NYT: G.O.P. Leaders Knew in Late ’05 of E-Mail (FRONT PAGE!)

[Beetwasher]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/01/washington/01foley.html?hp&ex=1159675200&en=a7760582db028fd5&ei=5094&partner=homepage

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 — Top House Republicans knew for months about e-mail traffic between Representative Mark Foley and a former teenage page, but kept the matter secret and allowed Mr. Foley to remain head of a Congressional caucus on children’s issues, Republican lawmakers said Saturday.

--snip--

"Anyone who was involved in the chain of information should come forward and tell when they were told, what they were told and what they did with the information when they got it," said Representative Peter T. King, Republican of New York. Mr. King called it a "dark day" for Congress and said, "We need a full investigation."

Representative Christopher Shays, Republican of Connecticut, said any leader who had been aware of Mr. Foley's behavior and failed to take action should step down. "If they knew or should have known the extent of this problem, they should not serve in leadership," Mr. Shays said.

--snip--

This story just became a mushroom cloud. :nuke: :wow:

[Jackpine Radical]

1. This story is growing by the minute.

Wow. Wonder where it'll end?

Now we got Puggies calling for Puggy blood. That explains why Fox went with the Foley/Hastert story, now that I think about it. I smell a major damage control operation in progress here. With any luck, they'll set up firewalls & the firewalls will be breached when other victims come forward to accuse other Puggy pols. I think the first place to look would be at both King & Shays--look to where the most indignatin is coming from to find the weak spots.

[Beetwasher]

5. They're Still Stuck On IM's and Emails

You gotta wonder how far he took his predation and if that is yet to come out.

[Jackpine Radical]

11. Bet it an't just him.

Other accusers will come forward to finger (pardon the term) other Puggies.

[radfringe]

48. bad memories typical of repugs?

hastert, boehner, reynolds and other don't recall?

meanwhile - Rice doesn't remember meeting with Tenent regarding terrorists and earlier this year Libby doesn't remember telling anyone about Plame...

seems alzheimers is contagious - at least with repugs

[Pirate Smile]

2. Wash Post A1 also: GOP Leaders Knew Of Foley's Messages

GOP Leaders Knew Of Foley's Messages
Fallout of Notes to Page Fractures Party

By Jonathan Weisman and Charles Babington
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, October 1, 2006; Page A01

House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) was notified early this year of inappropriate e-mails from former representative Mark Foley (R-Fla.) to a 16-year-old page, a top GOP House member said yesterday -- contradicting the speaker's assertions that he learned of concerns about Foley only last week.

Hastert did not dispute the claims of Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds (R-N.Y.), and his office confirmed that some of Hastert's top aides knew last year that Foley had been ordered to cease contact with the boy and to treat all pages respectfully.

Reynolds, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, became the second senior House Republican to say that Hastert has known of Foley's contacts for months, prompting Democratic attacks about the GOP leadership's inaction. Foley abruptly resigned his seat Friday.

House Majority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) told The Washington Post on Friday that he had learned in late spring of inappropriate e-mails Foley sent to the page, a boy from Louisiana, and that he promptly told Hastert, who appeared to know already of the concerns. Hours later, Boehner contacted The Post to say he could not be sure he had spoken with Hastert.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/30/AR2006093001265.html

[Beetwasher]

6. Wow!

Fucking wow!

[leQ]

3. ka boom

[kestrel91316]

4. Yes, oh yes, Virginia, there IS a Santa Claus!!!!!!!!!!!!

[KAZ]

7. My first hope is that the kids are OK...

... It seems they've been ignored by the ruling party, and should be our first concern. After that, no holds barred.

"Foley and Weller, birds of a feather" 11th IL. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=150x13441

[Miss Chybil]

8. B.J. between Consensual Adults vs. Sexual Predator of Minors

Hmmm... We'll see how far it goes. I wonder if Ken Starr is busy. (Really, I'm not holding my breath.)

[Up2Late]

14. You know, if (when) we win the House in '06, there's a lot of Impeachments

...that are going to have to be done. Denny should just resign now.:evilgrin:

[kysrsoze]

36. This is the first thing that REALLY give me hope in a long time.

Reslugs love nothing more than a good sex scandal. They love to hear the real nasty stuff. Well, this is about as nasty as it gets and I doubt it will go away anytime soon. I'm sure it's infinitely more interesting to your average "news" afficionado than a dead, cute white girl. Too bad that it has to be something this sick for anybody, including the media, to pay attention. If there's no sex involved, Repubs seem to get away with so much.

[rocktivity]

18. Bill Clinton is in the hospital

Undergoing treatment for split sides and a busted gut.

:evilgrin:
rocknation

[DesertRat]

23. Your subject line was shocking

Glad it was a joke.

[ebayfool]

50. Naughty rocknation, you!

What a great pic of BD - I bet he DID find a private moment to appreciate the irony!

:P

[KittyWampus]

9. Wow, the GOP can kiss another news cycle good-bye

[Up2Late]

10. Speaker's staff knew about Foley matter in 2005 (Reuters)

(Can you say "cover up"!?!?)

Speaker's staff knew about Foley matter in 2005

Sat Sep 30, 2006 10:07pm ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican leader of the U.S. House of Representatives said his office knew a year ago about inappropriate contact between a former intern and newly resigned Rep. Mark Foley and called on Saturday for a criminal probe of the matter.

Foley, 52, a six-term Florida Republican, resigned from the House on Friday after ABC News reported he sent messages to current and former congressional pages with references to sexual organs and acts.

Staff for the Republican leader, Speaker Dennis Hastert, said they had been alerted to an exchange between Foley and one congressional page in the fall of 2005 but were not told about any sexually explicit e-mails or text messages, according to a statement issued by the speaker's office.

They said Foley had been warned to stop any such contact and that Hastert did not become aware of the incident until the spring of 2006.

Foley had been chairman of the House caucus on missing and exploited children. He was also the author of the key sexual predator provisions of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, which President George W. Bush signed in July.

(more at link) <http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-10-01T020656Z_01_N29387735_RTRUKOC_0_US-FOLEY.xml>

[Joe Bacon]

35. I guess Hastert kept one eye on the matter...

:evilgrin:

[bleever]

12. We have to molest them here, so we don't have to...no, wait...

We need to betray your trust here, because it's so expensive to do it over there...no, wait...

Dems weak on terror! That's it! Can't trust them to safeguard your children...uh...no, wait...

[Straight Shooter]

13. I'll see Rep. Shays and raise him.

"If they knew or should have known the extent of this problem, they should not serve in leadership."

All of you Repubs should step down. Your entire Congressional party is corrupt from its rotten pointed head to its rotten cloven toes.

And take Lieberman with you.

[MADem]

15. GOP = Gang of Pedophiles!!! And they're turning on each other!!!

Among those who became aware of the communication in the fall of 2005 between Mr. Foley and the 16-year-old page, who worked for Representative Rodney Alexander, Republican of Louisiana, were Representative John A. Boehner, the majority leader, and Representative Thomas M. Reynolds of New York, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. Mr. Reynolds said in a statement Saturday that he had also personally raised the issue with Speaker J. Dennis Hastert earlier this year.

“Despite the fact that I had not seen the e-mails in question, and Mr. Alexander told me that the parents didn’t want the matter pursued, I told the speaker of the conversation Mr. Alexander had with me,” Mr. Reynolds said.

In a chronology of the incident released later Saturday, the speaker’s office said Mr. Hastert did not recall any such discussion and had no previous knowledge of the matter. “While the speaker does not explicitly recall this conversation, he has no reason to dispute Congressman Reynolds recollection that he reported to him on the problem and its resolution,” a statement from Mr. Hastert’s office said.

The statement, issued after senior aides, the House clerk and legal advisers huddled for much of Saturday in the Capitol, said senior staff members in the speaker’s office first learned of the e-mail messages from Mr. Alexander’s office in the fall of 2005 and took steps to investigate....It directly affected the race for the seat of Mr. Foley — the third Republican to resign this year under a cloud. Tim Mahoney, the Democrat who had been running an uphill and barely watched race against Mr. Foley, used the new attention to his campaign on Saturday to accuse the Republican leadership of covering up for him.....Representative Robert E. Cramer, an Alabama Democrat who was co-chairman with Mr. Foley of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, condemned Mr. Foley’s actions as “shocking and disturbing.”

[Kahuna]

16. kewl...

:popcorn:

[hootinholler]

17. Peter "We'll count the votes" King?

What committee is he on that anyone should tell him anyting?

-Hoot

[Barrett808]

24. The very one. n/t

[Riddler]

19. I just hope and pray that that disgusting fat slob piece of garbage

Hastert gets his comeuppance over this.

[maseman]

20. OK now time to go for the kill

Howard Dean this is your moment my friend. If this doesn't give you the chance to seize on the Repukes nothing will. Remind everybody in the US about the REPUBLICAN MARK FOLEY and the REPUBLICANS that say they keep you safe (except for your 16 year old boys). Here's your party of morals and family values. Here's your party of God-fearing Christians. Here's your party focused on gay marriage while their party are screwing around with kids.

Dr. Dean please slam it to the Repukes. We need you to organize now more then ever. Matter of fact every Dem in Congress needs to unite with a single message. "They say they will protect you and this is how they do it?"

[JerseygirlCT]

40. Your children are not safe with Republicans

1. Foley

2. Rising poverty rates among children since Bush took office

3. Being sent to fight an immoral war of choice in Iraq


How many others do we need? Let's add to them and hit them where it hurts most.

[Dhalgren]

21. He's been taking money from the Turkish lobby for years, and

everyone knows the Turks have a "special" view of young boys...

[rodeodance]

22. is it above the fold?

[rodeodance]

25. "former colleagues demanded a criminal inquiry."

.... At the Justice Department, an official said that there was no investigation under way but that the agency had “real interest” in examining the circumstances to see if any crimes were committed.

Several of Mr. Foley’s former colleagues demanded a criminal inquiry.

Representative Robert E. Cramer, an Alabama Democrat who was co-chairman with Mr. Foley of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, condemned Mr. Foley’s actions as “shocking and disturbing.”

“Anyone, including Foley, involved in this type of behavior should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he said.

Kate Zernike contributed reporting from New York, David Johnston from Washington and Abbie Goodnough from West Palm Beach, Fla.

[kysrsoze]

37. Oh sure, NOW they want charges brought. Fuck 'em all.

This is the true picture of the Reslug party.

[rodeodance]

26. assturd has a poor memory

,,,,, In a chronology of the incident released later Saturday, the speaker’s office said Mr. Hastert did not recall any such discussion and had no previous knowledge of the matter. “While the speaker does not explicitly recall this conversation, he has no reason to dispute Congressman Reynolds recollection that he reported to him on the problem and its resolution,” the statement said.

The statement, issued after senior aides, the House clerk and legal advisers huddled for much of Saturday in the Capitol, said senior staff members in the speaker’s office first learned of the e-mail messages from Mr. Alexander’s office in the fall of 2005 and took steps to investigate.

Aides to the speaker and other Congressional Republican leaders said that the messages brought to their attention, though described as “overfriendly,” were much less explicit than the others that came to light after ABC News first disclosed the e-mail correspondence with Mr. Alexander’s page.

[William Bloode]

32. I like this one from the link in post #10

The clerk was told the exchange was not sexual in nature, but rather "over-friendly," Hastert's office said.

How ya like them weasle words! Like asking a boy to measure his penis is just overly friendly, or telling him he's making you horny. :wtf:

I wonder how many pukes are avoiding this story with their fingers in their ears, eyes closed, going lalalalalalalalalalala.

[vixengrl]

27. We can joke--"IOKIYAR"

but who knew it was true? It really *is* okay if you are a Republican. Whatever "it" may be.

Only it's not okay, at all.

[mcg]

28. Did the GOP leaders even restrict Foley's email?

How many of these types of emails/IM's did Foley engage in AFTER the GOP leaders knew about it?
For how long did it continue?

Why didn't they at least strip him of the co-chairmanship of the Missing and Exploited Children Caucus?

Did they really do anything at all?

[kskiska]

29. The House clerk's office "has taken possession of Congressman Foley's offi

(snip)

The House clerk's office "has taken possession of Congressman Foley's office, and Capitol police officers have been posted in front of his office around-the-clock" to preserve Foley's records and correspondence, said Hastert spokesman Ron Bonjean.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/30/AR2006093001265_2.html

[usregimechange]

30. Kick! I want some heads!

[longship]

31. Apparently it's got top of column 6, above the fold, w/ headline.

Prime real estate for a big story.

[lovuian]

33. This could be why Hastert didn't want the FBI to snatch

the Congress files...

[Pachamama]

34. Looks like the GOP, Rove & Bush Co. just got an October Surprise of their

own! :kick:

By the way, call it intuition, but I have this feeling that not only did the GOP leadership in the House know about this for awhile and let it continue, but I have a feeling much more is going to be coming, including other pages and interns coming forward and actual testifying from these boys and young men that it went beyond just "internet emails and instant messaging" and actually involved physical touching and sexual rape.

:popcorn:

[Roland99]

38. They bought their way out of the Franklin Coverup. Not this time!

http://www.thelawparty.org/FranklinCoverup/franklin.htm

[JerseygirlCT]

39. I'm glad to see at least a couple of Republicans

demanding some action on this.

Although it makes you wonder if they're the "designated demanders" set up to be ignored w/in the party.

[catmandu57]

41. If this was going on last year

Wouldn't this boy have been 15 not 16? How many others can be caught up in this net? Either willing predators or participating in the cover up, these may be interesting days ahead.

[warrior1]

42. see if this works just for a visual

[DainBramaged]

43. 2006 Republican Congressional song

(Bo-bo, doo-doot-doo-doo-doo-doo)
(There she goes) (doo-doot-doo-doo-doo-doo)
(There she goes) (doo-doot-doo-doo-doo-doo)
(Bo-bo) (doo-doot-doo-doo)
(Bo-bo) (doo-doo-doo-doo)

There goes my voters, movin' on down the line
Wonder where, wonder where, wonder where they go?
I broke their hearts and made them cry
Now I'm alone, so all alone
What can I do, what can I do?

(There goes my baby) Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh
(There goes my baby) Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
(There goes my baby) Whoa-oh-oh-oh
(There she goes) Yeah! (There she goes)

I wanna know if Hastert screwed me
Did Rove really love me?
Was he just playing me for a fool?

I wonder why they left me
Why did they leave me so all alone
So all alone

I was gonna tell them that I loved him
And that I need him
Beside my side to be my ride

I wanna know where is my (doo-doot-doo-doo-doo-doo)
Where is Denny baby (doo-doot-doo-doo-doo-doo) ?
I want my votes
I need my job

Yeah, whoa-oh-oh

FADE
(There goes my life)
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh

(Apologies to the Drifters)

[Helga Scow Stern]

44. Nothing about it in LA Times till page 20 -- instead

"Pastors Guiding Voters to GOP" right on front page, upper right corner.

and

"As Vote Nears Schwarzennegger Surges Ahead" on lower right, and on page one of state section.

Laying the groundwork for why the GOP mysteriously wins even in the face of scandals and hypocrisy.

[lebkuchen]

45. I wonder if Porter Goss is involved

which would explain his unexplained resignation, with bennies.

[AzDar]

46. Foley's a scumbag...but if Boehner and Hastert KNEW and did nothing,

they are guilty, too.
Giving aid and comfort (and cover) to a pedophile...

[mcg]

47. Mark Foley (entry at Encyclopedia Dramatica)

a bit on the un-politically-correct side:

http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/index.php/Mark_Foley

[Binka]

49. Look At The Creep In The Top Pic He Is UNDRESSING The Kid

This fucker should be shot. Kids, God, Flags ALL THINGS TO BE USED!