16 Yr Old Says Rep Mark Foley (R-FL) Sent Him "SICK" E-mails

[kpete]

16 year old says Congressman sent him 'sick' emails

Complete Set of E-mails Here:
http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Congressman_accused_of_sending_sick_emails_0928.html

Sixteen-Year-Old Capitol Hill Page Concerned About E-mail Exchange with Congressman
September 28, 2006 3:06 PM

Rhonda Schwartz and Maddy Sauer Report:

A 16-year-old male congressional page concerned about the appropriateness of an e-mail exchange with a congressman alerted Capitol Hill staffers to the communication.

Congressman Mark Foley's office says the e-mails were entirely appropriate and that their release is part of a smear campaign by his opponent.

In the series of e-mails, obtained by ABC News, between the page and Rep. Foley (R-FL), Foley asks the page how old he is, what he wants for his birthday and requests a photo of him.

The concerned page alerted congressional staffers to the e-mails. In one e-mail, the page writes to a staffer, "Maybe it is just me being paranoid, but seriously. This freaked me out."

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/09/sixteenyearold_.html

[Greeby]

1. ..........

:wtf:

[warrens]

2. He hasn't been voted out YET?

This shit has been going on for ages.

[SteppingRazor]

3. It's well-known that Foley's gay...

of course, that hardly excuses his hitting on an underage kid.

[meganmonkey]

4. Honestly, it does look like a smear campaign

unless I am really missing something.

He said he wanted the picture so he could remember him later for letters of recommendation and whatnot. And it looks like that is pretty common.

I recently corresponded with an old college professor and he wanted to see a pic of me so he could make sure he remembered who I was. I didn't find that creepy. Granted, I am not 16, but like a college prof, these pols probably have a lot of short-term interns, pages and employees to remember.... :shrug:

[unschooler]

7. Did he ask what you want for your birthday?

I don't generally give birthday presents to people of whom I have such minimal recollection that I need a photo just to remember who they are.

[BurtWorm]

10. I think it's an overreaction to call the e-mail "sick, sick, sick, sick.."

It certainly does effectively remind voters that Foley is a not quite out gay man. Is it a dirty trick? Dunno. It's hard to feel sorry for Repubs who've become targets of them after years of their dishing them out with impunity.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

17. At the least - It's very inappropriate....

[unschooler]

24. Since the e-mails are apparently genuine, the question is whether

this over-friendliness toward a minor is symptomatic of a sexually predatory nature. Sexual orientation is beside the point.

If I was bettin' I'd say he was trying to hit on the kid, which is sick, sick, sick.

[lies and propaganda]

14. smear campaign ????????????????????????

if their werent party letters attatched and it was just the same age man asking the same question to the same age boy, we would be screaming about pedophilia and etc etc.

But its a smear cause we have a little unfavorable knowledge about them trying to get in the pants of a little boy? ahahahhaha

[meganmonkey]

15. wtf are you talking about?

First, I used the words 'smear campaign' because they appeared in the article.

Second, where does it say he tried to get in the kid's pants?

Honestly, at this point we have virtually no info about what this is really about, and frankly I am sure there are a thousand other things to criticize this guy for.

[MissMarple]

20. The birthday question seems strange. Asking about college or a career

would make a bit more sense. IMHO. I do agree about the picture, your explanation makes it more understandable. Foley should know one has to be pretty careful about this stuff. If a straight congressman asked the same things of a 16 year old girl page, I would be concerned, if I were her mother. There were Congressional page sex scandals in...I think the 60's. I forget the decade, after a while they all seem to blur together. :)

[lies and propaganda]

23. it was in the 80s. I just wikied

Congressional page sex Scandal and it game me infor about one dem, one pug in the 80s. Gingrich was the rep who demannded their expulsion, hahahah

[MissMarple]

29. Thanks! Here's some more. The Dem weathered the storm.

How times have changed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Page_sex_scandal

"On July 14, 1983, the House Ethics Committee concluded that U.S. Rep. Dan Crane (R-Ill.) and U.S. Rep. Gerry Studds (D-Mass.) had engaged in relationships with minors. The minors in question were 17-year-old congressional pages. In Crane's case, it was a 1980 relationship with a female page and in Studds's case, it was a 1973 relationship with a male page. Both representatives immediately pleaded guilty to the charges and the committee decided to simply reprimand the two. However, U.S. Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) demanded their expulsion. On July 20, the House voted for censure, the first time that censure had been imposed for sexual misconduct. Crane, who tearfully apologized for his transgression, lost his bid for reelection in 1984. Studds, however, refused to apologize (even calling a press conference with the former page, in which both stated that they were consenting adults at the time of the relationship in 1973 and that it was therefore not the business of others to censure them for what they considered their private relationship), and he continued to be reelected until his retirement in 1996."

[lies and propaganda]

22. so if an old dude wrote ONLINE to your 16 kid

asd asked for pics and birthday gift suggestions, you really naive enough to think that he just gets all his pages presents?

My point remains, if this werent political, but just a dude soliciting this type of infor from a kid on the internets, we would all be screaming. But defend the douchebags away! Im sure more will come of this and I doubt it will prove your case.

[frylock]

18. The e-mails were sent from Foley's personal AOL account...

The e-mails were sent from Foley's personal AOL account, and the exchange began within weeks after the page finished his program on Capitol Hill. In one, Foley writes, "did you have fun at your conference…what do you want for your birthday coming up…what stuff do you like to do."

If it was all business then why didn't Foley send the emails from his .gov email account?

[meganmonkey]

19. I am not going to speculate about this

I am done with this thread.

Peace.

[mtnester]

5. MOST of the stuff in there can be construed as harmless, UNTIL

he asked for a "pic."

That does cross into "creepy." My alert bells would have gone off.


BTW - what R U wearing?



Edited to remove an ancillary "q" from fast typing :)

[wicket]

9. Agreed

Asking for a pic is just plain creepy!

[unschooler]

6. Smart kid. n/t

[partylessinOhio]

8. The face of the freak:

[Catherine Vincent]

11. This guy?

hmmm....

[KittyWampus]

26. He licks his lips constantly during interviews... and IMO his eyes always

look like he's wired.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

13. I'm going with overreaction with this one!

The Thought-Police seem to be out in force today!

A bit paranoid. I myself would have been cautious with these types of emails, but thinking the 'worst possible' with that little limited intelligence.. oh wait.... that's sounding familiar to something else.

Again, overreaction.

[lumberjack_jeff]

30. I agree. n/t

[Elidor]

53. I thought so, too - until Foley resigned just now

There is something under the radar here, something that Foley knows is going to come out.

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

58. Oh well, hence why I live in NV and not a gambler!

Can't read poker faces.

[K8-EEE]

16. He's DEF Feeling The Kid Out, This Is NOT Normal

The kid was right to be concerned -- it's weird for a person in authority (teacher, priest, whatever) to take this kind of "friendly" interest in a kid. Like when a teacher wants to take your kid out to dinner because they're soooo special or something, ding ding ding alarm bells.

I have a 15 y/o daughter and if she got something like this I would DEFINITELY!!! want her to take the same action as this kid. Don't know if I would have been smart enough as a kid, I remember some questionable behavior from babysitting dads etc (one asked me if I wanted to see the inside of a motel he designed, HUH?) I would brush them off but it never occurred to me to say something to somebody.

[frylock]

21. he used his personal email account and not his .gov account..

hmmmmmmmmm...

[Catherine Vincent]

25. I remember a white house "journalist" had an aol acount....

Why is aol so popular with these guys?

[Ksec]

27. not a surprise

Most pervs are republican. Seriously. Something about that party that makes men perverted.

[Sammy Pepys]

28. If it is a smear campaign...

...I don't know exactly what they're trying to accomplish with it. This story will be dead within a week.

[newsguyatl]

31. this is bull shit

i don't see where foley did anything wrong... and trust me, i'm NO foley lover.

still, this stinks of a smear campaign to me.

[kdpeters]

33. Thank you. I thought I'd be the only one.

I smell opportunistic homophobia and it stinks. I have a hard time believing the female pages aren't constantly rebuffing much more flagrant advances, but a male congressperson simply asking for a picture is "sick sick sick sick sick". RAWSTORY tells us they have the "complete" set of emails, but one whole side of the conversation is missing. Do you people really think you havev enough context to make such hysterical judgements when you don't even know what he was responding to?

I'd love to sandbag on any Republican, but not if it contributes to such hysterical, homophobic, overreaction.

[bvar22]

32. This is a SERIOUS Problem.

This ADULT in a position of Authority sought out a personal relationship with a minor immediately AFTER that minor had left the environment of a professional relationship. Even IF Foley's intentions were entilely aboveboard, he certainly should be aware of the ETHICS involved, and should have had enough sense to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.

Everyone, EVERYONE who works around minors professionally KNOWS that Social OR Personal contact with minors after the termination of a professional relationship is forbidden (and unbhealthy).

In most professional environments, sending a minor an E-Mail from a personal account would be ILLEGAL, and SHOULD be prosecuted.

Anyone who thinks that this type of contact is OK should seek therapy and work on their own personal boundaries.

[joeunderdog]

34. Casing a bank is not illegal.

Neither is what this guy was doing with the kid.


...but it doesn't mean it wasn't the first step to something that would be illegal.

[oasis]

48. Foley is going to resign. What does that tell you?

[kdpeters]

35. So Bill dropped his DNA on that blue dress, lied under oath, & is excused.

But THIS has everyone apoplectic and hysterical? Oh, sure, there are differences, Bill degraded a woman over legal age and lied about it; this guy was unusually friendly to a young man legal in very few states. Grown men in their fifties holding positions of power should be held accountable. It's beyond debate that Bill Clinton abused his position of power when he knew better. It's beyond debate he lied to the country and under oath emphatically with a straight face. Yet, all we can do in this case is suspect and assume. How many of you itchin' for a lynchin' made excuse after excuse for Clinton?

I'd love to sandbag on a republican because there's usually myriad legitimate reasons. I won't crucify a man who's done nothing wrong. If my high school English teacher hadn't befriended me, inspired me, challenged me, and had faith in me, I probably would have fallen through the cracks. It probably seemed an inappropriate friendship between a teacher and student, but it saved me from sabotaging my education and my future. If he hadn't been willing to be a friend, mentor, and role model, I wouldn't have had one.

[WinkyDink]

36. Um, yeah, LEGAL AGE is RATHER MAJOR. So is the FACT

that Ms. Lewinsky herself detailed her pursuit of HIM.

And it is NOT "beyond dispute" President Clinton committed perjury, or he'd have been CONVICTED.
BUSH LIED US INTO DEATH and DESTRUCTION.

Your personal experience is irrelevant to this story.

[kdpeters]

37. Another MAJOR fact is that Bill Clinton did the deed;,

but you just suspect this guy wants to. That's a MAJOR fact there, my friend. Powerful married man in his fifties who should have known better who abused his position of power still had a choice, pursued or not. Yes or no?
Ms Lewinsky's pursuit of said man in 50's in powerful position who should know better is irrelevant.

As are Bush's lies. Where the hell did that come from?

[oasis]

39. You believe Foley's "done nothing wrong" but Clinton"abused his position

of power". When Foley asked the kid what he wanted for his birthday, he knew that he was sending him a definite signal. This kind inappropriate behavior is "wrong".

Get off of your hypocritical high horse.

[kdpeters]

41. Please explain

Why is it wrong to ask someone what they want for their birthday? Let's say your clairvoyance is correct on this one, that he's sending some kind of signal, what is it he's done wrong?

And just so I have an idea where you're coming from, would you mind stating explicitely whether you do or do not think it appropriate or even "wrong" for the president of the US to get a hummer from an intern half his age -- in the oval office?

[oasis]

42. Clinton violated the sanctity of the Oval Office. What will we tell the

children?:eyes:

That said, Bill's "affair" with Monica was inappropriate.I'll give you
that.

At best, Foley used "bad judgement" in his "overtures" toward a 16 year old kid. That is wrong.

[kdpeters]

44. All you've done is reassert your assertion.

At best, Foley used "bad judgement" in his "overtures" toward a 16 year old kid. That is wrong

At worst, he used "bad judgement" and made "overtures". You don't even know half the conversation, but the worst you can accuse him of is flirting. But you don't know. And I seriously seriously doubt if a Democratic male politician had asked a 16 year old female for a picture that it would cause this much hysteria in this forum. I don't know about you, but I don't much care for anyone filtering my information and trying to manipulate me into thinking what they want me to think. I don't care if it's Fox news or Rawstory. Until I see the other emails he was responding to, I'll reserve skepticism as long as I don't have all the facts.

[oasis]

46. "Bad judgement" will be the "best" defense that Foley's damage control

squad can come up with. I don't need a helluva lot more information to suspect Foley of "flirting".

[oasis]

47. Foley's resigning. Is that proof enough for you?

:shrug:

[Guaranteed]

38. Honestly? This sounds like BS.

It always could be that he's a child molester. But it also sounds like an over-friendly person trying to make chit-chat.

[Guaranteed]

57. Welp, I was wrong.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2536942&mesg_id=2536942

Looks like he's a molester.

[SoCalDem]

40. If this is something he routinely does, it's no biggie, BUT

if it does not originate from his OFFICE comupter, and is not a standard procedure for ALL interns...well... it does sound creepy.

My guess is that ALL interns have photos ON FILE to begin with..

[oasis]

43. Foley hasn't been living in a cave. It's 2006. He should know how this

kind of behavior is looked upon these days.

[SoCalDem]

45. That's why I think it's creepy.. He should know better

My guess is that most organizations that use interns, don;t get "personally" involved with those interns (although some internships are given out to kids of friends/fringe family)..

It's unseemly to form an "attachment' to them.. a simple birthday card or an office gettogether with everyone present is the proper way.

[oasis]

49. k&r

[Jacobin]

50. Just announced he's not running for re-election, may resign

Houston, we have a problem

[malaise]

51. Will resign

One more pervert exposed.

[KamaAina]

52. Looks like Foley may break the Congressional Record

at present, the Congressional Record is nine pages :spank:

[Ratty]

54. HUUUGE overreaction

In the kid's last email he says maybe it's just him, maybe he's being paranoid. He claims to think it's a tad strange definitely, but maybe it could be more than that, he's not sure. But in earlier emails he's much more explicit about his opinion: sick sick sick sick sick ... etc. The kid seems like a fundie freak job to me. I'm not absolving Foley. Though not obviously illegal it's inappropriate and unethical at the very least. I find it hard to believe there'd be this ruckus if the page was female. Eyebrows would be rightly raised and Foley might be described as a creepy old man at the worst but I doubt there'd be that chorus of sick sick sick sick sick.

[oasis]

55. Foley's resigning. Is that proof enough for you?

[Ratty]

56. Heh, now THAT's completely different

Dirty IMs, conservative republican, married, kids. OK, NOW I'm rubbing my hands in glee.