Rep. Majority Leader Boehner defends Hastert in letter to Washington Times

[wicket]

Scroll down:

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_theswamp/2006/10/top_congressman.html

October 3, 2006

Dear Letter to the Editor:

I disagree with the editorial board of the Washington Times ("Resign, Mr. Speaker," Oct. 3, 2006). We are all outraged about Mark Foley's abhorrent and reprehensible conduct. He preyed on children entrusted to our care and he disgraced our institution.

Mr. Foley lied to his fellow members, he lied to the Clerk of the House, and I believe everyone wishes they knew more and knew it earlier so we would have caught Mr. Foley's lies and deceit. Those of us in the Republican leadership have done our best to provide an accurate chronology of our recollections and conversations with Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-LA) regarding Mr. Foley, but one thing is certain: no one in the leadership, including Speaker Hastert, had any knowledge of the warped and sexually explicit instant messages that were revealed by ABC News last Friday. Had Speaker Hastert or anyone else in our leadership known about Mr. Foley's despicable conduct, I'm confident the Speaker would have moved to expel Mr. Foley immediately and turn him over to the appropriate authorities.

Our congressional pages and their parents deserve a fair and full investigation by the Justice Department, and I'm confident they will get one. We also need to know why these messages surfaced only last week, on the final day of legislative business before the November elections. If this evidence was withheld for political purposes, one can only speculate as to how many additional children may have been endangered before this information was finally revealed.

Sincerely,

John Boehner (R-OH)
House Majority Leader

[kurth]

1. Mr. Foley lied, Mr. Foley lied, Mr. Foley lied, etc.

I had NO idea there was gambling in here. Yeah, right.

[BOSSHOG]

2. Slimy lies throughout boner!

- You weren't outraged at foley's behavior
- You don't think his actions were reprehensible and abhorrent
- You don't give a fuck about the kids in your care
- Your side of the aisle has totally disgraced your institution
- You and the rest of the republican "leadership" did know about the salacious emails

- Oh and was your last sentence written by limbaugh?

The only thing you are outraged about boner is that foley got caught. You are a republican, therefore you have no morals or integrity. You are a liar and hopefully you will soon be in jail.

[wicket]

6. Speaking of Limbaugh...

Did you see that Hastert went on his show today and tried to claim this is all a conspiracy by liberals?!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=2298334

PATHETIC!

[librechik]

3. Let's dig up Boner's stetments of outrage over Clinton's misstep

I'll bet he wanted THAT exposed all over the universe, and for the purposes of justice only (snicker)

[AndyA]

4. I'm confused. Didn't Boehner place the blame on Hastert this morning?

I thought I'd read where he said Hastert told him it had been taken care of. Another GOP flip flop?

[Blackhatjack]

5. This is why Boehner is going down WITH Hastert ....

...Boehner has no credibility anymore, just like Hastert.

[Coventina]

7. The info WAS withheld for political purposes: YOURS!!!

What a moran!!!!

Resign you pig!!

[Justice Is Comin]

8. Boner can't even keep his story straight.

He told hastert about it before he didn't tell him about it.

[wicket]

10. LOL!!!!

:rofl:

[KharmaTrain]

9. They Still Don't Get It...GOOD!

A great analogy I heard this morning...it's like a school gets a report of a teacher getting too friendly with a student. Ya think a principal can allow this to be hushed up? Or the superitendant? If they do, they're gone. It doesn't matter what the content of the emails were, it's the fact they were of questionable nature and showed an usual contact between a 50 year old man and 16 old boy. They knew something was strange here...they'd been warned about Foley and pages in the past and they did nothing. That's game, set and match.

[wicket]

11. kick

:kick:

[Toots]

12. Our congressional pages and their parents deserve a fair and full investig

but only after the fact. Why was there no call for investigation when you were first informed about improper behavior? We don't buy it... Always when given evidence of improper behavior you investigate to see if there is truth to it or not. You don't just ask the person if they did wrong and move on when they say they did not. If you do not investigate to find the truth you are being negligent.... Republicans are and have been negligent on this matter and most others as well.