The Democrats have done worse and no one is asking them to resign. If the amercian people actually believes this garbage the democrats are putting out, then they are no worse then they are. Every since President Bush has taken Office, the democrats have done nothing but complain about policy and everything else under the sun without putting forth any good idaes of their own.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert should resign because it would be in US citizens who are PARENTS best wish.

Dennis hastert MUST resign. He knew what was happening and did absolutely nothing. We do not need someone with his power to oversee the page program. I will NEVER trust any page under his supervision ever again.

"Without putting forth any good ideas of their own"???

Um, you mean like - don't have online sex with Congressional pages??? Or - don't cover up for people who seem to be sexually attracted to Congressional pages????

Well, hopefully they have learned their lessons and are able to define how those ideas differ from the Republican leadership view.

In response to Don Ingram's message: I think its very telling that conservatives (many of whom have Mr. Ingram's same attitude) are so prepared to throw the ENITRE American population under the political bus just because they may believe with his political opponents!

Yeah, Don, because it was a Democrat that's been chasing boys on the Hill for years, it was a Democrat on the Page Committee that looked the other way, and it was a Democratic Speaker that couldn't be bothered to protect children even tho' he'd had multiple flags raised on the matter.

Damn Democrats.

If hastert must resign then everyone who ever knew anything must resign. There would be alot of people out of work in the media, and alot of people on the street on both sides of the aisle.
This is the sort of thing that everyone knew about but saved until the right moment when it could be used to do damage. If hastert resigns then everyone who ever knew anything should resign including the media who held on to it for so long!

Any parent who would allow their teenager, male or female, to become a page in that "cess pool" called Congress should be charged with child neglect.

Mr. Ingram, I am sure if this were a Democratic scandal you would be running around with your hair on fire, like you probably were with Clinton. So how about a little intellectual honesty?

If the amercian people actually believes this garbage the democrats are putting out, then they are no worse then they are.

Huh?

Once again the media and the democrats have tried to create a diversion that they THINK will benefit the liberals, but this will backfire and the Repubilcan base will rise up and vote in record numbers. We have seen this all before, and the script they are following is old and worn out.

Don Ingram:

I'm sick of such stupid comparisons. Whatever happened to doing what is right in this country instead of trying to pass the blame? I'm sick of both political parties in this country. Everything has to be political. What a shame.

And as for Speaker Hastert, he has to resign. His conduct has been reprehensible.

James.

I don't want Hastert to resign his position. Hastert basically protected a pedophile. His staying on as house speaker will give the democrats a big advantage in Novemeber.

Hastert should NOT resign. He should not be held responsible for another man's perversion. Should the CEO of a company be fired because one of his employees is engaged in perverted on-line sex with minors. NO. And no one would suggest otherwise. Let's get on to the real issues.

The Republicans are dredging up past behavior of President Clinton ns other democrats is not the way to solve this problem. Clinton was IMPEACHED. Why not do the same for Mr. Hastert?

Hastert resign? What?!--and admit cover-up? Why would the Republicans start that now? Isn't Cover-Up their middle name?

Republican or Democrat who cares, Foley is a pedophile and Hastert either knew about it, or was negligent in not investigating the matter.

Republicans claim to have higher morals than Democrats - complicity and/or negligence of a pedophile Republican is not what we had in mind.

"because it was a Democrat that's been chasing boys on the Hill"

If I'm not mistaken, the Dems, including at least 1 President, haven't simply chased boys and girls on the Hill ... they've managed to catch them more than once. Perhaps that's your idea of "victory" given your particular political bent.

Since the willing dupes of the Republican Party helped force Nixon to resign the Democratic Playbook has remained to try and force out as many Republican's as possible. The Democrat Party has no ideas of there own. They accept a Gerry Studds (sex with a 16 year old male page), Mel Reynolds (sex with a 17 year old female page and thought he had hit the motherload in a possible threesome with a 15 year old Catholic girl), Chappaquiddick Ted Kennedy, and BJ Clinton (sex with an intern, sexual harrassment and accussation of RAPE by Juanita Brodderick). What an upstanding party of no ideas is the Democrat Party. No one on the Democrat's side ever resigns and they have done far worse than simple Instant Messages (to an 18 year old male page) that was sent by closet gay Mark Foley. Hey, the Democrat's are Gay Bashing as well.

What, pray tell, have the democrats done that is worse than exposing underage boys and girls to the whims of predators??? People make these statements but never back them up. Hastert, Boehner, and the rest of the leadership has to step down. We're not talking about politics now, we're talking about predators in our midst. Clean them out whether they are Democrats or Republicans.

Hmm...Now we find out the page in question was 18 years old. Technically an adult. Maybe not emotionally, but now he's old enough to serve in the military and to vote, so he's a card carrying member of the adult fraternity.

Didn't I hear some talk about 10 years ago that sexual issues between adults was a personal thing, and not subject to being politicized?

And suppose that Hastert had punished Foley for this 'sexual issue' between two males, both adults. I can hear the cries of 'Republicans are Homophobic', and 'Conservatives descriminate against gays' echoing across the country.

Truly, there is such an enormous amount of hypocrisy involved on both sides in this issue that you'd almost have to think that it happened in Washington D.C. Oh wait! It did.

You just can't get a Republican congressman to be a man and do the right thing these days. I don't care if Hastert accepts "a measure" of responsibility for hiding Foley's behavior. He should do the right thing and step down. Ironically, he's playing right into the Democrat's hands by staying where he is. Now, we can run ads that tie every single GOP candidate to the speaker. Thanks, Denny-Boy! Democrats '06, Impeachment '07!

Get a life Democrats. Remove the log out of your eve before you talk about the speck in someone else's!

This is the pages' fault. They are democrat operatives and kept these e-mails until right to the election. Typical Democrat lowlife move that is all to do about nothing.

Hey Ardemis, Two things:
1. Hastert isn't the supervisor of the program.
2. Even if he were, not trusting the pages because of it is highly unfair. I'm sure they are, as a whole, a fine bunch of young people. For you to imply that they aren't because Hastert won't resign makes you look small. I think you owe the pages an apology.

Thirdly, Carol, Are you sure Speaker Hastert's resignation is really in US citizens who are parents best wish? I think if all US citizens who are parents got together and had a meeting, they could come up with a better wish than Hastert's resignation. Don't you?

Hastert resigning is a good, but insufficient first step. As a mother of four, the only outcome I will accept is for each and every Republican committee chairman to resign. We need to send an unmistakable message that we will not tolerate our children being violated by our leaders.

Hastert wants to 'revise' the page program. That sure sends the right message... Change the program because, obviously you can't trust Republican house members near your children!

This means one thing, vote democratic!!

Gerry Studds molested, i repeat, molested, an underage page and was rewarded with six more terms by the moonbats from Massachusetts. There is definitely a double standard for the cut and run Democrats. Peace!

It's all about gay bashing

Sen. Hastert should not resign because of someelses crimes. Noone "suggested" that when Clinton and many others were more immoral than Foley. The Dems are HYPOCREPS!!!

blaming democrats for a repug pedophile... classic jackassery.

Speaker Hastert is a great American and should ask for all Democrats to resign for trying to bring French socialism to our wonderful country.

Smith,

I agree with you here:

"If hastert must resign then everyone who ever knew anything must resign."

Your next observation...

"There would be alot of people out of work in the media, and alot of people on the street on both sides of the aisle."

...is naive because it was the House leadership's responsibility to conduct an investigation, not to bury it and hope it would go away. Don't blame this on the media. You want the media to resign?? Yeah, whatever.

Responding to Don Ingram up top... "the Democrats have done worse and no one is asking them to resign." What Right wing cloud are you living on? If this was a Democrat right now, the Republican slime machine would be doing everything it could to destroy a Democrat Speaker who allowed this on his watch. Also, what about President Clinton's impeachment for lying about consensual sex with a 24 year old. Yeah, you're right, Republicans would never do anything like this...

Sex scandals only hurt the GOP. If you're a Republican like Livingstone or Foley you resign in shame. If your a Democrat like Studds or Frank or Clinton you say buzz off this is a private matter. You can't be shamed if you have no shame.

The democrats are a useless bunch of communist that have no other place to go. They would do anything, and I stress anything, to regain power but have absolutely no positive ideas, no plans, no solutions, no policys, that would help this country. In fact they would ruin this country in one short term in power. They must not be allowed to have any power in this country at all. They would certainly destroy it.

Geez? who was responsible for protecting pages from Gary Studds and Barney Frank? Who was responsible for protecting interns from Bill Clinton and Gary Condit?

Oh wait? Democrats have a different stardard for themselves. And what Bill Clinton did wasn't technically 'sex'.

Let me see. Foley and a 18 year old page engage in internet sex while Clinton and Monica engaged in what ever Clinton tried to call it, and Clinton stays in office and Foley resigns. Please explain to me what is everyone all worked up about. Its just another politician doing something they should have been smart enough not to do. After all, Clinton, Monica, Foley and unnamed apparently are all 18 (at least age wise, net necessarily behavioral wise) yeas of age.

Seems like simply another dirty political act to me. Maybe the person(s) committing this dirty political act should also resign. In fact, maybe they all should resign them we could get a different President, different Senators, and different Congressmen.

Clean the slate and start over. Sounds great to me.

You know. Frankly I agree with James. Every issue that comes up in polictics always has clear divisions between the parties as if there is no common goal at all. I'm more sick of how the name democrat makes you a liberal as well. I'm not a liberal, I am a democrat. When the Clinton thing came out, I didn't care though it was wrong to do to his wife, I see a difference between consenting adults and page Teens. There is a difference and no party should be allowed to blurr that line for ANY reason.

If Hastert should resign, then so should Barney Frank for allowing a homosexual prostitution ring be operated in his apartment, and the other Democrat back in the 80s that was busted for sex stuff.

Of course Foley's actions are to be condemned, but . . . what are the legal issues involved? What laws were actually broken? What was the age of the page during these sexually charged interchanges? Was the page a minor by legal standards? Or, is all this just political in nature just in time for the fall election? Did the page meet the age of sexual consent? Someone please confirm this detail so I can make my own judgement on the legalities of this matter.

People, please! The fun hasn't even started yet!

Just a few observations for the pool here...
1. Foley has been a longtime Florida Congressman.
2. JEB BUSH is a longtime Florida Governor and therefore head of the FL GOP.
3. In my state, the Governor ALWAYS knows where the mines are in the state delegation.
QUESTION: If Denny knew, then JEBBIE knew. So when did GEORGE know?

This is what happens when your party sells itself as "morally superior."

we have become all-knowing in today's society. no more need for due process?

if hastert was compliant in the crime, he should do the time, but we really don't know exactly what happened, do we?

how many trivial complaints does hastert deal with on a regular basis, and what happens when parents come forward with vague complaints and aren't willing to back them up or pursue them? too bad he wasn't all-knowing like you so that he could easily distinguish the whiners with a personal agenda from the scared little victims who didn't have the backbone to take a stand against a u.s. congressman.

just give it a minute, will ya? when it comes out that he's guilty, givem the chair. fryem. until then, shut your freakin' mouth!

the fact that you don't want to wait to hear what actually happened means that you're afraid that it will all come out that hastert didn't know AND that closer investigation will pull out some skeletons from those pure, chaste, democrat's closets as well.

throw the bums out! our representative democracy hasn't represented americans for a very, very long time. it's time for a little revolution-action to make smaller regions or countries that have some potential of self governing.

Let see: Bruce Squires makes up a new age for an underage page and then his whole rationale works. We know that Foley's communications with the page were illegal under the Fedral Law that Foley put in place because the page WAS underage. We don't know for sure, but can seriously suspect now and need authorities to find out, if he met with these pages and what happened next (and if that was illegal in the states it might have happened).
Let us not try to protect our own in silly and obviously unethical ways which is what we accuse the Democrats of doing.

Curious that the same Democrats who have overnight converted to the family values and morals Republicans have been preaching for decades are the same Democrats who turned a blind eye to Bill Clinton affair with Monica ("it's just sex") as well as his pardoning of disgraced Democrat congressman Mel Reynold who was convicted of child molesting. Curious... and boring, typical and breathtaking hypocritical. Maybe a bit laughable too.

It's time for us to take back the country. Vote everyone of these bums out of office, Republican or Democrat. Name one congressman or senator that you believe is ethical and doing his/her best of us. They all seem to be kowtowing to corporate powers not to our best interests.
Start with Hastert and move on down the list. It sure seems that he knew about Foley's mis-deeds a while ago. As for Foley, this big hypocrite was writing legislation to protect our children! What a phoney.

" He is taking responsibility because the buck stops with him," the official said.

There you have it! If he is taking responsiblity, then he needs to resign!

Age, nor homosexuality, have anything to do with it. Foley had no business playing sex games at work and any boss aware of an employee doing the same has an obligation to fire the employee. Other wise the boss is not doing HIS job and should probably be fired as well.

all of you are SO deep in the box. really think about how dumb it is... if you are a democrat you want heads to roll, but if you are republican you don't, but if the situation was different it would be the opposite, republicans wanting heads to roll and democrats not.

So that makes all of these bias, right and left comments moot. You can't argue about something you are bias about... unless you are stupid.

According to the text messages I have read, the teen was a consenting participant in that form of communication. At this point we don't know of any sexual contact. But so what? I am DISGUSTED by Foley. He took advantage of his power. He should be gone for good from political life. And thank God, he IS! Good riddance!

I can agree with my Democratic fellow Americans that the Republicans who knew of Foley having inappropriate conversations or contact with pages or minors should be outed for holding that knowledge back ... IF my Democratic fellow Americans are willing to throw out the Democrats too. I think anyone who knew and kept silent should be gone.

Democrats are being hypocrites with regard to their past responses to their party's sick behavior. Republicans do hold their party to a higher standard -- that is why Republicans should and will prevail in November. Because no matter how bad things might be under Republican leadership, it can always be MUCH WORSE ... and would be under the Democrats. (think - LOWER moral standards, HIGHER taxes, being SOFTER on terrorists, and MORE illegal immigrants!)

Hastert should not resign. If that would be the case, then everyone in the media & in Washington should resign. Starting with the Dems - who have had their little intern/page problems for years. We didn't see them resign or the outraged public (liberal) cry for that to happen. Its always save the children, save this save that! Who always seems to have the upper hand on leaks? Is this the Oct surprise? Is it do whatever to get back in the House/Congress or Whitehouse!

First, I would ask the obvious question as to what are teenagers doing in a place like Congress. Perhaps you missed the armed guards who occassionally have to defend the place.
Secondly, the democratic hysteria mob apparently wants to lynch the only high school teacher in Congress, that sends a real strong message.
Thirdly, Mark Foley was obviously a democrat masquarding as a republican to damage the GOP as a deep mole, so to speak.

The democratic attack machine is in full throttle. They're completely innocent and every republican must have known, condoned and encouraged and participated in the sins of Foley. What a load of baloney! When somebody in the republican party is involved in a scandal it's guilt by association and howls of hypocrisy. When democrats get caught, first they lie, then they refuse to resign or apologize. Hypocrites know the difference between right and wrong and sometimes screw up. Democrats just want to quibble or what the meaning of wrong is.

A note to poster Don Ingram - maybe you should learn a little about grammar and spelling. Of course that might elevate your intelligence above the level of a republican. JL

It's not even debatable. Liberals will swallow any swill that is spewed by their bosses. Anyone with a computer can find the truth. The democraticx party has for years praised and elected all manner of perverts. Ever hear of Studds, Frank, the Kennedy-Dodd sandwich, Clinton, Hayes, Mills????????????????
LOOK IT UP .
Jerry

Hey Timmy,
Why don't you follow your own advice. The republican true ideology has been in the closet for years. The Foley incident has only highlighted the true meaning of being a holier than thou conservative. Let's be serious, you right winger conservatives are simply upset that your leadership was asleep at the wheel. Fatboy Hastert deserves everything he gets. He failed. In corporate america executives disappear for less offenses. It's called failed responsibility.

I can't believe these demos believe this is not gay bashing. Trust me, I will never vote for a demo ever again because this IS GAY BASHING. What happen to the party that supports gay rights? This is amazing to me.

Yeah....the Dems/libs are above this type of sick behavior. Anyone ever see the "V@gina monologues" or heard of Gerry Studds from 1983?

They defend this type of conduct until it politically suits them.

I'm personally tired of both parties and the Juvenile squabbling.... nothing is getting done.

Funny the same people who are attacking Hastert are the same ones who defended Bill Clinton who actually did have sex with an intern. Democrats have done far worse. Seems to me the democrats knew about Foley first, so why doesn't Pelosi resign.

I guess I'm not following the thread here. Isn't this guy innocent until proven guilty? We've had enough documents faked and forged in the past to know better than to jump to conclusions. If crimes were committed, prosicute. Then by default, he loses his job. Simple. Does a person need to quit his job when accused of something? If the boss wants to fire him, fine, but why quit? Let the law do it's job. If there was anything illegal, he'll go to jail. Other wise, leave him alone.

"Get rid of all of the SOB's (DEMS and REPUBS) and let's start from scratch" sounds like a good idea to me. In the immortal words of the JOKER (played by Jack Nicholson) in Batman "This town (Washington, D.C.) needs an enema!!!"

According to Republican Chief of Staff Fordham, Foley's behavior was reported to Hastert's staff back in 2003. Did the "Democrats" know of it then? IF so,
Kinda sneaky of the Democrats to keep the lid on right through the 2004 Presidential election and wait several years to play the Foley card now.

I'm so sick and tired of the democrats and their feigned crys of moral outrage when it suits them. Having private conversations with an 18 year old (now 21 year old) is hardly pedophilia (the term meaning having sex, not messages, with a pre-pubescent child) and Foley resigned promptly. Out of one side of their faces democrats say they are all supportive of the gay lifestyle, now they're calling it disgusting and everyone who even knows someone who lives the lifestyle should resign political office? Ugh can you say Barney Frank? Oh right, he's a democrat who was running a gay brothel out of his offices about twenty years ago and appears to have a lifetime seat in congress so nevermind. As a registered democrat I can tell you this, in no lifetime, given no amount of free cigarettes or booze to force my vote would I EVER cast a ballot for anyone who sides with this lower lifeform that has taken over my party. They disgrace not only the party but this entire nation.

No, Hastert should definitely not resign because of the twisted and perverse bully tactics these democrats are trying to employ here. I guess the real problem here is the American public are so 'jerry springer-ized' that they are easily led by the nose by these new democrats to the garbage games of the far left. What a shame.

Rep. Foley was known for hitting on the pages. This wasn't a one-time or one-person event. We don't know whether Foley had sex with them or not. Given his reputation and the emails, Hastert had an obligation to launch an investigation.

It doesn't matter whether Foley did anything illegal. Hastert didn't care enough to find out.

Can anyone answer this? Was the page in question even still a page when he got the IM's? Because I heard one of the pages say as soon as he left the page program he got hit on by Foley through the IM's.
Now its come out that the page in question was 18 at the time, so its not pedophilia. (then again as 16 is the age of consent it wouldn't technically be pedophilia even if the page were that age, though still inappropriate). And there's no molestation involved as as far as we can tell there has been no physical contact.

Not to excuse Foley. He abused his office. He shouldn't be sending IM's to underage pages, because that is an abuse of power. As is having sex with an intern if you're the president. As is actual sex with a page who's 16 at the time which was comitted by Studds.

Studds by the way didn't resign even though he had actual sex with a page, he was just censured. And when he was censured he turned his back in contempt on those censuring him and ignored them. Afterwards he said it was a private matter and noone's business. And he was then reelected 5 times by his constituents in Massachusets, who obviously had no problem with a senator who "molests" children.

In Studds case it was actual molestation, in Foley's case he sent suggestive IM's. In Studds case he not only refused to resign but was defiant in his pedophelia, in Foley's case he resigned in shame. In Studds case he was REELECTED. In Foleys case he is persona non grata. THere was no call for

This is not a defense of Foley. Foley abused his power and should be out of office for acting innapropriately, even if all he did was send suggestive IM's. I ddn't here any calls for the resignation of the democratic leadership at that point, which would similarly be ludicrous.

But the hypocricy coming from the left here is as usual beyond the pale. When its their guy he doesn't have to resign he only gets censure, he actually commits sexual acts, and he gets reelected 5 times. And its a private matter.
If the left is going to suddenly be the anti gay predator party, then at least be consistent.

The 1983 Congressional page sex scandal was a political scandal in the United States involving members of the United States House of Representatives.

On July 14, 1983 the House Ethics Committee concluded that Rep. Dan Crane (R-Ill.) and Rep. Gerry Studds (D-Mass.) had engaged in sexual relationships with minors, specifically 17-year-old congressional pages. In Crane's case, it was a 1980 relationship with a female page and in Studds's case, it was a 1973 relationship with a male page. Both representatives immediately pleaded guilty to the charges and the committee decided to simply reprimand the two.

However, Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) demanded their expulsion. On July 20, 1983 the House voted for censure, the first time that censure had been imposed for sexual misconduct. Crane, who subsequently apologized for his transgression, lost his bid for reelection in 1984.

Studds, however, stood by the facts of the case and refused to apologize for his behavior, and even turned his back and ignored the censure being read to him. He called a press conference with the former page, in which both stated that the young man, who was 17, consented. Studds had taken the adolescent to Morocco to engage in sexual activity, and therefore did not break any U.S. laws in what he called a "private relationship."[1] He continued to be reelected until his retirement in 1996.[2]

Seems to me the page was 18 at the time........according to liberals, that's OK?
But not if you're an eeeevil Republican.

I think hearings and an investigations into all child abuse in congress and the senate is in order. Find out who has had affairs with underlings and children. Find out who has actually abused children. Find out where all the children that get lost in the various DFACS agencies goes, do the senators and congressmen get them – what do they do with them when they are though with them? Find out which senators and congressmen have actually killed women. Find out who has received non-sexually oral penis massages. Let the chips fall where they may. Get these assholes out of the senate and congress. Put them in jail if possible. This goes way beyond partisan politics. Lets clean house. Maybe let the Judicial or Executive branch or a combination of the two investigate congress and senate. The seriousness of the charge demands it.

Rep. Hastert should NOT resign unless he has broken House rules, US law, and/or has violated the public trust. He should call for a full and complete investigation of all Representatives regarding any interaction with the page program, pages, all relevant emails and Instant Messaging contacts. A FULL & COMPLETE investigation is needed, not just selective sound bites and leaks by the dominant media, including ABC, MSNBC,etc.

I could go along with Dennis Hastert's story about not knowing how serious this was and the appropriate steps he took, except for one thing. He deliberately kept the Democrat co-chair of the Page program out of the loop. This certainly seems to imply a cover-up to help a friend and prodigious fund raiser.

Now of course if the latest report turns out to be true, and this page was indeed 18 years old. All of you who condone this type of behavior, and accept homosexuality as normal, will have absolutely nothing to complain about.

HELLO!! #1 No sex occurred! #2 18 is legal age. #3 The unacceptable behavior of homosexual tendencies has been acknowledged and the guilty party has stepped down.... Unlike the ACTUAL rapist, adulterer, perjurer, ...who does not know what IS is. Oh wait.....what about the murderers among the ranks of Dems?! Remember White Water and Chappaquiddick (sp.) ... how many others have been swept under the rug?!

www.americanlegends.blogspot.com

Hastert should resign - this is a huge mess for GOP. Democrats campaign slogan ought to be: "When we whip it out, at least we typically do so with a member of the opposite sex who is not a minor!"

Hey Mr. William Gilmore. The Democrats would ruin the country in one short term of power? That is if the Republicans hadn't beat them to it already. We haven't even begun to feel the long-term effects of what the GOP has done to this country. Iraq has made us not only hated but laughable and impotent. The Bush tax cuts have ably led the way to our insurmountable record deficits (along with Iraq). China practically has the deed to the country. Congress can't raise it's snout out of the trough long enough to get it through their pig heads that there's a war on. And now the party of patriotism and higher moral standards is sniping at each other like the cowards they always were. And, oh yeah, there are more guns on the American streets than flag lapel pins and even the Amish can't escape it. Just what exactly could the Dems do to make matters worse? Your lib vs. con war is the only one people like you care about.

This will backfire on the Demonrats just like all the Wellstone "memorial". I'm making sure I vote and I know all of the many Republicans I know are fired up and can't wait to vote Republican. It's becoming clear now that the DEMOCRATIC leadership in the house was aware of the Foley IM's well before Hastert et al. Pelosi and Emmanuel are refusing to take polygraphs. Can't wait for the next shoe to drop...

IN response to Will's post:
"Gerry Studds molested, i repeat, molested, an underage page and was rewarded with six more terms by the moonbats from Massachusetts. There is definitely a double standard for the cut and run Democrats. Peace!

will | 10.05.06 01:03 PM"

Please check your facts:

The 1983 Congressional page sex scandal was a political scandal in the United States involving members of the United States House of Representatives.

On July 14, 1983 the House Ethics Committee concluded that Rep. Dan Crane (R-Ill.) and Rep. Gerry Studds (D-Mass.) had engaged in sexual relationships with minors, specifically 17-year-old congressional pages. In Crane's case, it was a 1980 relationship with a female page and in Studds's case, it was a 1973 relationship with a male page. Both representatives immediately pleaded guilty to the charges and the committee decided to simply reprimand the two.

However, Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) demanded their expulsion. On July 20, 1983, the House voted for censure, the first time that censure had been imposed for sexual misconduct. Crane, who subsequently apologized for his transgression, lost his bid for reelection in 1984.

Studds, although he did admit that he had made "a very serious error in judgement", also called a press conference with the former page, in which both stated that the young man, who was 17, consented. Studds did not break any U.S. laws in what he called a "private relationship."

Can Foley call a press conference with the boys he sent messages to -- with all parties saying the messages were consentual?

This is classic. You have one person's misdeeds. That does Democrats no good. So, the solution is smear it all over the rest of the party. Democrats have never been bothered by facts before and they are certainly not this time. Hastert knew ONLY of the emails prior to last week. I read those emails also before the IM's were released. Without the content of the IM's, the emails are more friendly than you would expect, but impossible to make as sexual in any way. Easily, they could have been an interested official trying to foster in interest in government in a young page. They raised a flag of being a bit too personal, but in no way criminal or sexual. The leaders did the exact right thing in asking Foley to stop contact with the page. In the absense of any further evidence, that is the ONLY thing they could have done. What? You are going to accuse a congressman of sexual activities with a page when you have NO evidence of such? It is only with the added information of the IM's that the emails can be seen in a different light. If you are an employer, are you going to fire someone for emails that are friendly but not suggestive? Quick way to get sued. Big time.

CD, what is the difference between an 18 year old page (16 is the consenting age in DC and VA) and a 23 year old intern? Other than five years age difference, there is none. Both were consenting adults and both were "abused" by men in an authority position over them.

By the way, if it was such a big deal, why did the "poor" teen page not raise the flag THREE YEARS ago when it INITIALLY happened? Just a thought . . .

Hhmmm. Predator? Let's see; Ms Willey (attempted rape), Ms Broderick (rape), Ms Jones (sexual assault). And those are just three that came forward...

**Clinton was IMPEACHED. Why not do the same for Mr. Hastert?**

Because Clinton was impeached for perjury, you loser, not for having sex.

Wow, this comment log has been freep'ed, eh?

House Speaker Dennis Hastert should resign because it would be in US citizens who are PARENTS best wish.

Carol | 10.05.06 12:45 PM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Let me tell you something, Carol. I happen to be a parent and it is not my wish for Dennis Hastert to resign. There is no reason for him to do so. His resignation would not make the country or world any safer for children. In fact, this experience will actually do more to reinforce a change in procedure should something like this happen again.

I reject your comment and encourage you to put a little more thougt and research into your post before hitting the "post" button. That was just my humble opinion and you are free to disagree.

I find all the anger out there being generated as interesting and unproductive. The democrats are angry that there is this administration in power that has threatened to dismantle all they have constructed while in power. The republicans are angry because they have the power and it has all been a fiasco - 9/11, Iraq, Katrina, Lack of Social Security Reform, Lack of Health Care Reform, a silly expensive drug reform, lack of immigration reform, abortion still very legal, a bigger government than any democrat has ever constructed, a budget out of control, a gay people not back in the closet, and now their leaders have been caught protecting a gay pervert to maintain power. Does any of the above sound like conservatism? Remember, all of you angry people above are going to die young and bitter if you don't enjoy living in this great country. I know it for a fact - I've lived all over the world!

Here the missing story. " lets see both sides of the IM's on this case. After that lets Looks and all house and senate IM's. This Kid was 18 and is now 21 someone been seting on this one a while. The Dems that did not resign the boy was 16 and the house of gay prositution was Ok.

It's amazing that the Republicans fold under the pressure so easily. They have the White House, the Senate, the Congress and can't get a darm thing done. They spend money worse then even the most FLAMING liberal and send our boys off to fight in a war that we will never win. This espisode with Foley shows what a totally rotton core the NeoCons have brought the Republican Party to. This is not the Party of Reagan. Its not the Party I though I voted for.

For Democrats it's the perfect storm. They better be ready to take charge and keep their wicks dry.

How is that Republican kool-aid that everyone is drinking? The moral elistist GOP literally gets caught with their pants down and the best you can do is the old liberal media and "they did it too" defense. I would expect better from those who are so much better than the rest of us.

I too wish this would go away so everyone could focus on the Iraq success. How many years after "mission accomplished" will it take before someone from the administration can travel to Iraq without the cover of surprise and darkness?

Suddenly the Left has morals? Where were their morals when women were coming forward accusing Clinton of rape? Where were their morals when Rep. Stud HAD sex with an underage Page? Where were their morals when Clinton had an intern under his desk while talking to a Congressman? Where were their morals when Clinton lied to a grand jury? Where were their morals when REp. Conduit was in trouble? Funny how you libs have all of the sudden found morals when you were absent of morals in the '90's.

I believe what alot of you are missing is that the page was near and of the age of 18 when this occurred. I believe Monica was 19 when she was giving Clinton BJ's in the oval office. There is no evidence of actual sexual contact and here in Louisiana 17 is the legal age of consent. As far as I see it this is blown (No pun intended) way out of proportion. Most college students are 17 or 18 when they enter college and they come into much more dangerous sexual situations there verses an over friendly closely sexual instant message.

Everyone should step back and see this for what it is. A politcal move by the left and nothing more than that. This gives them the view that they are family oriented when they are the party that supports the deconstruction of the classic family idea. Abortion, gay marriage and the break down of religon are their main ideas. How do those support the family agenda?

*
DBJ: The Democrats have covered stuff like that up for years!! Remember Slick Willie and "I did not have sex with that woman!"?? Or how about Barney Franks who had a prostitution ring going, and is still in office?? Or how about Gerry Studds who had SEX with an underage male page, and was re-elected 6 more times?? Or how about Mel Reynolds who had sex with an underage female page, and was later pardoned by Slick Willie at midnight on January 19, 2001???

You need to get your facts straight!

GOP MOTTO IS POWER, GREED, POWER, AT ANY COST.

SCREW THE KIDS, SCREW THE TROOPS, SCREW THE SICK, SCREW THE POOR, SCREW THE ELDERLY....

DO ANYTHING, SAY ANYTHING, BUT HANG ON TO THE POWER.

That's the problem, Republicans are 'true believers'. They believe their cause to be right, and worth breaking laws, hiding the truth and putting American people in danger-just so that they can continue to be right. It's a shame and they don't see it...

Hmmm. Let's see. When Representative Gary Studds, D-MA, was caught having sex with a 16-year-old male page, he was censured, however he also received (THREE) standing ovations in the house chamber -- by fellow Democrats.
To all of you liberals: THIS is hypocrisy!
Do a little research before you shoot off your mouths.

If Foly was a Dem. he would turn his back on the house as it censored Him while telling the world the kid wasn't a kid, but 18 when he sent him the I.M.'s (which now turns out to be the case).
The double standard is too obvious to be missed, even by those dumb Christian hayseeds with homophobia...I would like to know is who was setting on the I.M.'s for three years? Child protection doesn't seem to be the motive there...mf

Republican Pedophiles

Once again, the bigoted reich wing, conservative, republiSCUM PEDOPHILES of the GOP, demonstrate their "moral superiority"

Just add this SCUM to the LONG, LONG, LONG list!

GOP = GREEDY OBTUSE PEDOPHILES, SEXUAL TERRORISTS

Republican County Constable Larry Dale Floyd was arrested on suspicion of soliciting sex with an 8-year old girl. Floyd has repeatedly won elections for Denton County, Texas, constable.
Republican judge Mark Pazuhanich pleaded no contest to fondling a 10-year old girl and was sentenced to 10 years probation.
Republican Party leader Bobby Stumbo was arrested for having sex with a 5-year old boy.
Republican teacher and former city councilman John Collins pleaded guilty to sexually molesting 13 and 14 year old girls.
Republican campaign worker Mark Seidensticker is a convicted child molester.
Republican Mayor Philip Giordano is serving a 37-year sentence in federal prison for sexually abusing 8- and 10-year old girls.
Republican Mayor John Gosek was arrested on charges of soliciting sex from two 15-year old girls.
Republican County Commissioner David Swartz pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 11 and was sentenced to 8 years in prison.
Republican legislator Edison Misla Aldarondo was sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping his daughter between the ages of 9 and 17.
Republican Committeeman John R. Curtain was charged with molesting a teenage boy and unlawful sexual contact with a minor.
Republican anti-abortion activist Howard Scott Heldreth is a convicted child rapist in Florida.
Republican zoning supervisor, Boy Scout leader and Lutheran church president Dennis L. Rader pleaded guilty to performing a sexual act on an 11-year old girl he murdered.
Republican anti-abortion activist Nicholas Morency pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer and offering a bounty to anybody who murders an abortion doctor.
Republican campaign consultant Tom Shortridge was sentenced to three years probation for taking nude photographs of a 15-year old girl.
Republican racist pedophile and United States Senator Strom Thurmond had sex with a 15-year old black girl which produced a child.
Republican pastor Mike Hintz, whom George W. Bush commended during the 2004 presidential campaign, surrendered to police after admitting to a sexual affair with a female juvenile.
Republican legislator Peter Dibble pleaded no contest to having an inappropriate relationship with a 13-year-old girl.
Republican advertising consultant Carey Lee Cramer was charged with molesting his 9-year old step-daughter after including her in an anti-Gore television commercial.
Republican activist Lawrence E. King, Jr. organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980s.
Republican lobbyist Craig J. Spence organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980s.
Republican Congressman Donald "Buz" Lukens was found guilty of having sex with a female minor and sentenced to one month in jail.
Republican fundraiser Richard A. Delgaudio was found guilty of child porn charges and paying two teenage girls to pose for sexual photos.
Republican activist Mark A. Grethen convicted on six counts of sex crimes involving children.
Republican activist Randal David Ankeney pleaded guilty to attempted sexual assault on a child.
Republican Congressman Dan Crane had sex with a female minor working as a congressional page.
Republican activist and Christian Coalition leader Beverly Russell admitted to an incestuous relationship with his step daughter.
Republican Judge Ronald C. Kline was placed under house arrest for child molestation and possession of child pornography.
Republican congressman and anti-gay activist Robert Bauman was charged with having sex with a 16-year-old boy he picked up at a gay bar.
Republican Committee Chairman Jeffrey Patti was arrested for distributing a video clip of a 5-year-old girl being raped.
Republican activist Marty Glickman (a.k.a. "Republican Marty"), was taken into custody by Florida police on four counts of unlawful sexual activity with an underage girl and one count of delivering the drug LSD.
Republican legislative aide Howard L. Brooks was charged with molesting a 12-year old boy and possession of child pornography.
Republican Senate candidate John Hathaway was accused of having sex with his 12-year old baby sitter and withdrew his candidacy after the allegations were reported in the media.
Republican preacher Stephen White, who demanded a return to traditional values, was sentenced to jail after offering $20 to a 14-year-old boy for permission to perform oral sex on him.
Republican talk show host Jon Matthews pleaded guilty to exposing his genitals to an 11 year old girl.
Republican anti-gay activist Earl "Butch" Kimmerling was sentenced to 40 years in prison for molesting an 8-year old girl after he attempted to stop a gay couple from adopting her.
Republican election board official Kevin Coan was sentenced to two years probation for soliciting sex over the internet from a 14-year old girl.
Republican politician Andrew Buhr was charged with two counts of first degree sodomy with a 13-year old boy.
Republican politician Keith Westmoreland was arrested on seven felony counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition to girls under the age of 16 (i.e. exposing himself to children).
Republican anti-abortion activist John Allen Burt was found guilty of molesting a 15-year old girl.
Republican County Councilman Keola Childs pleaded guilty to molesting a male child.
Republican activist John Butler was charged with criminal sexual assault on a teenage girl.
Republican candidate Richard Gardner admitted to molesting his two daughters.
Republican Councilman and former Marine Jack W. Gardner was convicted of molesting a 13-year old girl.
Republican County Commissioner Merrill Robert Barter pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual contact and assault on a teenage boy.
Republican City Councilman Fred C. Smeltzer, Jr. pleaded no contest to raping a 15 year-old girl and served 6-months in prison.
Republican activist Parker J. Bena pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on his home computer and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and fined $18,000.
Republican parole board officer and former Colorado state representative, Larry Jack Schwarz, was fired after child pornography was found in his possession.
Republican strategist and Citadel Military College graduate Robin Vanderwall was convicted in Virginia on five counts of soliciting sex from boys and girls over the internet.
Republican businessman Jon Grunseth withdrew his candidacy for Minnesota governor after allegations surfaced that he went swimming in the nude with four underage girls, including his daughter.
Republican director of the "Young Republican Federation" Nicholas Elizondo molested his 6-year old daughter and was sentenced to six years in prison.
Republican president of the New York City Housing Development Corp. Russell Harding pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer.
Republican Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld authorized the rape of children in Iraqi prisons in order to humiliate their parents into providing information about the anti-American insurgency.
Republican serial killer Ted Bundy was hired by the Republican Party
Republican activist Matthew Glavin, who preached family values, was caught masturbating in public and fondling an undercover park ranger
Republican Party Chairman Sam Walls, who is married, was urged to drop his candidacy for Congress when it was found he likes to dress up in women's clothing
Republican Congressman Edward Schrock resigned from Congress after he was caught searching for sex on a gay telephone service
Republican Mayor Jim West Republican voter Timothy McVeigh bombed Oklahoma City championed an anti-gay agenda, but was later found to be gay himself
Republican preacher Jimmy Swaggart preached fidelity, but cheated on his wife with a prostitute
Republican Congressman Bob Livingston was about to vote for impeaching President Clinton for sexual improprieties until it was disclosed he was an adulterer
Republican Congressman Henry Hyde denounced President Clinton's extramarital affair, but was later found to be an adulterer himself
Republican Party leader Paul Ingram pleaded guilty to six counts of raping his daughters and served 14 years in federal prison.
Republican benefactor of conservative Christian groups, Richard A. Dasen Sr., was found guilty of raping a 15-year old girl. Dasen, 62, who is married with grown children and several grandchildren,
has told police that over the past decade he paid more than $1 million to have sex with a large number of young women.
Republican city councilman Mark Harris, who is described as a "good military man" and "church goer," was convicted of repeatedly having sex with an 11-year-old girl and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Republican anti-abortion activist Howard Scott Heldreth is a convicted child rapist in Florida.
Republican County Commissioner David Swartz pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 11 and was sentenced to 8 years in prison.
Republican judge Mark Pazuhanich pleaded no contest to fondling a 10-year old girl and was sentenced to 10 years probation.
Republican anti-abortion activist Nicholas Morency pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer and offering a bounty to anybody who murders an abortion doctor.
Republican legislator Edison Misla Aldarondo was sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping his daughter between the ages of 9 and 17.
Republican Mayor Philip Giordano is serving a 37-year sentence in federal prison for sexually abusing 8- and 10-year old girl.
Republican campaign consultant Tom Shortridge was sentenced to three years probation for taking nude photographs of a 15-year old girl.
Republican racist pedophile and United States Senator Strom Thurmond had sex with a 15-year old black girl which produced a child.
Republican pastor Mike Hintz, whom George W. Bush commended during the 2004 presidential campaign, surrendered to police after admitting to a sexual affair with a female juvenile.
Republican legislator Peter Dibble pleaded no contest to having an inappropriate relationship with a 13-year-old girl.
Republican activist Lawrence E. King, Jr. organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980s.
Republican lobbyist Craig J. Spence organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980s.
Republican Congressman Donald "Buz" Lukens was found guilty of having sex with a female minor and sentenced to one month in jail.
Republican fundraiser Richard A. Delgaudio was found guilty of child porn charges and paying two teenage girls to pose for sexual photos.
Republican activist Mark A. Grethen convicted on six counts of sex crimes involving children.
Republican activist Randal David Ankeney pleaded guilty to attempted sexual assault on a child.
Republican Congressman Dan Crane had sex with a female minor working as a congressional page.
Republican activist and Christian Coalition leader Beverly Russell admitted to an incestuous relationship with his step daughter.
Republican governor Arnold Schwarzenegger allegedly had sex with a 16 year old girl when he was 28.
Republican congressman and anti-gay activist Robert Bauman was charged with having sex with a 16-year-old boy he picked up at a gay bar.
Republican Committee Chairman Jeffrey Patti was arrested for distributing a video clip of a 5-year-old girl being raped.
Republican activist Marty Glickman (a.k.a. "Republican Marty"), was taken into custody by Florida police on four counts of unlawful sexual activity with an underage girl and one count of delivering the drug LSD.
Republican legislative aide Howard L. Brooks was charged with molesting a 12-year old boy and possession of child pornography.
Republican Senate candidate John Hathaway was accused of having sex with his 12-year old baby sitter and withdrew his candidacy after the allegations were reported in the media.
Republican preacher Stephen White, who demanded a return to traditional values, was sentenced to jail after offering $20 to a 14-year-old boy for permission to perform oral sex on him.
Republican talk show host Jon Matthews pleaded guilty to exposing his genitals to an 11 year old girl.
Republican anti-gay activist Earl "Butch" Kimmerling was sentenced to 40 years in prison for molesting an 8-year old girl after he attempted to stop a gay couple from adopting her.
Republican Party leader Paul Ingram pleaded guilty to six counts of raping his daughters and served 14 years in federal prison.
Republican election board official Kevin Coan was sentenced to two years probation for soliciting sex over the internet from a 14-year old girl.
Republican politician Andrew Buhr was charged with two counts of first degree sodomy with a 13-year old boy.
Republican politician Keith Westmoreland was arrested on seven felony counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition to girls under the age of 16 (i.e. exposing himself to children).
Republican anti-abortion activist John Allen Burt was charged with sexual misconduct involving a 15-year old girl.
Republican County Councilman Keola Childs pleaded guilty to molesting a male child.
Republican activist John Butler was charged with criminal sexual assault on a teenage girl.
Republican candidate Richard Gardner admitted to molesting his two daughters.
Republican Councilman and former Marine Jack W. Gardner was convicted of molesting a 13-year old girl.
Republican County Commissioner Merrill Robert Barter pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual contact and assault on a teenage boy.
Republican City Councilman Fred C. Smeltzer, Jr. pleaded no contest to raping a 15 year-old girl and served 6-months in prison.
Republican activist Parker J. Bena pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on his home computer and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and fined $18,000.
Republican parole board officer and former Colorado state representative, Larry Jack Schwarz, was fired after child pornography was found in his possession.
Republican strategist and Citadel Military College graduate Robin Vanderwall was convicted in Virginia on five counts of soliciting sex from boys and girls over the internet.
Republican city councilman Mark Harris, who is described as a "good military man" and "church goer," was convicted of repeatedly having sex with an 11-year-old girl and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Republican businessman Jon Grunseth withdrew his candidacy for Minnesota governor after allegations surfaced that he went swimming in the nude with four underage girls, including his daughter.
Republican director of the "Young Republican Federation" Nicholas Elizondo molested his 6-year old daughter and was sentenced to six years in prison.
Republican benefactor of conservative Christian groups, Richard A. Dasen Sr., was charged with rape for allegedly paying a 15-year old girl for sex. Dasen, 62, who is married with grown children and several grandchildren, has allegedly told police that over the past decade he paid more than $1 million to have sex with a large number of young women.
Republican Mayor John Gosek, 58, of 275 West 7th Street, Oswego, was arrested for the federal offense of "using a facility in inte-state commerce (a telephone) to knowingly attempt to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce an individual under the age of 18 years to engage in sexual activity for which he could be charged with criminal offenses, that is, rape in the third degree and criminal sexual act in the third degree" in violation of the New York State Penal Code.
Republican racist pedophile and United States Senator Strom Thurmond had sex with a 15-year old black girl which produced a child.
Republican activist Lawrence E. King, Jr. organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980s.
Republican lobbyist Craig J. Spence organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980s.
Republican Mayor Philip Giordano is serving a 37-year sentence in federal prison for sexually abusing 8- and 10-year old girls.
Republican Congressman Donald "Buz" Lukens was found guilty of having sex with a minor and sentenced to one month in jail.
Republican fundraiser Richard A. Delgaudio was found guilty of child porn charges.
Republican activist Mark A. Grethen convicted on six counts of sex crimes involving children.
Republican activist Randal David Ankeney pleaded guilty to attempted sexual assault on a child.
Republican Congressman Dan Crane had sex with a minor working as a congressional page.
Republican activist and Christian Coalition leader Beverly Russell admitted to an incestuous relationship with his step daughter.
Republican congressman and anti-gay activist Robert Bauman was charged with having sex with a 16-year-old boy he picked up at a gay bar.
Republican activist Marty Glickman (a.k.a. "Republican Marty"), was taken into custody by Florida police on four counts of unlawful sexual activity with a juvenile and one count of delivering the drug LSD.
Republican legislative aide Howard L. Brooks, an advisor to a California assemblyman, was charged with molesting a 12-year old boy and possession of child pornography.
Republican Senate candidate John Hathaway was accused of having sex with his 12-year old baby sitter and withdrew his candidacy after the allegations were reported in the media.
Republican preacher Stephen White was arrested after allegedly offering $20 to a 14-year-old boy for permission to perform oral sex on him.
Republican talk show host Jon Matthews of Houston was indicted for indecency with a child, including exposing his genitals to a girl under the age of 17.
Republican anti-gay activist Earl "Butch" Kimmerling confessed to molesting an 8-year old girl after he attempted to stop a gay couple from adopting her.
Republican Party leader Paul Ingram of Thurston County, Washington, pleaded guilty to six counts of raping his daughters and served 14 years in federal prison.
Republican St. Louis Election Board official Kevin Coan was arrested and charged with trying to buy sex from a 14-year-old girl whom he met on the Internet.
Republican politician Andrew Buhr, former committeeman for Hadley Township Missouri, was charged with two counts of first degree sodomy with a 13-year old boy.
Republican politician Keith Westmoreland, a Tennessee state representative, was arrested on seven felony counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition to minors under 16 (i.e. exposing himself to children).
Republican anti-abortion activist John Allen Burt was charged with sexual misconduct involving a 15 year old girl.
Republican legislator, Richard Gardner, a Nevada state representative, admitted to molesting his two daughters.
Republican activist Parker J. Bena pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on his home computer and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and fined $18,000.
Republican parole board officer and former Colorado state representative, Larry Jack Schwarz, was fired after child pornography was found in his possession.
Republican strategist and Citadel Military College graduate Robin Vanderwall was convicted in Virginia on five counts of soliciting sex from boys and girls over the internet.
Republican anti-abortion activist Howard Scott Heldreth is a convicted child rapist in Florida.
Republican County Commissioner David Swartz pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 11 and was sentenced to 8 years in prison.
Republican judge Mark Pazuhanich pleaded no contest to fondling a 10-year old girl and was sentenced to 10 years probation. Of course it's no contest! How could he even get a fair fight against those activist judges!
Republican anti-abortion activist Nicholas Morency pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer and offering a bounty to anybody who murders an abortion doctor. - That's the culture of life we all know and love!
Defense contractor, Mitchell Wade, admitted that he paid California Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (republican) more than $1 million in bribes in exchange for millions more in government contracts.
Republican legislator Edison Misla Aldarondo sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping his 9 yr old daughter.
Republican Mayor Philip Giordano serving a 37-year sentence for sexually abusing 8- and 10-year old girls.
Republican campaign consultant Tom Shortridge sentenced to 3 years probation for taking nude photographs of a 15-year old girl. I'm sure he had a good explanation.
Republican racist pedophile and esteemed US Senator Strom Thurmond fathered a chiled with a 15-year old black girl.
Republican pastor Mike Hintz, whom George W. Bush commended during the 2004 presidential campaign, surrendered to police after admitting to sexual relations with a juvenile. Praise George!
Republican legislator Peter Dibble pleaded no contest to having inappropriate relations with a 13-year-old girl.
Republican activist Lawrence E King, Jr. organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980s.
Republican lobbyist Craig J. Spence organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980s.
Republican Congressman Donald "Buz" Lukens found guilty of sex with a female minor and sentenced to one month in jail.
Republican fundraiser Richard A. Delgaudio found guilty of child porn charges and paying two teenage girls to pose for sexual photos.
Republican activist Mark A. Grethen convicted on 6counts of child sex crimes.
Republican activist Randal David Ankeney pleaded guilty to attempted sexual assault on a child. Look, he didn't actually do anything. He only TRIED! You can't fault a republican for trying!
Republican Congressman Dan Crane had sex with a female minor working as a congressional page.
Republican activist and Christian Coalition leader Beverly Russell admitted to an incestuous relationship with his step daughter. Prai$e the lord!
Republican governor Arnold Schwarzenegger allegedly had sex with a 16 year old girl when he was 28. I love this country!
Republican congressman and anti-gay activist Robert Bauman was charged with having sex with a 16-year-old boy he picked up at a gay bar. Now I'm sure he can give us a good explanation for this.
Republican Committee Chairman Jeffrey Patti was arrested for distributing a video clip of a 5-year-old girl being raped. Obviously a liberal conspiracy!
Republican activist Marty Glickman (a.k.a. "Republican Marty"), was taken into custody by Florida police on four counts of unlawful sexual activity with an underage girl and one count of delivering the drug LSD. He was obviously trying to help this woman! Do you liberals no shame!Republican legislative aide Howard L. Brooks was charged with molesting a 12-year old boy and possession of child pornography. Look! It was his own son. Geez you liberals are SICK!
Republican Senate candidate John Hathaway accused of having sex with his 12-year old baby sitter and withdrew his candidacy after the allegations were reported in the media. He was trying to explain to her what NOT to do when in a difficult situation!
Republican preacher Stephen White, who demanded a return to traditional values, was sentenced to jail after offering $20 to a 14-year-old boy for permission to perform oral sex on him.
Republican talk show host Jon Matthews pleaded guilty to exposing his genitals to an 11 year old girl. She could have turned away.
Republican anti-gay activist Earl "Butch" Kimmerling was sentenced to 40 years in prison for molesting an 8-year old girl after he attempted to stop a gay couple from adopting her. Liberal jury of course.
Republican Party leader Paul Ingram pleaded guilty to six counts of raping his daughters and served 14 years in federal prison. Now how could anyone rape their daughter 6 times! Can you say Liberal psycologist!
Republican election board official Kevin Coan was sentenced to two years probation for soliciting sex over the internet from a 14-year old girl. Obviously set up by a liberal computer hacker. These hackers no NO SHAME!
Republican politician Andrew Buhr was charged with two counts of first degree sodomy with a 13-year old boy.
Republican politician Keith Westmoreland was arrested on seven felony counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition to girls under the age of 16 (i.e. exposing himself to children). You see, actually he happened to be changing out of his bathing suit when these kids walked by.
Republican anti-abortion activist John Allen Burt was charged with sexual misconduct involving a 15-year old girl.
Republican County Councilman Keola Childs pleaded guilty to molesting a male child. He pleaded guilty only to keep his family out of the liberal media's spotlight.
Republican activist John Butler was charged with criminal sexual assault on a teenage girl. She was eighTEEN. That's still a teenager!
Republican candidate Richard Gardner admitted to molesting his two daughters. He only had their interests in mind. Why don't you liberals see that!
Republican Councilman and former Marine Jack W. Gardner was convicted of molesting a 13-year old girl. No comment.
Republican benefactor of conservative Christian groups, Richard A. Dasen Sr., was charged with rape for allegedly paying a 15-year old girl for sex. Dasen, 62, who is married with grown children and several grandchildren, has allegedly told police that over the past decade he paid more than $1 million to have sex with a large number of young women. Philanthrapy at it's finest!
Republican County Commissioner Merrill Robert Barter pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual contact and assault on a teenage boy. That boy was a liberal trying to corrupt his mind. He did the right thing.
Republican City Councilman Fred C. Smeltzer, Jr. pleaded no contest to raping a 15 year-old girl and served 6-months in prison. He did the honorable thing and did his time.
Republican activist Parker J. Bena pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on his home computer and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and fined $18,000. Lies. Lies! All liberal lies!
Republican parole board officer and former Colorado state representative, Larry Jack Schwarz, was fired after child pornography was found in his possession. Obviously set up by that liberal media!
Republican strategist and Citadel Military College graduate Robin Vanderwall was convicted in Virginia on five counts of soliciting sex from boys and girls over the internet. Who said republicans were sexist!
The deputy press secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was arrested
Tuesday, April 04, 2006, for using the Internet to seduce what he thought was a teenage
girl, authorities said. Rep. Brian J. Doyle, 55, was arrested in Maryland where he lives
on charges of use of a computer to seduce a child and transmission of harmful material
to a minor. The charges were issued out of Polk County, Fla.
Republican anti-abortion activist Neal Horsley admitted to having sex with a mule.
A judge on Wednesday, 04-05-06, allowed a lawsuit to proceed against Jessica Cutler, the
former Senate aide who posted details of her sex life on the Internet. The case brought
by REPUBLICAN Sen. Mike DeWine's former counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee,
Robert Steinbuch, alleges that Cutler engaged in an invasion of his privacy in 2004
by publishing sexually explicit facts about a relationship with Steinbuch.
REPUBLICAN Otis O'Neal Horsley (born 1944) is an American political figure of the far REPUBLICAN right.
He is the author of christiangallery.com, a website devoted to his advocacy of militant anti-abortion,
secessionist, and anti-gay views. Last night, May 09, 2005, anti-abortion extremist
Neal Horsley was a guest on The Alan Colmes Show, a FOX News radio program. The topic
was an interesting one - whether or not an internet service provider should allow Horsley
to post the names of abortion doctors on his website. Horsley does that as a way of
targeting them and one doctor has been killed. In the course of the interview, however,
Colmes asked Neal Horsley about his background, including a statement that he had admitted to
engaging in homosexual and bestiality sex, including having sex with a MULE!
Republican city councilman Mark Harris, who is described as a "good military man" and "church goer," was convicted of repeatedly having sex with an 11-year-old girl and sentenced to 12 years in prison. If you do the crime, you do the time + 1.
Republican businessman Jon Grunseth withdrew his candidacy for Minnesota governor after allegations surfaced that he went swimming in the nude with four underage girls, including his daughter. He just wanted to keep an eye out for those girls...and his daughter. He even had pictures to prove it!
Republican director of the "Young Republican Federation" Nicholas Elizondo molested his 6-year old daughter and was sentenced to six years in prison.
Rev. C. Stephen White -- better known on Penn's campus as "Brother Stephen" -- will face
trial on charges of soliciting sex from a 14-year-old boy, according to the West Chester
District Attorney's office. At a preliminary hearing held Aug. 12, White pleaded not
guilty to charges of criminal solicitation, criminal attempt to lure a child into a motor
vehicle and corruption of minors. All charges will be held for court, according to West
Chester Assistant District Attorney Kimberly Callahan, who will prosecute the case.
White is married and has three sons and republican fundraiser in the area.
Republican Jack Burkmana reportedly has been caught allegedly offering to pay $1,000 for
sex with two homosexuals ... Republican operative Jack Burkmana former lobbyist for
"Family Research Council" The council and Mr. Burkmana support and donate money to the Bush
administration and the GOP.
(June 28, 2006)--A South Texas jury has found a 44-year-old REPUBLICAN political consultant guilty of
four counts involving the sexual molestation of children. The 44-year-old CARY LEE CRAMER was
convicted of one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child, two of indecency with a
child by contact and one of indecency with a child by exposure. Cramer, who now lives in
Tucson, Ariz., gained national attention during the 2000 presidential election.
His McAllen company created a TV ad accusing the Clinton-Gore administration of giving away
nuclear technology to China in exchange for campaign contributions. Cramer faces a maximum
of 149 years in prison for the four felony charges.
Republican Lou Beres denied sexual-molestation allegations when the Oregonian newspaper first reported them in October.
Beres acknowledged sexually touching a 16- or 17-year-old friend of his daughter in 1976 or 1977.
But a local Police Department report released as part of a lawsuit said Beres "readily admitted sexually touching" one girl when she was 13 or 14 years old.
The longtime leader of the Oregon Christian Coalition and staunch opponent of gay rights
admits in a newly released police report that he sexually touched three underage girls.
August 30, 2006 A Texas pastor accused of raping a church member after telling her she was possessed by a lesbian demon at his house last year has been indicted. Republican, Leonard Ray Owens, 63, who is free on $25,000 bail, is now awaiting trial on a charge of sexual assault, a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison. He was arrested in November, 2005.
Police began investigating Owens last year after a 22-year-old woman reported that Owens raped her twice at his Fort Worth home. The woman told police that in July, several months after she began attending the Prayer House of Faith, she went to Owens' home for counseling following a miscarriage. Owens told her that a sex spirit and lesbian demon were inside her and needed to be cast out, police said. The pastor then asked her to lie on the floor and began yelling at her as if she were a demon, saying, "Loose her in the name of Jesus," according to an arrest warrant affidavit.
Christian bookstore owner, cop admit sex with boy
Pittsburgh, PA, August 30, 2006
A former college administrator, a former Christian bookstore owner and a former policeman admitted to sexual misconduct with a teenage boy.They were among five men arrested in March as part of an ongoing investigation of men who meet boys through Internet chat rooms, authorities said.William Gillin, 53, republican and Paul Skiles, 63, republican, both of Johnstown, pleaded guilty yesterday to corruption of minors, indecent assault and unlawful communications with minors. Mr. Gillin is the former alumni relations director at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. Mr. Skiles owned the now-closed B&K Christian Bookstore in Richland Township.Some of the incidents occurred when the boy was 16, prosecutors said. He is now 17.
Donald Lukens, Republican Congressman, was found guilty of having sex with a minor - a girl he was accused of sleeping with since she was 13. Time Article

Pat McPherson, Douglas County Election Commissioner. Arrested for fondling a 17-year-old girl. Article

Jon Matthews, Republican talk show host in Houston, was indicted for indecency with a child, including exposing his genitals to a girl under the age of 17. Source: ABC News

Jeff Miller, (R-Cleveland), Senate Republican Caucus Chairman in Tennessee and the sponsor of Tennessee's Marriage Protection act, getting divorced (as of April 2005) because of an affair he was having with an office aid. Miller described the Tennessee Marriage Protection Act as a means of preserving the sanctity of marriage. He opposed an amendment, however, which stated that "Adultery is deemed to be a threat to the institution of marriage and contrary to public policy in Tennessee." [8] [9]

Jim Wesr, Spokane Mayor. Supported a bill, which failed, would have barred gays and lesbians from working in schools, day-care centers and some state agencies. Voted to bar the state from distributing pamphlets telling people how to protect themselves from AIDS. Proposed that "any touching of the sexual or other intimate parts of a person" among teens be criminalized. Had a sexual affair with an 18 year old boy.Source: Spokesman review

Keith Westmoreland, a Tennessee state representative (R), was arrested on seven felony counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition to minors under 16 (i.e. exposing himself to children). Tennesean Article

Stephen White, Republican preacher. Was arrested after allegedly offering $20 to a 14-year-old boy for permission to perform oral sex on him. Daily Pennsylvanian article | Daily yale News Article

Nicholas Morency, Republican anti-abortion activist, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer and offering a bounty to anybody who murders an abortion doctor The Dallas Morning News article.

Sue Myrick, Congresswoman (R-NC), describes herself as a "devout Christian." Committed adultery with a married man.

Bill O'Reilly Right-wing conservative talk show host on Fox News, sued for sexual harrassment by his producer.

Bob Packwood, Senator (R-Ore.), resigned in 1995 under a threat of public senate hearings related to 10 female ex-staffers accusing him of sexual harassment.

Jeffrey Patti, Republican Committee Chairman, was arrested for distributing what experts call "some of the most offensive material in the child pornography world" - a video clip of a 5-year-old girl being raped. Daily Record News Article

John Paulk, lied about prowling for gay sex while running a fundamentalist group to cure gays.

Brent Parker Utah State Representetive. Arrested for soliciting sex from an undercover officer posing as a male prostitute. KSL News Article |Deseret News Article

John Peterson, Congressman (R-Pa), accused of sexual harassment and creation of a hostile work environment by six women. Peterson has refused to admit a crime, saying only "I may have been an excessive hugger."

Harvey Pitt, SEC Chief under George W. Bush until he was forced to resign in 2002. Worked for New Frontier Media, a firm which distributed teen sex videos.

Mark Pazuhanich, Republican judge, pleaded no contest to fondling a 10-year old girl and was sentenced to 10 years probation. Pocono Record article

George Roche III, carried on a 19 year affair with his son's wife, while serving as president of Hillsdale College, which "emphasizes the importance of the common moral truths that bind all Americans, while recognizing the importance of religion for the maintenance of a free society."

Beverly Russell, County Chairman of the Christian Coalition, sexually molested his step-daughter, Susan Smith, who later drowned her two children. Herald-Journal Article |Commentary on Newsweek Article

Jack Ryan, 2004 Republican nominee for US Senate from Illinois, pressured his wive, actress Jeri Ryan, to have sex with other men. Tricked her into visiting sex clubs, where he asked her to have sex with him while others watched.[10]

Joe Scarborough, former Republican Congressman, currently a conservative talk show host. Resigned his congressional seat abruptly to spend more time with his family, amidst allegations of an affair. His intern, Lori Klausutis, was soon after found dead in his office. The medical examiner, who had his license revoked in Missouri for falsifying information in an autopsy report, and suspended in florida for six years, ruled the case an accident, after giving conflicting information about her injuries. He said he lied about them because "The last thing we wanted was 40 questions about a head injury."

Ed Schrock, two-term republican congressman, with a 92% approval rating from the Christian Coalition. Cosponsor of the Federal Marriage Amendment, consistently opposed gay rights. Married, with wife and kids. Withdrew his candidacy for a third term after tapes of him soliciting for gay sex were circulated.

Dr. Laura Schlessinger, right wing conservative radio host. Promotes family values, estranged from her mother, opposes birth control, has had her tubes tied, espouses saving oneself for marriage, admits to having had sex before she was married, opposes adultery, has committed adultery while she was married, and has slept with a married man, opposes divorce, is divorced and remarried, has posed for nude photos which are available online.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Republican governor, had sex with a 16 year old when he was 28.

Jean Schmidt, OH-2, though not herself implicated, employed a campaign manager (Joe Braun) in her 2005 election who once wrote an article condemning gay men for running sex ad profiles, and who was then accused of running his own sex profile on Collarme, an S&M sex site. The profile called for "submissives" to wear only a collar and handcuffs and to have hot wax dripped on them. DKOS Diary

John Scmitz, right-wing republican congressman, who had had his committee chairship taken away from him in the California State Senate after issuing a press release attacking Jews, feminists and gays. Forced out of office in 1982 for having an adulterous affair and fathering two children out of wedlock with one of his students. He was caught because his baby was admitted to hospital for having hair tied so tightly around his penis that it was almost severed. His daughter, Mary Kay LeTourneau, was convicted of having an adulterous affair with one of her students, and giving birth to two of his children. Wikipedia article

Larry Jack Schwarz, Republican parole board officer and former Colorado state representative, fired after child pornography was found in his possession. Rocky Mountain News article With his political career over, he went to work in the hard-core pornography industry for Platinum X Pictures, owned by his daughter, porn starlet Jewel De'Nyle (Stephany Schwarz). Wikipedia article

Jim Stelling, Seminole County Republican Party chairman who believes in "family values", as he told a judge. Filed a defamation lawsuit againt Nancy Goettman, a former county GOP executive committee member, for falsely claiming he had been married six times. Stelling has been married 5 times. Article

Don Sherwood, Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Eventually admitted to an affar with a woman 30 years younger than him, after she accused him of physical abuse and attempting to choke her. Post-Gazette article

Tom Shortridge. Republican campaign consultant, was sentenced to three years probation for taking nude photographs of a 15-year old girl. LA Times article

Fred C. Smeltzer, Jr., Republican City Councilman, pleaded no contest to raping a 15 year-old girl and served 6-months in prison. Sex Offender Registry page | Article

Craig J. Spence, Republican lobbyist, organized orgies with child prostitutes in the White House during the 1980s. Full page including Washington Times article Discovery Channel documentary

Jimmy Swaggart, televangelist, said during a sermon "I'm trying to find the correct name for it ... this utter absolute, asinine, idiotic stupidity of men marrying men. ... I've never seen a man in my life I wanted to marry. And I'm gonna be blunt and plain; if one ever looks at me like that, I'm gonna kill him and tell God he died." Had an affair with a prostitute.

David Swartz, Republican County Commissioner, pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 11 and was sentenced to 8 years in prison. Rocky Mountain News Article

Randall Terry, Right to Life activist, founder of Operation Rescue, involved in the Terri Schiavo protests. Once imprisoned for sending former President Bill Clinton an aborted fetus. His son Jamiel is gay; his daughter Tila had sex outside of marriage, became pregnant, had a miscarriage - she is no longer welcome in his home; his daughter Ebony had 2 children outside of wedlock and became Muslim. He has campaigned against infidelity and birth control, gays and unwed mothers. Terry himself was censured by his church after committing adultery.

Bill Thomas Republican congressman, had an affair with Deborah Steelman, a health care lobbyist who steered huge campaign gifts to Thomas' war chest.

Strom Thurmond, republican senator and racist, raped and impregnanted a 15-year old African American maid. (BBC Article)

Robin Vanderwall, Republican strategist and Citadel Military College graduate, director of Faith & Family Alliance, (a Christian Coalition spin off), former student of Pat Robertson's Regent Universtity, member of Ralph Reed's inner circle who funneled money to from lobbiest Jack Abromoff to Reed [11], convicted in Virginia for soliticing sex from a 13-year-old-boy[12] and on four other counts of soliciting sex from boys and girls over the internet. Virginian-Pilot Article

J.C. Watts, Representative (R-Oklahoma), loud champion of "moral values." Has out-of-wedlock children.

"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes,
our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions,
they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."
-- John Quincy Adams

This LONG list of DOCUMENTED CONVICTIONS, extracted from PUBLIC RECORD
makes for excellent handouts and fliers.

Thanks to Oz.

REPUBLICANS JUST CANNOT SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MOLESTING CHILDREN AND TWO ADULTS HAVING CONSENSUAL SEX.

Hasert is a worthless bag of crap, and I strongly urge him NOT to resign and to continue to pass the buck towards "ABC News and Soros" as he recently did, so that the American public can continue to view the filth and vile and absolute corruption that has become the Repulican Party.

That's right, Denny, please keep passing the buck and hold on to your power using any corrupt means necessary. It's what the GOP now appears to do best. And don't forget to somehow fold Clinton into your blame game along with "ABC News and Soros". That's the ticket, Denny boy!

You all need to stop writing for a moment and read the lastest news flash! This so called underage child that Folley was involed with was in reality 18 years old, not 16! Another Dem lie exposed!

And it turns out that ABC has known about this all the time and buried it!

Who is covering up what????

Its amazing how so many of you get away from what matters so quickly. A leader of the house of representatives did not take appropriate action in an incident involving salacious messages to minors, or he covered it up. Either way you look at this problem, punishment is necessary. Republican or Democrat DOES NOT MATTER, what matters is the lack of action taken, or the intentional ignoring of a problem. It does not matter when this came out, it does not matter who might benefit or who will get hurt. The only thing that matters is that those responsible, all of them, are held accountable and punished for what happened. Political parties are what is wrong with politics, and everyone is far too eager to defend their own views than to investigate and punish someone for what they have done.

The idea of Hastert resigning is not going solve the problem that everyone seems to be avoiding. The fact that there are sexual predators roaming the halls of congress. There needs to reform in terms of how members of congress and staffers interact with pages. Congressman and staffers should not be allowed to contact them via private meetings, emails, phone calls, or similar communication. Politics is clouding this issue and its simply disgusting.

Let's see if I get this straight...
We have one man that resigned for having ONLINE sex with a page who was, apparently, NOT a minor...
And then we have a man that did NOT resign after having REAL sex with an intern half his age AND after perjuring himself in front of a Grand Jury.
Nice double standard there, dems!!!!!

The only people posting here that have it right are the ones calling for a revolution by vote and removing 99% of these politicians from office.

This isn't gay bashing, get over yourselves.

This isn't an online gaming board for children to "flame" each other on grammar, grow up.

Regardless of the person's age, if Foley (or anyone) were involved in cyber-sex while they are supposed to be doing their job, they should be fired. As should those that knew about it and did nothing, regardless of party affiliation.

There are so few differences between the two parties these days that for either side to cast aspersions about darn near any subject would simply be hypocrisy.

I don't care if my representative is Democrat, Republican, Independant, Communist, etc...

I would just love to find one that actually cares about the "Average Joe" and act in everyone's best interests instead of prostituting themselves out to the highest bidder.

What I find disgusting is that with all the really serious issues we have going on in this country right now; we have half our so-called representatives going to the mattresses to use this situation as political fodder and the other half going to the mattresses to do damage control.

If we had even ONE REAL REPRESENATIVE in Washington DC, the laws concerning age of consensual sex would be immediately changed to 18 throughout the country and this situation would be handled in Washington DC, not in the tabloids. Then it would be made abundantly clear to all of our liars, crooks, thieves, and perverts ON BOTH SIDES OF THE POLITICAL FENCE that "We the People of the United States", as in ALL OF US are fed up with ALL OF THEM and all their garbage and we're not going to take it anymore!!

If Hastert resigns The Whole Democratic Party should resign as well. They obviously have been sitting on this info for a while just to release it right before elections. Dirty Politics!

Really, can democrats be that insanely stupid? Pedophilia is not the act of two conscenting adults. The democrats would like to make this more than what it is but the facts still remain the facts. The page was of age, end of story. Are the democrats now willing to go on the record condemning the gay lifestyle?

The fact that Foley resigned (as he well should have) just shows there is at least more integrity in the republican party than there is in the democrat party. The democrat party which now houses child molestors, rapists, the running of gay brothels, treasonous hacks, and finger-wagging liars, to name but a few.

I guess the democrat plan to get rid of as many republicans as possible has failed. Now the question is what do the democrats have in store next? How low will they stoop?

Whatever it is, I am sure it will have half truths and down right lies in it. Afterall, they are democrats....

This is stupid. I must be stupid for participating in it. These things have been done by both Dems and Republicans in the past. Really, guys. Just because the Repubs promote "family values" does not mean that all Repubs are in line with that. I'm a Republican, but I certainly would not make the claim that every Republican is a morally upstanding citizen. As for Hastert, if it is shown that he did something wrong, he should resign. If he did nothing wrong, he shouldn't. The media circus and the witchhunt should stop. We used to believe in "innocent 'til proven guilty" - and yes, i said the same exact thing with Clinton.

Every month, the Dems seem to cry for someone else in the Republican party to resign, Bush, Rumsfeld, Rice; now it’s Hastert. Investigations into the Foley case have just begun, yet the Dems have been calling for Hastert’s resignation as soon as the story broke last week. Do the Dems know more than what they are telling us? The fact is, Dems complain about everything the Republican leadership puts forward, but they never offer a viable, alternative plan. After awhile, their constant rhetoric becomes insincere and totally unpalatable. It's caused them two elections. When will they get it?

Fallacious logic used over and over again by republicans and their pundits (eg fox news): We republicans are in trouble, therefore it's the democrats' fault, therefore they must have done worse at one point in time. We the republicans must maintain the facade of being the party of moral values, when really we are the party of absolute hypocricy.

Amazing! Those who want Hastert out never make a sound when a Democrat does something like this, and there are plenty of references on Drudge.

This isn't about a Republican or a Democrat, it's about a sexual predator and the people protecting him.

get your facts straight.
You obviously have no idea about Gerry Studds and Barney Frank.
GO READ THE FACTS!!!
Don't put this on the other party. Accept responsibility and be the MORAL party you claim to be.
Hastert should resign. You would expect the same from any politician embroiled in these situations.
Get off of your political drivel. There's a problem in the Republican party and you need to fix it.

Hey Melissa. You gladly accept a complete violation of full fledged sex with interns if they are Democratic Congressmen. You are truely a dupe.

Fallacious logic used over and over again by republicans and their pundits: We republicans are in trouble, therefore it's the democrats' fault, therefore they must have done worse at one point in time. We the republicans must maintain the facade of being the party of moral values, when really we are the party of absolute hypocrisy.

all of a sudden, the page is of age....
How utterly convenient for the Repugs.
Let's remember that Foley did this with more than one page. All of whom were under the age of eighteen.
AGAIN, CHECK YOUR FACTS!!!!!

The page was 18 yrs old, no crime.....

Where are all of these attacks by the Democratic party?
I have yet to see anyone on the news but Republicans doing alot of back pedalling.
I must have missed it.

This should not be a partisan issue. What Foley has done is beyond wrong and needs to be investigated thoroughly. Also if anyone knew of his actions and held that information for political gain should also be investigated and then asked to resign. I am tired of hearing both sides point the proverbial partisan finger at each other.
Foley was wrong - anyone who knew about it and did nothing was wrong. That is the main issue.

It seems as though American's have forgotten about what exactly Clinton got in trouble for... He got in trouble (and did NOT get impeached because it was voted down) because he purgered himself while giving a deposition... Not for consensual sex. Last time I checked, if either you or I purgered ourselves, we'd be in jail.

The current situation in our government disturbs me! I'm tired of the partisan politics. I'm tired of both parties doing what is right for their political agenda. Why don't the American People stand up and remind ALL politicians that they represent THEM and NOT their Party? WE pay their salary! There has to be a middle ground they can agree on!

I do find it odd that this waited 3 years before it came out! If these childrens' parents were so worried about pedophilia, why didn't they report it 3 years ago? Why wait??

We are in the middle of a war time struggle, nukes are possibly being tested by a madman controlled country, terrorists plot daily to distroy our way of life, and our Congress ties itself up once again (doesn't matter who does it) on trivial crapola just because it is sexual in nature. And this time, there wasn't even physical contact with a page. Come on people. Put a period by this incessant crap and move on to the important discussions, decisions and actions of the day. In short, how will this affect my taxes and safety. Both parties...move on PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I find it interesting that none of the DEMS on this page want to respond to the names Gerry Studds(sex with underage page)/Mel Reynolds(sex with underage page)/Teddy K(left girlfriend to drowned in river) Bill Clinton(exposed himself in hotel room/accused of rape/sex with intern in the oval office)

Why the double standard?

Shouldn't all of the people associated with these monsters be force to resign as well? Which would constitute most of the democratic party!

Think about it!

The thing that is the most amazing thing to me is that all though this is a very important story to all of the Republican/Bush haters out there, we have a lot bigger things to worry about. Dont get me wrong, i do think this is sick and he should be punished(If found guilty), but i think that Iraq, Iran, Venazuala, North Korea, and others trying to make the world a more unsatble place than it already is is much more important, Jesus People can you not see that.

Now we have gay bashing from the Dems. Isn't that lifestyle choice one they agree with? Why would they go after Hastert for stopping Foley from gay sex? One of the former pages was 18 at the time. If he did, they would be after him for a witch hunt looking in the closet of gay people. Right?

Cindy, take a look at the latest to come out. The page was 18 years old at the time of the instant messages.

Facts are that it was an 18 year old former page. You can't leave that out of the discussion.

Interesting what you guys miss. The page was 18, not 16. Technically, he was a consenting adult - just like Monica. You dems out there who supported your boy Billie in his tryst with hired help Monica didn't mind when it was sex between consenting adults. Oh yeah, you didn't even call oral sex any form of sex, remember. Then explain to me how internet talk is sex if a blowjob isn't? Hypocrites - plain and simple. And you may portray the Republicans as the moral party, but you certainly (laughably) claim the ethical high ground for yourself. So what did Rahm Emmanuel know and when did he know it. Can you all agree that if Rahm knew about the IMs and held the information for political gain, ignoring the "children" that you claim to care about, that Rahm should resign? And Nancy Pelosi too, because she was the minority leader? Let's hear some consistency, rather than your usual election year hypocrisy.

So many people here are willing to rake Hastert over the coals. But how many people here actually know all the facts? Maybe he knew ...maybe he didn't. We'll probably never know the whole truth. It's politics.

I can't help but laugh at the obvious partisan hacks posting on this non-story. Two adults have conversations with a sexual tone and now the sky is falling? I also am amused by these same people making the claim that republicans have somehow garnered a moral highground. When did they do that? Because they tend to be Christian? And what? Christians somehow expect perfection? Just another tactic by the left to try and shame people in to looking at the tops of their shoes while the democrats destroy this country. All this is, is more of the boring same-old same-old from democrats.

I don't know how old Kopeckne was when Kenney killed her, but it sure didn't phase the dems and he is still there.
When morals slipped to the point that he, Studds, Clinton, Franks, etc were given a pass, this was to be expected.
Term limits are the only answer.

Hasert must resign because he was willing to cover up a very damaging, and potentially criminal,on-going act in order to protect his political party.

To William Gilmore. There so much anger in your comment. May I suggest "Anger Management"...it should do wonder for you and the likes.

The fun begins...

In a few moments, Speaker Hastert announces that former FBI Director Louis Freeh will oversee an independent investigation of the ENTIRE matter.

Watch the Democrats who set this thing up and used youthful pages for political dirty tricks scatter like bunny rabbits on the first day of hunting season!

Every one of these Democrats who were crowing about why Hastert didn't do more to protect children need to be strapped to lie detectors and asked what THEY did to promote this scandal.

The dems cannot keep the smears going for the next 30+ days. When the focus turns to substance and direction, the R's will be fine. The D's do have a direction and actually have specifics to their platform. They plan to raise taxes on EVERYONE according to Charlie Rangel. They already have shown they intend to cut and run, will defund the war, go back to a pre-9/11 mindset and will pursue a terrorist Bill of Rights to "protect" terrorists. They will stop NSA surveillance, will do away with the Patriot Act and will handle terrorism like Clinton did. Or should I say didn't because he thought it was a legal issue and the terrorists were like some street gang who could be handled by the keystone cops while he was being handled by a 19 year-old subordinate. Liberals...stuck on stupid!

Mark, Republican's are never innicent until proven guilty. The Democratic Playbook and the willing dupes in the mainstream media only allow Democrat's to be inniceent until proven guilty.

We shall see how this all plays out on Election Day. The realities of congressional campaigns are they are district driven. Mark Foley is a disturbed individual. Any public figure who thinks that behavior that if made public would Titanic themselves is nuts for engaging in. Whether you are Mark Foley or Jim McGreevy, engaging in such insane behavior while holding elected office is beyond the pale. As a Republican I want to hold the House, but not at the expense at what brought the GOP to power in 1994. Republicans get in trouble in Washington when they forget why the American people sent them there in the first place. My gut tells me that this scandal will have some effect on some tight congressional races because Democrats will make it an issue about trust and it if this was reversed, if Mark Foley was a Democrat, Republicans would do the same thing. Thus why politics has become a sad state of affairs. I doubt however that Mark Foley will be front and center in most congressional races - nor should he be. A former nutty member of Congress who used to represent a district in FL, regardless of party ID should have little to do with the issues that face different congressional districts across the country. I would hope that the only race in which Mark Foley should be taken into account would be in his former district where one could make the case it really does matter. Score one for the Democrats in the House races. In terms of people who blog back and forth all day about Democrats this, Republicans that...simple break down: if your goal is to lose House elections and you work at the DNCC you're doing an awesome job. If your job is winning House election and you work for the NRCC you two are doing an awesome job. I understand why Democrats are and have been in a prissy mood for the last 6 years. Republicans have won ever major election. We have the three Houses that matter; the upper, the lower and the White one. Both the House and the Senate are in play as they were in 02 and 04. Being pissed at George Bush and down on the fact that you don't control a chamber isn't enough ammo to win an election. I think the Democrats are hoping that win the House and Senate for simply being against the President and anything Republican. Note to people who love and vote for Democrats all the time. The American people gave Washington, DC it's make up by voting, voting for more Republicans than Democrats, hence our majority status. You've got to be for something more than just against things. What I think the Democrats could use would be 25 Harold Fords, not Howard Dean, Bella Polsi, and Harry Reed. What I want to see Republicans have is a guy to be Speaker that doesn’t look like he's one Sam * Harry's steak away from a heart attack, and can lead the party with passion and purpose, go to mat with an agenda that's not just "hold the House." I'm done.

-Mike

By the way, everyone seems to miss the point on Bill Clinton. While I agree that it is similar that he abused his position of authority to have sex with an intern, his crime was he gave a deposition to a Federal Court inwhich he lied. Any Police officer or Highway Patrolman would loose their job if they committed this offense. He was properly impeached, they messed up by not removing him.

It sounds like no one here is even reading the whole story. It was reavealed that this "underage male page" was 18. So he was not underage and there is no crime. He is currently 21 years old.

The saddest commentary is that the name Hastert has overtaken the real bad guy's name "Foley". How does that happen? Oh, politics, that's right!

Let's see...when the Democrats have illicit sex, they get angry and refuse to resign and blame someone else. And they lie about it on national TV...Monica, Gary Hart,Gary Studds, Wibur Hays,William Jefferson - oh wait, he stole $90,000, hid it his refridgerator, and claimed he never saw it - after the Louisiana National Guard fetched it for him, but that wasn't sex....

When Republicans don't even have sex they resign and take the blame.

Democrats that drown women, have REAL sex with minors, and assault women are defended and even re-elected.
All republicans have to do is write about sex to another adult and they must resign. If Foley were a Democrat, he would still be in office and Pelosi would do nothing - just like she did with Freezer Jefferson - yeah she waved her arms and wrote letters but in the end, he is still there. At least Hasert is a real leader and can convince someone to resign for the good of the country, party and the pages.
I say again, if Foley were a Democrat, he would still be there - Gerry Studds had actual sex with an underage page and he was re-elected! If Foley were a Democrat, Pelosi would campaign for him.

this issue is way beyond Hastert and Foley. honestly, one's political affiliation doesn't necessarily carry with it certain societal behaviors. however, the conservative movement in this country has certain elements within it (ahem...fundamentalist christians) that are dangerously hypocritical when it comes to personal freedoms and politics. Hastert's attempt at "stopping the buck" with him is a shallow attempt to make himself the hero in this case. how ridiculous!

this issue is way beyond Hastert and Foley. honestly, one's political affiliation doesn't necessarily carry with it certain societal behaviors. however, the conservative movement in this country has certain elements within it (ahem...fundamentalist christians) that are dangerously hypocritical when it comes to personal freedoms and politics. Hastert's attempt at "stopping the buck" with him is a shallow attempt to make himself the hero in this case. how ridiculous!

Putting this in perspective, if Foley was a Democrat, the Democrats and MSM would do the following (instead of demanding resignations):

1. Applaud Foley in the middle of a congressional session for his stand in following his sexual orientation. Or maybe they would chastise him for not following through on his messages with a real physical relationship (re: Studds).
2. Vote against a pointless censure and not even consider a resignation of his elected office (re: Studds).
3. Affirm his efforts to enhance the opportunity for impressionable teenagers find their true sexual orientation (re: school districts everywhere, but particularly California).

Hypocrites!

Republicans would ... do the same thing they are doing to a Republican - demand a resignation, condemn the offense, and investigate to discover who else was responsible.

Not hypocrites!

When Hastert lied, no one died.

It will be interesting to see if Brian Ross resigns or is sacked. Or maybe he'll quietly leave ABC sometime soon. The premise of his story just collapsed and this ain't the first time for the liar.

How about we put politics aside and do the right thing for once? Get the freaking pedophiles out!!!
The fact that this is getting partisan makes me sick. If some dirty old man is trying to lay my son (or daughter), I don't care WHAT party he belongs to, I want his nuts cut off! And the nuts of any self-serving twit who defends him!
And, no, I did not ever defend Bill Clinton or any Democrat who did this stuff either. They are grown men and ought to know right from wrong.
A pervert is a pervert.

JUST GET RID OF THE PAGE PROGRAM. IT'S STUPID! JUST ASKING FOR MORE TROUBLE DOWN THE LINE!!!!

..every gay in washington knew what was going on.AS long as the america voters keep putting gays in washington,they shouldn't send there kids there...Ethics in washington ..HAHAHAHA GIVE ME A BREACK...

Let’s face it, if Hastert had reported Foley’s improprieties (assuming of course that he knew all of the circumstances), the Dems would be complaining that it is gay bashing and would be calling for his resignation anyway.

Wait, this just in, documents have been uncovered revealing Dennis Hastert's CLEAR fore-knowledge of the sexually explicit instant messages exchaged by Mark Foley and an innocent young page. I will have these documents shortly...excuse me a sec...Mary, when do you meet that guy with the documents?..I'm back. I will post these documents as soon as they are in my retired hands...Courage!

I am sick and tried of those Democrats from the beginning of this adminstration pounding along with the drive by media. The Speaker should not step down. Strange that this happen prior to the election. At least Foley left office and look at Pat Kennedy the cops drove him off after all he is of that clan. Different standard for different folks. Then we had Bill Clinton who did what ever he wished and we will never know the true story of how it effected our foreign policy.

Republicans disgusting, Democrats disgusting...much worse for the party that claims to be the one of "integrity" & "values". What a bunch of hypocrites and tools.

Top 10 Democrat Sex Scandals in Congress
Information compiled from the Washington Post, “Congressional Sex Scandals in History,” and other sources.

10. Sen. Daniel Inouye. The 82-year-old Hawaii Democrat was accused in the 1990s by numerous women of sexual harassment. Democrats cast doubt on the allegations and the Senate Ethics Committee dropped its investigation.

9. Former Rep. Gus Savage. The Illinois Democrat was accused of fondling a Peace Corps volunteer in 1989 while on a trip to Africa. The House Ethics Committee decided against disciplinary action in 1990.

8. Rep. Barney Frank. The outspoken Massachusetts Democrat hired a male prostitute who ran a prostitution service from Frank’s residence in the 1980s. Only two Democrats in the House of Representatives voted to censure him in 1990.

7. Former Sen. Brock Adams. The late Washington Democrat was forced to stop campaigning after numerous accusations of drugging, assault and rape, the first surfacing in 1988.

6. Former Rep. Fred Richmond. This New York Democrat was arrested in 1978 for soliciting sex from a 16-year-old. He remained in Congress and won re-election—before eventually resigning in 1982 after pleading guilty to tax evasion and drug possession.

5. Former Rep. John Young. The late Texas Democrat increased the salary of a staffer after she gave in to his sexual advances. The congressman won re-election in 1976 but lost two years later.

4. Former Rep. Wayne Hays. The late Ohio Democrat hired an unqualified secretary reportedly for sexual acts. Although he resigned from Congress, the Democratic House leadership stalled in removing him from the Administration Committee in 1976.

3. Former Rep. Gerry Studds. He was censured for sexual relationship with underage male page in 1983. Massachusetts voters returned him to office for six more terms.

2. Former Rep. Mel Reynolds. The Illinois Democrat was convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault with a 16-year-old. President Bill Clinton pardoned him before leaving office.

1. Sen. Teddy Kennedy. The liberal Massachusetts senator testified in defense of nephew accused of rape, invoking his family history to win over the jury in 1991.

and you know about Clinton...

Those of you who are demanding that Hastert resign should stop, just for a moment, and listen to yourselves.

Did you call for Clinton to resign when Clinton was actually having sex or whatever "is" is with Monica? Probably not.

Did you call or would you have called for the Democrat Speaker of the House's resignation when Congressman Studds was actually having sex with an underage page, NOT sending filthy IMs and e-mails? Almost certainly not.

Have you called for Barney Frank to resign knowing that his gay lover ran a gay whore house out of his apartment? Obviously not, he's still there.

Despite all of that, you now call for Hastert to resign without even knowing what he knew, if anything? Do you actually KNOW that Haster knew about Foley's sick and twtisted actions? Of course not. No one does except Hastert himself.

Does any of this matter to you. Unfortunately, not. That is what is wrong with America. We have one major party that will do anything and say anything, even without having heard the facts, just to regain its power. How pathetic. How sad.

Hopefully the next story to come out will be the real details on Bush's relationship with male prostitute Jeff Gannon and longtime affair with former Knoxville mayor Victor Ashe.

THE DEMOCRAT PARTY'S MANIFESTO - READ # 26,#30 AND LAST SENTENCE

1. You have to believe the AIDS virus is spread by lack of Federal funding.

2. You have to believe that the school system that can't teach a fourth grader how to read is some how the best qualified to teach those same children all about sex.

3. You have to believe that guns, in the hands of law abiding Americans, are more of a threat than U.S. nuclear weapons technology in the hands of Chinese communists.

4. You have to believe there was no art before Federal funding.

5. You have to believe that global temperatures are less affected by cyclical, documented changes in the earth's climate, and more affected by Americans driving SUVs.

6. You have to believe that gender roles are artificial, but being homosexual is natural.

7. You have to be against capital punishment but support abortion on demand.

8. You have to believe that business creates oppression and governments create prosperity.

9. You have to believe that hunters don't care about nature, but loony activists from Seattle do.

10. You have to believe that self-esteem is more important than actually doing something to earn it.

11. You have to believe that the U.S. Military, not evil and tyrannical regimes, start wars.

12. You have to believe the NRA is bad because it supports certain parts of the Constitution, while the ACLU is good because it supports certain parts of the Constitution.

13. You have to believe that taxes are too low, but ATM fees are too high.

14. You have to believe that Margaret Sanger and Gloria Steinem are more important to American history than Thomas Jefferson, General Robert E. Lee, or Thomas Edison.

15. You have to believe that standardized tests are racist, but racial quotas and set-asides are not.

16. You have to believe Hillary Clinton is all about "progress" and not power. She just wants to help us out of the archaic system of governing that we have been subjected to since our founding.

17. You have to believe that the only reason socialism hasn't worked anywhere it's been tried, is because the right people haven't been in charge. (I've got news for you. It has never worked because the RIGHT people have been in charge.)

18. You have to believe Republicans telling the truth belong in jail, but a cheat, liar and sex offender belongs in the White House and you would vote him back in there in a New York Minute (if you could).

19. You have to believe that homosexual parades displaying drag, transvestites, and bestiality should be constitutionally protected, and manger scenes at Christmas should be illegal.

20. You have to believe that illegal Democrat Party funding by the Chinese is somehow in the best interest of the United States.

21. You have to believe that the vociferous minorities who protest against prayer and saluting the flag in school have far more rights than the majority who believe in God and country, and want these values instilled in our young children.

22. You have to believe in MOB RULE and not RULING THE MOB (The Republican way).

23. You must not listen to Rush Limbaugh.

24 Trade Unions and Trial Lawyers are our strength and power.

25 The Main Stream Media and Hollywood are our propagandists.

26- FEMINISTS and GAYS are the men of our party.

27- The Terri Schiavo case proves we and a two-timing husband have more power than GOD and 2 loving parents.

28 WE HAVE TO CUT & RUN FROM IRAQ BECAUSE IF

THE U.S. HELPS THEM WIN - WE LOSE.

29 WE AND THE MAIN STREAM MEDIA MUST NEVER LET THE TRUTH

ABOUT TWA FLIGHT 800 (www.cashill.com) ANDTHE ARKANSAS PRISON TO CANADA BLOOD SCANDAL ( www.factor8movie.com) TO GET OUT TO RUIN THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION.

.

30 LAST BUT NOT LEAST WE ARE THE PARTY FOR THE LOSERS IN

LIFE AND WE(The Elitists -ie-
kerry or Soros) CAN ONLY KEEP OUR POWER BY KEEPING THEM

THERE.

31 You have to swear to the : THE DEVIL'S CODE

HIS HEART DOES NOT EXIST
HE SPEAKETH WITH A FORKED TONGUE
HIS STRENGTH UPHOLDS THE WICKED
HIS SWORD SLAYS THE DEFENSELESS
HIS WRATH UNDOES THE INNOCENT
'
BUT NOT TO THE: THE KNIGHT'S CODE

HIS HEART KNOWS VIRTUE
HIS TONGUE SPEAKS ONLY TRUTH
HIS STRENGTH UPHOLDS THE WEAK
HIS SWORD DEFENDS THE HELPLESS
HIS WRATH UNDOES THE WICKED

THIS WAS THE OATH OF A FIGHTER PILOT. Keep forwarding and add more

PS-THE COWBOY AND FIGHTER PILOT IS AMERICA’S VERSION OF OLD EUROPE’S CHIVALRY AND KNIGHTHOOD.

PSS - BOBBY KENNEDY WAS KILLED BY SIRHAN SIRHAN A PALESTINIAN AND POPE JOHN PAUL WAS ATTEMPTED TO BE KILLED BY ALI MEHMET AGCA A TURKISH MUSLIM. THIS STARTED IN 1968. HOW SOON WE FORGET.

PSSS -PASS THIS ON TO 1000 FRIENDS

PSSSS - I JUST FOUND OUT MARTIN LUTHER KING WAS A REPUBLICAN WHAT A GREAT DAY

PSSSSS = THE WHOLE FOLEY THING WOULD DISAPPEAR IN A SECOND IF FOLEY WOULD JUST CHANGE PARTYS

Thanks all of you for helping me decide to vote Republican!!!

Total double standard when it comes to Dems. Let's take a quick look into the last 30 years of Congrsssional sex scandals. Dems out number the Republicans and most didn't resign.

Rep. Wilbur Mills (D-Ark.) 1974-forced to resign
Rep. Wayne Hays (D-Ohio) 1976-resigned
Rep. John Young (D-Tex.) 1976- didn’t resign
Rep. Allan Howe (D-Utah) 1976- refused to resign
Rep. Fred Richmond (D-N.Y.) 1976- won reelection
Rep. Jon Hinson (R-Miss.) 1980- resigned
Rep. Robert Bauman (R-Md.) 1980- didn’t resign
Rep. Thomas Evans (R-Del.) 1981- lost reelection
Reps. Dan Crane (R-Ill.) 1983- voted out
Gerry Studds (D-Mass.) 1983- won reelection
Rep. Ernie Konnyu (R-Calif.) 1987- lost reelection
Sen. Brock Adams (D-Wash.) 1988- didn’t resign
Rep. Jim Bates (D-Calif.) 1988- won reelection
Rep. Donald "Buz" Lukens (R-Ohio) 1989- refused to resign
Rep. Gus Savage (D-Ill.) 1989- reelected
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) 1989- didn’t resign & won reelection
Rep. Arlan Stangeland (R-Minn.) 1990- lost reelection
Sen. Charles Robb (D-Va.) 1991-reelected
Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) 1992-refused to resign
Sen. Bob Packwood (R-Ore.) 1992- resigned
Rep. Mel Reynolds (D-Ill.) 1994- prison and resigned

enough said.

Bill Clinton's infamous affair with Monica, defended by Democrats as personal and not important to his job.

Democrat congressman Mel Reynold who was convicted of child molesting. (Pardoned by Clinton!)

Barney Frank - sex with male prostitute who he moved in with him and who also operated a homosexual prostitution ring out of his apartment! Still in Congress!

Gary Condit sex with an intern, didn't step down, but did not get re-elected.

Gerry Studds molested, had sex with a 17 year old female page and was rewarded with six more terms in Massachusetts government.

Chappaquiddick Ted Kennedy - still one of the top leaders in the Democratic party.

Democratic Governor McGreevey currenlty touring promoting his new book about how wonderful his affair with a male employee was and how he appointed him to a post in charge of security with a nice 6 figure salary...

- The Difference between Republicans and Democrats? If a Republican does something shameful he is asked to step down - Democrats? If they do something shameful they are defended, celebrated, even re-elected.

I live in Hastert's district and since 1906 Republicans have held the seat for all but 4 years. Hastert in particular has dominated in the past and his competition this year is some weak Union puppet. So the idea that he's not going to win another term is not well founded.

Dems, the major lib news networks and newspapers and anyone else including those posting here can make premature calls for him to resign all they want. However a resignation is voluntary. A forced resignation is not a resignation at all, in this situation it would be akin to being demoted and the only people capable of demoting him would be his own party.

If the independent FBI investigation, which was requested by Hastert himself a fact that seems to never get mentioned, finds he acted improperly or illegally that would be the other scenario for him to be demoted but more than likely if it comes to that it would be something worse like criminal charges. Of course the FBI would need to conduct a thorough investigation which doesn't appeal to those with a political motivation for their call to have him resign because they have less than a month to make up for being so tragically neutered the last 8 years.

It's not about the facts, papers, the networks, and whiners of any political affiliation (including Republicans worried about their own re-election) only care about the implications they can try to exploit for their own political gain. That's the really sad part.

I watched all the major network news shows this morning and it was laughable how in the dems pockets they are. And for watching news shows I saw very little factual backing for all the flashy lead-ins they ran into the ground. The funniest of which was that Hastert is "...fighting for his political life." See first paragraph. WGN (owned by the Tribune Company) even came out and said they were mad at him for standing up one of their radio interviewers the day prior.

So call for him to resign feel free. In the next month there will be 20 other major issues like this that get flung back and forth and come November the only thing that matters is which majority of voters turn out. Until a real investigation is conducted and unbiased parties provide facts he will still get my vote.

The fun begins...

In a few moments, Speaker Hastert announces that former FBI Director Louis Freeh will oversee an independent investigation of the ENTIRE matter.

Watch the Democrats who set this thing up and used youthful pages for political dirty tricks scatter like bunny rabbits on the first day of hunting season!

Every one of these Democrats who were crowing about why Hastert didn't do more to protect children need to be strapped to lie detectors and asked what THEY did to promote this scandal.

Go back and read the IMs. Foley and the kid talk about him turning 18 "in Feb." Which means at the time of at least some of the chatting the kid was...a kid. And that's just one kid. But not the only kid that he carried on with.

Hey Republicans: have some integrity. You can't trash the Dems for like behavior and then try to hold yourselves to their standards as a defense...duh-de-duh...

The DNC is the party of perverts and traitors. They have consistently apologized and protected
the deviant members of our society. The Republicans, well let's say they are in trouble because they did not keep the promises that brought them to power in 1994. They never had a fighting attitude against the socialist and never learned how to lead. We need term limits and a third party now! Wake up out there!!!!

Maybe this is Rove's "October Surprise".....maybe it's all a Repug scheme to have everyone "up in arms" and bickering viciously and not paying attention to the fact that they (Congress) have just passed laws that DESTROY everything our government was built on. We have an administration that admires Hitler and is following exactly in his footsteps. And we, like the German people, won't wake up until it's too late if we keep falling for this sh*t. We should be asking why Congress gives Bush anything he wants - no matter how illegal - even against their own beliefs and despite any protests from their constituants. Is he blackmailing them? Are they trying to focus our pitiful attention on this BS so we won't notice that Bush is getting ready to start his own war in Iran (just like he did in Iraq)? It seems to be working. I've seen better behaviour in Day Care. These people are an embarrassment. Backstabbers and ankle biters.

Serving as a congressman should be a sacrad duty. Not something to make a career out of - and definitely not something to get rich off of. When did we stop talking about term limits? When the Repugs took over? I think all congressmen should be like Virginia's governors. Limited to one term. Then they wouldn't have to spend their entire time "sleeping with strange bedfellows" and whoring to raise money for their reelection.

I thought the Nixon administration was dangerously deranged, but these people are making him look GOOD. They ALL need to go! And if they can't/won't go - then we need to vote them out. Vote against all encumbants! Finger-pointing, blaming, and name-calling should be beneath our dignity. In the meantime, while our attention is focused on this BS, Bush is probably planning another false flag terror op as an excuse for more war. Evildoers? Our government is LOADED with them!

Just another Big Media opportunity to control another election... from NYC!

Now THAT's good for America!

I'm not a real intellectual. I just play one on the 'net.

You know, I kinda like to think of the U.S. as a family. Dysfunctional, sure. Still...

When a regular family behaves the way ours is, they either get a visit from the Department of Human Services (expanded so as not to cause confusion with the other DHS) or they go to therapy.

Perhaps it's time for the equivalent of a "Wellfare Checkup" be scheduled for the entire government body. So far, all I see is members of a family dealing with an obvious divorse by covering the backs of their respective family members. Let's face it; the arguments in defense of or against both parties only confirm that neither is innocent; far from it. What is apparent is that corruption is being dragged, kicking and screaming, out of the darkness where it can be seen instead of just feared.

If the OTHER DHS is to live up to its title, it needs to take a serious look at the threats to national security posed by those who govern and legislate. Perhaps they are doing just that.

My conclusion is that my country needs a big, long series of therapy sessions. What's broken should not be fixed. Clearly, the current situation suggests the antithesis.

I'm an American, I work in retail.
My nickname is Koliedrus.

I approve this message.

(and no, I'm not running for or from anything)

republicans are weak on social issues. they should have no say on what happens to Hastert.

Hastert MUST resign.
On November 8th.

"WAG THE FAG" IMPLODES!"

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX THU OCT 5 2006 2:53:48 ET XXXXX

CLAIM: FILTHY FOLEY ONLINE MESSAGES WERE PAGE PRANK GONE AWRY

World Exclusive

Must Credit the DRUDGE REPORT

According to two people close to former congressional page Jordan Edmund, the now famous lurid AOL Instant Message exchanges that led to the resignation of Mark Foley were part of an online prank that by mistake got into the hands of enemy political operatives, the DRUDGE REPORT can reveal.

According to one Oklahoma source who knows the former page very well, Edmund, a conservative Republican, goaded an unwitting Foley to type embarrassing comments that were then shared with a small group of young Hill politicos. The prank went awry when the saved IM sessions got into the hands of political operatives favorable to Democrats.

The primary source, an ally of Edmund, adamantly proclaims that the former page is not a homosexual. The prank scenario was confirmed by a second associate of Edmund. Both are fearful that their political careers will be affected if they are publicly brought into the investigation.

The prank scenario only applies to the Edmund IM sessions and does not necessarily apply to any other exchanges between the former congressman and others.

The news come on the heels that Edmund has hired former Timothy McVeigh attorney, Stephen Jones.

Developing...
-----------------------------------------------------------
Reports are moved when circumstances warrant
http://www.drudgereport.com for updates
(c)DRUDGE REPORT 2006
Not for reproduction without permission of the author

Scott wrote "DBJ: The Democrats have covered stuff like that up for years!! Remember Slick Willie and "I did not have sex with that woman!"?? Or how about Barney Franks who had a prostitution ring going, and is still in office?? Or how about Gerry Studds who had SEX with an underage male page, and was re-elected 6 more times?? Or how about Mel Reynolds who had sex with an underage female page, and was later pardoned by Slick Willie at midnight on January 19, 2001???

You need to get your facts straight!"

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "get your facts straight". But - how's this Scott? For the sake of argument - I'll give you those facts. I'll say you are right and those actions were reprehensible. Vile. Disgusting.

Now, aren't you going to hold the Republicans in Congress to the same standard if they did in fact cover up Foley's predation?

This juvenile argument that somehow all of these historical Democratic wrongs make it wrong to hold Republicans accountable now is kind of sickening. If Hastert, Reynolds or others knew about Foley and did not act - they ought to resign. If they kept putting pages in harm's way they were wrong. Period.

More proof that therapy is required.

Show me why this new tidbit of carnage should convince me to vote for either party.

As a parent, I would ground them both.

Just some tidbits. I'm wondering if Nancy Pelosi is gay? I'm wondering if liberals have any brain cells left, if they ever had any? I'm wondering why it's OK for the president of the US to get a blowjob underneath "his"/OUR desk in the oval office and squirt his mess all over the Presidential Seal? I'm not taking up for Foley. He is a perverted asshole, but, so is bill clinton. And so are most liberals.