hand. They will this time too.

[veronica]

Exactly right.

[tobyhill]

On that perverted justice show on NBC it claims that the only way the pervs can be charged is if they actually show up to the house showing intent and then they strengthen the case by having them bring something. There was a study about the internet and how many times kids are propositioned in a session on chat sites and it added up to somewhere like 10 times an hour. People questioned how is it legal and the response from "legal experts" was that it's free speech and the parents are responsible for kids activities on-line. Proof of intent is completely separate from free speech unless it deals with porn to or from children. There maybe harassment charges that could be leveled because he was asked to stop but that's all I see at this point.