Congressman resigns for racy IMs to teen

[Charlotte_native]

Fox News needs to be humiliated.

It is very difficult to humiliate someone, or something, that has no humility. The people that believe in this station will NEVER change their minds anyway. I just hope those that are in the middle have more common sense.

[runawayjim]

It is very difficult to humiliate someone, or something, that has no humility. The people that believe in this station will NEVER change their minds anyway. I just hope those that are in the middle have more common sense.

is there a form of sanctions for news media that report in such a blatantly false manner as this and don't offer up an apology or a public correction?

[JDC]

^ I would guess that the first amendment covers them on this.

I'm watching Hastert's comments on Fox "News" now. The text on the bottom, referring to Foley's resignation, says, "REPUBLICANS ACTED AND THE GUY'S GONE."

What a joke! Like a bunch of republicans walked in on them fondling one another and then ousted Foley on the spot. Gimme a break.

Hastert just ended it with a cheap shot at democrats. Something along the lines of, "Blah blah blah, I'm a fat old white guy, I don't know what they're planning across the aisle, probably some political tactic - Thank you!".

[runawayjim]

^ I would guess that the first amendment covers them on this.

I'm watching Hastert's comments on Fox "News" now. The text on the bottom, referring to Foley's resignation, says, "REPUBLICANS ACTED AND THE GUY'S GONE."

What a joke! Like a bunch of republicans walked in on them fondling one another and then ousted Foley on the spot. Gimme a break.

Hastert just ended it with a cheap shot at democrats. Something along the lines of, "Blah blah blah, I'm a fat old white guy, I don't know what they're planning across the aisle, probably some political tactic - Thank you!".

i don't think freedom of the press allows for spreading false news. if that's the case, they're no longer the press. and it certainly isn't freedom of speech, because again, it's a complete and obvious lie.

the headline on cnn.com is great... hastert staying; taking blame

if he was truly taking the blame, shoudln't he be stepping down?

[JDC]

No, I don't think the first amendment ought to cover them either. I just wonder if they've already come up with some kind of sneaky defense, like one would expect them to.

Speaking of blatant lying by news organizations, Fox is at it again. This time they've identified Rhode Island democrat Sheldon Whitehouse as a Republican and Lincoln Chafee a Democrat. Yep, some networks just can't get their parties straight.

See the video HERE.

Perhaps they should just be taken off the air.

[kayman]

No, I don't think the first amendment ought to cover them either. I just wonder if they've already come up with some kind of sneaky defense, like one would expect them to.

Speaking of blatant lying by news organizations, Fox is at it again. This time they've identified Rhode Island democrat Sheldon Whitehouse as a Republican and Lincoln Chafee a Democrat. Yep, some networks just can't get their parties straight.

See the video HERE.

Perhaps they should just be taken off the air.

I'm not surprised. Fox News has already made a fool out themselves last week with they labelling Mark Foley as a Democrat.

[cityboi]

I think this combined with other things such as the poorly planned war in Iraq will lead to the democrats taking over the house and senate. Polls across the country show that more than 65% of Americans want the democrats to take over the house and senate and for the first time since 911, Americans think democrats can do a better job in the war on terror than republicans. What this means is that if the democrats do indeed take over, which I believe the will, it means the end of the Bush agenda at last!!!

The republican leadership is also sleeping in bed with the oil companies. That is obvious because the oil companies are doing everything they can to keep republicans as the majority. hint hint. notice the gas price are going down quite a bit as we approach the mid term elections. Premium gas in Greensboro, NC is now below $2.20 per gallon. We havnt seen those prices in several years. it wansnt that long ago when premium was above $3.00 per gallon.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

The Democrat's reaction to this is rather curious considering that there is no evidence that Foley engaged in sexual activity with the boy, and that the Democrats set the age-of-consent at 16 in D.C.

These democrats who marched aside NAMBLA...

[Gusterfell]

The Democrat's reaction to this is rather curious considering that there is no evidence that Foley engaged in sexual activity with the boy, and that the Democrats set the age-of-consent at 16 in D.C.

These democrats who marched aside NAMBLA...

What Democrat's reaction? This became a story when Foley decided to resign. So far most of the political wrangling surrounding the issue is coming from within the Republican party, which is divided in its opinion of the propriety of Hastert's role.

[Snowguy716]

The only people that get really uppidy and peeved by these scandals are the social-conservatives...

The liberals are out there screaming their faces off about torture legislation, habeas corpus being removed.. our schools, roads... health care system detiorating.. the quagmire in Iraq... that's what we want to talk about and what we want everyone to talk about... but NO...

The rednecks and the uptight-fundies invariably want someone to get a blowjob or have sex or something so they can get all fired up and then try and blame it on Bill Clinton...

it never ceases to amaze me.. and I think the Democrats finally realized that the only way to beat the republicans is to beat them at their own game: Sleaze and mudslinging.,,'

If Mark Foley had been a democrat and a liberal.. I wouldn't care one bit about it. But since he's an uptight Republican trying to stop kids from being preyed on... screw him, and screw everyone that covered it up.

[nowensone]

Sleaze and mudslinging are unique to neither party, the average politician is only different in their rhetoric, little else. But I couldn't say I wouldn't care if Foley was a Democrat about all of this, as I think it will turn our that he may have on other occasions passed back and forth across this magical "16 years old" line that has been drawn.

At any rate, the "damage" to the Republican party continues, Bob Ney (Rep Ohio) has pleaded guilty, and while the Abramoff corruption case is old news now, the timing of this is almost... priceless. You'd think that party leaders would have told him to fight this a while longer. Wait, nope, they'd just get vilified for that too..

I don't think there can be any doubt we'll have a democratic majority in both houses and the presidency soon enough, but then the Dems will actually have to do some of the things they will talk about in the upcoming election campaigns.

[Pillsbury]

^ Good point. Thomas Friedman (I think) of the New York Times wrote that he hoped the Democrats won both house and senate, but only by one vote each. That way, the Democrats would have some power, but at the same time know that if they didn't produce they'd be gone again in a few years. Thought it was interesting.

[Charlotteman]

Instead of gradually fading away over time, the way most scandles do, this one appears to gain strtength as the days go by!

Interesting how a scandle like this from one congressman can bring his whole party down. Actually, his case is but the straw that broke the camel's back.

Is this becoming bigger news because people are upset about quasi-pedophilia, or because people are getting irritated by the hypocracy Foley's party represents?

[runawayjim]

Is this becoming bigger news because people are upset about quasi-pedophilia, or because people are getting irritated by the hypocracy Foley's party represents?

quasi-pedophilia

[Charlotte_native]

Instead of gradually fading away over time, the way most scandles do, this one appears to gain strtength as the days go by!

Interesting how a scandle like this from one congressman can bring his whole party down. Actually, his case is but the straw that broke the camel's back.

Is this becoming bigger news because people are upset about quasi-pedophilia, or because people are getting irritated by the hypocracy Foley's party represents?

My vote is people are tired of seeing their elected officials skirt the law or have their party back them up no matter how obvious it is they either broke the law, broke the rules, or violated ethics. This happened to the Dems when they were in power for years, it is happening on the other side now. Good ol' boy clubs are in both parties and getting re-elected or keeping power in Congress trumps doing the right thing.

Tom Delay laundered money, committed campaign finance fraud and had other finance "gaffs" but the party still stands behind him -- even after indicted. Ney and others are all in the pockets of Jack Abramoff but no one does anything. Halliburton is ripping us off right in our faces, administration still hires them over and over again. A CIA agent is openly identified against federal law, no one is fired and we are supposed to 'wait' until the investigations are over -- if the administration was close to serious about finding out whodonit they could have, but they didn't care who did it and likely it was done at their bidding. Another Pennsylvania congressman choked his mistress (married 30 years -- GO for protecting the tradition and institution of marriage) yet the charges are dropped and nothing happens. The list goes on and on.

I think people, at least me, are sick of seeing the obvious but having those in power do nothing claiming to be waiting to let the justice system finish investigating. If you are caught stealing at work, sexually harrassing someone, etc, you are fired. Period.

Foley is the final act. He was known to chase Senate pages for years -- that much is obvious. Whether the upper end guys knew about it is less obvious, but plenty of people did, that part is for sure. He was even on the committee to protect children and helped craft legislation to protect kids from nasty men on the internet -- hypocrisy.

[Charlotteman]

I'm just utterly amazed by how this story goes on and on and on!!!!

Today yahoo news reported Foley is planning on revealing the Roman Catholic priest who molested him as a kid 36-38 years ago. The statute of limitations prohibits governmental prosecution, but the Catholic Church hierarchy is planning a full investigation.

One would think the RNC would be discouraging Foley from keeping this story alive. Everyday it goes on, the GOP is going to continue to lose face more and more.

[Gusterfell]

One would think the RNC would be discouraging Foley from keeping this story alive. Everyday it goes on, the GOP is going to continue to lose face more and more.

[Charlotteman]

^^^I think you're right. And what a crass example of grasping at anything possible to avoid persecution for one's own actions.....

[JDC]

Hey, if it's true Denny Hastert knew what was going on, perhaps he could be forced out. Imagine that.

[Pillsbury]

I'm just utterly amazed by how this story goes on and on and on!!!!

Today yahoo news reported Foley is planning on revealing the Roman Catholic priest who molested him as a kid 36-38 years ago. The statute of limitations prohibits governmental prosecution, but the Catholic Church hierarchy is planning a full investigation.

One would think the RNC would be discouraging Foley from keeping this story alive. Everyday it goes on, the GOP is going to continue to lose face more and more.

[snoogit]

I'm just utterly amazed by how this story goes on and on and on!!!!

Today yahoo news reported Foley is planning on revealing the Roman Catholic priest who molested him as a kid 36-38 years ago. The statute of limitations prohibits governmental prosecution, but the Catholic Church hierarchy is planning a full investigation.

One would think the RNC would be discouraging Foley from keeping this story alive. Everyday it goes on, the GOP is going to continue to lose face more and more.

[Charlotteman]

The Democrats embracing NAMBLA is about as likely as G.W.Bush being proclaimed the greatest president in American history.

[Charlotte_native]

The Democrats embracing NAMBLA is about as likely as G.W.Bush being proclaimed the greatest president in American history.

[runawayjim]

This was probably something spread around by some group with "Family" and "Values" and "America" in the name and a white male preacher will be the main source of the truth. I have no doubt someone has tried to associate Democrats with NAMBLA -- there is no pride or line that can be crossed with these folks. The moral police seem to feel lying to achieve an end is not a sin.

I got an email from a family member titled "What will happen if Liberals take over Congress". I wish I would have saved it. It was from something like American Family Council -- some group that claims to be Christian yet seems to be overly judgemental (I checked out their website). According to their email if Liberals take over Congress a lot of things will happen that I wasn't aware of. Some were true, like they will appoint liberal judges (not unlike the fact that conservatives will appoint conservative judges). I guess, though, they missed the fact that the president appoints judges so a liberal congress will have nothing to do with this, but I digress...the things a liberal congress apparantly WILL DO that got me:

Homosexual marriage AND POLYGAMY will become legal

Hate crime laws will be passed that make it ILLEGAL TO SAY SOMETHING NEGATIVE ABOUT A GAY PERSON

The US will IMMEDIATELY withdraw from Iraq

The US will grant all liberties to "terrorists" that US citizens have

We will open up our borders to illegal immigrants and grant amnesty to those that are already here

Unfortunately I am not making this up and there are American idiots who believe it.

[Charlotte_native]

some of those things aren't so bad... homosexual marriage, polygamy, immediately withdrawing from iraq, giving "terrorists" more liberties (by "terrorists" i mean false positives), and even illegal immigration since they're just looking for work and they do jobs for under minimum wage that most americans will not do for more than minimum wage, jobs that are necessary for the country to continue.