Foley's 'red flags' didn't raise enough eyebrows

[DoYouEverWonder]

October 14, 2006

WASHINGTON — One night a few years ago, Rep. Mark Foley reportedly showed up at the dormitory for House pages, a brick building a few blocks from the Capitol. It’s unclear what Foley wanted, but staffers believed he was drunk and turned him away.

A day or two later, House Clerk Jeff Trandahl called Foley’s chief of staff, Kirk Fordham, and told him about the incident. Trandahl asked Fordham to speak with his boss about it.

As the details of Foley’s secret life come to light, the dorm visit has emerged as another in a series of incidents involving Foley and pages that triggered modest concerns but not any alarms.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert conceded two weeks ago that Foley’s especially friendly e-mail exchange with a Louisiana page last fall was “a red flag.”

So was the dorm visit.

Over several years, members of Congress or their senior staff received at least four separate reports about unusual behavior by Foley. At least six lawmakers, all Republicans, and at least seven congressional staffers were aware of one or more of the episodes.

But nothing was done to stop Foley.


http://www.sptimes.com/2006/10/14/Worldandnation/Foley_s__red_flags__d.shtml

[Freedom_from_Chains]

1. Perhaps if they had of been pink flags or maybe rainbow flags

the fundies would have gone on the attack.

[katinmn]

2. There was a cover up all the way to the top: Hastert

I heard the very first interview Hastert gave the morning after the scandal broke and he admitted then that he was alerted because of concerns this could affect congressional house races. He didn't give a shit then about Foley being a sexual predator of teenage boys. He didn't even mention it.

The more info that comes out the worse it gets. Hastert needs to step down.

[MADem]

3. Jeez, he's the Mary Kay LeTourneau of the House, isn't he?

Moping about like a lovesick teen, sending alternatively chatty and nasty emails to children...I suppose it's a good thing he can't get pregnant, because if he could, he'd probably have a litter by now....

[Hardrada]

4. A spot-on analogy!

Good show. Let's hope the blighter tells some tales to save his sorry hide!