There's something I find even
more disturbing than the emerging news that Republican Congressional leaders knew about some of
Mark Foley's inappropriate emails to teenage boys and did nothing about it for a year.
Even after Foley's resignation in disgrace, Florida Republican politicians acted like it was no big deal that he had sexually explicit interactions with minors. His hometown newspaper, the Southwest Florida News-Press, quotes a number of Foley supporters such as Ruth McCarthy, who said, "All I can say is it's a shame he was indiscreet."
Note that she said this after Foley had already resigned, by which time the IM transcripts had surfaced in which Foley chats online with a teenage boy about masturbation, asks if he's "horny" and fantasizes about the boy taking his shorts off. "Indiscreet" is the word you might use for someone who had sex with another consenting adult or engaged in some similarly embarrassing or marginally unethical behavior. It's not the word that anyone with a moral compass would use to criticize a child molester. And there's more. The entire
News-Press article is full of similar comments reflecting the moral vacuity of Florida's Republican leaders:
- "It's never good when you lose a good congressman," said Lee County's GOP state committeewoman Jan Ganter. "I think the people lost a good servant."
- "I'm very surprised and very sad that Mark decided to resign," said Charlotte County Republican Executive Committee Robert Starr. "He's really been a friend to Charlotte County."
The problem with Mark Foley is that he made inappropriate sexual overtures to minors. The problem is not that he was "indiscreet" about it. How low does a Republican politician have to stoop these days before members of his party stop talking in generic spin-bytes and admit candidly that their guy's behavior was simply wrong? If child abuse isn't bad enough, what is? Cannibalism? Or would that be greeted with news coverage such as the following:
"State Republicans reacted with shock today to the news of Rep. Jeffrey Dahmer's resignation after police found body parts in his refrigerator. 'I'm surprised and sad. He's been very effective for our district,' said party official Sidney Glick. Added local committee chairman Bobbie Ferapples, 'This wouldn't even be news if it weren't election season.' Longtime supporter and campaign contributor Will B. Lieveanything said that Dahmer might have been somewhat imprudent when he videotaped himself dismembering his victims and devouring their remains."