Congressman resigns for racy IMs to teen

[monsoon]

Hmm, I can actually see Kerry doin something like this. Seems like his style. Haha, j/k.. Big time

That would seem to be a pretty clueless and hateful accusation. Do you have a specific reason for thinking that Kerry might have tried to have sexual contact with children, or were you just making an unwarranted attack? If not, then you are wasting our time and you don't get a free ticket because you stuck J/K on the end.

While we talk negatively about politicians here all the time if you want to be taken seriously by anyone here you really need to have some basis to backup what you say. And as I have noted above, this kind of stuff, which is competely off topic, might cause you to lose access to this section. It's one of the reasons that we have very small tolerance for what teenagers might post on this site.

[Snowguy716]

Metro.. there are a lot of adults out there that do the exact same things and make the same old accusations everyday. He's called Rush Limbaugh.

The latest news is that Foley has come out and said that he was abused by clergy-men when he was younger and that he is gay.

So now the Republicans will try to pin this to: Homosexuality. You know it! They'll try to blame the gays for everything. Get ready for an awesome attack on gays!

It's not that he's a pedophile or that he is sick.. it'll be that he's gay and that the DEMOCRATS support gays. See the connection? Foley was gay and democrats support gays.. so it's the democrats' fault.

And it's Clinton's fault, too.

Oh, and if you support Dennis Hastert's resignation, you are supporting hte terrorists.. because, according to good ole' Denny, his party is the insulation in this country that protects this country from terrorists. And as our Chatterer-in-chief said today... Democrats will simply wait around until another terrorist attack happens on our soil. According to the Texan-Brush-Clearer, we need to fight them over there and not here.

Bucrap...

If you've noticed that my attacks have become more heated against Republicans, it's because they have. I am, in fact, more pissed off than I ever could have imagined at the corruption and lies and deceit that run this country. Habeas Corpus was TAKEN AWAY as our right this past week... and nobody mentions it.

If Americans had any brains or balls, we'd be sending 535 non-Republicans to congress in January. Throw the rotten beotchs out.

[monsoon]

Metro.. there are a lot of adults out there that do the exact same things and make the same old accusations everyday. He's called Rush Limbaugh.

We are certainly better than that around here.

[AlabamaGuy2007]

That would seem to be a pretty clueless and hateful accusation. Do you have a specific reason for thinking that Kerry might have tried to have sexual contact with children, or were you just making an unwarranted attack? If not, then you are wasting our time and you don't get a free ticket because you stuck J/K on the end.

While we talk negatively about politicians here all the time if you want to be taken seriously by anyone here you really need to have some basis to backup what you say. And as I have noted above, this kind of stuff, which is competely off topic, might cause you to lose access to this section. It's one of the reasons that we have very small tolerance for what teenagers might post on this site.

It was an unwarranted attack. Of course, a few adults, you not included, don't set a good example. Of course you burrrrned Bush in a reply a little while back, I don't see why mine was any different. Calling someone the devil is just as bad as what I said. Just because I'm a teenager does not make me any worse than some adults that get away with a lot of things on this site. Dang, so much for thinking adults would be happy that there IS a teenager with views and cares about society and my future. Heaven forbidd that any of that occur. I'm done with this topic.

And besides, I didn't mean that using sexual harrassment was his style. I meant conning (sp?) someone into getting themselves in trouble, so that they can get what they want seemed like his style. I said nothing in that reply that said sexual harrassment was his style.

[monsoon]

It was an unwarranted attack. Of course, a few adults, you not included, don't set a good example. Of course you burrrrned Bush in a reply a little while back, I don't see why mine was any different. Calling someone the devil is just as bad as what I said. ....

I believe I said that a leader who was responsible for so many dead people and more being killed every day,and then turns around and says this will be nothing but a comma in the history books deserves to be equated with the devil. That is quite different from you calling Kerry a child molestor. Forgetting this war is unjust, that was a cold and heartless thing to say to the soldiers and their families that are faced with the hell of combat every day. If you don't see any difference then yes, you should not be participating in this part of UrbanPlanet. Maybe if they draft you, give you a rifle and send you to Iraq so you can get shot at, you might see this in a bit different light.

I do like to see teenagers think for themselves and we do have a few here on Urban Planet that do so. I recommend that you try to learn from them.

[AlabamaGuy2007]

I believe I said that a leader who was responsible for so many dead people and more being killed every day,and then turns around and says this will be nothing but a comma in the history books deserves to be equated with the devil. That is quite different from you calling Kerry a child molestor. Forgetting this war is unjust, that was a cold and heartless thing to say to the soldiers and their families that are faced with the hell of combat every day. If you don't see any difference then yes, you should not be participating in this part of UrbanPlanet. Maybe if they draft you, give you a rifle and send you to Iraq so you can get shot at, you might see this in a bit different light.

I do like to see teenagers think for themselves and we do have a few here on Urban Planet that do so. I recommend that you try to learn from them.

I believe that forming my own opinions is thinking for myself. I really take offense to the first sentence of that second paragraph. My own brother is currently in Iraq. He supports it, I support it, my family support it. So, please, don't call me cold and heartless for supporting my brother who is fighting to keep our country safe. <-- If that isn't thinking for myself, please tell me what it.

As I said, I didn't call him a child molester.

[monsoon]

I was referring to what GW Bush said, not you. We all know what you implied about Kerry who has absolutely nothing to do with this topic. In the future, if you want to participate here, stick to the subject at hand. If you want to criticize Kerry then start a topic on it and make sure you have some rationale for doing so.

[AlabamaGuy2007]

I was referring to what GW Bush said, not you.

On a much calmer note. By not thinking what you think, or conforming to you beliefs, I'm forming my own opinions. It's occuring even though I have the most liberal teachers on the planet, no lie. No offense, my best friends are liberals in fact. I just don't support all of their views. I'm an oddity, I support the war, but I also support a woman's right to choose to have an abortion. Also, the government shouldn't try to regulate the way people have sex. Well.....except in this case with Foley. So, this whole thing with Foley really scares me, cause that 16 yo could've just as easily been my friend that was a page this past June.

Is there any news on what they're charging him with?

[monsoon]

.... No offense, my best friends are liberals in fact. I just don't support all of their views. .I'm an oddity, I support the war, but I also support a woman's right to choose to have an abortion....

Do you think anyone here actually cares? This topic isn't about and you have already said you were done it. Please give us a break and stick to your word.

[monsoon]

^Indeed. There are far worse problems this country are facing including the new verified revelations that Bush has lied about the war, and ignored the Bin Laden problem before 9/11, but this scandal is getting all the focus now.

[Snowguy716]

It'll get the attention for a bit longer. It'll be burned into the American mindset. A few politicians will fall.. a couple will rise up, and then we'll move on and continue ignoring issues like those above.

[runawayjim]

This whole thing is really starting to get to me. I mean, if we are going to go after every little misstep a person does, pretty soon we are going to run out of people. Nobody's perfect, and if we sit in this holier-than-thou attitude, we are simply going to all become hypocrits.

I think this whole thing is nothing but a concotion for publicity. I mean, does anyone find it odd for someone his age to be talking like a kid? And that well versed on IM? It's not like it would be that hard to "impersonate" someone. I mean, what easier way o win an important seat for the demopcrats. Then again, it could also be spun around for the GOP, as he once was a democrat, can blame it on the homosexuality issue, and those evil democratic catholics, and maybe it will turn out the Democrats planted this and shame on them.

I just think that too much is being made out of this issue. Heck, I am just as hapy as the next guy to see a republican out of office, but this is hardly something catastrophic going on here. There are a lot worse trouble 16 year olds are getting themselves into nowadays, and a lot more important things to focus on.

i respectfully disagree. he resigned because of it. he hasn't tried to disprove any of it. if it wasn't him, he'd be working his butt off to protect his name and dignity. instead, he kept some dignity by immediately resigning and entering rehab for alcoholism.

this is a case of severe sexual harrassment in the worst sense. a person of extremely high power (not your average manager or boss) with 3 different teenage boys. this is reprehensible. this deserves the attention it's getting, but it does not deserve the spin the republicans seem to be trying to put on it (that he used to be a democrat, was abused by a catholic priest, and he's gay).

[Carter711]

This whole thing is really starting to get to me. I mean, if we are going to go after every little misstep a person does, pretty soon we are going to run out of people. Nobody's perfect, and if we sit in this holier-than-thou attitude, we are simply going to all become hypocrits.

I think this whole thing is nothing but a concotion for publicity. I mean, does anyone find it odd for someone his age to be talking like a kid? And that well versed on IM? It's not like it would be that hard to "impersonate" someone. I mean, what easier way o win an important seat for the demopcrats. Then again, it could also be spun around for the GOP, as he once was a democrat, can blame it on the homosexuality issue, and those evil democratic catholics, and maybe it will turn out the Democrats planted this and shame on them.

I just think that too much is being made out of this issue. Heck, I am just as hapy as the next guy to see a republican out of office, but this is hardly something catastrophic going on here. There are a lot worse trouble 16 year olds are getting themselves into nowadays, and a lot more important things to focus on.

The media naturally latches on to scandals like this. They're easier and sexier to report on than say the issues surrounding Iraq. Remember the Lewinsky scandal, the media beat that to death as well.

Also there are some larger issues here as well. Why wasn't the sole Democratic member of the Page Board informed about the issue when the Leadership found out about the e-mails back in 2005? That seems standard considering that is the committee that oversees the pages. The Leadership has at least created the appearance of impropriety by keeping the issue so secret.

[Charlotteman]

There might be a good chance of Hastert resigning over this whole thing---he's under fire from high ranking members of his own party. His pic was on yahoo news main page looking haggard and exhausted. I would love to see heads roll for this flagrant cover-up.

Of course I would love seeing Nancy Pelosi as Speaker. Hopefully that will happen very soon. This outrage might help that possibilty:)

[Charlotte_native]

To say too much is being made of this is strange to me. The guy helped craft legislation to "protect" teens from online predators. Had he not been so holier-than-thou with those positions, his vote to impeach Clinton for sexual misconduct, maybe this wouldn't be a big story. But to be the current shining example of a hypocrite was brought upon by himself.

The fact that those in power didn't do anything to stop him makes it worse.

As for an impostor doing this and not Foley -- come on. He doesn't deny this, that is really grasping. It now appears it was fairly well known he was extra friendly to pages but no one cared to look any deeper. As for being adept at IM...is it difficult? I think typing into a blank space and hitting "send" is fairly simple even for a cruisy old congressman. Furthermore, we hear constantly about old pedophiles on the internet hunting for sex, I don't think age makes the internet more difficult to use.

The guy did it, he is a hypocrite, he was ignored by those in power and the media is having a field day -- just like they did for Clinton, they attack anyone that makes a good story, it just happens to be a Republican this time.

[runawayjim]

To say too much is being made of this is strange to me. The guy helped craft legislation to "protect" teens from online predators. Had he not been so holier-than-thou with those positions, his vote to impeach Clinton for sexual misconduct, maybe this wouldn't be a big story. But to be the current shining example of a hypocrite was brought upon by himself.

The fact that those in power didn't do anything to stop him makes it worse.

As for an impostor doing this and not Foley -- come on. He doesn't deny this, that is really grasping. It now appears it was fairly well known he was extra friendly to pages but no one cared to look any deeper. As for being adept at IM...is it difficult? I think typing into a blank space and hitting "send" is fairly simple even for a cruisy old congressman. Furthermore, we hear constantly about old pedophiles on the internet hunting for sex, I don't think age makes the internet more difficult to use.

The guy did it, he is a hypocrite, he was ignored by those in power and the media is having a field day -- just like they did for Clinton, they attack anyone that makes a good story, it just happens to be a Republican this time.

my mother who types with 2 fingers and barely knows how to check her email and look at webpages is pretty adept at IM. it's not hard. she even knows all the lingo, like "lol" and all the smileys. it's not hard to become good at using IM.

but simply the fact that he hasn't denied it and has even made excuses for his actions proves that it was him.

[Pillsbury]

Oh, it was most certainly Foley at this point. And once again, the Republican Party, which tries to pretend it's the party of transparency, kept a sick man on the job where he could attack children because they didn't want to look bad. Way to go Republicans!

[runawayjim]

i've been thinking about this, especially now that fox news has displayed foley's name with a (D-FL) after it making it look like he's a democrat.

i wonder how likely it is that he's lying about being gay to make it seem like he did this because he's gay just so he can help push the homophobic bush/republican agenda.

[Charlotte_native]

i've been thinking about this, especially now that fox news has displayed foley's name with a (D-FL) after it making it look like he's a democrat.

i wonder how likely it is that he's lying about being gay to make it seem like he did this because he's gay just so he can help push the homophobic bush/republican agenda.

I don't think much of anything of Faux News, but honestly this is the worst I've seen yet. That is really pathetic, the only thing that could possibly be more pathetic would be for any of their followers to fall for it. How stupid do they think, or is, their audience?

[Pillsbury]

i've been thinking about this, especially now that fox news has displayed foley's name with a (D-FL) after it making it look like he's a democrat.

i wonder how likely it is that he's lying about being gay to make it seem like he did this because he's gay just so he can help push the homophobic bush/republican agenda.

I'm sure they'll use it to their advantage, like everything else. In the eyes of many people, a man can't just simply be gay---oh no, he has to be a perverted man who also likes little boys. The Republicans will run with that I'm sure. They won't come right out and say it, but they'll imply it, and they'll let their field agents in talk radio do most of their dirty work.....

[Carter711]

i've been thinking about this, especially now that fox news has displayed foley's name with a (D-FL) after it making it look like he's a democrat.

i wonder how likely it is that he's lying about being gay to make it seem like he did this because he's gay just so he can help push the homophobic bush/republican agenda.

I thought that press conference was ridiculous. Foley: I'm too much of a wuss so I'll have my lawyer come out and tell everybody (a) I was molested by a priest when I was a kid, (b) I'm an alcoholic and I'm going to rehab, and oh yeah, and I'm gay.

Now, who at this point cares that he's gay, what does it have to do with anything? It's totally irrelevant. And the alcohol problem thing is such crap. Funny thing is I drink and manage to avoid seducing boys on the internet. Also many of his IM's came from his office during votes in the Capitol when I'm hoping he was sober - or else that's a whole new can of worms. I have little doubt that the drinking problem was made up so he can enjoy a nice vacation from the press and his former constituents in rehab while things blow over.

And the priest thing, come on. He's fifty-something. If it really happened, then he should have had the presence of mind to seek counseling many years ago. Also, if anything wouldn't that experience discourage him from engaging in similar conduct himself?

Finally, FOX is ridiculous. I thought it might be getting better, but their Foley coverage is insane. They spend half the time describing how a Democratic congressman got busted in 1983 for sleeping with a male page (funny, I thought news-people were supposed to cover current events, not 1983 ones). Seriously, I hear more about Gary Sudds on FOX than I do about Foley, who apparently has instantly become a Democrat. They leave out itty-bitty details like a Republican was busted for the same thing that year.

[Carter711]

On a lighter note, there is a hilarious 2 minute "re-enactment" of the Foley online conversation here

Click on the second one down, the "OMG Mark Foley" video.

[kayman]

It never ceases to amaze me how desperate the Republican party is to maintain power. On Fox News and their b******t calling Mary Foley a Democrat, what do you expect from a news network that swears their undying allegiance to one political party? The karma is going to bring down the any political party for their corruption (whether they are Democratic or Republican), that is the reason why I don't swear allegiance to either. All I have to say is the Republicans are reaping what they are sowing. As the saying goes, bad things come in 3's and this is just the first one.

[monsoon]

The good news about Fox is nobody takes then seriously anymore except the zeoliots that are going to vote for the GOP no matter once. They have become a network that is only singing to the choir.

[JDC]

I can't believe it. Fox News needs to issue an apology - no - they should say why they did it, and then later, why they re-aired the segment without any text or party indicators at all. This is outrageous. It needs to ring out on the front of every paper, on every news radio program, and on every talk show. Fox News needs to be humiliated.

From the Washington Post

This page has links to the video clips