Needs to Get More Attention: More than Naughty Emails

Let weazl be the first to say that he thinks this entire Mark Foley thing is ridiculous. Not that he approves of sexual propositions towards underage boys, but Congress and the White House have been faaaaaar more culpable in their criminality and destructive to the Constitution and our national reputlation than anything that could be implicated by sexual issues (other than the perversity of Abu Ghraib). The one good thing, however, is that it shows more clearly than anything TO THE AVERAGE AMERICAN COUCH POTATO the craven hypocrisy of the Republican party. And if their "outrage" over Mark Foley can lead to a retrieval, even on a partial or symbolic basis, of the separation of powers that would ensue from a Democratic victory in either branch of Congress, then weazl is all for it. But it noteworthy of how, in conformity with the Rethugs, major media downplays the entire scandal and yet again fails to do its job by examining in greater depth the prevarications of the Republicans. Anyway, now that it is known that Mark Foley was not "just sending naughty emails," but crusing for sex, the Democrats and the media should pound that home to the American viewer:

Former page says he had sex with Foley at 21

By Wally Roche

A former House page says he had sex with then-Rep. Mark Foley after receiving explicit e-mails in which the congressman described assessing the sexual orientation and physical attributes of underage pages but waiting until later to make direct advances.

The former page, who agreed to discuss his relationship with Foley (R-Fla.) with the Los Angeles Times on condition that he not be identified, said his electronic correspondence with Foley began after he finished the respected Capitol Hill program for high school juniors. His sexual encounter in the fall of 2000 also came after he left the page program. At the time, he was 21 and a graduate of a rural Northeastern college.

"I always knew you were a player but I don't fool around with pages," declared one instant message from Maf54, a screen name used by Foley in exchanges that have now become public involving a number of male former pages.

The former page's account is consistent with Foley's assertion that he did not have sexual relations with minors, a question that will be key to determining whether he committed criminal acts. Although the legal age of consent varies from state to state, in the District of Columbia, where the pages live in supervised dormitories, it is 16.

Yet the former page's exchanges with Foley offer a glimpse of possible predatory behavior by the congressman as he assessed male teenagers assigned as House errand runners.

In the messages, Maf54 described how years earlier, when the young man was a page, he had looked to see if the teenager had an erection beneath his tight white pants while the page was working near the congressman. Maf54 also offers speculation about the sexual attributes of other males who were in the same page class.

Foley abruptly resigned his House seat on Sept. 29 after disclosure of sexually oriented e-mails to a former page. Other electronic messages were subsequently divulged, and questions concerning how much House Republican leaders knew about Foley and his interest in pages are being investigated by the House ethics committee. Foley is now in seclusion in an alcohol treatment facility, and his lawyer has declined to answer questions about specific pages.

The FBI has begun contacting former pages, and at least one, a deputy campaign manager for Rep. Ernest Istook (R-Okla.), who is running for governor, has hired a criminal defense lawyer, according to a published report. Istook issued a statement last week urging the media to protect the young man's privacy after his name was briefly posted on the ABC News Web site.

The former page interviewed by the Los Angeles Times said he has not been contacted by either the FBI or the House ethics committee. He agreed to talk to the newspaper only if his identity is protected because of his fear that exposure could hurt future job prospects.

Saved messages

The Times found the former page after others identified him as someone whose contacts with Foley went beyond graphic instant message exchanges. At an interview, the former page brought with him a computer storing his saved communications with Foley and allowed a Times reporter to review them. The young man, who now manages a suburban office of a national franchise, says he is gay and had only one sexual encounter with Foley before the contacts abruptly ended. The Times also agreed not to publish the year of his page class to protect his identity.

While serving as a page, the young man said that he and his fellow pages gossiped frequently about Foley's overly friendly behavior but did not complain about him to program supervisors or other members of Congress.

One evening, four of the teenage boys decided to make an unannounced visit to Foley's home.

"We knocked on his door and he let us in. Nothing happened, but he was very friendly," the former page said.

Foley's attention made the young man feel important at a time when he was struggling with his emerging sexuality. "It seemed cool that he was taking an interest," he said. "I knew he was gay, and he was attracted to me."

After leaving the page program, the former page began receiving messages from Foley. He is uncertain how Foley knew his college instant message address but assumed that the congressman had access to a directory listing the whereabouts of former pages.

Provocative exchanges

The exchanges quickly became provocative.

"I always thought you were gay," Maf54 commented.

"Is it obvious?" the former page asked.

Ultimately, the young man said he had a sexual encounter with Foley at the congressman's Washington home. Then 21, he was in Washington as an intern in an unrelated program.

The two had wine and pizza on a back-yard patio and then retired to a spare bedroom, he recalled.

The former page, who served during Foley's first term in office, said that he believes Foley became bolder in his behavior during his decade in Congress.

"He clearly has used his position, but who hasn't?" the former page said. He still follows protocol in referring to the former congressman as "Mr. Foley."

2 different people

He said Foley was really two very different people, a legislator "really devoted to his cause" and a sexual being.

He and other former pages were surprised that it took so long for Foley "to get caught," said the young man, who added that he fears the page program could be damaged as a result.

"It was the most spectacular year of my life," he said "I would love to do it all over again."

Original article posted here.