Monday, October 02, 2006

Mark Foley Looks Like Lone Gunman

Re: Congressman Mark Foley (R-FL), who I never heard of until ABC News printed his sexual instant messages to boys who worked as Congressional pages

The Hastert "lie" was based on the belief that his story contradicted Boehner's story. Now they are saying that what they were aware of -- as were several media outlets and others -- was the "overly-friendly" email and not the sexual instant messages. You can't reasonably be expected to hang someone out to dry for being a little creepy -- that would wipe out most of Congress -- but when the instant messages came out, Foley was on the next bus home. Nothing will mollify the Republican-haters out there, but the facts of this case -- as troubling as they are -- don't seem worthy of condemning the entire party, its leaders, or anyone other than Foley himself. At least not while Rep. William Jefferson, Sen. Ted Kennedy, Rep. Barney Frank and friends cling to their offices despite their hijinks, which have been at least tacitly endorsed by their party.