It is plenty obvious that the Republican party is willing to overlook the crimes and criminal actions of each other, at least until they get caught by the press or FBI, then they tend to play dumb, professing that they did not know anything about it....that is unless there is a clear paper trail like in the case of ex-Rep Foley. They have been plain ignoring the facts that they have been digging themselves a very deep grave that the Republican party will likely never get out of once they lose power at some point, either this Mid Term Congressional race or the '08 presidential race. They have been blantantly stealing from the poor to heap money upon thge rich, since the rich have money to give to them, and then kicking the legs out from under the Constitution of the United States so that they have a means (they think) of CYA. But the fact is still there, by actively seeking to permenantly change the system of checks and balances that our founding fathers created in order to protect this nation, by making the executive office all powerful and untoucheable by the congress and the courts, in essence a dictatorship with a rubberstamp congress (read 'politbureau') with a stacked court, they are committing the gravest breach of laws this nation has; They are committing Treason against the Constitution of the United States. So much for looking the other way, and I dont think that playing dumb on this one is going to help them either. But all it takes is the majority of americans waking up and realizing that with the immoral and illegal law that was passed concerning the detainees actually pertains directly to them in regards to any citizen being able to be pulled off the street, declared an 'Unlawful Enemy Combatant' on any number of trumped up charges and then possibly tortured and held indefinately without charges. When America realizes that then the Republican party, the Administration and it's cronies and the leadership in Congress all the way down to the State legislatures where they have been playing the same games are going to be in serious trouble, and will likely be laid to rest in the very grave that they have been digging for the past 30 years, ever since the debacle with the Nixon administration, when they tried to do the very same thing, and got caught redhanded, and have plotted and schemed to do it right the next time. Conspiracy theory?? One used to be called crazy to think that the right wing would ever do such a thing. Now you would have to be totally deaf, blind and willfully ignorant to disbelieve it.

republicans could care less about the incident, business as usual.

Oh boy - now we find out that not only were Foley's contacts with under-aged male Pages "inappropriate," GOP leadership knew about it FOR A YEAR! (And to try to use Frist being fingered as a felon as an excuse to overlook it is lame and pro-GOP in the extreme, First Read.) When presented the choice between protecting MINOR Congressional Pages - UNDER THEIR DIRECT SUPERVISION! - or one of their own, they chose to protect a 60 man. That's who the Right in this country are so certain are procteing America. Wake up, America - you're dreaming.

This morning, the Foley Follies were supplanted as the news' lead story by a brand-new tape showing 2 of the 9/11 co-participants over a year before 9/11 happened. Who'd a thunk it? I mean, is this purely coincidence, or a carefully-choreographed diversion of media attention from the Foley Follies and their cover-up, which after all put the GOP (and, by extension, the Bush Administration) in a bad light?

Everyone keeps saying the leadership only knew about the "overly-friendly" e-mails. That may be true, but any investigation, as ABC showed, would have uncovered the IMs. Apparently, it was well known among the pages to stay away from Foley. They were just afraid to come out and say it because of his powers. Now ABC is reporting that a GOP staff member warned pages about Foley in 2001! This whole cover thing sounds so familiar. When it was the church it was wrong then and its wrong now.

I've been searching high and low on the net, and finally, I find one place with at least FIVE more people that can see beyond the "good old boy" school of thought. Does anyone possibly think for a moment the parents of this under aged child will say "It's OK, he is a fellow republican?" The child must of been a republican, surely. Republicans and Democrats can't seem to get along with each other, so how could one possibly entice the under-aged child of the other party into an obvious sexual conversation? This entire matter is not an issue of Democrat or Republican, it is the issue of morality and common sense. Somewhere in my personal beliefs, I would like to think there are some of the founding fathers of this great nation, rolling over in their graves, or better yet, throwing out right temper tantrums beyond the grave at the conduct of our modern day politicians. Being familiar with farm life, the words "common sense" become a value far more than mere words. Common sense dictates if you stick your finger in a fire, it is going to burn. Common sense dictates if you miss hammering a nail enough times and hammer your own hand, your aim will get better. Common sense dictates you can learn a great amount of wisdom from watching the animal kingdom. Take foxes for example. Foxes chase chickens. If you put a fox in charge of the chicken house, you have problems. Maybe one fox isn't enough, so he encourages you to let in a few more "good old boy foxes" in the chicken house. So when faced with a peril in the chicken house, the farmer wants to know if the foxes know anything about it. "NO, it wasn't them, they are sure this has never happened before, but they will hold their own investigation, and get back to him." In the meantime, remember a fox chases chickens, and they have a reputation for catching them. Already the scandal has brought out some of the sly sides of the pet cat. A cat goes to the litter box, does its business, then sets in a very effective procedure to cover up all evidence of even being there in the first place. So far, it sounds to me like the DC litter box has brought in reinforcements already. Common sense still must dictate one more issue, the American people need to send a clear signal to both parties, we are fed up with foxes chasing chickens, and cats covering up as fast as they can in the DC litter box. I almost wonder, if when the issue was brought to light before, he had his hands slapped, and was basically told "just don't get caught." How can any trust be placed in Hastert when he obviously KNEW there was a problem? I am certain we can rely on missing files, memory loss, and God in Heaven only knows what else, to help those already overworked cats in the DC litter box. So far, it appears we have a fifty plus man with a computer and a lot of power, enticing an under-aged young man for potential sexual encounters. Common sense tells me this is wrong. It has absolutely nothing to do with parties, politics, the legal system, or anything other than basic morals. It is an under-aged child, in awe of our "magnificent political system", given an opportunity to see this system "at it's best", being set forth on a predatory plate, for a feast of sexual fantasy and delight. And nothing more. There is no election at stake, no political standing at stake, it is not a Republican issue, it is not a Democratic issue, it is an issue of a man making sexual advances at an under-aged child. I would love to see just one, just ONE news report say it is an issue of an under-aged child being subjected to a sexual predator with power and money. Just one reporter talk about the under-aged child being the focus of the scandal, not if the republicans are going to "hold the fort" or will the democrats "take control?" I still say, it is a child. Not political. An under-aged child. If we have to have political parties, why can't we have one based on common sense and morals? Please, someone tell me why?

All excellent posts! Bob, Duncan, OK - VERY eloquent. This is OUR country. Each and every one of us needs to stand up and say we're mad as hell and we're not going to take this anymore. Not just this current sex debacle but they systematic destruction of our country.

Another disappointment with our political "representatives"! I am always glad when these "perverts" are exposed, but i can't help but wonder--how long will people remember not to vote for them again! Example: didn't something very similar happen with Barney Franks a few years ago? Yet he is still in the senate-an active member of the political process! Also, Ted Kennedy seems to survive proven indiscretion time after time! Not to mention Bill Clinton being elected as President even after embarrassing disclosures of wrong-doing! I am certainly not defending Mr Foley--I am totally disgusted with the whole system of the unrighteous raising the eybrow at the other unrighteous! Are there any true statesmen in this country anymore who actually give a care about bringing justice and truth back into the governing of this country that was founded by men (and women) who really cared about something more than what is in it for them?

Why, on earth didn't the Republican leadership force Foley to resign when they discovered what he'd been doing with those pages? And why, since they didn't want to say anything before the elections, didn't they put a watch on his e-mail and instant messaging? They knew what was going on. They didn't want anyone else to know because they just had to hang on to that seat, or else. And they didn't police his activities after they knew what he was doing, either. And now THEY want to investigate? They sure didn't worry about the page, and possibly other pages, who Foley was "freindly" with. I like BOB's chicken-house analogy. I'm telling you, this Republican administration and Congress and Supreme Court are so corrupt, we could also compare the whole bunch to a pig wallow. It reminds me of the book Animal Farm.

Thank you, Bob. Well said and exactly what I've been thinking since the story broke. It doesn't matter, as some have said, whether the child is a boy or a girl, or even if the predator is a man or a woman. Any adult, especially one with supervisory power over a minor, has a profound moral obligation to protect and nurture that child. This needs to be called like it is - based solely on the emails and IMs I've seen so far, Mark Foley is a sexual predator and should be registered as a sex offender. He's lucky he didn't get caught on one of the Dateline stings. Unfortunately, I think this story will get a lot worse before the whole truth is revealed.

Come to Washington and get screwed by the Republicans.
Stay at home and get screwed by the Republicans.
It doesn't matter where you are, it will happen!
Now, it's up to each one of us to decide in November just how much we enjoy the experience!
VOTE the bums OUT!

I want to hear the word "prosecution" not just resignation....Hello who is protecting our kids, our future? All the people who had knowledge and failed to act should also be forced to resign and held accountable. Being is politics does not put you above the law

Hastert does not dispute that Reynolds told him about the Foley emails, but claims he does'nt remember the conversation? A sexual predator loose in the halls of Congress is'nt "significant" to Hatert? How can the media let him slide on his press release. Where are Hastert's priorities? And how could the GOP allow Foley to remain Chairman of a committee on the protection of children? Are you kidding me?

The Republican leadership put staying in power above the welfare of young men working as pages. It is time to vote all who participated in the coverup out of office on November 7.

Just finished reading one exchange with a Congressional page. As the father of sons I disgusted and appalled - and it simply does not do to blame predation on alcoholism, or as you leave the catbird seat to say "I'm sorry." This is sexual harassment of the worst kind - the use of congressional power to abuse a child (make that children, as is now becoming clear,) aided and abetted by "leaders" who knew for years what was going on. (They "warned" the pages in 2001!) This is a violation of every sexual harassment statute in the nation and the 50 states. It is called sexual harassment per se. Congress had an obligation to protect American children entrusted to them in the page program, and utterly failed to do so. Abu Garib is too good for them all. For shame, for shame.

I hope nobody falls for Foley's alcoholism excuse--keep after him anyway!

So now I suppose all ALCOHOLICS are to be excused from prosecution for child molestation? Just as our Liar in Chief is to be excused for tarnishing our flag by an invasion of a country that did NOT attack America? He has done the same thing that our brave men and women in uniform have fought and died to PREVENT from communist Soviet Union, etc over the decades. Now the world fears us as they feared the communists - thanks to our power hungry Republican leaders. There will be no trust of America until this bunch of liars is out of power. This revelation of Foley's actions is just one more example of the network of lies and deceit and corruption. To those of you who voted them in - the lives of all our brave soldiers who have died and been wounded in Iraq and continue to die and be maimed for life and the tarnished battle scarred flag of our nation - you, too, bear this responsibility for not THINKING and just voting based on party lines and whatever your religious leaders advocated. And now we all must reap what you have sown. Perhaps, now, some of you will begin to THINK and not be led like lemmings.

To Olivia: I believe there is a profound difference between infidelity, indiscretion and pedophelia! LM Houston, TX

Oversight is a prime Constitutional function of Congress. The Republican leadership has refused to provide oversight over Iraq, torture, kidnapping, contractor abuses, inadequate equipment for troops, the Abramoff scandal, the EPA and NIH abandonment of science for political gain, Ken Tomlinson and CPB, and now finally a pedophile, preying on children in the charge of Congress. Even the "do nothing" Congress of 1948 didn't have this record. And now we find out that Foley's campaign committee made a $100,000 donation to the RNCC shortly AFTER his initial "overly friendly" emails were sent. No ethics committee investigation was called for by the leadership. Is this the new K Street project?

LM, Houston TX--You got the wrong person--I did not say what Foley did was "infidelity" or an "indiscretion." And I don't agree with whoever did. Foley was exploiting young people and should face the consequences. He should not be allowed to use the "booze excuse" to get out of being punished. I have heard that in DC the age of consent is 16, but in my opinion that's too young. It should be 18 like it is in Illinois (and, I believe, most other states). And, because this is a matter of a SUPERIOR (Foley) sending explicit e-mails to SUBORDINATES (pages) this is SEXUAL HARASSMENT pure and simple--regardless of the ages of the people involved. And Foley should be penalized for that.

I think JJ, Davsonville GA, you are right on the money! I also believe we have hit just the tip of the iceberg with this Foley scandal AND ALSO with the Bush administration and the lead up to the war. Can you imagine all the other rotten stuff they have hidden that we don't know about yet! Sheesh ,this bunch is THE WORST EVER!!!!

I also saw this "news" footage, a.k.a., "diversionary tactics" showing 2 of the 9/11 hijackers. Some "news", huh? Quite frankley, Team Bush AND more specifically the Media should know better, and understand that this is OLD NEWS of "questionable" value in Oct. 2006! If a majority of mainstream media reporters fail to stay focused on the Republican pedophile and his handlers abusing children in Congress, which I feel both underscores and characterizes the Republican Party's culture of corruption so well, then I can only hope a majority of American people hold THE MEDIA accountable for diverting everyone's attention off what is really important and back onto things that only serve to confuse voters in November! This nonsense has happened so many times before...PLEASE LEARN FROM IT!! I bet that our "Dear Leader" has got tons of this stuff in some closet of his, just waiting for the opportune moment to bring it out so they can appear "competent", "in charge", "On top of Terrorism", BULLCRAP! Those opportune moments happen most often when the Republicans are in serious political trouble....ummm, like right about NOW! I hope they have more of this "celluloid" (thats about how old it is) to trot out over the next few weeks, because they are going to need it! This Administration is a bunch of INCOMPETENT, WILLFUL, POWER-HUNGRY, WARMONGERING LIARS, and they are not even good liars at that!!! They keep getting caught!!! I would ask the Republican Base -- Isn't it obvious that the values and morals of the man you elected President flies in the face of all the "family values" you lay claim to??? If George W. Bush represents the overall values of the Republican Base, then I think America should start to reevaluate what this very vocal and determined group of people really stand for. Do they stand for War? Lies? Gutter Politics? Killing Americans and Iraqis in your Dear Leader's War of Choice? Poltical and Moral Corruption? Corporate Dominance of the American People? Failing to provide basic Health care to millions of our own people?? Torture??? Is this what the Republican Base stands for??? It looks like it is. Presenting this "file footage" now is the kind of gutter level political ploy that one might expect from Fox News, but the majority of other networks and the reporters who work for them should know better. Come on MSNBC!! Take your blinders off! If America reelects Republicans to a majority in Congress after literally years of exposed lies, incompetence and deception, then this country really deserves something like George W. Bush and God help us all. The only way that can happen is if the media helps by focusing the attention of the American people on what helps the Dear Leader's party stay in power. And then President Bonehead comes out and says "he worries about the Democrats getting control of Congress". Yeah, he worries because his lying ass would most likely be impeached, and with good reason! It's his own skin that he is worried about, not our country. This burns me up!

Ok, it is not a republican or a democrat thing, it is a sin issue, this man is blinded by his lust for sex with young boys. It has nothing to do with his political affliation. Temptation effects every human being on Earth not matter what, your polictical background. It is a matter of character, resisting the urge to act on thoughts is what this person lacks. Self control is something we have to practice daily. By leaning on our Heavenly Father we can conquer and control sinful thoughts and actions.

It is a Republican thing. Not the aberrant behavior of one man, but a cover up by several. There was no spotlight turned on Foley's behavior because it would lose his seat. The fact that it was swept under the rug for political purposes makes it a Republican thing.

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