# Rep. Mark Foley resigns over e-mails to teenage boys -- repercussions? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 30, 2006, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735 "2006-09-30T14:28:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/181 "2006-10-03T19:31:41Z")
So Boehner has reversed himself yet again. First it was “I told Hasert and he assured me that it would be taken care of” then it was “I can’t recall” and then “I didn’t talk to him, how dare you accuse me of that.” Now he’s back to “I heard something, I took it to my supervisor.” Ok. Question: isn’t this something to take to the ethics committee, not your POLITICAL supervisior? This is the same deal with Alexander: they notified the political elections wing of the party about this with a lot more urgency than the ethics side of things. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/182 "2006-10-03T19:48:31Z")
At any rate, I think we have clearly resolved the OP’s question. Repurcussions? Yes. Yeppers. Hugh Bethca. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/183 "2006-10-03T20:43:53Z")
[In 2003, Foley had cybersex with an ex-page.](http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/03/foley.scandal/index.html) The phrasing of the headline makes it sound like it happened while Foley was on the House floor, which it didn’t. Either way, this now definitely goes beyond flirting. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/184 "2006-10-03T20:51:02Z")
[QUOTE=Pochacco] And they didn’t know about them because **they didn’t investigate**. The emails were not overtly unethical or illegal, but they were disturbing and suspicious. As we’ve seen over the past few days it was easy for ABC news to turn up the more damaging material with a minimum of effort. If the Republican leadership had done a minimal amount of research when they received the first complaints about Foley’s behavior they could have turned up the IMs then. [/quote] I dunno, the FBI and St Pete Times got the same information that Hastart did, and neither uncovered the IM’s. > [@](#): > > Parents send their teenagers off to Washington with the expectation they will be properly protected and chaparoned. They don’t expect them to be tootling around town on the arm of some horny congressman. Teenagers often do things their parents don’t expect. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/185 "2006-10-03T21:53:17Z")
To the extent that the question is still, “were the original emails ‘off’ enough that most reasonable persons seeing them would have expected further investigation,” [the original emails are on pp.4-8 of this PDF](http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/FoleyEmailExchange.pdf). Make up your own mind. But as I said to **Martin Hyde** in another thread, > [@](#): > > look at it this way. I’m just about the same age as Foley. I can make conversation with the sons and daughters of my stepbrother and stepsister, and with the sons and daughters of my good friends, because _I know enough about them already_ to have some sort of starting point. But I’d dread, I’d cringe, at the necessity of making small talk with a 16 year old I didn’t really know at all. Yet here he is, _going out of his way_ to have that cringe-worthy conversation. How ‘off’ is that?? Pretty damned ‘off,’ I’d say. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/186 "2006-10-03T22:05:05Z")
[QUOTE=RTFirefly] To the extent that the question is still, “were the original emails ‘off’ enough that most reasonable persons seeing them would have expected further investigation,” [the original emails are on pp.4-8 of this PDF](http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/FoleyEmailExchange.pdf). Make up your own mind. [/QUOTE] The most significant bit there, I think, is this: > [@](#): > > Yeah, Will Humble was just another page he liked > … > I talked to another page…[she] said that there was a congressman that did hit on pages. Is this what Hastert _et al_ got last year? Is this the email exchange that didn’t raise their suspicion about Foley? He’s got the names, fercryinoutloud, of two other pages who know about it! How on earth is that not sufficient to trigger an investigation? Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/187 "2006-10-03T23:08:09Z")
[QUOTE=Dangerosa] … (who was the Democrat from Colorado that resigned over Sexual Harrassment - 1990s?)… [/QUOTE] You may be thinking of [Gary Hart](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Hart) former Senator Gary Hart, whose 1988 Presidential run was derailed by Donna Rice. I can’t remember any Coloradoan at the federal level resigning for those reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/188 "2006-10-03T23:10:59Z")
I must say, regardless of what is eventually revealed about who knew what when, the jostling amongst the House leadership to maneuver away from the curb before the bus comes by is intensely amusing political theater. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/189 "2006-10-03T23:17:50Z")
[http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2006/oct/03/ny\_26\_did\_reynolds\_authorize\_aide\_to\_ask\_abc\_to\_kill\_story](http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2006/oct/03/ny_26_did_reynolds_authorize_aide_to_ask_abc_to_kill_story) Reynold’s aide apparently tried to bargain with ABC to keep the IMs out of the public eye. Did Reynolds know? Reynolds, btw is in charge of the Republican Congressional election effort. As I keep noting, there is a clear pattern that Republicans dealt with this as a potential election problem with FAR more effort and interest than they dealt with it as an ethics violation. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/190 "2006-10-03T23:18:06Z")
Oh, my Goddess, yes! I haven’t laughed so hard since they shot Ol’ Yeller! Its like a turd star collapsing into a neutron density shit singularity. No light can escape, but it still stinks from 3 parsecs… ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/191 "2006-10-03T23:31:59Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] Oh, my Goddess, yes! I haven’t laughed so hard since they shot Ol’ Yeller! [/QUOTE] [sub]Pssst! You’re overusing this one lately. Carry on[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![jshore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@jshore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jshore)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/192 "2006-10-04T00:08:41Z")
[QUOTE=Rachm Qoch] Clearly they need to get on the same page. [/QUOTE] You thought you could sneak that one by us, didn’t you? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/193 "2006-10-04T00:30:41Z")
Even ignoring the issue of whether or not Hastert and Boehner were trying to cover up for Foley or were simply in the dark, there’s still the matter of why House Page Board Chair John Shimkus [didn’t inform the other members of the Board](http://www.dailymail.com/story/News/+/200610027/Capito+says+she+was+not+told+about+congressman's+e-mails/) when he first learned about the emails late last year. I mean, even if Shimkus thought there wasn’t anything there, his failure to tell the other members of the Board that _something_ had happened to one of the pages is questionable. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/194 "2006-10-04T00:32:48Z")
[playing the molested-as-a-youth card](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061003/ap_on_go_co/congressman_e_mails;_ylt=AnqjU09Wt9LQi7horW1c7n6GbToC;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl) ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/195 "2006-10-04T00:37:41Z")
What cracks me up is that some right-wingers (think Hillbilly Heroin addict who can’t get it up) are now claiming that this is all a nasty Democrat (sic) trick to sway the November elections. So, in other words, its not the year-long cover-up by House Republican leadership that is outrageous; its the fact that the information has now come to light that is the outrage. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/196 "2006-10-04T00:49:12Z")
[QUOTE=rjung] Even ignoring the issue of whether or not Hastert… [/QUOTE] There’s also the issue of whether Hastert is lying about asking for Foley’s resignation. I got the impression last week that Foley _decided_ to resign, and then informed Gov. Bush and the Speaker, yet today on Rush, Hastert said: > [@](#): > > “We found out about it, asked him to resign. He did resign. He’s gone.” He then repeated that line in a Tuesday interview with Sean Hannity. This differs from my recollection and from what the Speaker said on Monday: > [@](#): > > “I think Foley resigned almost immediately upon the outbreak of this information, and so we really didn’t have a chance to ask him to resign, and I left at the very end of the session, almost, before the very last vote.” [abc news](http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2006/10/flipflopping_de.html) The actual events of the past week are likely seared in Hastert’s memory, so there’s really no excuse for getting his story wrong. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/197 "2006-10-04T01:07:31Z")
[QUOTE=Frostillicus] So, in other words, its not the year-long cover-up by House Republican leadership that is outrageous; its the fact that the information has now come to light that is the outrage. [/QUOTE] I have two words for you that recall another case where Republican politicians seemed to think exposure by the media was a worse crime than the original events: Abu Ghraib. ---
**Author:** ![GeorgiaBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cab0a1/32.png) [@GeorgiaBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GeorgiaBoy)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/198 "2006-10-04T01:20:36Z")
[QUOTE=Cervaise] [playing the molested-as-a-youth card](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061003/ap_on_go_co/congressman_e_mails;_ylt=AnqjU09Wt9LQi7horW1c7n6GbToC;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl) [/QUOTE] Well, let’s keep in mind that it may be true that he was molested, it may be true that he’s an alcoholic. Perhaps this man is actually doing some right things in the wake of all this, and maybe he’s trying to shift some of the blame, too. (Maybe it’s all a put-on, but I’d rather wait for evidence before claiming that.) Ok, so he was a closeted gay man who liked 'em young. Ok, so he chased boys and was really stupid about it. That’s a personal tragedy, and there’s no indication that he did anything physical. That doesn’t make it right, but let’s not light the pyre just yet for this man. I think the worst thing that can come out of this is more hysteria over homosexuality and an irrational approach to pedophilia. ---
**Author:** ![GeorgiaBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cab0a1/32.png) [@GeorgiaBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GeorgiaBoy)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/199 "2006-10-04T01:24:18Z")
I even mis-spoke there. I don’t think this is pedophilia, or ephebophilia. There’s nothing magical about 18. Our society has decided to draw the line there, and I see nothing wrong with doing so – we should expect a certain degree of self-control from adults, after all. But biologically, it would be extremely naive to expect that no adult will find 16 year olds sexually attractive, especially men (regardless of orientation) who are hard-wired to be sexually attracted to youth. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/200 "2006-10-04T01:25:01Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] I have two words for you that recall another case where Republican politicians seemed to think exposure by the media was a worse crime than the original events: Abu Ghraib. [/QUOTE] Not just Abu Ghraib. Hasn’t Bush been condemning everyone who had a problem with his illegal wiretapping? Who cares if people don’t like being illegally wiretapped? What matters is some liberal commie _revealed_ we are being illegally wiretapped. Now that’s just un-American. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735.md?page=11)