Wow, they're worried: JOINT STATEMENT

[newsguyatl]

Speaker’s Press Office

United States House of Representatives

Joint Statement from Speaker Dennis Hastert,

Majority Leader John Boehner and Majority Whip Roy Blunt on the Congressman Mark Foley Matter



(Washington, D.C.) Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL), Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), and Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-OH) today released the following joint statement on the Congressman Mark Foley matter:



“Members of Congress are given the trust of the American people who have elected them to office. They are expected to live up to the highest standard by those who send them to our nation’s Capitol.



“The improper communications between Congressman Mark Foley and former House Congressional pages is unacceptable and abhorrent. It is an obscene breach of trust. His immediate resignation must now be followed by the full weight of the criminal justice system.



“It is our responsibility to ensure that the students in the Page Program are as safe in the nation’s Capitol as they are in their own homes. While we have gone to great lengths to create a safe environment for House Pages, we must do more and we must also consider ways to protect them after they leave.



“We have asked the House Page Board to undertake a full review of the incident and propose additional safeguard measures. We have also asked for the creation of a toll-free telephone number for House Pages, parents, grandparents, and staff to confidentially report incidents of concern.



“In addition, we have asked the Committee on Standards to consider and recommend specific rules governing communications and contacts between Members and House Pages.”



# # #

[havocmom]

1. Hmm, nada on why they kept mum on this FOR A YEAR?!!?

Only bad if they get caught clause?

[Kurovski]

7. A YEAR! A YEAR! THEY TRIED TO HIDE IT FOR A YEAR!

Pardon my screaming, but their statement is 100% baloney.

They care not one bit about the exploitation of pages.

Exploitation is the way the Republicans operate on every level.

[rocktivity]

18. It's called "accessories after the fact"

You bastards covered up a CRIME!!!

:headbang:
rocknation

[zonkers]

31. Book'em Danno.

[rocktivity]

35. They're saying they didn't "pursue" the matter at the parents' request

Let's see if the parents stick to that story after THEY'RE charged with being accessories after the fact! I woudln't be surprised if it turned out that they were "encouraged" to not "pursue the matter!"

:headbang:
rocknation

[FogerRox]

2. Good going Repubs, .. . . . . . . . . .. ... .. . . NOT.

[Swede]

3. READ: We got caught.

:shrug:

[madokie]

4. I would say the boys are scared shitless

[DoYouEverWonder]

Former House Congressional pages!

There's more the ONE!

[Jackpine Radical]

12. Apparently more than one.

Apparently a year-long coverup from the leadership.

Republicans.

[DoYouEverWonder]

20. How many more hours

before the story becomes more then one Congressman? Senators? President?

[Jackpine Radical]

44. I bet the Puggy Damage Control forces are out in force working tonight.

[DoYouEverWonder]

45. I bet you can't find a bottle of TUMS

anywhere in DC.

[Jackpine Radical]

47. And bourbon's probly scarce too.

[LeftCoast]

5. So why didn't they do this a year ago when they first heard about it?

This is not going to go over well at all...

[terrya]

10. Bingo

This joint statement is fucking worthless.

They knew this a year ago. And...nothing.

The Republican leadership is in serious deep shit over this. Statements like this won't excuse not doing anything for a year.

[LeftCoast]

19. 39 days...that's all I keep thinking

:hi:

[terrya]

23. Yep. That's the holy grail.We just need to focus on that date.

:hi:

[G Hawes]

6. Typical

Typical Republican CYA blather.

[truthisfreedom]

8. a 1-800-weknowwhoyouarenow number? so they can keep a lid on future

revelations? i say CALL THE POLICE, PARENTS! don't call the f*cking 800 number.

[The_Casual_Observer]

17. Calling the police is the right thing to do. Those 800 # things

are meant to talk you out of/ slow down an investigation.

[populistdriven]

46. Or dig for Democratic Dirt

[Moochy]

30. This is unreal

The wheels have come off the rickety wagon that is the GOP.

I can't believe they are trying to set up an 1-800 number for this.

[The_Casual_Observer]

9. Same thing the catholic church did. Hide the problem & let it continue

until somebody spilled the beans. There is every indication that this would have continued forever if it hadn't leaked.

[spindrifter]

11. What about reporting by cousins and neighbors of

Pages? Are they to be marginalized?

[peacebird]

13. they SHOULD be worried. They *knew* about improper behaviour from a

Congressman in respect to a teenager whose wellbeing and security had been entrusted IN THEIR CARE and they did nothing.

They KNEW.

They did not act.

They allowed a teen to be intimidated and subjected to a powerful adult sending sexually suggestive emails and instant messages - they KNEW and they did NOTHING to protect that teen and even worse - they KNEW and did nothing , thus risking abuse of the next group of pages as well.

[gatorboy]

14. Will Amercia put up with conservative Pedofacism? n/t

[skids]

15. P.S.

"And now all you people who were wondering why we didn't run Foley against Harris, now you know. We knew back then, too!"

[NMDemDist2]

41. ahha! were they making noise about that?? interesting....... n/t

[AIJ Alom]

16. Edited version to include all the things that should have been said.

Speaker’s Press Office

United States House of Representatives

Joint Statement from Speaker Dennis Hastert,

Majority Leader John Boehner and Majority Whip Roy Blunt on the Congressman Mark Foley Matter



(Washington, D.C.) Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL), Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), and Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-OH) today released the following joint statement on the Congressman Mark Foley matter:



“Members of Congress are given the trust of the American people who have elected them to office. They are expected to live up to the highest standard by those who send them to our nation’s Capitol.

1) If you are serious about this statement, you should have brought this up a year ago when this first came to your attention.
2) The minority party, the Democrats should have been informed as well. Why weren't they ?

The improper communications between Congressman Mark Foley and former House Congressional pages is unacceptable and abhorrent. It is an obscene breach of trust. His immediate resignation must now be followed by the full weight of the criminal justice system.

1) Were these communications just as improper and criminal a year ago when it first came to your attention ?
2) Therefore were you not covering for Mr. Foley and the greater good of your party rather than country by allowing him to continue in his position and allowing him to run for re-election ?

“It is our responsibility to ensure that the students in the Page Program are as safe in the nation’s Capitol as they are in their own homes. While we have gone to great lengths to create a safe environment for House Pages, we must do more and we must also consider ways to protect them after they leave.

1) Safe environment ? Why was Foley allowed to continue in his position as the head of the NCMEC Caucus ?

“We have asked the House Page Board to undertake a full review of the incident and propose additional safeguard measures. We have also asked for the creation of a toll-free telephone number for House Pages, parents, grandparents, and staff to confidentially report incidents of concern.

1) Inform the minority party plain and simple.
2) Put politics aside when a crime has been committed.
3) Do not put party first, do not cover for Foley.

“In addition, we have asked the Committee on Standards to consider and recommend specific rules governing communications and contacts between Members and House Pages.”

[malaise]

21. It's the coverup

They're scared shitless:popcorn: :rofl: I'm loving it. Karma is sweet.

add.

[Subdivisions]

22. Don't worry everybody, we're going to investigate ourselves...

Nothing to see here. Move along please.

[Swamp Rat]

24. Here ya go:

[longship]

34. ... & Pedophilia

Torture & Murder & Pedophilia

You forgot one, SwampRat.

[Swamp Rat]

48. Not forgotten

I was creating a two word cliche to answer "cut & run." So, I consider acts of pedophilia to fall under the catagory of torture... but yes: Pedophilia is a republican family value.

[hatrack]

25. They just painted themselves into a corner

After all, it's kind of hard to call for the full weight of the criminal justice system to come down on the pervy within your own ranks and then expect (as they apparently do) that nothing is going to happen to the people who cover up the same behavior.

They are panicking, and they just fucked up big time.

[boolean]

26. Fuck you both

These assholes knew about it for months and did nothing.

[uppityperson]

27. "Sorry we got caught." Why do they need another phone # to call?

Seems like they should be able to expect confidentiality any time call a legislator, doesn't it seem so?

[malaise]

28. So is Denny's memory working now

What does he recall now?

[madmusic]

29. "as safe as they are in their own homes"

Which is not that safe. Home in fact is most dangerous. Is that intentional?

[Justice Is Comin]

32. The two red retards on the page investigation committee

didn't even tell the one Democrat in their own committee that they knew about the Foley electronic fondling.

They're in deep shit too, and they're gonna roll on somebody.

[sweetheart]

33. Republican mockery

The republican party is making a mockery of all of us. Everything that party is doing
"is unacceptable and abhorrent. It is an obscene breach of trust. His immediate resignation must now be followed by the full weight of the criminal justice system." ...watch this space, he'll get his own wish.

What are we to do, to simply sit around whilst our ELECTED LAWMAKERS groom our
children for buggery on the internet? Not just foley, but a collaboration of them
is hiding a pattern of sexual deviance, to think the public won't bat an eyelash,
that same public that fawned over every drop of spittle falling from clinton's cigar.

"are you hard?"

Its not hard, Vote Dem.

[enid602]

36. quote

"... improper communications between Congressman Mark Foley and former House Congressional pages is . . ." What, did they fire the pages? Sounds like he's putting some of the blame on them.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

37. After the fact CYA by political hacks. A popular pastime in D.C.

[spanone]

38. All This Just In Time For The Sunday Morning Talk Shows.

:party:

[lonestarnot]

50. Woodamnwhoo! Can't fucking wait!

[Garbo 2004]

39. A former page told ABC his class was warned about Foley:

"One former page tells ABC News that his class was warned about Foley by people involved in the program." http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/09/exclusive_the_s.html

So who were the people warning the pages, when, how commonly known was Foley's thing for Congressional pages and for how long?

Foley's been around for a long time. I rather doubt that no one in Congress knew about Foley's activities or that late 2005 was the first time anyone there knew he was having "inappropriate" communications with pages.

[EFerrari]

43. You've got to wonder about other kids, pages AND kids

closer to where this @sshole lives.

[Danascot]

54. Pages Were Warned in 2001! They've known about Foley for years!

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=2514259&page=1

[Straight Shooter]

40. What a crock. n/t

[bleever]

42. Time for a class action suit against the Republican Party by the parents.

Dontcha think?

[Reader Rabbit]

56. You've gotta wonder if the parents already knew.

Isn't a position as a page one of those things that opens incredible doors for kids later in life? Connections, power, etc.? Maybe the kids and their parents figured that this was just one of those crosses you have to bear on your way to the top. Sure would explain why the parents of the kid at the heart of this never pressed charges or made a fuss.

We've got daily examples of how much people are willing to give up for the sake of a little power.

[bleever]

57. Even under those circumstances, people are quick to reconsider

when it doesn't turn out to be so mutually beneficial. Just wait; I bet we'll be hearing from them.

[janx]

49. Hey Newsguy!

:pals:

I was talking about this with a poet mentor of mine tonight. She is convinced that the lot of Congress has so much crap on everyone else that some kind of generic statement is the only way out for the lot of them.

She is wise.

This response that you have posted is so very weak and defensive. It's depressing.

[Dem2theMax]

51. I wonder what the parents of these pages are thinking right about now.

If this happened to your kid, you'd want to keep his name out of print to protect him and his privacy.

But would you want it kept so quiet that other kids might be put in harms way as well? I doubt it.
You'd want Foley hanging by his you-know-whats.

This could go both ways. The parents could have asked that that the repukes not pursue the matter any further, out of respect for their son's privacy. But I doubt it.
I'm buying into the 'they were talked out of pressing the matter any further' scenario.

I just can't see any parent not wanting to protect their child and quite possibly, other children as well. If these people were talked out of going after Foley, I can only imagine how they must feel tonight, after seeing how they and their child had been discarded by the repuke party. The repukes did NOTHING to Foley. A hand slap at best. How many other kids could have been protected if the repuke party did what they keep swearing they are doing? "Keeping us safe, protecting our kids."

If my child was one of the pages who had been preyed upon by Foley AFTER the repukes had been warned about him, I'd be starting WWIII against the whole lot of them right about now.

And here's to hoping that the parents of those kids do just that.

[neebob]

52. Why do they need to be protected after they leave?

Do the congressmen stalk them too?

Edit: Never mind. I see it was a former page.

[Imagevision]

53. Hastert and Boehner if guilty should not serve in leadership !

[cwydro]

55. what a bunch of frickin

hypocrites...scum all of them:puke: