So: what did Boehner and Hastert know, and when did they know it?

Clearly, we need to torture them to get these answers!

Check out Hastert's website from last night. Don't know if they've taken it down by now. Nice headlines, eh?

http://img141.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hasterthomepagetr4.jpg

So: what did Boehner and Hastert know, and when did they know it? Somehow it always comes back to that same question, doesn't it?

Even if Boehner and Hastert knew about it for a long time, why is that a problem? In fact it's a good thing. Boehner and Hastert probably notified the cops about Foley and was trying to arrange a sting of him for engaging in illegal behavior. That's how Boehner and Hastert were able to trick Foley into writing the offensive im message. But then the liberal media blew it by outing Foley too early. The liberal media made it a lot more difficult to prosecute Foley because they cared more about causing Republicans to lose the November elections.

How is what Foley did any worse than Clinton's sexual misconduct with Monica? It isn't, but the liberal media is being hypocritical by playing up Foley while playing down Clinton's sexual misconduct with Monica.

And the liberal media has it wrong again. One bad apple like Foley doesn't mean the rest of the Republicans are bad. This is just the typical liberal attempt at guilt by association. But liberals and their liberal media allies are going to fail in causing Republicans to lose Foley's district. Ann Coulter belongs to that district, and she'll run in place of Foley. She'll thoroughly trounce the Democratic challenger to win the Congressional seat.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/il14_hastert/8_29_06_Internetsafety.html

Held at St. Charles North High School, “Keeping Kids Safe in Cyberspace,” included representatives of local police agencies and a panel of national Internet and law enforcement experts highlighting efforts to make the Internet safer for children. A private question-and-answer session followed, where parents addressed specific concerns and situations with police and web providers.

“Recent news stories remind us that there are predators using the Internet to target children,” Hastert said. “And just as we warn our children about ‘stranger danger’ when they are at the park or answering the door or telephone, we need to be aware of potential dangers in Cyberspace.”

This "bad apple" excuse is certainly wearing a bit thin by now. It looks to me like this administration is more of a "bad orchard."

Al is right -- consentual adult acts are the same as between a congressman and a 16-year-old!

And it isn't as though there were any consequences to Clinton and Monica -- the liberal media ignored that! Yet it still caused 9/11!

And it just goes to show how vital it is to keep gays from marrying me and Al!

"Hi, Dennis, Mark Foley here. Say, could you recommend any good Greco-Roman holds. I'm trying to mentor a young fellow."........"Oooh, that one sounds delightful. Thanks, big guy. By the way, I have some great new ideas for toughening child internet porn laws.....Sounds great, we will do lunch."

Typical pathetic liberal infatuation with sex. When are you going to write about Mohammed's underage wives and male slaves?

Do you like to watch gladiator movies?

Typical pathetic liberal infatuation with sex. When are you going to write about Mohammed's underage wives and male slaves?

Ever been to a Turkish prison camp?

that there is a congressman preying on underage pages is bad enough, but that the leadership knew and did nothing? if it had been a Democrat they'd have been indignant...Boehner is laughable as the party "leader", he's so up to his neck in sleaze it's unreal...and now this? Great--how many more pages have been violated since and by whom? I can't believe we pay for this level of government--the worst value money can buy

And Peter Graves can play Foley in the new comedy spoof "Congress".

The John Boehner "Guiding Principles":

For the Next American Century:

We will promote the dignity and future of every individual by building a free society under a limited, accountable government that protects our liberty, security, and prosperity for a brighter American Dream.

what a sleazeball hypocrite--what part has he followed in his 6 months?

Ever seen a grown man naked?

Aisha was just 9 years old when her marriage was consumated. I suppose all you liberal islam defenders don't have a problem with this?

What about all of your favorite mullahs and military dictators who have been keeping quiet on the subject. Ever hear Saddam try to distance himself from Mohammed?

As John Boehner's office has said repeatedly, "John never spoke to Hastert directly and you can not prove he had a boner when he called him."

Maybe I'm having trouble following the sequence of events, but it isn't clear to me that the House Republican leaders knew until the past couple of days about anything but the three relatively innocuous emails that were reproduced in the first news stories. Those were the ones that were described by the page as "sick sick sick sick..." The page's instincts were apparently right on target, but there wasn't anything overtly sexual in the published emails.

As I understand it, the other pages didn't come forward with the emails they had received from Foley, which were overtly sexual, until after the first page's emails had been published.

It also seems clear that there was a general suspicion about Foley being "overly friendly" with the pages, but what more could have been done at that point than to interview him, warn him, and get his assurances that he would avoid even the appearance of impropriety? There was no actual evidence, as far as I can tell, that he was a real sexual predator until after the additional explicit emails were turned over following the initial story.

If I'm incorrect, I would love to be corrected, but so far I'm feeling a little uneasy reading that the House Republicans "had known about Foley's behavior for some time and had simply been hoping nobody would find out about it" in a context that implies they knew about the sexually explicit emails.

It looks like Scraps is a boy dog.

"...what did Boehner and Hastert know?"

They knew the Pedophile Party was in deep shit.

I'm sure professional fat fuck Denny Hastert will come clean - pronto!

Throw that obese pig into the dankest cell in the federal penal system.

Clicking on the link....

Reading the NYT article.. I quote

State Republican Party leaders said they would meet with officials from each of the counties in Mr. Foley’s district to nominate someone to replace him. But an election official in Florida said Friday night that Mr. Foley’s name would have to remain on the ballot. Any votes for him will be counted for his replacement, the official said.

What!!!!
Any votes for him will be counted for his replacement, the official said.

Florida Elections... Whatever is best for Republicans, i guess

Jay,

If you ever bothered to read the Old Testament, perhaps you'd be less inclined to take umbrage at the pecadillos of Mohammed and his crowd.

Its a kettle and pot scenario, at best. And there you are with lamp-black all over your face.

You can all rest assured I've never actually acted on my darkest sexual urges. Instant messaging boys and asking them to masterbate is the furthest it's ever gone. Really. I swear.

It's a good thing these guys are the party of moral values. I dread to think what bad shape we'd be in otherwise...

Oh SURE: 24-7 pundit gab, billions of taxpayer dollars and impeaching a president for a consensual affair between adults wasn't obsessing about sex in any way, shape or form...and I can't even count all the times per day, 10 YEARS LATER, when some troll brings up Clinton on the various blogs I read.

On the other hand, a U.S. Congressman soliciting sexual conversation, and maybe more, with a 16-year-old page is no big deal, as long as he's a Republican. Or would you still call this "liberal infatuation with sex" if the congressman happened to be a Democrat? I would venture to say - no.

Democrat or Republican, what this man did constituted an awful betrayal of trust of his office, and covering his actions up for political purposes is just as bad. I would say the same thing if Foley happened to be a Democrat.

Past bad deeds of Democrats and the wives of ancient historical figures really have nothing to do with the issue.

Ah, and Charlie brings out the classic Conservative defence: "Other people do bad stuff too!"

Party of Personal Responsibility, your table is ready.

NAMBLA = IOKIYAR

How ironic that Foley could be convicted under the aegis of the very act he sponsored. Hoisted by his own petard, er member, er emotions that is.

Is it just me, or is the quality of Al's trollishness going downhill consistently?

I check in here about every two months or so, so I get to see the 'time lapse' view of Al's comments. IMHO, he's gone from semi-lucid to just plain tragic.

Of course, it could also be the material he has to work with. Kind of tough to spin a coverup of a fellow congressman who's soliciting minors online, after all.

Still, it's worrisome. We have to look out for our trolls; they keep things interesting. It's a bad thing when one of them descends into what apperas to be a drug-induced state.

With apologies to Robert Bolt.

As Bill O'Reilly said to Foley, "Do you not know that a man can sell his soul for women and falafels and profit not, but for boys?

So far Charlie you've only provided evidence of one - Mark Foley (R). And do you really want the exhaustive list of Republican luminaries who've been convicted of sex-crimes? Starting with the guy the Republicans put up last time against Lieberman in CT? The truth is, on sex, as with every other kind of corruption and sleaze, your Republican brethren are the ones with the logs in their eyes.

What's the prob? Hasterd is a former wrestler and the Majority Leader; how does one pronounce his name again?

Jay, of course, was always thoroughly incoherent. I'm not even sure how he musters the intellectual energy to pay his share of his parents' internet bill. Maybe they just foot it to keep him from coming up from the basement when company's visiting.

Al, however, was at least somewhat cogent.

the entirety of Charlie's list has already been put to shame by neil bush.

Typical pathetic liberal infatuation with sex

Said the jackass who can't get enough of Monica's blue dress and Bills penis. Really rich. And now conveniently changing the subject when they have a more egregious sin than consensual actions between adults. Fucking pathetic.

And Craigie? You are on fire today.

Republicans are very sick people. According to them, as long as you a Republican is OK, even sex with a 16 year old boy. And no Al - you sick fuck - Bill and Monica is not the same as Foley and the 16 year old page.

The GOP is full of Bigoted, Racist, Corrupt, Greedy, Ignorant, Morally Bankrupt, Very Sick people.

The Mafia is no longer the biggest criminal outfit in the country. The GOP caucus has replaced them.

"Aisha was just 9 years old when her marriage was consumated. I suppose all you liberal islam defenders don't have a problem with this?"

No, Jay, I do have a problem with it. Accordingly, I think Mohammad should resign from Congress too.

The real scandal is the fact that the house leadership knew about these charges for 11 months and failed to adequately address them. In fact they actively covered them up. The chair of the relevant committee Rep. John Shimkus (R-Coverup) admitted last night he didn't tell the Democratic committee member. Instead he said he talked to Foley, and Foley denied any wrong doing. He took Foley at his word, but told him not to have any further contact with the boy. In short he suspected Foley was a pedophile but decided to cover it up--for the good of the party. Soooo, for 11 months a pedophile was allowed to roam the halls of congress preying on other pages.

Pray for us lord, the kool-aid drinkers don't see any problem with what the house committee chair and the leaders with whom he consulted did.

In a more civilized society Rep. John Shimkus would have committed seppuku by now. Foley would have as well. Hastert would also be considering his betrayal of the trust of the young people with whom he is charged.

Um, Mohammed does not hold a seat in the US congress (of course, neither does Foley now) but if he die, I would want him to resign as well, capice?

Anyone know if Foley's congressinal pension will be revoked?

Republican morality: It is only wrond if you get caught. And I loved the appology, too - no admission of wrongdoing, just sorry he got caught.

I would point out one other difference between Clinton/Lewinsky and Foley/16yr old page(s). Monica chased Clinton and he was receptive but not the initiator, something poor Ken Starr kept trying to get Monica to change her story over, Foley was the one doing the chasing of the teenage boys. So please, trolletariat, PLEASE keep trying to compare this to Clinton, because the more you do the more the clear ethical differences between a consensual affair between adults and a older man with a young teenager will be seen by average
Americans, especially when you add the fact that Clinton was having a heterosexual affair and it was the GOPer that was trying to have a gay affair with a 16 year old boy. Oh, please pretty please keep bringing up Clinton in this, you only make your side look that much worse and make what Clinton did look so much less offensive. Keep rehabilitating the reputation of Clinton like that and you will be bounced out of the trolletariat for sure by your GOP group thinking comrades.

In a way, isn't it worse if Hastert's office knew but he didn't? He's the Speaker of the House! This is one of his members who has engaged in cybersex with a teenager! If his staff would be willing to keep this from him, what does that say about his leadership? I mean, that's about as undermined as authority can be.

(Of course I know that no reasonable person thinks he runs the House Republican Caucus. But he's still the nominal leader.)

As I said on the other thread (and above), run EVERY (regardless of party affiliation) homosexal child molester and anyone who covered it up out of the Capitol, craigie.

So, naturally, you provide a list consisting solely of Democrats. I love the smell of bipartisanship in the morning!

V A L U E S parte'
* Republican teacher and former city councilman John Collins pleaded guilty to sexually molesting 13 and 14 year old girls.* Republican campaign worker Mark Seidensticker is a convicted child molester.* Republican Mayor Philip Giordano is serving a 37-year sentence in federal prison for sexually abusing 8- and 10-year old girls.* Republican Mayor John Gosek was arrested on charges of soliciting sex from two 15-year old girls.* Republican County Commissioner David Swartz pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 11 and was sentenced to 8 years in prison.* Republican legislator Edison Misla Aldarondo was sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping his daughter between the ages of 9 and 17.* Republican Committeeman John R. Curtain was charged with molesting a teenage boy and unlawful sexual contact with a minor.* Republican anti-abortion activist Howard Scott Heldreth is a convicted child rapist in Florida.* Republican zoning supervisor, Boy Scout leader and Lutheran church president Dennis L. Rader pleaded guilty to performing a sexual act on an 11-year old girl he murdered.* Republican anti-abortion activist Nicholas Morency pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer and offering a bounty to anybody who murders an abortion doctor.* Republican campaign consultant Tom Shortridge was sentenced to three years probation for taking nude photographs of a 15-year old girl.* Republican racist pedophile and United States Senator Strom Thurmond had sex with a 15-year old black girl which produced a child.* Republican pastor Mike Hintz, whom George W. Bush commended during the 2004 presidential campaign, surrendered to police after admitting to a sexual affair with a female juvenile.* Republican legislator Peter Dibble pleaded no contest to having an inappropriate relationship with a 13-year-old girl.* Republican advertising consultant Carey Lee Cramer was charged with molesting his 9-year old step-daughter after including her in an anti-Gore television commercial.* Republican activist Lawrence E. King, Jr. organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980s.* Republican lobbyist Craig J. Spence organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980s.* Republican Congressman Donald "Buz" Lukens was found guilty of having sex with a female minor and sentenced to one month in jail.* Republican fundraiser Richard A. Delgaudio was found guilty of child porn charges and paying two teenage girls to pose for sexual photos.* Republican activist Mark A. Grethen convicted on six counts of sex crimes involving children.* Republican activist Randal David Ankeney pleaded guilty to attempted sexual assault on a child.* Republican Congressman Dan Crane had sex with a female minor working as a congressional page.* Republican activist and Christian Coalition leader Beverly Russell admitted to an incestuous relationship with his step daughter.*

And Craigie? You are on fire today.

I am but a humble servant of the Lord.

Ok, not really.

Is Susan Smith's stepdad on that list, mestizo? We all know how well adjusted she turned out. No after effects of being molested at all.

Looks like Al and Foley are both on the same page! hey-o!

There is nothing . . . NOTHING that these scumbag republicans will not excuse. Hypocritical monsters, the lot of them.

John Walsh lives in Foley's (former) district. They worked very hard on bringing Jessica's Law to fruition. Perhaps Walsh could be persuaded to run for the seat, of course, he would have to be a write-in. Walsh would be slam dunk for the seat. However, for our sake, please do not accept, John.

How emotions out of control can lay low the good works of man.

Psst. AL.
Now's not the time to say 'it's not so bad. And Democrats do it to.'
Now's the time to say, 'He's a sexual predator and has no place in the Republican Party.'
Come on, you can do it. It's called morality.
I like the 'sting' gambit, though. It shows they weren't being slime, they were being clever--especially breaking it a month before the election.

If we don't molest interns over there, we'll have to do it, um, at their house. Or something.

Boys and girls, as Kevin points out as bad as the crime was the cover-up is infinitly worse. It tells volumes about the piss poor judgement of the house Republican leadership. If they had simply reported him to the FBI and asked his resignation when this all came to light 11 months ago, the scandal wouldn't have been much. Just another pathetic middle aged pedophile got caught. Hastert and the rest would look like pillars of the community.

As it is, well trolls, instead of being mad at Democrats or trying to make excuses, you really ought to be unloading on Denny Hastert and his team.

Maybe this is a poor choice of words in light of the scandal, but today the Publican party stands naked before us, their red-white-and-blue sweater a ball of yarn at their feet of clay.

cragie,

I believe that should read "If we don't molest them in the Senate, we will have to in the House." Or vice versa.

To state the obvious, Barney Frank and Gary Condit did not get involved with minors, hence no child molestation. I don't believe Brock Adams did either. And in these cases there was no party leadership coverup.

But why let facts get in the way of a nice diversion?

I am but a humble servant of the Lord.

You're goin' to California for that remark.

Ladies and gentlemen, some of you have followed with half-interest, others witht complete uninterest, the personal saga of my political conversations with my Republican mother, who resides in Hastert's district. I am pleased to report that last night, my 100th iteration of the question, "Ma, is this enough to get you to stop voting for Denny Hastert?" finally received this response:

"YES."

Here is the text of Foley's non-appology:

"I thank the people of Florida's 16th Congressional District for giving me the opportunity to serve them for the last 12 years; it has been an honor. I am deeply sorry and I apologize for letting down my family and the people of Florida I have had the privilege to represent."

I wouldn't say that's a non-apology; I'd say that's an apology for the Crime That Dare Not Speak Its Name. Any good reporter would ask him what he's apologizing for...oh, sorry, I started coughing at "good reporter" and can't stop...

Republican activist and Christian Coalition leader Beverly Russell admitted to an incestuous relationship with his step daughter.*

heh.

Touche, mon amie, touche. (and this time i got ythe gender right!)

"YES."

Free at last, free at last, thank dog almighty, we are free at last!

Of course, the timing of the release of this story so it can blow the Republican party off the ballot (the DeLay Gambit) is a pure coincidence. If you can't win the election, wreck it.

When it was Torricelli blown off the ballot, the Democratic position on illegal late ballot changes was a lot different.

Ah yes, the Red, White and Blue Light District of politics

I had a dream, craigie, I had a dream.

The person who said craigie is on fire was correct; however, we need to equally commend the humor stylings of stupid git and thethirdpaul!

Yes, that fair lady from Chicago land is a far, far better person.

Congratulations, shortstop!

Now, if you can just get your mother to convince six friends to do the same. A movement begins one conversion at a time ;-)

Go lick your wounds, rnc - this round goes to the Dems. HWine all you want, throw flags on the play, go to the instant replay. But there is no way to spin your way out of this one - maybe al that spinning is what unraveled the sweater, now that I think about it.

And I second the endorsement of the comic stylings of paul-3 and Stupid Git (Not!) - they are definitely holding their own.

rnc

The Republicans have nobody to blame but themselves. Had they confronted Foley last year they could have easily replaced him on the ballot.

Stupidity, huberis and arrogance all compounded by incompetence and immorality. The Republicans are getting what they deserve in this case.

Or, to paraphrase the Decider - Their come-uppance is coming.

By Friday, other pages had come forward with more blatant instant messages. “What ya wearing?” Mr. Foley wrote to one, according to the network. “Tshirt and shorts,” the teenager responded. “Love to slip them off of you,” Mr. Foley replied.

Well, this guy doesn't need any sodium pentathol, hes obviously stupid enough with out it. And why am I reminded now of the Bush Sr. Administration?
Oh Yeh, Sex scandals and gay prosititutes.

BTW you guys still think Gannon will ever release that article he wrote from his 4 hour interview with Tony Blair?

Even if Boehner and Hastert knew about it for a long time, why is that a problem? In fact it's a good thing. Boehner and Hastert probably notified the cops about Foley and was trying to arrange a sting of him for engaging in illegal behavior. That's how Boehner and Hastert were able to trick Foley into writing the offensive im message. But then the liberal media blew it by outing Foley too early. The liberal media made it a lot more difficult to prosecute Foley because they cared more about causing Republicans to lose the November elections.

Only AL would find a way to relate pedophilia to consensual sex between two adults. So AL you are saying that hastert called the cops and that you think that they should have allowed Foley to molest this kid and then only talk about it after the elections?

Your sick AL, Be gone.

What is it with (male) Republican politicians and underage boys? My ex-congressman, Ed Shrock, resigned under very similar circumstances. I don't get it. I mean, if you're going to succumb to the temptations that alledgedly come with political power, why not go for a couple of voluptuous, 21 year old (female) twins, or something, you know, legal and quasi-normal, if not socially acceptable? Kennedy: there was a guy who knew how to abuse his power.

Notice the parallel to 9/11?: numerous reports that go all the way up to the top, where they are sat on until the whole thing explodes beneath them?

Bin Laden's about to attack? Boys are being molested? And this relates to tax cuts, how, exactly?

There's a wider pattern of abusiveness and denial here similar to the corruption in the Catholic Church where this kind of character is attracted to a social conservative power structure that lacks any accountability in it's core interest of absolute power and control.

Check out this excellent comment on an eariler thread,

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2006_09/009589.php#970910

/So: what did Boehner and Hastert know, and when did they know it?/
No, no Kevin....you obviously aren't a member of the Republican party, AKA Truth, soi-disant Justice and the Blue State American Way....the way they say this is:
/What didn't they know, and when didn't they know it/.

MOre seriously: having grown up amidst (but not of) the glowing righteousness of Southern evangelical Christianity, I observed again and again: the louder they proclaim their righteousness, the more snakes in the closet.

Ann Coulter lives in Foley's district and will replace him on the ballot? Wow, that's big news! Thanks, Al.

And what a brilliant strategy - Ms. Coulter may be the one person in the Republican party who can make Foley look moral in comparison.

Oh wait, it's too late for that, isn't it.

From Coach Denny Hastert's biography:

"In addition to [high school] teaching, he coached football and wrestling."

"Whenever he can find free time, Hastert enjoys attending wrestling meets."

If, as a former coach and teacher, Hastert doesn't take the grooming and molestation of minors extremely seriously, maybe someone ought to ask him why.

Maybe someone ought to ask his former team members and students. Just sayin'.

Hopefully some of these e-mails will detail Foley's adventures in the Dominican Republic with his good friend Rush Limbaugh.

Hastert, in a Friday press conferencesaid that by resigning, Foley "has done the right thing." He then went on to add that "none of us are very happy" about the scandal.

Well Duh! If they could have kept a lid on this until after the election, he could have resigned and had a Publican replacement appointed by Jeb, if I recall Florida statute correctly.

I'm not sure which district I live in anymore. The crystal meth makes everything so hazy.

And Agum makes a very sharp point. Some enterprising journalist needs to be pouring over high-school yearbooks and contacting former wrestlers and football players and asking them about this.

Ann Coulter,

That wasn't meth that a dog tranquilizer!

http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/1960/ugliestdogue9.jpg

(actual dog, actually alive, but, alas, now dead, but in death now exemplary as the Republican soul finds its true face)

That "was" a dog tranquilizer.

And I always pictured Serberus as a three-headed doberman...

GOP = Gross Old Pedophiles

http://tinyurl.com/hrelw

'

Go lick your wounds, rnc - this round goes to the Dems.

A Democrat simply wouldn't have resigned. William Jefferson is still going strong, and go look up Gerry Studds.

Swift Loris: I'm feeling a little uneasy reading that the House Republicans "had known about Foley's behavior for some time and had simply been hoping nobody would find out about it" in a context that implies they knew about the sexually explicit emails.

When President Clinton's defenders say he was impeached because he had consensual oral sex, his detractors say, no, he was impeached because he lied about having had sex.

It's clear that Hastert and Boehner knew about at least the non-sexually explicit emails for nearly a year. Whether Hastert's actions during that time were sufficient should be determined by the public. Now that he is lying about having known, voters should also be informed of that in order to decide whether or not they condone his duplicitous response to the public revelation of Foley's misbehavior.

I wouldn't vote for either of them, and I certainly do not taint myself by defending child molesters. The guy was the guy heading up the efforts to stop internet predation of children, and in his off hours engaged in the internet predation of children!!!

Defending these indefensible actions is craven, corrupt and petulant. And those are the nicest adjectives I can come up with. Jesus. I need a shower.

This reminds me of when that paragon of morality, Henry Hyde of Illinois, protected his junior from the same state (Crane?) who was fooling around with a teen age girl. He continued to speak of for the man even after he was caught.

Foley fits the profile of so many of Karl Rove's political opponents. The difference is that Foley really is that kind of guy, not simply a victim of Rovian smear politics.

Does anybody know if Dobson, Falwell, et. al., have called for Hastert and Boehner's head? Certainly the old reliable moral compass will lead them to do so, and soon.

Ann Coulter can't run for Foleys seat. She has trouble knowing what district to cast her ballot.

Don't worry Globial Citizen. rnc, Al and Thomas1 are more than happy to taint themselves defending child molestors.

Child molesting seems to be a motivating element of the Republican character, those listed at the above referenced website are just the few who've been caught.

Let's read it again!

Edison Misla Aldarondo: Republican legislator. Sentenced to 13 years in prison for molestation of his daughter & her friend for 8 year period starting when they were 9 years old.

Randal David Ankeney: Republican activist. Arrested on suspicion of sexual assault on a child with force. Faces 6 charges related to getting a 13 year old girl stoned, then having sex with her.

Merrill Robert Barter: Republican County Commissioner. Pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual contact & assault on a teenage boy.

Robert Bauman: Republican congressman & anti-gay activist. Charged with having sex with a 16 year old boy he picked up at a gay bar.

Louis Beres: Chairman of the Christian Coalition of Oregon. 3 of his family members accuse him of molesting them when they were pre-teens.

Howard L. Brooks: Republican legislative aide & advisor to a California assemblyman. Charged with molesting a 12 year old boy & possession of child porn.

Andrew Buhr: Republican politician, former committeeman for Hadley Township Missouri, former Tom Delay aide. Charged with 2 counts of first degree sodomy with a 13 year old boy.

John Allen Burt: Republican anti-abortion activist. Convicted of sexually molesting a 15 year old girl at the home for troubled girls that he ran.

Keola Childs: Republican county councilman. Pleaded guilty to sexual assault in the first degree for molesting a male child.

Kevin Coan: Republican St.Louis Election Board official. Arrested & charged with trying to buy sex from a 14 year old girl whom he met on internet.

Dan Crane: Republican congressman. Married, father of 6, recieved a "100% Morality Rating" from Christian Voice. Had sex with a minor working as a congressional page. On July 20th, the House voted for censure of Crane, the 1st time that censure had been imposed for sexual misconduct.

Richard A. Dasen Sr. : Republican benefactor of conservative Christian groups. Convicted of sexual abuse of children, promotion of prostitution & several counts of soliciatation. Sentenced to 126 years in prison. Investigators estimate he spent up to $ 5 million on prostitutes.

Peter Dibble: Republican legislator. Pleaded no contest to having an inappropriate relationship with a 13 year old girl.

Richard A. Delgaudio: Republican fundraiser & Bush pioneer. Found guilty of child porn charges.

Nicholas Elizondo: Director of the Young Republican Federation. Molested his 6 year old daughter & sentenced to 6 years in prison.

Larry Dale Floyd: Republican Constable in Denton County, Texas, Precinct 2. Arrested for allegedly crossing state lines to have sex with an 8 year old child & charged with 7 related offences.

Jack W. Gardner: Republican councilman. Convicted of molesting a 13 year old girl, when the Republican party, knowing of these crimes, put him on the ballot.

Richard Gardner: Nevade state Representative. Admitted to molesting his 2 daughters.

Matthew Glavin: President & CEO of Southeastern Legal Foundation, big player in Clinton impeachment. Arrested multiple times for public indecency, one time fondling the crotch of the officer who was arresting him.

Mark A. Grethen: Republican activist. Convicted of 6 counts of sex crimes involving children.

Mark Harris: Republican city councilman who is described as a "chirch goer". Convicted of repeatedly having sex with an 11 year old girl & sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Howard Scott Heldreth: Anti-abortion activist who gained famed during the Shiavo media-circus. Convicted of 2 charges of raping a child in 2002.

Mike Hintz: First Assembly of God youth pastor, introduced by Bush on the campaign trail & promoted his policies. 2 months later, this married father of 4 turned himself into police, charged with sexual exploitation of a child.

Paul Ingram: Republican party leader of Turston County, Washington. Pleaded guilty to 6 counts of raping his daughters & served 14 years in federal prison.

Jon Matthews: Republican talk show host in Houston. Indicted for indecency with a child, including exposing his genitals to a girl under age 17.

Nicholas Morency: Republican anti-abortion activist. Pleaded guilty to possessing child porn on his computer & offering a bounty to anyone who murders am abortion doctor.

Jeffery Patti: Republican Committee Chairman. Arrested for distributing what experts call " some of the most offensive material in the child porn world."-a video clip of a 5 year old girl being raped.

Mark Pazuhanich: Republican judge. Pleaded no contest to fondling a 10 year old girl & sentenced to 10 years probation.

Beverly Russell: County Chairman of Christian Coalition. Sexually molested his step-daughter, Susan Smith, who later drowned her 2 children.

Larry Jack Schwarz: Republican parole board officer & former Colorado state representative. Fired after child porn was found in his possession.

Tom Shortridge: Republican campaign consultant. Sentenced to 3 years probation for taking nude pictures of a 15 year old girl.

David Swartz: Republican County Commissioner. Pleaded guilty to molesting 2 girls under the age of 11, sentenced to 8 years in prison.

Robin Vanerwall: Republican strategist & Citadel Military College grad, Director of Faith and Family Alliance, member of Ralph Reed's inner circlle who funneled money to/from Jack Abromoff to Reed. Convicted in Virginia on 5 counts of solicting sex from boys & girls over the internet.

Keith Westmoreland: Tennessee State Representative. Arrested on 7 felony counts of lewd & lascivious exhibition to minors under 16 years old.

Stephen White: Republican preacher. Arrested after allegedly offering $ 20 to a 14 year old boy for permission to perform oral sex on him.

One bad apple like Foley doesn't mean the rest of the Republicans are bad.
(self?-)parody Al, bad apples don't fall far from the tree.

These are the people who so enjoy 'alternative' interogation techniques.

I find it personally disappointing that any list of moral congressional outrages would omit the behavior of my former representative from Mississippi, Jon Hinson, a Reagan republican if there ever was one, put in office with the overwhelming support from white evangelicals, caught performing fellatio in a men’s restroom in ye ole capitol building on an African American janitor.

Gee, what does it take to make a moral-hypocrite list? Do you absolutely have to be a democrat?

There was also a story about some wealthy Republican activist, not an office holder, but some character like a Bush Pioneer, who was convicted to kidnapping and murdering gay prostitutes.

In Ohio, I think.

rnc: If you can't win the election, wreck it.

Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-La., who sponsored the page from his district, told reporters that he learned of the e-mails from a reporter some months ago and passed on the information to Rep. Thomas Reynolds, R-N.Y., chairman of the House Republican campaign organization [the National Republican Congressional Committee].

- A.P. 9/29/06

The NRCC is a political organization entirely separate from the House bureaucracy and the Congress. That is, to put it mildly, not in the disciplinary and administrative chain of command of the House of Representatives. - Josh Marshall

so when tipped off about such a heinous crime..

gop tried to protect the party first...

even over the child..

again?

rnc: A Democrat simply wouldn't have resigned.

with delay...ney..and now foley..

that's 3-republicans resigning in 2006...

with 2-months left..

is this a record?

You forgot the ace--Duke Cunningham.

Hastert & Co. may have sat on it. So isn't that the modus operandi for the Republicans? Isn't that what's been happening with the current NIE Report, and the prior one, and what delayed Tom the hammer DeLay's censure? It seems to me that the press and the media and middle of the road Republicans and conservatives and the Liberals and Democrats have been playing the victim, as in "Poor me!", for much too long. First, they let people like Hastert do something unjust like holding up a report. Then they act surprised at the "bad" Republicans for doing this. Then they protest, calling what the Republican leadership does "despicable" or "dirty tricks" or "untrue" or, worse yet, as you do, "unfair". All of which only makes you, the press and your organization look even more like victims. And so you dig your own fate. I also sense that, when you do this and ring your hands, you are hoping the Republican leadership will receive their comeuppance from some mysterious force, and that they will self-destruct of their own accord. The Democrats have been out of power for so long they're afraid to lose any handhold they have, and the press and media have become so used to truckling to the Administration, it is almost a lost battle. It is important to recognize that, if you are ever to restore any semblance of dignity you and your organization have, you need to vote for the Democrats this time around, nevertheless, to balance the Republican leadership who have lived up to Lord Acton's maxim: "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely." I'm starting to see it for what it is, being a victim. Unless you can take action, get the vote out, sue, even call up your Rep and Senator and pressure them to take action, it's just more of being a victim.

This smacks, by the way, of the same type of cover-up that the Catholic Church has now disavowed. It cost the Church millions of dollars and resulted in great shame. Hastert & Co. are as smarmy as the Church was in their cover-up. One, they need to go in shame. Two, a fund needs to be created for the interns affected by all this, carved out of Hastert's personal fortune, or a lawyer needs to be appointed to charge Hastert with conspiracy and perjury, and to sue for injuries and damges. If those who perpetrated this, and helped to conceal it, are taken care of, the Republican Party can claim clean hands. Remember, this is not the rank and file, this is the Leadership of the Party.

cld, your list is missing sterling Republicans Brian Doyle of the Department of Homeland Security, busted this April for soliciting a 14-year-old girl online, and Frank Figueroa, former head of DHS's program to stop child predators, busted for exposing himself to a 16-year-old girl.

At this point, may we assume that any Republican charged with protecting our children from sexual exploitation got the job based on experience? What a bunch of sick freaks.

N.R.C.C. Says Hastert Didn't Tell The Truth
from "Roll Call" -- the newspaper of Capitol Hill
http://rollcall.com/issues/1_1/breakingnews/15260-1.html
Reynolds Informed Hastert of Allegations Against Foley
Saturday, Sept. 30; 4:39 pm
National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Reynolds (N.Y.) issued a statement Saturday in which he said that he had informed Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) of allegations of improper contacts between then-Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.) and at least one former male page, contradicting earlier statements from Hastert.

If I may offer a new slogan for the Pedophile Party:

"No Child's Behind Left."

I saw that, sysprog. Are they throwing Hastert over the side?

Bong, oh, my.

shortstop,

I totally can't recall a thing that happened as long ago as last April.

Anyone remember the Watergate prostitution ring that knocked off Porter Goss?

Whatever happened to that?

And Porter Goss is from Florida, too. Is it the skunk ape pissing in the drinking water?

Vote Republican: "No Child's Behind Left."

Now there's a bumper sticker!

I don't think the question is "What did Hastert now and when did he know it?"

Rather, it's "Why is Hastert protecting Foley?"

Surely, we know the Republican playbook by this point?

They knew, but they covered it up. I would bet dollars against dimes that they were just biding time, waiting for Foley to cruise to victory and then he would have "quietly" stepped down, allowing Jebbie to appoint his replacement (I believe that is how Florida would handle it.)

Now they are like the proverbial rats deserting the sinking ship, and they are using one another for cover. If there is justice, all manner of malfeasance will come to light in the wake of this.

As always, the wrongdoing we know about might fill a sandpail, but the wrongdoing we do not know about would fill the Grand Canyon to level.

"Are they throwing Hastert over the side"

Hmmm, I wondered why CNN was showing that forklift going into Congress."

oh, this is fun. most fun i've had as a florida democrat in a long, long time!

Frank had consensual relations with an adult. Clinton has a thing for adult women, not teenage boys.

When you get into the realm of sexual abuse, it is not about sex. It is about power and pathology. The sex is just a fringe benefit.

After this, would you let Foley take your son on a camping trip?

One has to laugh at Chuckles today. He's trying every lawyer trick in his repertory: misdirection, red herrings, "they all do it," you're another, nyah nyah, without specifically condemning Rep Foley, his hypocrisy, or the 'publican cover up.

Here's another long list of 'publican moral value hypocrites that Charlie champions. Not all were as thorough as Foley when it comes to hiding his pervasions in a cloud of Christian piety but a heck of a lot of them are. Poor old Jeff Gannon must have been working overtime in the Bush whorehouse and dressing as a Raggedy Andy for Congressional 'publicans.

Where was Chris Hanson from Dateline when you need him? Thomas1 1:36 PM

…did you see my list above? Thomas1 3:52 PM

two words: Congressman Stubbs.

guys, the age of consent in D.C. is 16.

so basically, you're up in arms because a Congressman is gay (no allegations of pedophilia have been made....) nice homophobia there.

look up Stubbs and come back.

don't get me wrong, I think he should have been run out of town on a rail...just like every other politician who abused power for sexual purposes: Clinton, Stubbs et al.

oh, and GC:

honey, Stubbs was censured by the house for having sex with a 17 year old page....not just e-mails.

he served 14 more years in Congress and was not removed by the Democrats from any of his leadership posts.

And I did not defend the jackass. I said I would want his head on a pike too. He should have been more than censured. So don't hide under those petticoats.

And only one man calls me "Honey" - got it?

I see it didn't take long for the spin machine to turn this turd into "they all do it." Sorry Nathan your boy is a pedophile by any definition. Denny Hastert is his Cardinal Law.

Keep repeating the scummy talking point. I am sure all the Christian Fundamentalists you want to turn out for the vote in November will understand that elected Republicans should be held to a very low standard.

Ah, the wonders of gaiety.

As usual, Nathan has nothing but half-assed whining. DC statutes notwithstanding, this will be a federal case, as any 1L would know. As many actual lawyers have pointed out, it would appear that Foley has violated, among other laws, the Adam Walsh Child Protection Act of 2006. Among other things, this increases penalties for adults who use the Internet to discuss or solicit sexual acts with "minors" (defined as an "individual who has not attained the age of 18 years").

Nice try with the boo-hooing about "homophobia." This thread is full of outrage at pedophilia. Your boy Foley made the GOP's problems far more serious by preying on boys instead of girls, it's true--but that problem's going to be with the GOP. It's your base, not the Democratic party, that's already ringing the homophobia bell.

As for Stubbs, he should have been forced to resign, no question about it. He, however, is not currently running for Congress and preying on underage children at the same time he chairs the House sex offender caucus

Now, neither is Foley.

Ron Byers: look up the definition of pedophilia. you're pretty fucking ignorant.

Stubbs also admitted to making sexual advances to two other pages, including a 16 year old (as with Foley).

so, why did Democrats keep electing him? why wasn't he at least removed from his leadership positions? why wasn't he forced to apologize? (which he never did.) why? he argued that his accusers were motivated by homophobia.

nice try. Yeah, I think Stubbs should have been expelled from Congress and ditto for Foley. but you'll defend Clinton, you'll defend Stubbs and then try and explain why Foley (and there's no assertion that he continued his advances after being told they were unwanted) is different.

you're going to get a backlash from gay Democrats you know.

pedophilia is sexual attraction for prepubescent children.

check the dsm IV. like I said, I don't think gay men in general will appreciate being called pedophiles

So now two wrongs make a right? Not buying it.

No congressman ever should have sexual contact with any page or underling. Just as a college professor is forbidden from dating his students - the power dichotomy in place makes a "consensual" relationship a practical impossibility.

Thanks for playing tho.

Nathan, you're a fool. You're equating gay men with pedophiles and you think we're going to get a backlash from gay Democrats? Why do you have so much trouble distinguishing between homosexuality and pedophilia?

I've already covered Stubbs. Clinton had consensual sex with a 24-year-old woman who by her own account initiated it. You're damn right we'll defend him.

If you can't understand the difference between Clinton's case and this one--once again, we weep for your "clients."

Stop before you humiliate yourself further. There is no defense here. You guys are going to lose big over this one, particularly over the cover-up.

Precisely because of

"the cover up" should completed my last post. Sorry. Screwed up the tag. Again.

shortstop:

what is the definition of pedophilia? hint: it doesn't include 16 year olds.
are you going to call Stubbs a pedophile? where were you calling for his head?

GC: as I said, I agree with you. so, do you agree that Clinton should have been impeached for sex with an underlying?

oh, by the way, at public universities, professors are not prohibited from having sex with undergrads. fact. some private ones too.

Gee, rnc, I'm just glad that the liberal Democrats who control the universe ordained that this scandal would break at this precise moment. Sure, a later report would have made it too late for the GOP to dredge up a replacement candidate, whereas now they may have enough time to do it, but on the other hand the scandal gets to percolate this way and tarnish the entire Republican leadership. I'm sure our Democratic overlords made the right decision.

Al, I don't think Coulter will risk having people check her voter registration again. She has trouble filling in her address and her sex. Gender confusion is not attractive in a last-minute candidate.

I was pissed at Clinton - but as Shortstop says, Monica has never denied being the aggressor. So no. The impeachment was a side-show and a farce.

I have to go grade exams. Back later.

Ah, this is so very, very Nathan. Now we'll have 100 posts with him obsessively braying that we're misdefining "pedophilia" while ignoring the fact that Foley is allegedly in violation of several federal laws as well as the most basic public trust. I highly doubt that when Foley does time and Hastert, Bohner et. al face possible charges as accessories, they're going to be worried about whether they fit the APA definition of pedophilia.

I didn't call for Stubbs' head in 1983, it's true. I was a little young to do so. Say, are you a fucking idiot? Is this really the best you can do?

Nathan,

You feel dirty carrying water for the scum Foley and his enablers. After all he resigned as soon as the shit hit the fan. It isn't like he thinks he is anything but a butt fucking power hungry scumbag.

I love that you are using the same dissemling definition of pedophilia used by the Catholic church. We all know how far that got them

You do your masters proud. I wouldn't have the stomach to carry water for guys like Foley.