CNN: Foley in alcoholism treatment center

[DeepModem Mom]

Foley in alcoholism treatment center
October 2, 2006

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Former Rep. Mark Foley, who resigned Friday amid allegations that he sent inappropriate e-mails to teenage pages, told a Florida television station that he is in a treatment facility for alcoholism.

A letter containing the information was faxed by Foley to WPBF in West Palm Beach, said David Roth, Foley's attorney.

The fax was apparently sent from Clearwater, Florida, but Roth would not say Monday if that's where Foley is being treated.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Monday it was launching an investigation into allegations Foley sent sexually suggestive e-mails to pages.

FDLE spokesman Tom Berlinger said that the agency on Sunday contacted the FBI -- which is looking into whether any federal laws were broken in the matter -- to inform federal authorities of the Florida probe....

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/02/foley.quits/index.html

[C_U_L8R]

1. somebody call a Waaaaaaambulance !!!!

[Joe Bacon]

41. I guess he couldn't get into the Betty Ford Clinic.

I bet Betty burned his ears off when he asked for admission! :evilgrin:

[elehhhhna]

56. He's been rushed to the John Mark Carr Unit of the St. Georgie Med Center.

[shaniqua6392]

2. Drinking too much

turned him into a PEDOPHILE!!!!! :sarcasm:

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

9. I have drank...

It has never given me a penchant for underage girls or to go out and break the law. Hmmm.

[Cha]

65. I hear ya! Didn't another republicON

who was in deep shit use this excuse recently? Someone in OHIO?

[hedgehog]

100. The Republican mayor of Oswego, New York used it.

Drinking made him call up under age girls on his city owned cell phone.

[sugapablo]

17. NO NO NO NO NO NO

We CANNOT let him use this supposed "alcoholism" as an excuse for soliciting minors (who were basically his employees).

It's painfully transparent what he's doing here and I hope that this little manuever is taken for just that, a manuever!

[MADem]

46. Yeah, my very first thought!! You'd think if that were true, that the

Monkey would have screwed every sixth grader in TX before he supposedly "took the pledge."

[autorank]

59. What he did turned him into an alcoholic...

... but you can see his strategy unfolding...demon rum, the curse...blablabla.

If this is true, which I presume it is, there is no clinic that will cure his problems.

[Xipe Totec]

3. It's not me, it's the alcohol!

Nice try, perv.

[Cronus Protagonist]

89. Yeah, I often think of turning to a new page when I drink a few

...but usually that would be a metaphorical page, not a congressional page.

:evilgrin:

[Horse with no Name]

4. Oh Bullshit

The party of personal responsibility is going to blame it on a disease that many suffer from. It doesn't make THEM pedophiles. Sorry Foley...but you MIGHT be an alcoholic AND a pervert...but alcohol DIDN'T make you do this.

[Pachamama]

63. THEY NEVER TAKE RESPONSIBILITY! Alcohol my Ass!

Your absolutely right....the so-called "Party of personal responsibility" never takes responsibility! It's always that its someone elses fault or blame it on drugs.

So Foley is an alcoholic AND A PEDOPHILE PERVERT, but alcohol does not "make" you want to contact adolescent boys and know how and when they masturbate and the size of their cock. Maybe alcohol lowered his inhibitions and judgement to do what he thinks about and wanted. But I'll tell you, I am not even buying that line about the drugs being behind it. If Foley had a drinking problem in addition to his "pedophile" problem, why didn't the GOP leadership address that as well???

[Blasphemer]

66. I'm disgusted by this turn of events

This is how these POS are going to spin this? As a consequence of alcoholism? What BS. I'll also be disgusted if the treatment facility goes along with this garbage.

[yellowcanine]

5. How convenient. Makes it hard for the press to get at him.

[iwanmycntrybak]

6. I drink a good amount of beer occasionally ,

and I never get the urge to molest young children.

[sam sarrha]

13. itis good you arent drinking the wrong kind of beer, check tha labels

before you drink... 'caution this beer may cause thoughts of molesting children and bribing politicians with Indian Tribal money, starting an illegal war in a 3rd world country, starting DubyaDubyaIII, or destroying the Constitution of the United States'

[TwilightZone]

7. In other words, "I'm a victim!"

It can't possibly be my fault. Er, it's the booze...yeah, that's it.

[xultar]

8. Alcoholism causes Pedophilia. BUHWAWAWA!

[kurth]

10. Please send cards and flowers ASAP

Don't forget to send a donation with your prayers.

[yellowcanine]

11. I was so hoping he would use the "Twinkies" defense. Alcohol is so

pre 9-11.

[Divernan]

12. So GOP leadership covered up his alcoholism AND his pedophilia !?!?!

Don't let them get by with impliedly or explicitly explaining his behavior by saying it only happened because he was a drunk. "He didn't mean it, he was just drunk."

Drunken behavior reflects the TRUE inner base instincts, feelings and thoughts which alcoholics manage to disguise and cover up when they're sober. A person who is a vicious drunk is basically a vicious person who needs therapy, not booze. Unfortunately, therapy has not been proven to work with pedophiles.

In fact, this makes the GOP cover up far worse. A pedophile is far more dangerous to children when he's drunk than when he's sober. In Foley's case, for example, the more innocuous emails would be written when he's sober; the vile instant messages when he was drunk.

As to the GOP hotline for parents/former pages to call in? The Dems should set up their own, because the GOP will be covering up and paying off, and warning people how difficult their lives will be made by lots of publicity if they complain.

I similarly don't trust Bush's FBI to investigate - they'll be shutting people up too. I can imagine the White House instructions to Gonzalez on this one. "Find every single page Foley contacted and make sure they are neutralized one way or the other."

[Canuckistanian]

14. They're gonna to have to put warning labels on booze

"May cause unconscious harassment of young children. Please enjoy in moderation."

[keta11]

15. Won't it be hilarious if the doctors test his system

and find out he is not an alcoholic and someone at the hospital leaked.

[LibDemAlways]

16. So Foley is now trying to use the Mel Gibson

defense - "the alcohol made me do it." Sorry, Mark. It didn't work for Mel. It won't work for you. Accept responsibility for your actions, scumbag.

[JoMama49]

18. Y am I not surprised? n/t

[bigscott]

19. Sorry

I am gay and a recovering alcoholic. never, ever, even at my most intoxicated, did I ever think it was OK to proposition or IM or email a teenage BOY. this pervert gives gays and alcoholics a bad name - fuck him

[Phillycat]

20. I'm a recovering alcoholic

I did all kinds of things while drunk, but gee, it never made me a PEDOPHILE.

[Marie26]

21. Oh puh-lease.

Is this the thing to do now when any scandal breaks? Will Abramoff also be checking into an alcohol treatment center?

[dkofos]

33. Yes, but it will be in a federal prison HaHaHA

[MADem]

48. How about Macaca/N-word Allen??? The BOOOOOOZE made me

call that kid who was born in VA (unlike Allen) a macaca and to "Welcome him to VA." I DRANK alot in college, and that cheap beer caused me to say the N word!

[MaineDem]

22. With Ney? n/t

[slackmaster]

23. It was either that or finding God

These clowns are SO predictable.

[Lurking Dem]

27. He'll do that at the center

because it will also cure him of his "alcoholism".

Sadly for him, they don't have a 12-step program for dickwads.

[muriel_volestrangler]

24. It was self medication - he knew that if he drank really heavily

he wouldn't be able to, er, perform well enough to be a threat to the boys. You see, he was only thinking of them ... :sarcasm:

[LeftyMom]

25. The party of personal responsibility strikes again.

:eyes:

[allisonthegreat]

26. figures...

And I am a recovering alcoholic. But it is almost to convenient.

[bikebloke]

28. Rehabs really work

Look at Rush.

And Jethro Bush's junkie daughter (what's her name).

[flyarm]

29. hmmm CLEARWATER..HOME OF SCIENTOLOGY....

wonder if he is being hidden in a Scientology rehab??????????

or just being hidden...

wanna bet he comes out born again..Scientology..

yes the same Scientology that was behind the Terry Schievo protests..with morton plant hospital a block from Scientology headquarters..

the same scientology that has guards to keeps parents from getting their kids back.. kids who get caught in the cult ..

yeah...i bet he is in Clearwater..in Scientology hiding!!

a Clearwater resident..fly

[allisonthegreat]

36. lol..n/t

[progressivebydesign]

44. Clearwater is ALL Scientology... good find. n/t

[MADem]

52. I found PHOTOS of the guy with SCIENTOLOGISTS!!!!!!

I posted them here the other day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2272248&mesg_id=2272613

[lpbk2713]

30. Bogus ..... A ploy conceived by his attorney.

Poor Mr Foley :cry:


He has a drinking problem :nopity:


He wouldn't have done these naughty things if he didn't have personal problems :rofl: :rofl:




The sanctimonious rethugs will eat this shit right up. And they will insist everyone else should buy it too.

[BrklynLiberal]

31. Omigod! How predictable was this!!???

Didn't the Church do the same thing for some of its less than admirable priests?

[dkofos]

32. Hiding out is more like it

[Bigmack]

34. I've heard booze called "truth serum"...

and there may be a germ of truth in that term.

Foley - a Republican, and therefore a hypocrite by definition - probably had been dealing with all that sin and perversion going on inside his little head with denial (that's a popular defense mechanism these days with Repubs).

Add a little bit of power and a little bit of alcohol, and all that shit just bubbles to the surface.

[markam]

35. It's not my fault.

You see, I'm an alcoholic.

Yeah, that's the ticket!

[PurityOfEssence]

37. Next we play the Jesus card, then try to find a way to work in patriotism

For a narcissist--which we know he is from his pathetic performances at the Capitol Hill Standup competitions--this must be sheer living hell. This guy truly knows who his friends are now, and he can probably count them without fingers.

Empathy: the Achilles' heel of the liberal...

The leadership should get raked over the coals for this one, but we shouldn't get distracted from the myriad of other issues by which these creeps can be taken down next month.

[progressivebydesign]

45. Hey, it worked for Gannon (the poor persecuted Christian) n/t

[MADem]

51. Here's the patriotism angle--"I was working SO hard on anti-terra

legislation and worrying SO much about threats to our national security, that I just *snapped* somehow...." (Cue "America the Beautiful" in the background, softly then louder at the finish)

[PurityOfEssence]

88. thinkin' so much about those hot young boys we're sending to die

that I just got dewy-eyed and wanted to show my gratitude. By the way, I've got a really nice gratitude, and unlike Gannon, I'm not sayin' whether it's cut or not.

Is it fun to dance on the graves of the fallen arrogant thugs? Yep. Sadly, as an inclusive liberal, I feel for the poor schmuck; his contrived life of leverage and privilege are gone, and his fall will be complete, embarrassing and lonely. For a narcissist, that's pretty hard.

Does he even have the mettle to try to recover?

How sad; how very, very sad.

[0007]

38. What a cute little trick! Time will run out on ya ..... or perhaps

junior will send you rat loaded pistol.

[Kablooie]

39. Demon Rum made the Dick Devil come out.

If he wasn't drinking he, of course, would have been an upstanding Christian citizen.

Gin makes men homosexual pedophiles. It's a long known effect.

[Southsideirish]

40. This is one thing that people won't forgive or forget - "drunk" or not!

This crop of rethugs are the most cynical, despicable t*rds to ever come to DC.

[bullimiami]

42. so hes a homosexual pedophile predator and an alchoholic?

And the House leaders didnt think any of this was a problem?

[progressivebydesign]

43. You SOB Foley... CLASSIC move. "oh, I'm impaired"....

His PR people are brilliant. Make it seem as though it was because he drank. Drinking does nothing but erase your inhibitions to do the things you really want to do.. it does not make a sexual predator, that was already there. Do the repubs take responsibility for ANYTHING????

[rodeodance]

47. needs a REC.

[rodeodance]

49. AP (update) Hastert 'disgusted'; Rep. Foley enters rehab ("explicit")

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15103356/

Hastert 'disgusted'; Rep. Foley enters rehab
FBI, Fla. probing congressman's explicit messages to underage male pages

Updated: 17 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - As former Rep. Mark Foley, under FBI investigation for e-mail exchanges with teenage congressional pages, has checked himself into rehabilitation facility for alcoholism treatment, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., returned to Washington saying he was "outraged and disgusted" with Foley's actions involving sexually charged e-mails and instant messages to underaged, male, Capitol Hill pages.

Foley's attorney, David Roth, would not identify the facility, but told the Associated Press in West Palm Beach, Fla., that Foley had checked in over the weekend.

According to a statement from Hastert spokesman Ron Bonjean, Hastert is to meet with Page Board Chairman John Shimkus and current Clerk of the House Karen Haus to "review procedures" on the page system and to "discuss how to prevent this from happening in the future." According to an aide for Hastert, they will also discuss "how to protect people after they leave."......

Click for related content

* Discuss your thoughts on the Foley situation
* Read the posted e-mails (.pdf)
* Foley e-mails an open secret in D.C.?

[rodeodance]

50. ...Foley accepts 'full responsibility' (statement from SUN. night)

...Foley accepts 'full responsibility'
Foley released a written statement Sunday night saying he's entering a treatment facility for his alcoholism and behavioral problems.


"I strongly believe that I am an alcoholic and have accepted the need for immediate treatment for alcoholism and other behavioral problems," Foley said in a statement, Roth told the AP.

[GoldenOldie]

53. What better place to hide out?

Free from the bright lights of the media cameras. Poor Foley, he just doesn't have the right family connections that lil George has.

[badgerpup]

61. Think you hit the nail on the head...hiding out.

Ya know, it's too bad that nobody's come up with rehabilitation for the corrupt, dishonest and just plain evil behavior that we've been seeing lately.
I mean...Repug gets caught doing business as usual doing something illegal, immoral, or self-serving to the detriment of the rest of the country...and *POP* into Bad Behavior rehab they go.
Now we just have to come up with a treatment plan that WORKS...
:rofl:

[rodeodance]

54. Snow: OK, can I get political advantage out of this'." (talking of Dems)

.....White House press secretary Tony Snow, asked about that Monday on ABC's "Good Morning America," urged greater efforts to "figure out what happened here." He called it "a terrible story" and said he considered it unfortunate that "people are thinking, 'OK, can I get political advantage out of this'."

Hastert in a letter sent Sunday to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, asked the Justice Department to "conduct an investigation of Mr. Foley's conduct with current and former House pages," including "any sexually explicit communications between Mr. Foley and any former or current House pages and what actions such individuals took, if any, to provide them to law enforcement."

[rodeodance]

55. Hasturd says he was not aware of a different set of communications.

.......Rep. Thomas Reynolds of New York, head of the House Republican election effort, said he told Hastert months ago about the allegations involving a 16-year-old boy from Louisiana.

Hastert acknowledged that his staff had been made aware of concerns about what they termed "over-friendly" e-mails Foley had sent to the teenager -- including one requesting his picture -- in the fall of 2005, and that they referred the matter to the House clerk.

But Hastert said those e-mails were not viewed as "sexual in nature" and that he was not aware of "a different set of communications which were sexually explicit ... which Mr. Foley reportedly sent another former page or pages."

Congressional pages, a staple of Washington politics since the 1820s, are high school students who serve as gofers in the House and Senate.

[barb162]

57. He has more problem than just alcohol. I would have started

on the pedophile problem first.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

58. So he's a drunken pedophile, Doesn't change anything.

He get's drunk to cover up the shame. He's still a sicko.

[Gregorian]

60. WOULDN'T I ALREADY BE IN JAIL?

Something tells me I would.

But Limbaugh does drugs and he walks. Chong just looks liberal, and he was in the slammer in minutes.

Republican justice.

OK, I'll relax. But I don't think justice will be served.

[BigDDem]

62. Wonder if he's rooming

with Bob Ney.

[Tight_rope]

64. I DON'T GIVE A FUCK IF FOLEY IS A CRACKHEAD....

HE'S STILL A PEDOPHILER WHICH IS A CRIME. BEING AN ALCOHOLIC IS NOT A CRIME. IF HE WANTS TO DRINK HIMSELF INTO A GRAVE, I WOULDN'T GIVE A FUCK. BUT WHEN YOU MESS WITH INNOCENT CHILDREN, WELL THEN YOU HAVE SERIOUS PROBLEMS. CRIMINAL PROBLEMS.

THROW HIS ASS IN JAIL.

[Bucky]

67. Pensacola NewsJournal: Foley says he has "behaviorial problems"

See, we didn't know this before...

Foley says he has "behaviorial problems"

TALLAHASSEE – Former Congressman Mark Foley said this morning that he is struggling with an alcohol addiction and “behavioral problems” and plans to check into an undisclosed rehabilitation facility.

"I strongly believe that I am an alcoholic and have accepted the need for immediate treatment for alcoholism and other behavioral problems," Foley said in a statement released by his attorney and reported by the Associated Press.

Oh, okay. He's an alcoholic...

You don't suppose he's really going to try and save his career do you?

[gratuitous]

68. Yeah, Ted Bundy had behavior problems too

Women of a certain physical type who had the misfortune to cross his path tended to wind up dead because of it. In what universe is it acceptable for a 52-year-old to make sexual advances on a 16-year-old?

[jobycom]

69. Has anyone found any Foley quotes on alter boys and Catholic priests?

I'd be interested to see what his position was over that scandal.

[kansan]

81. No altar boys, but here's an ironic twist:

St. Petersburg Times
Sept. 12, 1998

WASHINGTON -- For more than a week, members of Congress said they would avoid partisan politics when they got Kenneth Starr's report on President Clinton. But when they finally saw it Friday, they split along party lines.

Republicans were aghast at Clinton's behavior, with many saying it showed he had lied and abused his power.

"It's vile," said Rep. Mark Foley, R-West Palm Beach. "It's more sad than anything else, to see someone with such potential throw it all down the drain because of a sexual addiction."

[Journeyman]

70. I don't think its his career he's concerned with today. . .

he just wants to stay out of prison and he hopes to do so by hiding behind his "disease."

[truthisfreedom]

71. understatement of the year.

[LostinVA]

72. I agree -- he's a sociopathic sexual predator n/t

[barb162]

74. yes, I think going after kids is sociopathic

[marshall]

77. If he times it just right

he might be in line for a presidential pardon in two years!

[kurth]

73. 4 out of 5 dentists agree

Duh.

[ecstatic]

79. funny how these sicko types always downplay their sh1t

Preying on young boys is more than "behavioral problems." WTF... But I know all about his type... He is the type of guy who would lie up until the very end--if he could have lied his way out of this he definitely would have.

[4_TN_TITANS]

75. Pitiful attempt....

The alcohol might make it harder to keep the britches on, but the underlying urges are already there. I believe that most cases of pedophilla are incurable, in the same capacity that homosexuality is 'incurable'.
:nopity:

[ecstatic]

76. I guess he drinks different brand then Mel Gibson

Gibson's alcohol turned him into a raving racist...

Wow, this is too funny. Of course if he really is an alcoholic that would imply that Foley has done his fair share of drinking and driving. Gotta look into that! Were there any accidents that Foley may have caused that were written off as human error?

[dapper]

78. Dope

When I read this earlier, I was like... One thing has nothing to do with the other...

Maybe he is looking for sympathy?

Dap

[Tari]

80. And who's paying the bill?

I'm guessing he has excellent health insurance...paid for by taxpayers.

Sickening.

[SOS]

98. Excellent point

In today's NYT, a congressional aide says there was no sign of alcoholism.
Yet real alcoholics can't get rehab.
48 million uninsured and even with insurance, most don't cover rehab anymore.
So a real alcoholic, in the real world, dies alone.
Meanwhile a Congressman uses his gold-plated, taxpayer-financed health insurance to get a phony rehab as political cover.
That's "health care" in America.

[Megahurtz]

82. Right.

Blame it on the Booze.:eyes:

Typical stupid Fundie-ReThuglican reaction
so that after he completes his rehab he'll be all better now!:eyes:

[classysassy]

83. "One for my baby(boy) and one for the road"

blame it on deamon rum.

[truthisfreedom]

84. rove: "check yourself into a treatment center. it worked for the coin dude

and it will work for you."

[demo dutch]

85. Being investigated by Attorney Gen of FL who's running for Gov. and Crist

with dubious questions about his own sexual preference. Is this going to rub off?

[schmuls]

86. Here's a scenario I could live with: More and more shit hits the

fan, * finally snaps and checks into an alcoholism treatment center, and since alcoholism is termed a disease, everything last cowardly, mf-ing, criminal and traitorous piece of legislation the pos * put through in the name of national security is tossed out the window. Every act done to the American people by this gang in power is immediately eliminated. Yes, Lord let it be!!!!!!

[troubleinwinter]

87. Coward. Chickenshit. Liar. Sexual Predator.

[JoFerret]

90. He needs to grow up...if he can

and find an ADULT sexual relationship.

If that came with an admission of his decades of damaging hypocrisy and a genuine repudiation of GOP perversion I could wish him well.

[Matilda]

91. To Freepers, he was really a Democrat in disguise.

I wanted to see how they could deny this one, and I wasn't disappointed:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1712398/posts


A third of the way down the page: because Foley supported Gay Rights, he was really a Democrat.


No Republican would do such a thing, obviously.


:shrug:

[truthisfreedom]

92. well this is good. CNN is reporting "sexually suggestive e-mails" which

is exactly how we want it worded. amazing.

[truthisfreedom]

93. dupe

oops

[rug]

94. Glad to see he's turning over a new page.

[Lurking Dem]

95. Oy!

:evilgrin:

[zonkers]

96. Did he bring his laptop? Do they have wifi?

[sendero]

97. Drinking..

... doesn't exonerate one from a crime, in fact in the few cases where it makes any difference it makes the punishment more severe (auto accident under the influence).

I suppose we are supposed to have sympathy for this guy because he drinks. No, I'm well past that.

[kdjlaw]

99. I'm an alcoholic and I resent being associated with him

I'm an alcoholic who's been sober for 16 years. When I drank, and I drank a lot, I was never inclined to send pornographic emails to teenage boys. Or teenage girls, for that matter. The point is, alcohol can do bad things to a man, but turning him into a pervert isn't one of them.

[Hepburn]

101. Hope to hell...

...it is an ADULTS ONLY Re-Hab.....:scared:

[babydollhead]

102. look in GD, Foley's emails today!