Republican sex scandal! Boys! Pedophilia! Everything except actual sex!

[shereads]

It's just this simple. The Republicans acted like Democrats.

No way! First of all, Democrats don't spend nearly as much time as Republicans do, wondering what's going on in the bedrooms of other people and worrying that they might be 'doing the dirty' in ways that would shock our mothers, offend the Lord, and corrupt America's children if they read about it on the internet, which would almost certainly happen if we published the details online, reluctantly but in the belief that it was our patriotic duty to expose the unsavory sexual practices and imperfect marriages of certain elected public officials; which is why, having spent $40 million of your hard-earned tax dollars to fund an investigation of alleged criminal activity connected with a real estate scandal that took place more than a dozen years before the targeted person or persons ran for office, and failing to confirm that a crime took place, we might not close our investigation but would instead be compelled to focus our efforts on an unauthorized but patriotic side investigation and entrapment scheme that ferreted out all sorts of juicy anecdotes so nasty we could hardly bring ourselves to leak them to the press, if not for the fact that we were duty-bound to keep Congress and the nation focused on what matters most to decent Americans, and the purpose for which they go to the polls on Nov. 2: discouraging the use of cigars for vaginal pentration outside of marriage; and exposing so-called 'leaders' who, when offered the opportunity to confess their most shameful secrets to America and the world, are so dispicable and selfish, they would rather lie under oath than admit to unspeakable carnal acts!

If we behaved like Republicans, we'd do that, and then whine because the targeted person spent too much time defending himself, also known as 'being distracted.' But we aren't like that. We Democrats like sex too much to waste good cigar-poking time poking into other people's business.

(Unless it involves sexual predation of minors by a key person on the committee that ostensibly protects them, in which case we say tar and feather the hypocritical bastard. Gotcha!)

Also, Republicans

- have no sense of irony

- are too sanctimonious to recognize poetic justice when it pens a humiliating limerick on their butt-cheeks

- encouraged John Ashcroft to try a recording career

- and are turned on by little boys





There are other differences, but those are some good ones to start with.

 

[shereads]

Bumped just for Zeb.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Zeb is right to the extent that GOP scandals from the Grant administration, to Tea Pot Dome, to Jack Abramoff are usually about money, while Demo scandals tend to be sex related (Grover Cleveland, Gary Hart, Bill Clinton).

http://www.amerika.nl/elections/images/campagnes/DonnaGary.gif
Then Sen. Gary Hart and "good friend" Donna Rice

That tendency is best exemplified by the 1884 US Presidential race between Dem. Grover Cleveland and GOP James Blaine. I'm sure this hotbed of presidential historians is familiar with that race so I'll not insult your intelligence by including any sordid details.

Just in case anyone wants to refresh their memory about those sordid details, here's a link: The Presidential Election of 1884

Rumple Foreskin

 

[Lee Chambers]

You've got to be fucking kidding

Disgraced Politician Says He Was Abused
Lawyer Also Acknowledges Mark Foley's Homosexuality
By BRIAN SKOLOFF, AP

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 3) - Disgraced former Rep. Mark Foley said through his lawyer Tuesday that he was sexually abused by a clergyman as a teenager, but accepts full responsibility for sending salacious computer messages to teenage male pages.

Attorney David Roth said Foley was molested between ages 13 and 15 by a clergyman. He declined to identify the clergyman or the church, but Foley is Roman Catholic.

He also acknowledged for the first time that the former congressman is gay, saying the disclosure was part of his client's "recovery."

"Mark Foley wants you to know he is a gay man," Roth told reporters in Florida as Republicans struggled to avoid election-year fallout from the congressman's behavior and sudden resignation.

Foley represented parts of Palm Beach County for 12 years until he abruptly resigned Friday after being accused of sending lurid Internet messages to teenage boys who served as pages on Capitol Hill. The FBI and Florida law enforcement officials are investigating whether he violated any laws.

The lawyer said Foley, who is now in treatment for alcohol abuse, never had any inappropriate sexual contact with a minor. He said Foley was under the influence of alcohol when he sent the e-mails and instant messages.

 

[shereads]

Disgraced Politician Says He Was Abused
Lawyer Also Acknowledges Mark Foley's Homosexuality
By BRIAN SKOLOFF, AP

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 3) - Disgraced former Rep. Mark Foley said through his lawyer Tuesday that he was sexually abused by a clergyman as a teenager, but accepts full responsibility for sending salacious computer messages to teenage male pages.

Attorney David Roth said Foley was molested between ages 13 and 15 by a clergyman. He declined to identify the clergyman or the church, but Foley is Roman Catholic.

He also acknowledged for the first time that the former congressman is gay, saying the disclosure was part of his client's "recovery."

"Mark Foley wants you to know he is a gay man," Roth told reporters in Florida as Republicans struggled to avoid election-year fallout from the congressman's behavior and sudden resignation.

Foley represented parts of Palm Beach County for 12 years until he abruptly resigned Friday after being accused of sending lurid Internet messages to teenage boys who served as pages on Capitol Hill. The FBI and Florida law enforcement officials are investigating whether he violated any laws.

The lawyer said Foley, who is now in treatment for alcohol abuse, never had any inappropriate sexual contact with a minor. He said Foley was under the influence of alcohol when he sent the e-mails and instant messages.

Rush Limbaugh said the Republican leadership kept Foley's secret because they didn't want liberals to accuse them of gay-bashing.

God bless America.

 

[shereads]

"I couldn't lose an election unless I got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

~ Edwin W. Edwards, four-term Gov. of Louisiana (D)

 

[3113]

The lawyer said Foley, who is now in treatment for alcohol abuse, never had any inappropriate sexual contact with a minor. He said Foley was under the influence of alcohol when he sent the e-mails and instant messages.

Well. That makes it all right then.

 

[3113]

"Mark Foley wants you to know he is a gay man," Roth told reporters

As compared to what? A gay chicken? A gay divorcee? A gay old time?

Sorry. The writer in me just couldn't help it.

 

[angela146]

Um...

There's one thing I haven't seen mentioned in any of this discussion on Foley:

The age of consent in the District of Columbia is sixteen. As far as I understand, the page he is accused of emailing with was sixteen.

Does that mean that maybe he didn't break as many laws as we may have thought?

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Following Up On Yesterday's Tirade

No .. I haven't softened on my stand. I still think that there were many people in Washington -- on both sides of the aisle -- who knew or should have known that Mark Foley was preying on pages, and did little or nothing. I'm sorry, but none of the excuses are working for me. In one of the many columns and stories I read today on this issue someone suggested that if a male congressman was writing a 16-year-old female page and asking for pictures, alarms would sound throughout Capitol Hill. Well, why not when a gay congressman asks for a picture from a 16-year-old male page?

This may change .. but right now I'm just completely fed up with the Republicans. One advantage that the Republicans used to hold over liberals and Democrats was their strong sense of traditional moral and family values. Can they make that claim today? Did they take the steps necessary to protect young men in their charge from the advances of a seemingly predatory homosexual congressman?

No .... don't tell me about Democrats and Gerry Studds. I know that Democrats excused the behavior of Ted Kennedy. I know that Bill Clinton got a pass for his tryst with Monica ... and for the rape of Juanita Broaderrick. They're Democrats. That's their pattern. Does this mean we have to excuse the same actions in Republicans?

Something spectacular is going to have to happen in the next four weeks or so to salvage the Republican control of the House. Things change, but right now I expect the Democrats to take control of the house -- but not the Senate -- in next month's elections. Republican leadership inaction on Mark Foley set the stage. Stand by for Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

I know this is heresy for some of you, but remember ... I'm not a Republican. I'm a card-carrying Libertarian. If I vote in a state where you registered your political party, my registration is Libertarian. Obviously, though, I'm far more aligned with the alleged goals and aims of the Republican party than I am with the socialist, big government, tax-and-spend Democrats.

That having been said I would suggest that some good might come out of a Republican defeat. Which scenario would you prefer? Would you rather have the Republicans gloating over another victory over the Democrats? Or would you rather have the Republicans in exile for two years wondering where they had gone wrong, and developing a plan to regain the support of the voters?

The choice is becoming increasingly clear.

 

[Guest]

 

[Pure]

Z: [more aligned with Republicans than]

I am with the socialist, big government, tax-and-spend Democrats.

P: I see you are with the NON socialist, huge government and military, issue-bonds-and-spend Republicans!

Show me a low tax, small government (and military) "libertarian" Republican (in deed and act) and I'll show a billion cubic foot oil reserve under your home.

 

[Pure]

question

would it not be better for the Repubs to retain a *very slight* edge in Congress, so as to allow them to implode for a couple more years?

 

[izabella]

Um...

There's one thing I haven't seen mentioned in any of this discussion on Foley:

The age of consent in the District of Columbia is sixteen. As far as I understand, the page he is accused of emailing with was sixteen.

Does that mean that maybe he didn't break as many laws as we may have thought?

Good question. The page might have a case for sexual harrassment if he wanted to make it a legal problem for Foley, since this is a workplace issue. Most companies also have rules against manager/subordinate relationships, but I'm guessing Congress hasn't adopted any rules like that. That's not illegal, though, and since he resigned, that's all that a company would require anyway for breaking that rule.

Guess it comes down to an ethics question.

 

[3113]

The age of consent in the District of Columbia is sixteen. As far as I understand, the page he is accused of emailing with was sixteen.

Does that mean that maybe he didn't break as many laws as we may have thought?

Angela, please. He broke the law of God. I should not have to explain this to you.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Good question. The page might have a case for sexual harrassment if he wanted to make it a legal problem for Foley, since this is a workplace issue. Most companies also have rules against manager/subordinate relationships, but I'm guessing Congress hasn't adopted any rules like that. That's not illegal, though, and since he resigned, that's all that a company would require anyway for breaking that rule.

Guess it comes down to an ethics question.

This is the problem - Foley never touched or inappropriately met in person the page. Proving a criminal act was committed will be difficult.

On the other handd, the page may will have a tort for harrassment. The problem is, torts are settled for some dollar amount and just disappear.

At this point, Foley is hiding out in the clinic claiming he was butt fucked by some "clergyman" who goes un-named and un-identified as some un-identified time is his life. It all sounds like mystic bullshit concocted by a really bad soap opera writer. I suppose in 30 days, Foley will come skipping out to hiding magically "Cured" and want his seat in the House back.

 

[sophia jane]

This is the problem - Foley never touched or inappropriately met in person the page. Proving a criminal act was committed will be difficult.

On the other handd, the page may will have a tort for harrassment. The problem is, torts are settled for some dollar amount and just disappear.

At this point, Foley is hiding out in the clinic claiming he was butt fucked by some "clergyman" who goes un-named and un-identified as some un-identified time is his life. It all sounds like mystic bullshit concocted by a really bad soap opera writer. I suppose in 30 days, Foley will come skipping out to hiding magically "Cured" and want his seat in the House back.

I'm not convinced he never touched anyone. There are several im conversations that refer to a meeting, one in San Diego (a past tense conversation) and one that might have happened at his house (that's the one where he planned to let him drink).

 

[Huckleman2000]

would it not be better for the Repubs to retain a *very slight* edge in Congress, so as to allow them to implode for a couple more years?

Probably a subject for another thread, but I have to say it's hard to see just how much more they could implode!

I think we need a Democratic Congress just to get to the bottom of all the imploding they've already done. The list is almost endless.

We're somewhere around a tipping point, if Zeb is considering voting against Republicans. Much more, and there will just be so much to process that our collective heads explode and we all become Republican zombies.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

I admit I'm really irritated by this whole Foley mess. These are the same characters who preached the gospil when they held their witch hunt against Bill Clinton. Then they have the audacity to tell the press something like this: "Hastert sought to blame Democrats for leaking sexually explicit computer instant messages between Foley and former pages from 2003."

Jesus H. Tapdancing Christ. The Speaker of the House is more worried that there are leaks of evidence and blaming the Democrats than the inappropriate actions of Foley?

I say, Turn About is Fair Play, guys. You did it to Clinton, now it's your turn to be on the recieving end.

 

[3113]

I say, Turn About is Fair Play, guys. You did it to Clinton, now it's your turn to be on the recieving end.

heh-heh. She said "recieving end."

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

heh-heh. She said "recieving end."

That's right. Now bend over guys and take it like a man

 

[elsol]

This is the problem - Foley never touched or inappropriately met in person the page. Proving a criminal act was committed will be difficult.

Here's the thing...

I see smoke... lots of smoke...REALLY lots of smoke.

You say never, a lot of people are saying what he didn't do.

If there were a million dollars up on whether he DID/DID NOT inappropriately meet/touch a page... on which side would you lay your chip?

Mine would go on... "I ain't hitting on women cause I like the world 'no'; I'm doing it because every now and not-very-often one of them says 'yes'."

 

[elsol]

I admit I'm really irritated by this whole Foley mess. These are the same characters who preached the gospil when they held their witch hunt against Bill Clinton. Then they have the audacity to tell the press something like this: "Hastert sought to blame Democrats for leaking sexually explicit computer instant messages between Foley and former pages from 2003."

Jesus H. Tapdancing Christ. The Speaker of the House is more worried that there are leaks of evidence and blaming the Democrats than the inappropriate actions of Foley?

I say, Turn About is Fair Play, guys. You did it to Clinton, now it's your turn to be on the recieving end.

That's the one that really hitting my soft spot....

Quite honestly, I don't give a FUCK why someone leaked it... clearly, a hell-of-a-lot people care. I find it amazing that some high-&-mighty Republicans may have known and did not leak it.

 

[angela146]

Maybe not the age-of-consent laws, but possibly some common-sense ones?

The problem is, you can't put someone in jail for violating the laws of common sense.

 

[angela146]

Angela, please. He broke the law of God. I should not have to explain this to you.

OK, and he may burn in hell for it. But he could quite possibly be beyond the reach of the laws of man. He could quite possibly avoid going to prison.