Posted on 09/30/2006 3:06:00 PM PDT by wjersey
Rep. Thomas Reynolds, head of the House Republican election effort, said he told Speaker Dennis Hastert after learning a fellow GOP lawmaker sent inappropriate messages to a teenage boy.
Reynolds, R-N.Y., was told months ago about e-mails sent by Rep. Mark Foley and is now defending himself from Democratic accusations that he did too little. Foley, R-Fla., resigned Friday after ABC News questioned him about the e-mails to a former congressional page and about sexually suggestive instant messages to other pages. The boy who received the e-mails was 16 in summer 2005 when he worked in Congress as a page. After the boy returned to his Louisiana home, the congressman e-mailed him, and the teenager thought the messages were inappropriate, particularly one in which Foley asked the teen to send a picture of himself.
The teen's family contacted their congressman, Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-La., who then discussed it with Reynolds sometime this spring.
"Rodney Alexander brought to my attention the existence of e-mails between Mark Foley and a former page of Mr. Alexander's," Reynolds, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a written statement Saturday.
"Despite the fact that I had not seen the e-mails in question, and Mr. Alexander told me that the parents didn't want the matter pursued, I told the speaker of the conversation Mr. Alexander had with me," Reynolds said.
Reynolds added that Alexander also discussed it with the clerk of the House, and the congressman who oversees the page program, Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill.
Shimkus has said he learned about the e-mail exchange in late 2005 and took immediate action to investigate.
Shimkus said Foley told him it was an innocent exchange. Shimkus said he warned Foley not to have any more contact with the teenager and to respect other pages.
Democrats charged Reynolds did far too little and said more digging should be done.
"Congressman Reynolds' inaction in the face of such a serious situation is very troubling, and raises important questions about whether there was an attempt to cover up criminal activity involving a minor to keep it from coming to light before election day," said Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Karen Finney.
New York Democrats hoping to unseat Reynolds blasted the congressman, saying they call into question the Republican's values.
"Mr. Reynolds knew about these allegedly inappropriate emails from a fellow congressman to a minor for months and didn't lift a finger," said Blake Zeff, a spokesman for the state Democrats.
Apparently, they have.
Politically speaking, hopefully we can keep both seats
Have you not read the instant messages between him and the other kids? One was 14 I believe.
The crime against the Speaker must be investigated ~ and that's going to include a thorough investigation of the special interest law firm supposedly associated with Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson.
You can no longer justify a failure to thoroughly drag the CIA through the fire of disclosure.
Could you be so kind to post the link please.
"You can no longer justify a failure to thoroughly drag the CIA through the fire of disclosure"
But, that is entirely unrelated to this thread.
I posted that a few bars ahead of this.
"No, it's spot on with this thread since Hastart and the Republican leadership in the House have now called for a criminal investigation."
I am getting lost. Specifically, what are they asking to be investigated? How is the CIA involved in the matter?
Who and where?
The hell it is!
I want to know why the hell Republican leadership has to step down in disgrace after one of our own who did such despicable things resigned in disgrace and will in all likelyhood be tried in a court of law for his crime , while Democrat (excuse me I meant 'RAT) Congressman Gerry Studds, back in 1973, actually comitted statuatory rape with a 17 year old minor AND GETS OFF WITH NOTHING MORE THA A 1983 CENSURE, NOT ONLY GETTING AWAY WITH A SLAP ON THE WRIST, NOT ONLY DEFIANTLY STATING, WITH HIS BOYTOY AT HIS SIDE, THAT IT WAS NONE OF ANYONE'S BUSINESS IF HE HAS SEX WITH A MINOR OR NOT, BUT GETS REELECTED 5 MORE TIMES BY THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF MASSACHUSSETS!!!!!!!!
Not risque correspondences like Foley wrote, which is horrible in and of itself!!!! ACTUAL STATUATORY RAPE!!!
[URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Studds"]Gerry Studds - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/URL]
I am so SICK of the HYPOCRISY FROM THE LEFT! This is beyond the pot calling the kettle black! I am sick of these not having to play by their own rules
IF I DON'T SEE EACH AND EVERY REPUBLICAN SCREAMING THIS FROM THE ROOFTOPS IN THE FOLLOWING DAYS AND WEEKS, WE DON'T DESERVE TO WIN. PERIOD!!!!!
We need to start getting in the mud people. I'd like to have a honest debate about ideas and issues, but as the saying goes "You don't bring a knife to a gunfight".
This is WAR people. We had best start acting like it....
...and NOW!
/rant over
Agreed. But when Republicans are held to such high standards and Democrats get away SCOT FREE with the MSMs blessing, you need to start holding THEM accountable too!
And that never really EVER seems to happen does it!
-See Gerry Studds ACTUAL RAPE of a minor boy in 1973 (see post 271 for more).
-See Toricelli getting replaced in the NJ election in '02 by Lautenburg, in direct defiance of State law via the NJ SC, while Foley and DeLay are forced to follow the rules.
-See Larry Byrd (s?) (D-KKK) getting away with being a KNOWN racist, using the n-word just a few years ago on a TV interview while being hailed as the 'Conscience' of the Senate, While George Allen is slimed with accusations that have not in any way been substantiated.
The list goes on and on. You all know the score.
And what does our beloved leadership do?
Turn on each other. Even after they did the right thing.
And from what I have heard, Hastert was not provided with any details, so how could he have known.
And the 'Rats know. They know that they are just as bad and likely much worse than the Republicans.
I'm Not making excuses for Republicans, as they have annoyed me more than once, including tonight. But they are still angels from heaven compared to the stench from the left
I am just so tired of the Republicans rolling over while the 'Rats just do whatever they damned please.
I'm just tired of it.
Sorry? Was seeing red...
you are right. I am just saying that knowing this the repubs have to be very proactive in dealing with whatever crisis. Repubs were wrong to think that they could get away with this. If they were dems they would have had cover from the msm until after the general election.
I just hope you live in a basement apartment. That way it won't hurt so bad when you jump out the window.
It's all about power. When they know about these perverts, they have total control over their actions(votes).
Quit making sense. Logic has no place in this discussion!
"Barney Fwank isn't involved with a child."
If my memory serves me well, there WERE young pages involved. It was probably 20 years ago.
Not to worry, I'll plan my jump so that I can land on you as you slither up out of the sewer. I figure anything as full of it as you are should make something soft to land on. LOL
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