Foley in big trouble in more than one way?

[Keystone Phil]

Politics1 is reporting a "disturbing" email exchange between Congressman Mark Foley of Florida and a young, male House intern. Apparently, Foley asked for pictures of the boy and said that one of the boy's friends was in "really great shape." For the record, it has been rumored for awhile that Foley is gay.

If true, this means obvious legal and political problems.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

I have read the e-mails in question (they're all over lefty blog sites) and while I can understand how the page might have thought them "creepy", Foley did not say anything illegal.  I'm not even sure if he walked up to the line, let alone crossed it.

If we bitched every time a member of Congress did something creepy, we would have to open up 535 separate threads to track the creepiness plus extra threads for non-voting house delegates' creepiness.

Maybe he was thinking about the young man in a sexual way - creepy yes, but the thoughts alone are not illegal.  I'm sure there are plenty of 40 year old men who have thought "bad thoughts" about a 16 year old girl.  Sure, its creepy, but its one thing to have thoughts and quite another to take action.  Being a dirty old man is not, in and of itself, a crime and certainly not abnormal for a member of Congress

[opebo]

Maybe he was thinking about the young man in a sexual way - creepy yes, but the thoughts alone are not illegal.  I'm sure there are plenty of 40 year old men who have thought "bad thoughts" about a 16 year old girl.  Sure, its creepy, but its one thing to have thoughts and quite another to take action.  Being a dirty old man is not, in and of itself, a crime and certainly not abnormal for a member of Congress

Nor in fact for old men in general.  Please, people, let us stop being so unrealistic about male sexuality.  There is nothing more commonplace or normal than an old man wanting a young girl or boy.

[Keystone Phil]

I was the first to break the story! Thank God this piece of trash is going.

[Wiz in Wis]

According to ABC News, there are IM's out there that are too graphic to be broadcast or posted on free internet sites....

And... Aparently, The House Republican Leadership knew about this... FOR A YEAR

Wow... just wow!

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/

http://www.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060929/updates01/60929030

[dazzleman]

The funny thing is, Foley sponsored a bill about protecting children from internet explotation.

Of course, a 16-year-old isn't really a child, at least not physiologically.  But still, if I sent a son to be a congressional page, I wouldn't want to have to worry that a congressman was putting the moves on him.

I saw more explicit stuff than what was originally released.  I thought that what was originally released was somewhat suggestive, but not really over the line.  The other stuff I saw, assuming it's authentic, was a lot worse, and left no doubt about Foley's thoughts, though as far as I saw, he never suggested meeting any of the boys.  I could be wrong about that, though.

[Moooooo]

According to ABC News, there are IM's out there that are too graphic to be broadcast or posted on free internet sites....

And... Aparently, The House Republican Leadership knew about this... FOR A YEAR

Wow... just wow!

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/

http://www.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060929/updates01/60929030

Beat me to it...

The resignation rocked the Capitol, and especially Foley's GOP colleagues, as lawmakers were rushing to adjourn for at least six weeks. House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) told The Washington Post last night that he had learned this spring of some "contact" between Foley and a 16-year-old page. Boehner said he told House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), and that Hastert assured him "we're taking care of it."