The latest scandal, involving former Rep. Mark Foley and Congressional pages, is an exception because a minor is involved, but surprisingly, it is not the first. Correction: CNN says that both prior instances involved Congressmen with teens "over the legal age of consent."
In 1983, Reps. Daniel B. Crane (R-IL) and Gerry Studds (D-MA) were outed in a Congressional investigation of sexual impropriety involving pages. Crane had repeated sexual relations with a 17-year-old female page, reportedly consensual. He was censured by the House and lost his reelection bid in 1984. Studds had an extended relationship with a 16- or 17-year-old male page. He, too, was censured but survived the scandal.
Nothing that has been revealed about Foley's behavior so far suggests consent. And Foley's lawyer provides soundbites about alcoholism and childhood abuse -- both reasonable explanations for irrational behavior. Still, one has to believe that his resignation suggests there is more than smoke in this story.
This Is Not A Family Value
One of the problems facing the GOP is that is has spent the past two decades positioning itself as the party of "family values." That just doesn't jibe with Foley's e-mails, Foley's IM sessions, or the blind eye turned by not just the Republican leadership but also a Republican-run FBI. Hear-see-speak no evil when it's our party?
US Liberals Guide Deborah White accurately deflects one "frame" for the Foley story ... that it's no different from Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky. Given that one relationship was heterosexual consenting adults ... and the other is homosexual child predation ... it seems to me the only thing "alike" in these two examples is that they involve sex. Besides, Clinton has been out of office for six years. For the life of me, I don't understand why his name continues to be taken, if not in vain, at least in tempest.
And US Government Information Guide Robert Longley wonders if Congress can police itself. Should the task be up to an independent commission?
Given the scandals facing the GOP this year -- Abramoff, Cunningham, Libby, DeLay, Ney, Foley -- perhaps the answer is "yes."
Also, see Sex, Crimes and Other Curiosities of Washington, Who Are House Pages?, Congressional Pages Can Be Vulnerable, FBI Knew in July About Foley E-Mails to Teen
Correction at 9.55 pm Eastern
Comments
The part that is most dificult to except is that all these Political figures will never be treated as the average american will be in this sort of situation. My fiances life along with mine and our familes lives have been completely destroyed over a situation that is no where compariable to this of Mark Foley’s case. He was a college student at the time that a supposed incident occured. 4 Years later, he was taken away from me and from the life we had planned. He has been sentenced to a mandatory 10 years in prison in Georgia. Sad part is that everyone was a adult, no one had sex, and nothing seemed to have been wrong. Until the public sees this womans actions and she is humiliated. Humility is what drove the case. She is walking the streets destroying many more lives. My fiance is 26 and I am 27. We can only take each moment at a time to get through each and every day. This is, hands down, the toughest obstacle I have been faced with. I try to reach out to everyone possible hoping that someone can help us, and unfortunately we are approaching a year that he has been put away and no one seems to be able to help. I am sure that Mark Foley will NEVER have this problem.
Hello, Monica:
I am sorry to read of your situation. My knowledge of Georgia’s sex crimes law is sketchy, at best, but my memory is that it is draconian. Your story suggests that is true.
As I walked around the Capitol today — full of open space, green space, lovely parks/fountains/etc … I thought, not for the first time, that too much time on the Hill insulates leaders from the reality of everyday folks and their lives/circumstances.
Feel free to write me at uspolitics.guide@about.com if you’d like to continue this conversation privately. I am from Georgia and do have friends in law there.