FBI Contacting Pages; Evidence Foley Solicited Sex
“FBI agents have begun to contact former congressional pages in the growing investigation of disgraced former Congressman Mark Foley, according to federal law enforcement officials.
“At least one former page has reportedly offered evidence that Foley sought to solicit sex during instant message exchanges over the Internet.” (ABC’s The Blotter)
Hastert Fights to Save His Job in Page Scandal
“Backed by measured words of support from President Bush, Speaker J. Dennis Hastert opened an intense drive on Tuesday to hold on to his post, but behind the scenes senior Republicans weighed whether he could survive the scandal surrounding former Representative Mark Foley.
“Among the options being considered by senior Republicans is for Mr. Hastert to announce that he will stay on as speaker through this year but not seek re-election to the post assuming Republicans retain control of the House, said people on and off Capitol Hill who were involved in the discussions. They said the advantage of such a step would be to postpone a disruptive leadership fight until after Election Day.” (NYTimes, WPost)
Hastert Faces Intense Pressure As Foley Mess Roils Republicans
“With Republicans’ woes deepening, House Speaker Dennis Hastert is holding fast against calls for him to resign over the congressional-page scandal. But there appears to be a real chance that the Illinois Republican could step down after next month’s election even if his party retains power.
“A new poll shows voter support for the party slipping, and Mr. Hastert and his divided leadership face immense pressure to respond more emphatically to the stream of revelations about former Rep. Mark Foley’s sexually explicit cyber-communications with teenage former pages.
“‘We have to do something different, more dramatic,’ said Rep. Ray LaHood (R., Ill.). ‘This is a political mess and what we’ve done so far is not working. Somebody has to take responsibility for this. It is on our watch.'” (WSJ, LATimes)
Aide at Center of the Controversy
“As the world collapsed around former Rep. Mark Foley, he looked for advice from a friend who knew him better than anyone else in the Capitol: his longtime chief of staff Kirk Fordham.
“The upstate New York native had run Foley’s first campaign for Congress in 1994. He remained loyal three years ago as Foley abandoned his ambitions of winning a Senate seat amid reports that he was gay. And Fordham looked out for Foley as the congressman led an active social life around Capitol Hill, trying to make sure his boss’ activities did not lead to politically harmful speculation.
“But today, Fordham is at the center of questions over whether Republican leaders should have known more about Foley’s behavior before the revelation broke last week that Foley was sending sexually explicit messages to teenage boys.” (LATimes)
Former Pages Speak: Some Were Uneasy About Foley’s Attentions
“In 1995, male House pages were warned to steer clear of a freshman Republican from Florida, who was already learning the names of the teenagers, dashing off notes, letters and e-mails to them, and asking them to join him for ice cream, according to a former page.
“Mark Beck-Heyman, now a graduate student in clinical psychology at George Washington University, and more than a dozen other former House pages said in interviews and via e-mail that Rep. Mark Foley was known to be extraordinarily friendly in a way that made some of them uncomfortable.
“Beck-Heyman, who was a Republican page and is now a Democrat, said the attention was “weird,” and he provided a handwritten letter that Foley sent him after the page left Washington to return home to California. The note suggested that they get together during the Republican National Convention in San Diego in 1996.” (WPost)
Ex-page Was Warned about Foley
“Long before Mark Beck-Heyman ever came to this town in 1995 to work as a congressional page, Congress had revamped the program in hopes of preventing the sort of sex scandals that had disgraced two congressmen more than a decade earlier.
“Regardless, the former resident of San Diego’s North Park neighborhood learned almost from day one that there was one person to be careful of: Rep. Mark Foley.
“‘When I got there, I was warned about Foley from former pages and cloakroom Republican staffers,’ said Beck-Heyman, who attended a Catholic high school at the time and was nominated for the page program by Republican Rep. Brian Bilbray, who then lived in Imperial Beach. ‘The warning was to watch out for him.'” (Copley News Service)
Ex-Pages Brought Explicit Messages to Light
“Former congressional pages themselves supplied some of the most damning emails in the scandal that forced the resignation of Rep. Mark Foley, stepping forward only after tamer messages were posted by ABC News on its Web site Thursday.
“Several media organizations, along with law-enforcement and congressional officials, had seen the Florida Republican’s tamer messages to male teenage pages months ago, but the messages didn’t set off alarm bells, even at ABC, which didn’t consider them worthy of its broadcast TV news, a reconstruction of events shows.
“Brian Ross, chief investigative correspondent at ABC News, said a nonpartisan source provided the ‘tamer’ emails that the network posted on its Web site ‘The Blotter.’ Within hours of that posting, ‘numerous’ former House pages emailed ABC with additional allegations about Mr. Foley, Mr. Ross said.” (WSJ)
Foley Lawyer Cites Alcohol, Childhood Abuse
“Disgraced former lawmaker Mark Foley’s behavior was affected by alcoholism and childhood molestation but he “never attempted to have sexual contact with a minor,” his attorney said yesterday in the first extensive defense of the Florida Republican’s actions, which have rocked Congress and the GOP.” (WPost, NYTimes)
Foley Scandal Complicates Reynolds’ Bid to Hold Seat
“Possessed of a pleasant smile and a sweet demeanor, 60-year-old Eleanore Klepser represents something of a nightmare for local Republicans.
“She is a registered Republican and she has always — always — voted for her local congressman, Thomas M. Reynolds, a Republican. But she is following this scandal about the congressional pages, and she suspects Reynolds just might have covered up the actions of a fellow Republican congressman who sent suggestive e-mails to a teenager who had worked in the House.”
Moral Clarity Dissolves In Foley Affair
“Remember moral clarity?
“That was the most hotly advertised Republican virtue of the high Bush era, from the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terror attacks to the dawn of the Iraq War on through to Campaign â04. It was the near-mystical ability to mark enemies as evildoers, and to dismiss critics as appeasers, relativists and/or de facto abettors of terror. You saw it on proud parade during the 2004 G.O.P. convention at Madison Square Garden, with Rudy Giuliani, Dick Cheney and, of course, President George W. Bush himself thundering over and over again that they were champions of good over evil, civilization over barbarism, freedom over terror.
“Now flash-forward to the resignation of Florida G.O.P. Representative Mark Foley late last Friday, as members of Congress worked to clear the legislative agenda and go back home to campaign for re-election.” (NYObserver)
A Few Conservative Voices Still Speak for the Speaker
“House Speaker Dennis Hastert woke up yesterday morning to find his Republican conservatives in mid-mutiny.
“‘Resign, Mr. Speaker,’ advised the Washington Times at the top of its editorial page. In the Mark Foley scandal, the conservative paper posited, Hastert either (a) ‘was grossly negligent’ or (b) ‘deliberately looked the other way.’
“Hastert’s loyal deputy, Majority Leader John Boehner (Ohio), told a hometown radio station that the blame was all Hastert’s. ‘I believe I talked to the speaker and he told me it had been taken care of,’ Boehner said. ‘And my position is it’s in his corner, it’s his responsibility.'” (WPost)
Parsing the Polls: What’s the Foley Fallout?
“The fallout from Rep. Mark Foley’s resignation and the House Republican leadership’s subsequent struggles to explain what they knew and when they knew it remains difficult to fully gauge at this point. But it’s a safe bet that Congress’s job-approval numbers will drop as Election Day draws closer.
“And the lower that congressional approval ratings sink, the better chance Democrats have of retaking the House majority in the fall. Although Republicans insist that voters have adopted a ‘pox on both your houses’ mentality in this election, it is the GOP that controls the House, Senate and White House — meaning that the blame is likely to fall disproportionately at the party’s feet.” (WPost)
The Open And Closeted Lives of a Gay Congressman
“Mark Foley had secrets.
“First, there was whispering about the Republican congressman’s sexual orientation, beginning in 1994 during his first House campaign. He was almost outed two years later when he voted against gay marriage. In 2003, Foley dropped a Senate bid after the rumor mill again started churning. He dismissed the speculation as ‘revolting and unforgivable.’
“Although publicly unacknowledged, Foley’s homosexuality gradually became known in Washington and Florida political circles. Over time, it became a defining force in his career. Foley was restlessly ambitious, but as a Republican from a state with lots of social conservatives, his prospects for higher office were dim.” (WPost, Palm Beach Post)
Why Was Foley So Reckless?
“In public, he crusaded against sexual predators.
“‘Know that your life will be ruined,’ he warned.
“In private, he sent explicit messages to teenage boys: ‘I would drive a few miles for a hot stud like you.’
“What was Rep. Mark Foley thinking?
“‘He wasn’t thinking,’ says Los Angeles psychotherapist Robert Butterworth, an expert in political scandal.
“Perhaps the most shocking thing about the sex scandal rocking Washington is that it’s not shocking at all.
“‘Throughout history, if you give people unchecked power, they are going to do terrible things,’ says Dr. Renana Brooks, a therapist to Washington insiders who heads the Sommet Institute for the Study of Power and Persuasion. ‘They completely lose their ability to see what’s wrong with what they’re doing.'” (Palm Beach Post)
Foley Acquaintances Question Alcoholism
“When disgraced former Rep. Mark Foley announced he was entering rehab for treatment of alcoholism and ‘other behavioral problems,’ some of those who have known him for years were shocked and suspicious.
“Some friends and acquaintances said they rarely saw him drink.
“A former colleague, Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said on Fox News Channel: ‘I don’t buy this at all. I think this is a phony defense. The fact is, I think he’s responsible for what he did here and I think it’s a gimmick.'” (ABC)
Foley’s Ephebophilia
“Some groups have accused former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley of being a pedophile, something he has denied through his attorney.
“‘Mark Foley has never had an inappropriate sexual contact with a minor in his life,’ said West Palm Beach lawyer David Roth, who also later said, ‘He is absolutely, positively not a pedophile.’
“Clinically, some say it’s not a clear-cut issue….
“…Dr. Carole Lieberman, a Beverly Hills psychiatrist, said, ‘The essence of pedophilia is the adult uses his power to psychologically or physically molest a child. Foley was doing the same thing, regardless of the fact it is an adolescent technically and not a child.'” (Palm Beach Post)
Republicans Blame Dems For Foley E-Mail Leak
“Amid the controversy over whether Speaker Hastert and other Republican leaders did enough to address former GOP Rep. Mark Foley’s e-mails to a former House page, Republicans have been conducting a behind-the-scenes campaign to redirect attention away from themselves. Within 24 hours of Foley’s resignation, GOP aides and Republican political operatives began pushing a story that Brian Smoot — who was Louisiana Rep. Rodney Alexander’s chief of staff before the lawmaker switched parties to the GOP in 2004 — might have been involved in leaking the e-mails to reporters. The GOP operatives have been making the argument to a host of reporters that the leaker, by sitting on the e-mails, acted in a way that could enrage voters. Alexander was the sponsor of the page who received e-mails from Foley described as ‘overly friendly.’…
“Even Hastert has alluded to the GOP’s spin message, which has evolved since it first surfaced Saturday to involve the sexual instant messages Foley sent pages. ‘Anyone who had knowledge of these vile instant messages should have turned them over to authorities immediately so that kids could be protected,’ Hastert said in a statement Monday. ‘I repeat again, the Republican leaders of the House did not have them. We have all said so. On the record. But someone did have them. And the Ethics Committee, the Justice Department, the news media — or anyone who can — should help us find out who.'” (Hotline)
Corporate PACs Still Tilt Right
“Casual observers might expect corporate political donors to be giving Democratic candidates a significantly bigger slice of the pie this fall â to reflect the distinct possibility that Democrats could gain control of one or both houses of Congress five weeks from now.
“But judging by corporate political action committee outlays, Americaâs boardrooms donât seem to be expecting a sea change. Five of the most generous 10 corporate PACs in the 2004 campaign have stepped up Democratic donations this time out, four have increased their GOP giving and one (General Electric Co.) has held steady. Still, none of the biggest corporate PACs has given a majority of its largess to the out-party. The same generally holds true with the next 15 biggest company PACs.” (CQ Politics)
Disclosures Could Undermine Libby Case
“Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has taken a public-relations hit from the news that the White House aide he indicted in the CIA-leak investigation wasn’t the original source. In coming months, his court case against Lewis “Scooter” Libby could suffer as well.
“With pretrial settlement looking unlikely, Mr. Fitzgerald’s prosecution of Vice President Cheney’s former chief of staff is heading toward a January court date. But recent revelations may have dealt Mr. Libby’s defense team some powerful cards.
“They could undercut the prosecutor’s allegation of Mr. Libby’s motive: That he lied to investigators to conceal a White House effort to leak Central Intelligence Agency operative Valerie Plame’s identity.” (WSJ)
After Nine Months, DHS Grants Czar Jumps Ship — Or Was She Pushed?
“The political appointee who oversaw 40-percent cuts in anti-terror funding to New York City and Washington, D.C., is being edged out of her job at the Homeland Security Department, according to House and Senate sources.
“Tracy Henke, executive director for grants and training, was responsible for divvying up anti-terror money to cities, ostensibly based on risk. She ignited a firestorm in June after the department slashed funding to New York and Washington while bolstering money for cities such as St. Louis and Kansas City in her home state of Missouri.” (Newsday)
Cash Infusion Suggests Pombo May Be In Trouble
“A major flurry of late-campaign activity by national Republican strategists on behalf of seven-term GOP Rep. Richard W. Pombo [R-CA] â and a visit to the district Tuesday by President Bush to raise still more for the incumbent â are signs that victory is far from locked down for the Republicans. CQPolitics.com has changed its rating on the race to Leans Republican from Republican Favored….
“[While] the NRCC has, according to Federal Election Commission reports, paid for two internal polls in the district to gauge voter preferences in the 11th District, the committee has not released any results.” (CQ Politics)
Bush Stumps For California Congressmen With Connections to Abramoff
“President Bush, trying again to shift the focus of the midterm elections to the fight against terrorists, unleashed a blistering attack today on Democrats whom he described as soft on national security.
“‘Time and time again, the Democrats want to have it both ways,’ Bush said during a fundraiser for Rep. Richard Pombo, [R-CA]. ‘They talk tough on terror, but when the votes are counted their softer side comes out … The stakes in this election couldn’t be more clear.”…
“After Stockton, Bush was scheduled to appear at a fundraiser in El Dorado County for Rep. John Doolittle, [R-CA].” (San Francisco Chronicle)
Ethics Are Front and Center in IL Gov. Race
“Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Republican challenger Judy Baar Topinka questioned each other’s ethical credentials Monday night in a debate reflecting a campaign increasingly focused on the issue of who can gain voters’ trust….
“Blagojevich defended his administration’s record on ethics by creating an investigative inspector general, and he labeled Topinka ‘Gov. Ryan’s treasurer’ for not standing up to her fellow Republican [former Governor George Ryan] during his scandal-tarred tenure as governor.
“Topinka again contended Blagojevich is the unnamed ‘Public Official A’ cited in a plea agreement involving allegations of corruption related to the state’s teacher retirement board, something the governor has denied.” (Chicago Tribune)
Judge: Patriot Act Challenge Can Proceed
“Nearly three years after hearing arguments in the case, a federal judge has ruled that an American Civil Liberties Union challenge to the constitutionality of the USA Patriot Act may proceed….
“The lawsuit was filed in July 2003 on behalf of the Muslim Community Association of Ann Arbor and five other nonprofit groups. The ACLU said its clients had been hurt by the Patriot Act because fear of the law has kept many people from attending religious services and making charitable donations.” (AP)
A Conflicting Account of Ambushed Convoy
“Since ABC News reported on Preston Wheeler’s first-hand account of a Halliburton truck convoy ambush last week, another truck driver who survived the attack has come forward to dispute Wheeler’s allegation that the military abandoned the truck convoy after it came under insurgent fire.
“Rick Wynne, the ‘bob tail’ driver who helped rescue Wheeler, says that the convoy’s military escorts fought ‘toe-to-toe’ with the insurgents. ‘Nobody would have made it out of there alive without them,’ says Wynne.
“Wheeler says that while he is grateful to Wynne for pulling him out of his truck, he doesn’t know the whole story. ‘He only knows a portion of what happened. He was three-quarters of a mile back in the convoy,’ says Wheeler. ‘He didn’t see what I saw.'” (The Blotter)
Donor Names to Remain Secret in Ohio
“A divided Ohio Supreme Court on Tuesday threw out a lawsuit attempting to force the release of the names of donors backing a group that ran ads critical of the Democratic candidate for governor.
“Democrats want to know who donated $1.5 million that a group called Common Sense Ohio gave to Common Sense 2006, which used the money for ads criticizing Democrat Ted Strickland. The two groups say the contributors’ identities are protected by their nonprofit status.” (AP)
