Was not changing parties, Foley's biggest mistake ?

Question

Let's face it, Republicans treat their peers much harsher on these issues. You don't get a chance to run again with the backing of the party, let alone get to stay on and hold important chairmanships. The Democrats, to a large extent, embrace sexual scandal...

"little kids" . . .and just how young are pages these days? It was certainly wrong, but it was wrong when Studd did it and the dems praised him and gave him a standing ovation and future chairmanships. "His" page was the same age as the ones in question, now.

I don't consider him a democrat, sadly, he didn't jump ship in time to become one. However, if he had, prior to being found out, I wonder IF he would have been found out and IF the Democrat party would have forced him out. Historically, Republicans are much harsher on issues of sexual indescretion...

Reba.... THAT is my point. If he was a Democrat, he wouldn't be letting anyone down. I, for one, don't recall ever hearing the man's name, before this.

It looks likely that there were plenty of democrats who knew about this and did nothing to protect the "children" until it was politically most damaging. No one looks like they did as well as they should have with this matter. . .

Answer 1

This is not a defense of Foley's actions, but pointing out a difference in the way Democrats and Republicans react when one of their party is involved in a sex scandal.

Foley's resignation was called for by BOTH parties.

In 1983, Democratic Representative Gerry Studd was censured for having sex with a page, ie., they told him "Don't do that again!", then gave him an important committee chairmanship.

In 1994, Democratic Representative Melvin Reynolds was re-elected AFTER being indicted for having sex with an underage campaign volunteer. He did not resign for a month after he was convicted of sexual assault, obstruction of justice and solicitation of child pornography.

Answer 2

If Foley had been a democrat he would still be in office, of that there is no doubt. Look at Dollar Bill Jefferson.

Sex scandals are the bread and butter of the feel good party, it is private business, not the publics.

The foley thing is pure politics, the dems knew about this for perhaps as much as three years and sat on it until this time for purely political gains which is purely immoral. It appears that foley was being blackmailed. There is also the chance that this entire thing was orchestrated by the dems, in that foley was entrapped.

As I have said before, when the truth comes out you will have to search hard to find it reported because the dems are going to show up as being very dirty and corrupt on this whole mess.

Foley might as well have been a democrat as his personal behavior coincides with theirs, despicable.

Answer 3

Oh brother, there's a whopper. Its not that Democrats embrace sexual scandal, particularly the kind that Foley's gotten himself tangled up in. It's simply that with things like Clinton's indiscretions Democrats realize that the matter is between the Clintons and not the nation. Democrats tend to keep their eye on the ball and look at what actually effects the person's performance in office.

Conservatives tend to throw out the baby with the bath water. If the candidate or official isn't of their religion, they oppose them. If the candidate seeks to protect the Bill of Rights, even when conservatives are "certain" that someone whose been accused is guilty, conservatives oppose the candidate. Conservatives tend to see all problems in black and white, support zero tolerance policies and see laws as absolute. That is of course until they end up on the wrong side of the rules, then you "just have to understand." This point at which they trip over their own absolutism is where they "eat their own."

In a world of complex issues, requiring custom fit answers, conservatives want their answers simple and one size fits all. They simply want to memorize a simple list of solutions, apply them and never have to think again. In a changing, shrinking world this approach doesn't work.

Answer 4

Yeah, sounds like that about sums it up. If Foley had been a dem, it would have been back to republicans attacking and the dems saying 'it's just sex... '

For that matter, it's not even sex, just 'possibly' sexual harrassment. Keep in mind, the pages in question are of legal age.

Answer 5

Correcto! This is exactly what happens when Republicans start acting like Democrankies. The Democrankies wanted to erect a statue of Gerry Studds outside of the Democrankie Party Headquarters/NAMBLA Office complex

Answer 6

Well you give the Democrats too little credit and the Republicans too much.

People are people on both sides of the aisle....and there's plenty of good and bad to go around.

Why must people feel compelled to believe that one party is so much worse than another.

For goodness sakes....they are all politicians....

Answer 7

The Republican leaders knew about Foley for over two years. That's real harsh of them to do nothing before elections. right!
Republicans only impeached Clinton to make him look bad before elections, the Republicans knew they did not have the votes in the Senate. That harsh and egregious act cost tax payers $40 million.
Republicans also knew the Clinton matter did not rise to the level of impeachable acts.

Answer 8

Of course we all know he was a democrat at first and changed parties to get electred.

His biggest mistake was running for office his last election

Answer 9

Young pages.

Answer 10

If he was a Democrat they would have made him the next Speaker of the House!

The Dems have no shame.