New claims fuel US e-mail scandal

4 October 2006

The US Republican Party is struggling to contain the scandal surrounding former Congressman Mark Foley's e-mails to young men amid new allegations.

US media revealed a possible romantic link with a young congressional worker and that warnings about Mr Foley's conduct went as far back as 1995.

Republican House leader Dennis Hastert has refused to bow to calls for him to resign over his failure to act sooner.

Mr Foley denied ever having sexual contact with a minor, his lawyer said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5405596.stm


At this point, if Foley denies something he's probably lying.

that's what's WRONG with that whole scenario -- it's a fantasy come to life.

There is nothing romantic about using power over a weaker, smaller, younger individual. May Foley rot in hell.

....the question they're asking is, how much will all those lies cost???

...the word "minor". In some states the legal age of consent is as low as 14. If he has sex with a 15 year old boy in one of those states, legally, that boy would not be considered a "minor" in that incident.

He could be doing what politicians are so good at: splitting hairs.

and good to remind us.

WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THOSE STATES?

it's because the gay lobby is so powerful. So it's the gay democrat's fault.

he uses the word "minor" rather than page, who's to say he didn't seduce pages while they were minors then have sex with them once they reached the age of consent?

Jay

...not only that...but this violates trusts on numerous points:

1) The pages are minors.
2) The pages are basically "employees" of Congress.
3) The pages live in a dorm and are in the care of Congress, just like a boarding school.
4) Being a Congressman, Foley has preceived "legal authority" over these pages, just like a police officer. Even if the police are part of the executive brance and Foley's part of the legislative, the perception on part of the victim is still present. They perceive the Congressmen as legal authorities. Who do you run and tell if an authority figure is harrassing you?

And there is a legal term for what you mentioned: grooming.

There was violation of trust/duty/office and his "position of authority" in so many ways by Foley towards these pages, that it could conceivably be a Sexual Harassment Attorney's wet dream.

These pages were essentially sitting ducks. Every single thing he did is reprehensible and just plain WRONG.

much younger than Foley.

Florida
794.05 Unlawful sexual activity with certain minors.--

(1) A person 24 years of age or older who engages in sexual activity with a person 16 or 17 years of age commits a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. As used in this section, "sexual activity" means oral, anal, or vaginal penetration by, or union with, the sexual organ of another; however, sexual activity does not include an act done for a bona fide medical purpose.

(2) The provisions of this section do not apply to a person 16 or 17 years of age who has had the disabilities of nonage removed under chapter 743.

(3) The victim's prior sexual conduct is not a relevant issue in a prosecution under this section.

(4) If an offense under this section directly results in the victim giving birth to a child, paternity of that child shall be established as described in chapter 742. If it is determined that the offender is the father of the child, the offender must pay child support pursuant to the child support guidelines described in chapter 61.

is a medical art, not a romantic link.

Spin on this, Dennis.

I'm so sick of hearing the media angle regarding this Foley scandal as "strikes to the heart of the republican religious right". I say BS. One could infer from that statement that Democrats are the party of pedophiles. You know those "gays" think it is OK.

Second, if there has been one segment of our society in recent years implicated more than any others, it is the evangelical religious right. Not just did it occur seemingly more frequently in this segment of society, but then the cover up. The silent acceptance within the ranks over so many years.

It just bugs the crap out of me. Talk about hypocrisy.

when you follow a religion that requires people to repress their sexuality.

Instead of learning to express themselves in appropriate ways, they are raised that sex and most everything else in the world is bad and evil. The result is an assortment of deviant behaviors from powerful men like Foley going after little boys, to guys like the fellow in PA who planned the execution of innocent school girls.

One thing most of these sickos have in common, they are while, male and follow very repressive versions of christianity.

these vales---(it is only the RW that is upset over this issue).

sigh

Now they're trying to say he always struck out? Please.

Exactly the wrong goal in the wrong time. Containment is BEFORE it spills all over the media, not after!

Now the GOP must go into clean-up mode, and we know, from seeing Iraq, New Orleans, and the budget, just how inept they are at THAT!

that this country can put forth? Jesus Christ on a hot cross bun! "Containment", in politics, means the control of the release and dissemination of the issue, not concealment of the issue! Have these mouth-breathing, knuckle-draggers learned absolutely nothing from Watergate and Wilbur Mills through Packwood and Clinton!? You have to get on top of the story and make sure it is released in the way best for you, even if that "best" way is still, nonetheless, terrible. "Cover-up" just means that it is all going to go against you in spades when it comes out and it will always come out...

If they'd censured Foley, reported it to the police, forced him to resign, anything, saying that they would not tolerate such behavior they would have won major points with the moderate majority - even with Democrats. They could have spun it to their advantage, having carefully planned how to release the info, and contained it. Instead, they're now forever playing catch up, and even their own moderates are disgusted.

WP via Chigago times
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0610040086oct04,1,3952805.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

Beck-Heyman, a Democrat, said the attention was "weird" and he provided a handwritten letter that Foley had sent him after the page left Washington to return home to California,

vs

UPI via CBS
http://www.cbs47.tv/news/national/story.aspx?content_id=E18B6B8E-A9FE-4DE7-BAFB-899CCFD0463E

Beck-Heyman is a graduate student in clinical psychology at George Washington University and told the Post he was Republican but now works with the Democrats.

He may have committed a criminal offense. The age of consent is 18 in California.