# 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:** 17\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/321 "2006-10-13T15:28:22Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Somehow, I don’t think the WH is going to be able to keep that promise, now . . . [/QUOTE] You don’t think NAMBLA needs a lobbyist? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/322 "2006-10-13T15:31:33Z")
Well, with Tom DeLay gone… ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/323 "2006-10-13T17:07:08Z")
Say, am I the only Dem who’s thinking, “Waitaminnit, we don’t wanna win **this** way!”? I mean, the Pubs getting discredited over this sex scandal . . . It’s like nailing Al Capone for his taxes. It’s like Nixon going down over the Watergate break-in instead of his really serious crimes, like bombing Cambodia. Winning is winning, but wouldn’t we feel better about it if we could be sure the public had actually turned against the **policies** the Pubs in Congress have been pushing and/or supporting these past six years? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/324 "2006-10-13T17:42:02Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Say, am I the only Dem who’s thinking, “Waitaminnit, we don’t wanna win **this** way!”? I mean, the Pubs getting discredited over this sex scandal . . . It’s like nailing Al Capone for his taxes. It’s like Nixon going down over the Watergate break-in instead of his really serious crimes, like bombing Cambodia. Winning is winning, but wouldn’t we feel better about it if we could be sure the public had actually turned against the **policies** the Pubs in Congress have been pushing and/or supporting these past six years? [/QUOTE] It IS the policies. People are fed up and pissed off. The Foley scandal is merely the seed that’s caused a lot of people’s pent-up dissatisfaction with the Republicans to crystalize. If the Republicans were doing a bang-up job they could shrug this off and move on. But since most of the country has already decided that they’re incompetent losers the mud sticks and drags them down. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/325 "2006-10-13T18:16:31Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Say, am I the only Dem who’s thinking, “Waitaminnit, we don’t wanna win **this** way!”? I mean, the Pubs getting discredited over this sex scandal . . . It’s like nailing Al Capone for his taxes. [/QUOTE] First of all, don’t start doing your crazy end-zone victory dance until November 8th\*. Second, what you’re complaining about makes sense…sort of. However, if you want to continue the Al Capone analogy, the fact of the matter is that nobody cares about the booze business or the murders, but it turns out that tax evasion is what really gets the interest of the people. So, you want to get Capone on taxes or do you want to let him walk? -Joe \*Assuming there’s no recounts, lawsuits, recount lawsuits, etc ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/326 "2006-10-13T18:26:48Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Say, am I the only Dem who’s thinking, “Waitaminnit, we don’t wanna win **this** way!”? I mean, the Pubs getting discredited over this sex scandal . . . It’s like nailing Al Capone for his taxes. It’s like Nixon going down over the Watergate break-in instead of his really serious crimes, like bombing Cambodia. Winning is winning, but wouldn’t we feel better about it if we could be sure the public had actually turned against the **policies** the Pubs in Congress have been pushing and/or supporting these past six years? [/QUOTE] I think that, like Katrina, Foleygate is a catalyst, breaking through the images that people had of who was right and who was wrong, and allowing people to conclude that the GOP’s fucked up in any number of ways. When people realize how fucked-up the GOP is on the things they _can_ understand, they are less inclined to give the GOP the benefit of the doubt on everything else too. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/327 "2006-10-13T18:30:10Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Say, am I the only Dem who’s thinking, “Waitaminnit, we don’t wanna win **this** way!”? I mean, the Pubs getting discredited over this sex scandal . . . It’s like nailing Al Capone for his taxes. It’s like Nixon going down over the Watergate break-in instead of his really serious crimes, like bombing Cambodia. Winning is winning, but wouldn’t we feel better about it if we could be sure the public had actually turned against the **policies** the Pubs in Congress have been pushing and/or supporting these past six years? [/QUOTE] Did Washington say “I hate to beat the Hessians by surprising them on Christmas”? Nah- it’s a job that must be done. Why people vote against the Republicans and whether they vote on policies or scandal is immaterial. We simply must take back at least one chamber to give Bush some adult supervision. ---
**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 13, 2006, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/328 "2006-10-13T19:20:00Z")
As far as the idea that Foleygate is what’s bringing the Republicans down, [Talking Points Memo](http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/010338.php) had an entry about it recently. The conclusion seems to be that the Repubs were already hurting from the actual substantive bad news, and Foleygate is the fingerhold that people are employing to allow themselves to break from their previous support. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/329 "2006-10-13T23:57:06Z")
Quasi-related: [Country Music Star files for Divorce from GOP Lobbyist Sex-Fiend Hubby](http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061013/ENTERTAINMENT06/61013002) Spousal abuse, adultery, soliciting strangers for sex, and watching porn with his prepubescent children – _Ewwwwwwwwwww!_ ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/330 "2006-10-14T00:24:30Z")
[www.electoral-vote.com](http://www.electoral-vote.com) as of 10/13. Senate: 49 Republicans, 50 Democrats, 1 Tie. House: 226 Democrats, 205 Republicans 4 Ties Hastert is safe. Alas. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/331 "2006-10-14T01:45:35Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Say, am I the only Dem who’s thinking, “Waitaminnit, we don’t wanna win **this** way!”? I mean, the Pubs getting discredited over this sex scandal . . . It’s like nailing Al Capone for his taxes. It’s like Nixon going down over the Watergate break-in instead of his really serious crimes, like bombing Cambodia. Winning is winning, but wouldn’t we feel better about it if we could be sure the public had actually turned against the **policies** the Pubs in Congress have been pushing and/or supporting these past six years? [/QUOTE] Um, Brain Glutton, these are the people who voted Dubya in in 2004, when there was no excuse for not knowing what the Bush Admin was. Stupid little pissants didn’t like the way Kerry talked. If they paid attention to policy they wouldn’t have elected him. If it takes a stupid sex scandal to get their glazed little eyes looking in the right direction, it’s all well and good. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/332 "2006-10-14T01:54:33Z")
[QUOTE=E-Sabbath] House: 226 Democrats, 205 Republicans 4 Ties Hastert is safe. Alas. [/QUOTE] Umm, didn’t look at the names of the parties? This gives, assuming no coup d’etat amongst the Democratic leadership, Pelosi as the Speaker of the House. ---
**Author:** ![Age\_Quod\_Agis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d07c76/32.png) [@Age\_Quod\_Agis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Age_Quod_Agis)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/333 "2006-10-14T02:02:38Z")
**Frank** , I was thinking the same thing. Maybe **E-Sabbath** is lamenting that Hastert looks like he’s well ahead in his election, so he won’t get voted out? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/334 "2006-10-14T02:09:16Z")
[QUOTE=Age Quod Agis] Maybe **E-Sabbath** is lamenting that Hastert looks like he’s well ahead in his election, so he won’t get voted out? [/QUOTE] Ah, that makes sense, and clears up my confusion. But I don’t know if even Hastert would term himself as safe, given that he will probably no longer be Speaker even with a miraculous comeback by the Republicans. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/335 "2006-10-14T02:17:45Z")
[QUOTE=rjung] Quasi-related: [Country Music Star files for Divorce from GOP Lobbyist Sex-Fiend Hubby](http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061013/ENTERTAINMENT06/61013002) Spousal abuse, adultery, soliciting strangers for sex, and watching porn with his prepubescent children – _Ewwwwwwwwwww!_ [/QUOTE] Much as I love to beat up on Republicans, I think it is generally a good idea to take filings in a divorce case with a few grains of salt. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/336 "2006-10-14T02:39:07Z")
[QUOTE=Frank] Ah, that makes sense, and clears up my confusion. But I don’t know if even Hastert would term himself as safe, given that he will probably no longer be Speaker even with a miraculous comeback by the Republicans. [/QUOTE] Will Denny Hastert (R - Sweaty Wrestler) decide to stay on in the HofR for another 2 years if he is no longer the Speaker? Me doubts it. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735/337 "2006-10-14T03:42:58Z")
[QUOTE=Evil Captor] Much as I love to beat up on Republicans, I think it is generally a good idea to take filings in a divorce case with a few grains of salt. [/QUOTE] Sounds more like the kid walked in while he was watching a porno. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rep-mark-foley-resigns-over-e-mails-to-teenage-boys-repercussions/374735.md?page=16)