ABC News: Pages Sending All Sorts of Messages About Possible Other Members

[Human Torch]

ABC News: Pages ‘Sending All Sorts of Messages About Possible Other Members’



http://thinkprogress.org/2006/10/02/pages-ross/

Tonight on ABC, investigative journalist Brian Ross suggested there may be other members of Congress who engaged in inappropriate behavior towards congressional pages:

BRIAN ROSS: So far, Foley is the only member whose overt sexual approaches have been documented. Charlie?

CHARLES GIBSON: The only one to be documented, but are there other shoes to drop?

ROSS: We’re hearing quite a bit from former pages. They’re sending us all sorts of messages about possible other members.

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. Is this the Revenge of the Pages?

I can't wait for the docudrama.

[whistle]

50. Exactly what Matt Sludge warned every congressional pedophile

...about

[xchrom]

2. i'm gonna be suspect about this.

i'm goanna wait until how i see this might be pointed at dems.

[NOLADEM]

7. I fear the same

I think this is the only way to negate this. It MUST become a bipartisan problem for this to get better for the Repubes. They have to be able to say both sides have the problem, but that they are going to do something about it.

I hope they fail to find someone in our midst that is doing such things.

[babylonsister]

9. If any Dems are guilty, they should be exposed. This is

unacceptable behavior regardless of what party is doing it.

[acmavm]

17. You're right.

[July]

24. And that's what our party leadership must do.

The contrast with the Republican coverup will be noted.

[Mike Daniels]

27. If there's equivalent documentation connected to a Dem in Congress

Then they should be thrown out on their ass as well.

[xchrom]

31. people don't paste heterosexuals with descriptions of --

diseased, mentally ill, deviant, etc they way do gay folk.

if you aren't gay -- you have less to worry about.

and if you ARE straight -- you aren't ever going to have to defend gay folk they each and every out person will have to defend every other gay person.

[Alcibiades]

48. We do label people as sick

if they like to have sex with children, whether they are kids of the same or the other gender.

This isn't a gay issue. Foley isn't gay, he's denied it. He's an adult man who likes to have sex with teenaged boys. This isn't about homosexuality. Homosexuality involves consenting acts between adults. Pedophilia involves sexual acts with a minor, usually forced, coerced or manipulated.

[xchrom]

51. tell that to the catholic church -- tell that to pat robertson

and jerry falwell.

you'll recall that jerry blamed 9-11 on feminists and GAYS AND LESBIANS.
and that made headlines in major newspapers across the country.

one church leader has already blamed gay folk for foley because of fear of accusations of ''homophobe''.

another representative talked about the boy scouts were right to ban gay scout leaders.

don't tell me what the fuck will happen with this.

i've been there many, many times -- if you aren't gay -- it's not you they will manufacture their assaults on.

[Laurab]

57. Most sane people don't follow Falwell or Robertson

and many, many Catholics don't believe in all of the church's teachings. It really doesn't matter what those people say, or if it makes headlines - Falwell and Robertson are lunatics, and I think the majority of people see them that way. Yes, they're part of this administration's base, but their preaching is only respected by their choir.

This isn't a gay issue, much as they may try to make it one. It has to do with CHILDREN. Power, and taking advantage of CHILDREN. This sickness seems to run rampant in the repuke party, since it goes back to bush 1 or maybe even before. We just need to keep the focus on what it really is, no matter how they try to make it something else.

[xchrom]

59. you really don't get it.

i'm not saying this is a gay issue.

i am saying that social conservatives MUST have an enemy.

and the spokes people for those social conservatives make 30+ million people jump in the evangelical camp alone -- and yes they DO follow them.

you wouldn't have had the rash of anti-marriage equality legislations running around the country like a wild fire that you have had other wise.

your statements don't make headlines in the wapo or nyt the way robertson, falwell or the pope do.

by your descriptions alone none of the elections since 00 would even have been close.

read up on political parity and why we have it or why mississippi is down to just one abortion clinic in the whole state.

or why the supremes are hearing yet again cases on late term abortions.

[Laurab]

61. I get ALL of that

what I don't understand is what it has to do with Foley.

[xchrom]

62. did you just now listen to pat buchanan blame the pedophile priests

on gay people on hardball just now?

that's what this is what this is about.

for conservatives -- pedophilia MUST = gay people.

[Alcibiades]

66. Pedophilia not homosexuality

I get your point about Robertson, Falwell, etc. I think we shouldn't even use the word "gay" to describe Foley. This may--may--delink gay men from pedophiles in the minds of even the most avid christian coalition boneheads if we do it often enough.

As far as getting blamed goes, though, they blame us all, us liberals, not just gay people--only especially the gay people, and including the ones who aren't liberal (only the ones who are in the closet, in denial or "ex-gay" are OK).

In the end though, you're probably right. We're probably not going to change the way Pat Robertson thinks about gay people. I think the hope is with the younger generation who have more progressive ideas about this sort of thing than Pat Robertson, who should just hurry up and die already anyway.

[Flirtus]

55. Preach on!

You're right! Keep your answer close by and repeat it often. Pedophilia is an "other" disease that strikes 'straights' much more often than 'gays', and it's an abusive tendancy of an (infantile) ego that can only satisfy itself by controlling weaker humans, like children.

[Lerkfish]

32. agreed absolutely. and if there are, WE need to spearhead the efforts

to uncover it, rather than try to cover it up.

[NewJeffCT]

52. I agree - but -

If 6 other names come out of this (for example) and 5 are Republicans and 1 is a Democrat who held the door open for a page and said, "you're welcome" when the page said "thank you" - it will still be painted as a bipartisan scandal in the media.

[Human Torch]

14. That would be right out of the Rove playbook, for sure...

...let's remember, he was all full of swagger about a week ago, promising an "October Surprise." Foley wasn't it. Unless he has a "Ladies and Gentlemen..."WE GOT HIM" press conference scheduled featuring dead OBL photos, his "surprise" has just been knee-capped. One way to clear the stage of the Foley mess (at least in Rove's way of thinking) would be to come up with a bigger scandal and pin it on a Dem.

[Ian David]

43. We'll find out that Hastert was sending young pages to Osama's cave. n/t

[xchrom]

44. rove's whole life surrounds one idea:

to create a permanent republick party majority.

everything he does is in service to that goal.

[Dinger]

58. He's Insane and Evil

[xchrom]

60. i would never say he isn't.

but he is single minded in his goal -- and he is CERTAINLY not ineffective.

[aquart]

3. Oh. Dear. Me.

Suicides? Men quitting to spend more time with the family?

[SpiralHawk]

4. "I did not have sexual relations with those Pages, Mr. Jr. Cutie Pie."

"I did not let them play with my big hammer, and I did not slobber all over them." - Your "Honest" republicon Congressional "Leaders"

[Ganja Ninja]

5. Some real accusations and some trumped up GOP accusations.

Get ready you know it's coming. The GOP is going to level a few false accusations against Democrats to try and mitigate the damage they've suffered from the Foley scandal.

[babylonsister]

10. If there's no proof, like IMs or e-mails, false accusations

won't work imo. If any accusations against Dems are valid, they should be outed.

[Ganja Ninja]

16. Proof won't matter with the GOP's megaphone turned up to full.

They'll just keep repeating the accusations on FOX & CNN right through the elections. That's how they roll.

[Divine Discontent]

67. or they'll just falsely show Foley as a DEMOCRAT for millions of viewers

remember, on Freeper website, as I saw on here the other day, a guy said, "good another sick democrat busted" or something like that - - - they figured hey, why not show him as a Dem on our NEWS channel all night long?





www.cafepress.com/warisprofitable <<-- antibush prodem stickers/shirts

[Ganja Ninja]

69. Proving once again the gist of the whole thing.

Republican's are CRAVEN HABITUAL LIARS & YOU CAN'T TRUST ANY OF THEM!

[Human Torch]

19. That "should" be the focus...

...but the GOP tactic is, and always has been, that the guilt of a Democrat...real or manufactured...absolves the guilt of a Republican.

I know, it's a real head-shaker, "WTF" kind of thing...but that's how they play it. In addition to saving their own asses, you've agree know that right now there's a mad scramble to find a skeleton in a Democratic closet...any skeleton. The GOP dirty tricks team is on this, 24/7.

You're right, though...actual IM transcripts and emails should be used to bring anyone guilty of similar offenses to justice, regardless of their political stripe. Since we're a mere stone's throw from the November elections, I'm thinking "smoke screen." More mud-slinging at Barney Frank. More talk from drones like Brit Hume about Bill Clinton's "inappropriate" behavior.

Last night on Hardball Tweety threw out the concept of dealing with Foley AFTER the mid-terms, stalling the process, and said "I hope they don;t try to pull THAT one." I'm sure they will, but the drum beats are getting louder by the minute.

[grasswire]

39. an IM or e-mail can be faked, remember

[liberal N proud]

6. I smell a rat in this story

It would be too easy for the right wing to gather the bushitler youth together and slander the Democrats and then say, see they do it too.

I am just paranoid on this. I would hope that any email records or something would keep that from happening but I do not trust the KKKarl Rove gang.

Although, if there are Dem's doing this, they should be thrown out as well and then thrown in jail.

[mrgorth]

11. Agreed.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[liberal N proud]

20. Pages are usually political favors from Congress critters to constituents

They bring the kids in for an Educational experience in Government because Mom and Dad dropped a contribution in the basket or some other favor owed by the politician.
Usually the kids are doing this because they are interested in government and want to see if they would like to pursue a career.
The program has merit as a learning tool for future political types, but the risks are there, they will be in contact with some of the most corrupt and ruthless people in the system.

[alfredo]

49. I would be suspicious of Republican kids nailing

Democrats. I would immediately look to see if the parents put them up to it. Of course if the accusation has merit, then the bastard better start packing his bags.

[Pachamama]

23. I was an intern on Capital Hill - but I was a cute blonde female teen

not a teenage boy.... I never experienced any "butt-pinching" going on now and then...

And by the way - if I was to have then or later as an adult, I would have reported it for what it was: SEXUAL HARRASSMENT in the workplace

[civildisoBDence]

45. I hadn't thought of that--sexual harassment it is!

Some of the most powerful citizens in the country making sexual advances at some of the weakest...why hasn't sexual harassment come up anywhere but here?

Newsprism

[ldf]

65. to make it sexual harassment

takes the "gay" out of it.

that, in turn, takes out the sensational aspects, the lurid aspects.

that takes out the ability to spin it to make it a "hate the gays" meme, it cancels the outrage over "those perveted gays" angle.

so, it will never be painted as sexual harassment, or that the congressmen are sexual predators.

we gays are the best thing the republicans have going for them.

they LOOOVEE us for that reason. we are so easy to hate. so easy to GET people to hate.

after all this is over, the hard core will STILL march to the polls to "vote against the gays".

i feel SOOO empowered....

:shrug:

[WorseBeforeBetter]

40. No, that doesn't make sense at all.

Rather than enabling "randy, middle-aged politicians," how about making the halls of Congress a lewd-talk-and-butt-pinching-free zone? A 16-year old should be able to work for his/her respective congressperson without the risk of being hit on (I know, pretty Pollyanna).

[zanne]

18. Oh crap.

I can almost see this happening. All they need is a rumor.

[INdemo]

22. Couldn't Karl Rove have people sending emails caliming to be pages?

Come on this is just too obvious..But remember this is ABC and they could be saying this to cover for the Repukes..

[Tansy_Gold]

29. Anyone can write or even fake an email

But if the media has any integrity at all, they will check to see if the email from the congressperson is legit. They'd be leaving themselves open to a MASSIVE lawsuit otherwise. (Yes, they can couch it in careful terms of "allegation" and "Unconfirmed," but they still have to be careful.)

What made Foley's actions so damning was that he immediately resigned. He knew what he had done and knew there was no way out. If the Dem leadership has any brains, they will confront ALL members of the party and DEMAND that anyone who has engaged in anything even remotely suspicious -- any correspondence or other communication with any pages during or after their term of service -- step forward and spill the details.

It's probably likely that reps and senators have had contact with the pages. AFter all, that's sort of part of the appeal -- you get to meet these people and establish contacts that can help in the future. So if the pages had NO contact afterward, what would be the point?

So the important issue is whether or not the congresspeople took unfair and unethical advantage of the relationship. The Dem leadership needs to make it clear that anyone who has done so needs to get out, and get out now.

Tansy Gold

[MessiahRp]

25. I agree with you

That's my fear. How hard would it be to pay some of these kids who are young republicans anyway to do their duty to the party and lie and slander and make false accusations against Dems to cripple us going into the election?

I also agree with the person above that proof doesn't mean a damn to these people and they will shout it from the rooftops until the perception changes and we're the guilty pedos.

Rp

[TankLV]

34. Repukes get all of 72 pages, dems only got 15 or so.

Dems got almost NONE by comparison, which in itself is a scandal (I wonder what the breakdown was when dems had control - I'm sure we'd find it was much more equitable)...

Repuke pages only work for the repukes.

No dems had repuke pages.

So your "theory" about repukes reporting a dem member has minimal likelyhood...

[Lasher]

36. Do you think that would be possible?

That sounds as crazy as shooting an old lawyer in the face with a shotgun, then getting him to say it was his own fault and not yours.

[Supersedeas]

47. friends of Frist's kids -- your Party needs you now!!

[krkaufman]

54. I will keep my fingers crossed that investigators,

whether ABC or law enforcement, will verify any accounts before publishing accusations. If Dems are found to have similar activities, then they should be prosecuted to the extent possible under the law and have the relevant ethics rules enforced.

[patricia92243]

8. If one Democrat and 50 Republicans are named - we will hear about the Demo

Democrat over and over and over. The Republican list would be read once or twice.

[Red Zelda]

13. To the media

that's a 50-50 proposition.

[Cosmocat]

30. YEP ...

They will VERY quickly make it about BOTH parties ... This is a BIG moment, it broke the whole 9-11 terra push and turned the tide in a big way ...

IF any dem has done anything with pages, he should be SHOT, on the spot ... Cause this looks to be the straw that might break these MFs back ...

[displacedtexan]

21. It's the familiar Bear & Squirrel Stew recipe.

Ingredients:

1 bear (2000 lbs) Republicans involved
1 squirrel (2 lbs) Dems accused of being involved
Water to cover

Boil and serve.

[soothsayer]

15. It was one repuke and one dem in the 1983 page scandal.

[enid602]

26. scandals

Maybe it's time to dig up the Gannon and 'underage male prostitutes touring Regan-Bush WH in early AM' scandals. We never did get to the bottom of those.

[lpbk2713]

28. It took them several days to get their "finger pointing" machine rolling

after Katrina and the fiasco on the Gulf Coast. You can be sure theyare putting their brain trust together to come up with something to counter this. Trouble for them is they have a short deadline this time with mid-terms right on the horizon.

[Hepburn]

33. And the dam breaks...

...this is good. First it is great that these youngsters now feel safe to come forward and report the dirty bastards who have been "naughty." (Thanks to Tony Snow, that seems to be the WH buzz word for being a pedeophile.) Second, it is about time that Repuke family values are shown up for what they really are ~~ sick, sick, sick!

Now...you may be thinking like I was that some Dems may get caught in these reports. I doubt it or the Repukes would be out blasting the info from the roof tops. So, I am thinking that the reports are coming in about Repukes and not any Dems. Remember: The Repukes are in charge of all the committees, so they would have the power to deal with this info. Hence, I am thinking all the new reports are only about more of the Repukes in Congress.

The dirty bastards should all be swept out of office and charged criminally for the kind of conduct they displayed towards the pages. Makes me feel like they had a captive audience and took advantage of them any way they could. Anyone who did this as far as I am concerned can rot in hell.

[windbreeze]

38. Sorry...OT....

I love your sign...I stole your sign, OK? Needed a bumper sticker... Thanks
windbreeze

[Hepburn]

41. No prob...

...I stole it from somewhere else...cannot remember where, tho. One day about a month ago, I was bored as hell and I did about 200 of these sig sticker to use on the DU. I am kind of stuck on using this one as one of the better ones I found!

I should start a thread and share the ton of them I have so that anyone who wants a "bumpersticker" sig line can use and enjoy whatever I have. All are resized to fit DU specs on sig line pics, too.

Hmmmmm....I think you have given me a project for today ~~ a thread for my fellow DU'ers with pic sig lines to enjoy and use!

:hi:

[izzybeans]

35. If these allegations come with documentation like Foley's then

there should be uniform condemnation of any and all who fall from this scandal.

[DirtyDawg]

37. Even If The Dems...

...Do end up with a name or two on the list, my guess is that the Democratic leadership will handle it a hellovalot better than the repigs have. Every single repig has made the situation worse for themselves...did you see that puke Trent Lott on TDS last night? Every time he opens his mouth he reminds people - at least this people - of just how inept repig office holders are (or is it the voters in Mississippi?) I mean they - repigs and their enablers - simply cannot understand, or accept, the difference between homosexuality and pedophilia.

[oc2002]

42. if true, any Dems that are implicated with PROOF should resign.

which I doubt will happen that they have proof, or they would of used it by now. I expect a surge of made up bullshit against democrats that have nothing to do with it to muddy the waters, and paint both parties as bipartisan pedophiles? lol.

[doctor_garth]

46. let's replace the entire Congress

with these pages, they seem much smarter and honest. Plus they are HOT! :applause: :rofl:

[LiberalLovinLug]

53. Woodwards Book swallowed up by Foley

While this is an important matter, a serious matter, and it involves the personal lives of one or a few pages, I am frustrated that this story is trumping the story of Woodwards new book out, and the assertions about the Denial and lying coming from the White House in the lead up to the war.
WE don't have to be reminded of or convinced of the Bush Crime Family's activities, but that 36% of sheeple seem to need the truth pounded into them, before they see the light.

I don't want to make light of the psychological damage this may have on those teenagers, but the needless damage, both psychological, physical, and mortal done to 25,000 troops and 100's of thousands of Iraqis, is IMO the far more important story here.

Bushco. will just denounce him, they'll nip it off at the bud, and carry on their killing, and by that time Woodwards book will be yesterdays news. I know there are other books out there, but the Corporate Networks seem to value Woodward's writing, as opposed to ignoring the many good books that have come out saying much the same thing, so his books' exposure is a great opportunity to reach more of the sheeple out there.

[babylonsister]

56. I really don't think Woodward's story is being overlooked,

though agree that the Foley story is ballooning as facts come out.

Woodward was on 60 Minutes Sunday, Larry King last night, and he's giving interviews and making the rounds. Lots of snips from his book are being discussed and endless articles are coming out.
The funny thing is, no one can debunk anything he has written because he wrote the truth.
Lots of multi-tasking going on, combined with that horrendous story out of PA about the little Amish girls.

And welcome to DU; you are a quiet one, aren't ya?
:hi:

[Herman74]

63. I Agree...

I mean, Foley committed sexual harrassment, likely broke a federal law, and perhaps a state law, Hastert and others covered up what Foley did, but ultimately all of this pales in significance to

<b>Condi was warned about possible attack and brushed it off</b>

[Lasher]

68. You're right, Herman74

That is pretty profound. And it wasn't just a memo that she can say she never saw, it was an urgent meeting that the head of the CIA conducted just to convince her how serious the threat was. But the thing is, the Pagegate scandal is being talked about by people who seldom pay any attention to anything but the latest Survivor episode. There's a chance this will help give Democrats a majority in the House and Senate this year. Then we'll talk about that meeting with Condi, I assure you.

You need to use square brackets (they're to the right of the p key on my keyboard) in conjunction with your HTML tags, not the <arrow thingies>. When you post a message look for the HTML lookup table link above the subject line. It will show examples of some of the tags and how they are to be used.

Hope you stick around here. This is an exciting time to be part of DU. And everyone here is always real nice, just as long as you agree with every single thing they say. :)

[Emillereid]

64. Color me surprised if the repukes don't dig up a young pup to accuse a DEM

Then they can fall back on the ole' 'we're not the only ones' excuse.