Hastert, Boehner, Republican leadership knew about Foley.
Reality-Based Educator stayed up late and pointed me to this WaPo article which says that Boehner admitted that he, Hastert, and other Republican House leadership knew about Foley's "improper contacts." (And note how the WaPo frames Boehner's guilty backpedaling.)
Now, I would wager that they had some vague description of an inapropriate relationship, not the lurid details of the IM conversation, but even so.... To me this echoes the Catholic priest story. Certainly not the same thing, but the coverup, the "warning and transfer" may echo that scandal in the public eye.
I have often been let down by the media and its coverage of what I think is important. I don't think this story is all that important to the fate of the nation, but I do have every faith that the media is going to drive this sucker into the ground. This is their kind of story. No facts, no policy, just lurid innuendo.
I awoke this morning wondering if they're going to do a graphic.
(And, is this Dems playing hardball? The NIE leak was obviously timed, is this too? Was this held until now? I think so.
The Dems seem to be coming down the homestretch throwing every elbow they've got. I really want to know who is running this campaign. They are playing for keeps.)
House Majority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) told The Washington Post last night that he had learned this spring of inappropriate "contact" between Foley and a 16-year-old page. Boehner said he then told House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.). Boehner later contacted The Post and said he could not remember whether he talked to Hastert.
Now, I would wager that they had some vague description of an inapropriate relationship, not the lurid details of the IM conversation, but even so.... To me this echoes the Catholic priest story. Certainly not the same thing, but the coverup, the "warning and transfer" may echo that scandal in the public eye.
I have often been let down by the media and its coverage of what I think is important. I don't think this story is all that important to the fate of the nation, but I do have every faith that the media is going to drive this sucker into the ground. This is their kind of story. No facts, no policy, just lurid innuendo.
I awoke this morning wondering if they're going to do a graphic.
(And, is this Dems playing hardball? The NIE leak was obviously timed, is this too? Was this held until now? I think so.
The Dems seem to be coming down the homestretch throwing every elbow they've got. I really want to know who is running this campaign. They are playing for keeps.)
posted by mikevotes at
6:20 AM
2 Comments:
The Catholic Church comparison is right on. If the GOP leadership knew about Foley and did nothing, it's a big deal. People get that kind of scandal. The story is still a little murky and the Boehner retraction throws a little more murk onto it, but I agree that the media will probably chase this kind of story down.
As a side note, there's an interesting piece at the ABC News website about a journalist (J. Jennings Moss) for a gay publication who was prepared to out two GOP politicians who he knew to be gay who were supporting the Defense of Marriage Act back in the 1990's. One of those polticians was Mark Foley, the other was Jim Kolbe of Arizona. When confronted by the journalist, Foley went into attack mode and made sure that other journalists didn't pick up the story. Kolbe, on the other hand, decided to come out and announce he was gay. Kolbe was re-elected numerous times and remained a very popular figure in his district. Foley, on the other hand, remained in the shadows and then this scandal broke.
It is an interesting contrast between two ways of dealing w/ one's sexuality. I dunno if having to hide in the shadows all the time and make believe you like girls (as Foley once said he did in an interview) makes you more susceptible to turning to illicit activity, but I bet it doesn't help for a man who was already alone, alienated, always fearful of being outed.
Anyway, we'll see where it goes from here. It's obviously not what Mehlman (speaking of closeted men fearful of being outed) or Rove wanted (speaking of men who had fathers who were closeted and fearful of being outed) for the stretch run. Here's the ABC link in case you're interested:
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=2509649&page=1
By
Reality-Based Educator, at 8:05 AM
I don't know the specific districts between Foley and Kolbe, but in Foley's district it would've cost him.
Redneck Florida is about as bad as it gets.
And, I am still waiting for the Mehlman.
I really wish all these guys would come out on their own, I would think that would be a nation changing experience, but I do understand why they don't.
In general, I'm against "outing" as a practice, but when when someone is closeted and voting against gay rights, I do think that's news.
I still want to know who gave ABC the lead on this. I really do see a political hand. This could've broken anytime since it happened. Alot of people apparently knew.
And, I think the leadership did know in concept that there might have been improper contact, but I don't think they knew HOW improper. And, Boehner can deny it, but he's not the only one saying this. Rep Alexander, (La) also reported it to the power structure.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 11:24 AM
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