Apparently several members of the Republican leadership knew there was a man interested sexually in boys in their midst and they kept quiet about it.
The resignation rocked the Capitol, and especially Foley’s GOP colleagues, as lawmakers were rushing to adjourn for at least six weeks. House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) told The Washington Post last night that he had learned this spring of some "contact" between Foley and a 16-year-old page. Boehner said he told House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), and that Hastert assured him "we’re taking care of it."
Here is the question I want answered: is the Republican leadership so focused on holding on to power, to keeping their majority in the congress, that they were willing to keep quiet probable pedophilia?
UPDATE: Boehner is now claiming he didn’t know and didn’t tell Hastert. So why did he tell that to the Post?
John Aravosis has more on the timeline of Republican knowledge.
Congressional staff members who asked not to be identified said it was widely known among Hill staffers and some House leaders that Foley had been engaging in inappropriate conduct and language with young aides.
One highly placed staff member said Foley’s abrupt resignation may have been demanded by Republican leaders who have been aware for some time about allegations of inappropriate behavior.
Foley’s campaign staff had said Foley routinely asked for pictures of former interns and others who might be seeking a recommendation.
Rep Pelosi has passed a resolution requiring an immediate investigation.
“For nearly a year, Republican leaders have known of the egregious behavior of Congressman Mark Foley, yet were prepared to adjourn tonight without an Ethics Committee investigation. But because Democrats forced a vote on a privileged resolution, the House has now acted unanimously to have the Ethics Committee conduct a bipartisan investigation.“The investigation must determine when Mr. Foley sent the inappropriate emails, who knew of them, whether there was a pattern of inappropriate activity by Mr. Foley with pages or former pages, when the Republican leadership was notified, and what corrective action was taken once officials learned of any improper activity.
“For more than 150 years, children from across the nation have come to Washington to serve as pages in the U.S. Capitol. The Page School is a national treasure, and the children who attend it and work in the Congress are our special trust. Members of Congress have a responsibility to protect their employees, especially young pages who serve this institution.”
One or more Republican Reps had the information on Foley’s predatory behavior last year yet chose (conveniently) not to tell the Democrats.
For probably the first time in history I agree - in part - with a Free Republic poster:
If anyone else knew about Foley and what he was doing, then I would think they’ll also be expected to resign. How could they, if they knew there were suspicions about him, put him charge of the house caucus on missing exploited children. What the hell were they thinking. I can just see Pelosi have a field day with this one, sheesh, I can’t take that woman.
It’s the resigning part I agree with. I like Rep. Pelosi.
It is too late to put another fine Republican name on the ballot. So the voters now have to cast their vote for the disgraced Foley, with the understanding that the vote for the pedophile is actually going to an equivalent GOP-approved proponent of family values.
I bet there are a lot more skeletons in the Republican closet.
I keep picking narrow Republican control of the House, but it keeps giving gifts like these.
A yawn and a chuckle today….
Back when I was a very active Florida YR in the early 1990’s, many of us knew Mark Foley was gay. But he was a talented legislator and knew how to win elections, so what the heck.
Nothing surprises me about this latest Foley flare-up. This is why I logged on today, just to see things like OW’s “Republican Timeline Of Knowledge”. What did they know and when did they know it? Impressive stuff, indeed (NOT!!)
When Democrats can’t win elections, they simply try to get Republicans to resign.
Problem is, nobody is watching anymore. That’s bad news for the Democrats.
But once again, we see a vivid demonstration of GOP stupidity and sloppiness (sigh).
Let’s see, does this make three House seats in Florida that may now flip to the Democrats? Yeah, there’s the Katherine Harris district in Sarasota, Clay Shaw’s seat in Fort Lauderdale, now the Foley district in Palm Beach County. Are there others?
How’s about a timeline of stupidity, Oliver?
My party….should I become active again and straighten them out?
Another moron in the ranks. So I take it Rory is pro-child molestation?
Rory, I am not really sure what the yawn is about. Whether the man is gay or not, he’s aparently a pedophile and headed the Missing and Exploited Children Caucus in Congress. If this was known to anybody with a conscience and not corrected, they need to resign as well.
I think I’m gonna take a nap pretty soon. Too much yawning today - “moron” and “pro-child molestation”.
Foley, like DeLay, should have quit sooner rather than later. The GOP has fucked themselves out of at least two seats.
It is stupidity if nothing else that will switch the House to Pelosi, et al.
Okay, so what if twenty House Republicans had knowledge of Foley’s shenanigns. What if it’s forty or sixty? Maybe everyone in the House GOP caucus knew. Should everyone resign?
C’mon now, fess up. You’d like all 435 seats, wouldn’t you?
“The GOP has fucked themselves out of at least two seats.”
Um, I think that so far he’s only been accussed of soliciting sex with a minor …
“…many of us knew Mark Foley was gay.”
Is that what you think this scandal is about, Rory? That Foley was gay and the democrats told the press?
But this is my favorite: “But he was a talented legislator and knew how to win elections, so what the heck.”
Oh really? So Foley was gay but he had other mitigating qualities that allowed conservatives to overlook it? What compassionate fellows you are to let a man run for office IN SPITE of the fact that he was gay. Awesome.
Of course that makes sense if you readily equate being gay with inappropriate sexual behavior, like makng lewd advances on minors, as Rory apparently does.
Sp another conservative turns up to show off the ignorance and intolerance that informs all his thinking, but of which, he is not even remotely aware. So what’s new. Yawn.
In Rory world, it’s ok to know about a colleague soliticiting sex from a minor and not do anything about it, as long as there is an election to be won.
Objectively pro-child molestor.
What is it about Florida Republicans being ok with soliciting children for sex? Rory, j, mark foley?
Ahh, Disneyworld. It all makes sense now.
I woke myself up with my loud snoring.
Yeah - “what the heck”.
Ya’ll are just creating a lot of assumptions based on such little information. Why are you so tense and jumpy?
Ahhh….the lovely White Noise of liberals…..
Hey…Rory World…I LIKE the sound of that!! Thanks!!!
Yes, Rory, I guess I was just assuming that you wrote this:
“…when I was a very active Florida YR in the early 1990’s, many of us knew Mark Foley was gay. But he was a talented legislator and knew how to win elections, so what the heck.”
What an idiot.
People like Rory put the “duh” in Florida.
Well, thought I’d visit this pen full of little-yipping-dogs-who-think-they-have-rabies. Nothing has changed. In fact, I’m as contented as ever.
You know, my thought is if the GOP loses control of the House or Senate or both, it’ll just be a two-year gig for the Democrats anyway. They will seriously and disasterously overplay their hand (i.e., impeachment), and the Republicans will bounce right back in 2008.
By then, the Foleys and DeLays will be reduced to trivia. And Pelosi will be as infamous as Newt and Tip.
Who knows rory you cons may be right. After all, you guys were so right about Iraq, and Social Security, and Terri Schiavo…
oh wait. Never mind.
BTW, run this year on “We knew Mark Foley was a pedophile but it’s ok as long as he wins elections.” See how far it gets you goopers.
I love the dirty Bushist fascists.
First they protect a rapist’s right to breed, and now they protect a pedophile’s right to perv on minors.
Foley’s alleged pedophelia has only now been brought to light. Previously he was simply a gay Republican, a solid citizen and legislator, just as Barney Frank is a gay Democrat and a solid citizen and legislator.
Foley was stupid and out of control, and he paid the price.
Yes, the GOP will run on the issues regarding the war on terror, which DOES include Iraq.
Go ahead Democrats - you concentrate on Mark Foley and try to make him a new national issue. My advice is “go for it!”
Gee, I was gonna be nice and not even mention Gerry Studds!
I must have missed the part where consentual gay sex between two people above the age of consent was illegal or even unethical.
Or is your argument that it’s the gay sex that’s illegal?
On the other hand using the internet to solicit unwilling minors? Sick sick sick.
but if you think there is nothing wrong with what Foley did, proclaim it to the American people this November!
This is soooo entertaining!!!
“Previously he was simply a gay Republican, a solid citizen and legislator, just as Barney Frank is a gay Democrat”
Um, there’s a big fucking difference between Foley and Frank that you’re overlooking, Rory. Frank is out while Foley was in the closet, except, apparently, to those on the whisper circuit inside the RNC and elsewhere. Indeed, as you yourself wrote above, Foley’s sexuality was something that Republicans had to overlook rather than accept in order to pinch their noses and support a gay candidate.
Nice.
“…which DOES include Iraq.”
Oh please run on Iraq. By all means …
What in God’s name does Barney Frank have to do wiht this? Rep. Frank does not have an interest in children. Republican Mark Foley has a sexual interest in children, how in God’s name are you defending that kind of perversion?
Silly Oliver. Barney Frank has teh gey!!!!!11!!! That’s what he has to do with this. And all geys are pedophiles, just like the Boy Scouts say.
I must have missed the part where consentual gay sex between two people above the age of consent was illegal or even unethical.
Huh? Depending upon the state, these pages were of the age of consent - 16 or older.
Why is it nothing more than a consensual homosexual relationship when the person is 17 as opposed to 16?
To me it doesn’t matter. The guy is a pervert regardless, but it’s funny how you guys think he’s a pervert when the kid is 16, but then he’s just a homosexual doing his thing when the kid is 17.
I look forward to the upcoming commentary on this issue by Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and Michelle Malkin.
Limbaugh lives in Foley’s district, or if not, very close to it.
Really Jay, go crawl back under your rock. The guy abused his position of power to prey upon a high school kid. And when the inappropriate behavior was reported through channels, the Republican leadership acted to cover it up, thus staining the entire party with the actions of one individual.
I can understand how you want to wait for Limbaugh and others to queu up some talking points for you Rory. Other than pretending it the kind of every day activity you approve of, you’ve had very little of actual worth to say.
Of course Rory saw it coming, when he was active in the Florida Young Republicans, he filled out his application and got to answer some great relevant questions formulated by Foley.
Applicant answer the following Yes or No:
1)Have You ever seen a grown man naked?
2)Do You like Gladiator movies?
3)Have you ever been in a Turkish prison?
4)Did you ever hang around gymnasiums?
Thanks for that midder, that was funny.
An application????????? To join the Young Republicans?
Everything, everything, everything is a bureaucracy in Lib World.
Hey, how about this line from “Airplane” -
“I like my coffee black…like my men!”
The guy abused his position of power to prey upon a high school kid.
I don’t disagree with you. However, you didn’t answer the question.
Oliver is talking about the kid being a ‘child’ and other people keep calling Foley a ‘pedophile.’
Yet, Factcheck refers to Gerry Studds sex with a 17 year old male page as merely homosexual sex because the kid was at the age of consent.
Well, the fact of the matter is, 16 is the age of consent in DC and most states in the country. So is Foley merely gay, or is he a pedophile?
Again, I am not any way excusing Foley’s predatory sexual advances towards a 16 year old. It’s pretty sick. But then so is a 36 year old man having sex with a 17 year old kid.
“… it’s funny how you guys think he’s a pervert when the kid is 16, but then he’s just a homosexual doing his thing when the kid is 17.”
Obviously, Jay, there is a legal distinction depending on the laws of the state. It seems clear to me, however, that fact was responding to Rory’s assertion that there’s some kind of equivalence between Foley and Barney Frank as if just being gay is what this scandal is all about.
Anyone with half a brain and no ideological axe to grind could have seen that. Apparently you can’t. Hence: idiot.
Thank you rory for your cold indifference to Republican scandal. You do so much to prove why conservatism has quickly moved from a noble political ideology to full-blown fascism. Conservatives without conscience, indeed.
It seems clear to me, however, that fact was responding to Rory’s assertion that there’s some kind of equivalence between Foley and Barney Frank as if just being gay is what this scandal is all about.
Oh it seems clear to you? tyfoc and Rory both made comments about Gerry Studds. It seems clear to me that Factcheck was responding to comments about Studds when he wrote:
I must have missed the part where consentual gay sex between two people above the age of consent was illegal or even unethical.
Going to the memory hole to defend the actions of a predator. This wasn’t consentual sex. This was unwelcome advances by a man who abused his position. I remind you Studds got censured when it came to light. He should have been kicked out or resigned, like any teacher should be who has sex with a student.
And Foley’s actions are just the beginning of the scandal. That is the act of an individual. The subsequent lying and coverup by the various Republicans in leadership positions is what has really turned this from late night fodder to a full blown scandal.
Imagine how you’d feel, Jay, if your son was being solicited by one of his teachers at a similar age.
I hate to say this, but we have as many ‘criminal minds’ posting all over the internet as Foley is.
This is NOT about politics. It
is NOT about Congress. It is NOT about homosexuality. It is NOT about how good Foley was or wasn’t.
If those children were brave enough to come forward knowing they would be smeared across America and revictimized again and again by media and individuals, is it asking too much of us, adults to honor that courage and face this head on for what it really is?
It is simply against the law.
Hiding it is simply against the law.
Not reporting it is against the law in every single state.
A bank robber can rob a bank and then we find out he is in congress so we tell him as Governor Bush did, I feel bad for you and I hope you get help?
Change the laws and we can debate this until heck freezes over, until then, great crimes have been committed and it has nothing to do with Congress, Demo, GOP, perceptions and levels of guilt.
These kids reported a crime. Lets not degrade them furhter just as Folely tried by dressing it up differant.
That makes us, like him in many ways.
Ftom the internets:
Foley shares his feelings about rhe Clenis in The Saint Petersburg Times:
“It’s vile,” said Rep. Mark Foley, R-West Palm Beach. “It’s more sad than anything else, to see someone with such potential throw it all down the drain because of a sexual addiction.”
This Rory fellow’s smugness is actually quite educational. If you pay attention to him, he studiously avoids the question of legality. He chuckles away at this ’scandal,’ reminding us all that to the typical Republican wise guy, it is all about the political game of staying in power.
Foley was “stupid and out of control.” Not an alleged lawbreaker, of course; the illegality attached to ‘vile’ behavior is only of consequence when the perpetrator is a sitting Democratic president.
Rory reminds us that
Yes, the GOP will run on the issues regarding the war on terror, which DOES include Iraq.
Yes, the clever Rethugs will snicker away as the RNC ignores the illegal behavior of its own (including the executive branch) and plays the fear card to its ignorant, frightened, bigoted faithful.
Don’t forget the context of this, folks. The Rethugs just pushed through pro-torture, anti-habeus corpus legislation that gives our illustrious gov’t the power to declare anyone an Enemy of the State. Sure, some cowardly Dems jumped on the bandwagon, but they didn’t have the votes to stop it, anyway.
So total Republican control of our government has led us into disaster in Iraq, disaster in our economy (for most), disaster (for some) in the Delta, and now it’s resulting in the effective trashing of the Constitution.
But at least we have Rory to remind us of how funny all this is, and how he’s so underwhelmed by it all that he could just take a nap.
Rory, I hope you’re writing your little funnies from somewhere in the Iraqi desert, or from the mountains of Afghanistan, or from a toxic mud pit in the Ninth Ward of NOLA. If you’re facing the consequences of all this hilarity, well, you’re entitled to laugh away. Otherwise, you’re just another lame-ass piece of shit hiding his cowardice behind a thin veil of smugness.
But at least we have Rory to remind us of how funny all this is, and how he’s so underwhelmed by it all that he could just take a nap.
I think what Rory is giving us here is the internet equivalent of a shit-eating grin.
“It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly American criminal class except Congress” — Mark Twain, 1894
http://www.congressionalbadboys.com/teenagers.htm
Rory likes the attention.
BTW, I think Republicans have cozied up too much with religion. It appears they’re acting more and more like the Catholic Church when it comes to pedophilies.
Is it any surprise that a political party in power that supports torture would allow its predatory members to view subordinate youngsters as playthings?
Pretty amazing that Mark Twain commented in 1894 about Congressional corruption. If you study history, unfortunately you will discover that criminal behavior by those in positions of power is not a new phenomenon. Corruption and scandals have tainted every political party in this country at one time or another since the very beginning. This kind of conduct is not even exclusively “American”. Every country since the beginning of time has suffered because of those that abused their power. Power corrupts those that are weak, as strange as that sounds. The weak politicians easily succumb to the temptations around them and the longer they are in office, their feeling of invulnerablity grows. They easily forget why they are there and where they came from. This is especially true in our nation’s capitol. For the majority of the year our leaders are there and not in their district. How can you honestly represent the needs of the people of your district or even know what those needs are if you are seldom there? Granted, those that are newly elected will know and that will last a couple of years, but what about those that have been in office for 10, 15 or 20 years? Are they really in tune with their constituents? I think not. It is our duty as Americans to elect the best people to represent us. The sad fact is alot of the time the best people aren’t running and we have a choice between the lesser of two evils. Well, I don’t know about anyone else but I am personally sick to death of this option. And the only people to blame for it being like that is ourselves! Until “We the People” start paying closer attention and demanding that our elected officials do the job that they were elected to do, this kind of crap will keep happening. The Foleys, DeLays, Jeffersons and those of their ilk will continue to flourish. Until “We the People” quit settling for mediocre people being the only ones running for office, the people’s business will not be taken care of and our tax dollars will continue to be wasted. Just in case any of you forgot, “We the People” are the employers, everyone in government are the employees! Think about it, how many of them would still be employed if they worked at your own place of business? Well, the government, whether it is local, state or federal IS our business, and I think it is time to do a whole lot of firing! Both parties need to get a clue! “We the People” are the ones in charge and if they don’t get that soon then I say we ought to fire them too! Business as usual is no longer an acceptable form of governing as far as I am concerned. I did not use to support term limits but I most certainly do now!
I apologize for ranting but I am fed up with the incompetence and corruption on BOTH sides of the aisle. How about for once we do something about it?
Just so you know, I live in Speaker Hastert’s district and have not only voted for him but have attended some of his fudraisers. I will NOT be voting for him on November 7th.
Two thoughts:
1. Somehow this pedofoleygate is the fault of the Democrat Party.
2. Somehow Florida Republicans will find a way to rationalize marking their vote for Foley in order to elect the GOP’s second choice after the pedophile.
Oliver… for the sake of the party, please look up pedophilia.
The party’s going to turn on us over this… next they’ll want federal laws on the internet made into law for the states to raise the age to 18 for age of consent.
We need to move on… fast.
If they investigate everyone in the House and Senate… there will not be many left… trust me.
Once upon a time there was a phenomenon called “The October Surprise”, originated by LBJ in 1968 to assist HHH.
Nowadays the October surprise has been dumbed down by Democrats to a repititious and recyclable weekly event.
Everyone will get hauled in for questioning on this one. And that especially includes the instigators.
Follow the money.
Yea, LBJ really got trumped by Nixon’s October surprise. Nixon told N. Vietnam to turn down a peace agreement because they’d get a better deal after the election. Instead of peace, more Americans fed into the meat grinder. But as long as Republicans won, who cares, right rory?
rory, how does Foley’s actions as a perv equate to a Democratic October surprise. How are Hastert’s evasiveness and Reynolds’ human shields part of some Democratic campaign strategy? You should just observe these GOP leaders in action and decide for yourself whether they should be running the country or not.
I observe…and I approve.
I understand you, tho. You still feel a bit of jealousy about the Contract With America. You remain anguished over Florida 2000. These and other matters propel your anger.
You have only yourselves to blame, Democrats and liberals, for your defeats.
What will you do if you lose AGAIN?
Word up - Republicans aren’t the only ones being watched.