Foley online chats were a prank?

[trenchfoot]

you need to accept Foley's indiscretions for what they are - an unethical but not terribly shocking abuse of power - rather than trying to turn this fiasco into a "pedophilia" scandal

sorry, but i have to disagree. i have children who's very near 16 and younger. imagining that foley would IM my kids in the manner he did those pages upsets me to no end.

as a parent with teen-aged children to raise, i can only say that in my eyes foley is definetely an accomplished pedophile. i harbor only disgust and revulsion at his behavior, and much sympathy for the pages and parents of same that foley's behavior affected.

 

[ProfJohn]

More on the story behind the story....
Watchdog Group Disputes FBI's Claims on E-Mails
A few key parts of this story stick out BIG time.

In subsequent days, unidentified Justice and FBI officials told reporters that the e-mails provided by CREW were heavily redacted and that the group refused to provide unedited versions to the FBI. One law enforcement official -- speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation -- also told The Washington Post the FBI believed that CREW may have received the e-mails as early as April and that the group refused to tell the FBI how they were obtained.

These guys are in big trouble with the FBI if they don't play along, obstruction of justice anyone?

Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse declined to comment on that issue but defended the FBI's handling of the original e-mails: "The e-mails, while inappropriate, did not contain a criminal predicate to allow the FBI to move forward in an investigation."

This is what everyone is saying, the e-mails were not enough evidence to "move forward"

BTW CREW is a Grorge Soros group, this could blow up big time.

 

[aidanjm]

Originally posted by: WHAMPOM
Pedophiles seek a job that brings them in contact with children. Their motive not to protect, but as a predator. Folley's M.O. fits the actions of a sexual predator.

His actions were predatory, but he is certainly not a pedophile.

Also, it's stupid trying to paint Foley in black and white. Most of the pages say he treated them decently - he was one of the few congressman who didn't brush them off or treat them with contempt. He took the time to talk with them. That can't entirely be due to hidden sexual motivations. Assuming Foley really was abused as a teen, it isn't hard to see him as a damaged individual with conflicting motivations to help the pages, but also prey on them at times.

 

[International Machine Consortium]

If you were correct, there would be no story. Hastert would be under no pressure for his cover-up. Foley would not have immediately resigned and run like he did. It'd be a non-issue. But it isn't, is it.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Originally posted by: International Machine Consortium
If you were correct, there would be no story. Hastert would be under no pressure for his cover-up. Foley would not have immediately resigned and run like he did. It'd be a non-issue. But it isn't, is it.

1) I am not going to try to defend Foley.

2) What was reported (be it true or false) is enough to damage a political career. Given the timing of the release, it would be difficult to run an campaign and fight the charges in the media. Such accusations carry the weight of guilty until proven innocent along with where there is smoke, there must be a heat source.

Foley does not have the political influence, statue or power given the situation to easily extract himself from such a conflict.

Conduit could not overcome the whispers; Ted Kennedy only did so because of his influence; JFK did so because of who he was.

 

[International Machine Consortium]

1. No, you would just prefer this had never seen the light of day.

2. There's plenty of evidence his conduct was documented. The "heat source" was a Republican blogger AFAIK. That Democrat who had a page boyfriend 17 years ago weathered it just fine. THere must be a difference between his conduct and Foley's, or Foley's party doesn't have the political will to fight for him. You'd think if he was so innocent they would, no?

3. It seems to me Foley had a lot of "political influence" for them to keep this quiet since 1995?

4. The last refuge of the Republican, bring up the Kennedys. Because, yeah, they're bad people. OR something.

 

[aidanjm]

Originally posted by: tweaker2
as a parent with teen-aged children to raise, i can only say that in my eyes foley is definetely an accomplished pedophile

I have to laugh. If Foley is such an "accomplished" pedophile, how come he never got to screw the pages he was apparently so attracted to? Get real. If Foley is a pedophile, then he is a highly -unsuccessful- pedophile, considering he never got to physically abuse anyone.

Also, the term pedophile is reserved for those with an attraction to pre-pubescent children. By definition, Foley is not a pedophile. Also, it is entirely normal for adults to have some degree of sexual attraction to sexually-developed teenagers. It's part of our evolutionary heritage. Why do you think Britany Spears sold so many records. The fact that he (or any other adult) is attracted to teenagers aged 16 to 18 is not, per se, abnormal. (Altho you could argue that an adult who is exclusively attracted to teenagers is probably an emotional fvckup incapable of having a healthy relationship with someone his own age.) Foley's behavior is unethical because it was predatory and represents an abuse of power. It has nothing to do with "pedophilia".

 

[alchemize]

aidanjm: Why don't you start a thread to define the term pedophile instead of spamming all the Foley threads

(not to say I'm agreeing or disagreeing with you, I just think it's a separate - and interesting - discussion)

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
More on the story behind the story....
Watchdog Group Disputes FBI's Claims on E-Mails
A few key parts of this story stick out BIG time.

In subsequent days, unidentified Justice and FBI officials told reporters that the e-mails provided by CREW were heavily redacted and that the group refused to provide unedited versions to the FBI. One law enforcement official -- speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation -- also told The Washington Post the FBI believed that CREW may have received the e-mails as early as April and that the group refused to tell the FBI how they were obtained.

These guys are in big trouble with the FBI if they don't play along, obstruction of justice anyone?

Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse declined to comment on that issue but defended the FBI's handling of the original e-mails: "The e-mails, while inappropriate, did not contain a criminal predicate to allow the FBI to move forward in an investigation."

This is what everyone is saying, the e-mails were not enough evidence to "move forward"

BTW CREW is a Grorge Soros group, this could blow up big time.

LOL - keep up the wishful thinking, amigo! The only place this scandal will meaningfully hurt the Democrats is in your fantasy world. Feel free to keep on spinning, though . . .

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

This was my post in another thread, regarding the Drudge "prank" story - I still stand by it:

Doesn't this seem like an absurdly thin excuse by a young man who doesn't want to be publically outed? I feel bad that a jackass right-wing blogger outed Mr. Edmund, but I don't really believe this was a "prank" in any way. Why would he undertake a "prank" like this, and why would Foley agree to it, particularly if he himself knew he had proclivities for flirting with teenage boys? Drudge really is one of the most shameless yellow journalists around.

 

[aidanjm]

Originally posted by: alchemize
aidanjm: Why don't you start a thread to define the term pedophile instead of spamming all the Foley threads

Correcting errors in fact is spamming now?