Pervert Republican Congressmen as CHAIR OF SEX OFFENDERS?!?

[Novaya Havoc]

Ha!

I love Republican hypocricy. It's even better than Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

Republican, anti-gay chair of House Sex Offender Caucus is, uh, hitting on underage boys.

Check out him IM records with one such kid. It will SHOCK AND AWE you. Probably not safe for work, mind you.

http://americablog.blogspot.com/2006...out-foley.html

Disgusting, neh? And the good, virtuous Republicans covered it up like woah. Have fun with that one, Mr. Hastert.

-NH

[Puma]

he's already resigned, old news.

[Davideaux]

Unbelievable...

If this were fiction, I'd toss it out the window for being too easy a story, with too easy a villain.

[Novaya Havoc]

he's already resigned, old news.

Definitely not "old news."

Whereas the Republican legislature and leadership obsessed over Bill Clinton's sex life for months;

Whereas the Republican leadership hid and cover-up these severe pedophiliac allegations;

Whereas the Democratic leadership was not notified about these incidents;

I find that the news is highly relevant.

[Gingold]

His resignation is old news. The possibility that many of his colleagues may have known and covered it up is the big thing here.

[StoneGold]

he's already resigned, old news.

Last night is old news?



Seriously though, just as big news, and it's covered in that blog posting (although I read it on an actual news site, so I'm not too worried about its veracity) is that for the GOP, this really was old news. Like year old news. As in Hastert knew about this for almost a year, but did nothing about it.

[Puma]

Definitely not "old news."

Whereas the Republican legislature and leadership obsessed over Bill Clinton's sex life for months;

Whereas the Republican leadership hid and cover-up these severe pedophiliac allegations;

Whereas the Democratic leadership was not notified about these incidents;

I find that the news is highly relevant.

*resets meter*

sarcasm is so difficult in a two dimensional medium.

rather tha worry about why the Dems weren't informed earlier is why legal authorities weren't notified.

[Samurai]

The page was 16, and 16 (or younger) is the age of consent in Washington DC and and 38 of the 50 states, so you may need to reconsider the "pedophile" and "under-age" allegations.

[JeffreyWKramer]

Whereas the Republican leadership hid and cover-up these severe pedophiliac allegations;

Correction, yet again. Though the term "pedophilia" is often used to describe adults having consensual sex with any underaged person, in fact the term applies specifically to those attracted to and/or having sex with prepubertal children. Ephebophilia (or less popularly, hebephilia) is the term used to refer to those with the same dynamics toward adolescents. Both are generally illegal, but they are psychologically rather distinct categories of behavior, with significant differences noted between the offender groups, their activities, outcomes, etc.

Not saying people shouldn't be concerned about these activities, or the possible cover-up, but it's important that people frame the discussion with an eye to facts, and the fact is, not all sexual interest/activity involving adults and underaged people is pedophilia.

[Mikl C]

The conversation is GROSS regardless.

[StoneGold]

The page was 16, and 16 (or younger) is the age of consent in Washington DC and and 38 of the 50 states, so you may need to reconsider the "pedophile" and "under-age" allegations.

Except the kid was in Louisiana when it happened. Where the age of consent is 17. Honestly, I have no idea though if the laws apply to where the alleged perpetrator or victim is located. I'd assume the victim. But I don't know.

[JeffreyWKramer]

The page was 16, and 16 (or younger) is the age of consent in Washington DC and and 38 of the 50 states, so you may need to reconsider the "pedophile" and "under-age" allegations.

Was he not 15 when the emails started?

[howyadoin]

Except the kid was in Louisiana when it happened. Where the age of consent is 17. Honestly, I have no idea though if the laws apply to where the alleged perpetrator or victim is located. I'd assume the victim. But I don't know.

Please. You're comparing apples and apples.

[Novaya Havoc]

Not saying people shouldn't be concerned about these activities, or the possible cover-up, but it's important that people frame the discussion with an eye to facts, and the fact is, not all sexual interest/activity involving adults and underaged people is pedophilia.

Fair. Enough. Sexual harrassment of minors, and an overtly hypocritical stance on:

- Sexual offenders.
- Internet as tool of sexual offenders.
- Support for anti-gay "marriage amendment" (Vote listed here)

= relevant, regardless of hyperbole.

All in all: point taken. But this is no means to be swept under the rug or considered irrelevant or a waste of time. Especially in the context of Republicans.

-B

[StoneGold]

Please. You're comparing apples and apples.

Forgive me if my sarcasm meter is off today, but I was comparing something?