When it Comes to Protecting Pervs, Congress is More Powerful Than God

[helderheid]

Heather Wood Thu Aug 23, 11:10 PM ET

It must really be nice to live under such a thick veil of protection and secrecy that you can conduct yourself like a complete sleaze bag without repercussions. The veil of which I speak is, of course, our government. This week as Florida police officers tried to look for, you know, evidence, in their investigation of former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley - who in Sept. 2006 resigned from Congress after being accused of soliciting and sending sexually explicit emails and instant messages to teenage boys - they were stopped cold by Congress. Sorry, said Uncle Sam, but you can't snoop around these parts, criminal investigation or no. Something about "case laws," which is just legal jargon for: Ha ha, there's a precedent-setting case that's stopping you, so there!

Apparently, no matter what one of our elected public officials is doing on their state-issued computers, it's off limits to the public, and certainly the police. Considering Foley spent most of his time at the office, and was allegedly in contact with former Congressional pages (who, if by the time they became "former" were still teens, then Capitol Hill needs to seriously rethink its internship policies) chances are the burden of proof lies in that very computer. Geez, talk about blanket protection. When Catholic priests were being accused of all those horrible, illegal, immoral acts, the law of the Lord protected them for awhile, but eventually the truth - and consequences - came out.

Why does Foley get to jump through loopholes that allow him to escape federal pornography laws - and who knows what else. Now, I'm not accusing the man of the worst things the priests were guilty of, but the last time I checked, partaking in salacious conversations with minors got you arrested, or at least outed and humiliated on the evening news.

And if these ridiculous, elitist protections weren't bad enough, old Foley is resorting to the go-to damage control of public people: He checked himself in to rehab for "alcoholism and other behavioral problems," admitted he was gay and confessed to being molested by a priest as a teenage altar boy in Florida. Damn, another low-blow to the Big Guy.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20070824/cm_huffpost/061629

[helderheid]

1. k

[gcruse42]

2. I think Heather's having an Emily Latilla moment.

"What's all this I hear about Congress protecting pervs? That Jefferson guy froze his cash but kept his hands to himself, didn't he? If anybody protects pervs, it's Catholic bishops who move molesting priests from parish to parish. Why aren't you going after the Pope?"

"It's perks, Emily. Congress is trying to protect its perks, like keeping earmarks a secret and themselves out of social security. They are the last plantation. Perks, not pervs."

"Oh, well, that very different. Never mind."