NEWS! ABC Claims Foley E-Sexed during House Vote

ABC is really milking the Foley scandal for all they're worth.  Now they are claiming that they have IMs showing that Foley "interrupted a vote on the floor of the House in 2003 to engage in Internet sex with a high school student"  I feel as though I've followed Alice down the rabbit hole - is this REALLY being reported on national news?

(no mention yet of anyone else caught in the net)

http://blogs.abcnews.com/...

Update: Don't forget to check out the comments on the ABCNews page - the outrage is rising. Excerpts from the article below:

Former Congressman Mark Foley (R-FL) interrupted a vote on the floor of the House in 2003 to engage in Internet sex with a high school student who had served as a congressional page, according to new Internet instant messages provided to ABC News by former pages.

ABC News now has obtained 52 separate instant message exchanges, which former pages say were sent by Foley, using the screen name Maf54, to two different boys under the age of 18.

This message was dated April 2003, at approximately 7 p.m., according to the message time stamp.

The House voted that evening on HR 1559, Emergency War Time supplemental appropriations.

According to another message, Foley also invites the teen and a friend to come to his house near Capitol Hill so they can drink alcohol.

•  It is

  actually an update to the top recommended diary right now.

  by juls on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:43:05 AM PDT

  •  Not to mention that Foley is not a senator n/t

    by Spud1 on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:46:58 AM PDT

    •  and abc isn't milking it - they are releasing

      information as they are confirming it.

      by inclusiveheart on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:54:49 AM PDT

      •  ABC Still sucks for their "Path to 9/11" bullshit

        by darthstar on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:57:02 AM PDT

        •  I'll take this as payback

          ABC has rehabed itself.

          I am STILL not going to Disneypublicanland, however.

          by centerdem on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:58:45 AM PDT

          •  I told my kids we're done with Disney.

            Called 'em all at college.

            by dov12348 on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:06:57 PM PDT

          •  It's a big corporation

            P2911 came out of Entertainment, and wasn't vetted by the News Division.

            by Elwood Dowd on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:07:47 PM PDT

            •  Damn good thing, too,

              ot I wouldn't go to the ABC News page.

              Disney - working off karma, are we?

              by wozzle on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:18:43 PM PDT

        •  So are you saying that what they are reporting is

          false on the Foley story?

          by inclusiveheart on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:17:47 PM PDT

          •  no...I'm just saying I still don't forgive them

            for their propaganda film on 9/11.

            by darthstar on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:26:00 PM PDT

            •  Fair enough - I haven't either, but

              I still don't think they are milking this one.  I think this story is actually going to go on for days and maybe weeks.  There are probably about 1000 pages that have cycled through the system since Foley took office - that is a lot of people to interview.

              by inclusiveheart on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:35:31 PM PDT

  •  Double Oops

    I fixed the title blunder  - duh!  But I'd like to leave it up for a little just to preserve scorponic's haiku.

    by Truth or Dare on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:54:15 AM PDT

    •  Please add your own.

      It's fun...and therapeutic.

      by scorponic on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:58:15 AM PDT

      •  Hesitant...

        I may have already gotten myself in enough trouble for one day and the only closing lines I can think of are patently obscene.  My only excuse is that this is really starting to blow my mind (and I was an adult during Watergate).

        by Truth or Dare on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:03:58 PM PDT

        •  Get a load of this.

          Kossack roxtar pointed this one out to me today.  It's taken straight from one of Foley's IM transcripts.  I can't imagine Foley did this on purpose, but it's a hoot, nonetheless.

          Slip them off of you.

          Cute butt bouncing in the air.

          Completely naked.

          by scorponic on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:13:45 PM PDT

          •  I MUST Be in the Rabbit Hole!

            ...gads!  Thanks for the opportunity to clear my sinuses.

            See, I could never compete with that...

            by Truth or Dare on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:17:51 PM PDT

            •  Hmmm

              With a UID like yours, I'm not so sure!

              by scorponic on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:22:37 PM PDT

          •  have you married an ax murderer?

            im--mor-al
            deviant liars lying no reason
            stop

            kick me off this crazy train called

            Trust, un-de-serv--ED, It fills my head

            bah, I can't remember the beat well enough to go on.

            by Bill O Rights on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:25:56 PM PDT

•  These are crimes, he's going to jail

  And he's not going to have any fun there as a child sex predator...

  by bewert on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:43:31 AM PDT

  •  he's going to rich white person jail

    where he'll be treated with kid gloves by other richie rich's who also are not sorry for the crime, just that they got caught.

    by Bill O Rights on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:19:45 PM PDT

•  and it keeps

  and it keeps coming, CNN reports that the amish killer did so because he was afraid he was becoming a child molester again.  Even that hoorendous story is coming around to child molesters.  Oh my..

  CNN) -- Pennsylvania schoolhouse killer Charles Carl Roberts IV said he molested minor family members 20 years ago and was dreaming about molesting again, police said Tuesday.

  by pissedpatriot on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:44:03 AM PDT

  •  jesus.

    by Glic on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:46:09 AM PDT

    •  Even that insane criminal can take responsibility

      for his horrors before he offs himself. But Republicans can't?

      Meanwhile Republicans blame everyone but themselves... meanwhile Foley's an alchoholic, not a pedophile... if we believed Republican news.

      Republicans have less morals and honesty than an Amish murdering pedophile? I guess so.

      by Kosmo on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:50:01 AM PDT

      •  Don't mean to be nitpicky

        but that man killed innocent children before he offed himself.  Please do not say he took responsibility, he is a murderer.

        by hrambo16 on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:15:04 PM PDT

        •  that's what's so incredible.

          that murderer is more honest about his problems than foley is.

          that murderer admitted his sickness to the world.

          sure he killed people too... and he's in no way a "good" person.

          but he's more honest than foley and hastert.

          and that's just true.

          by Kosmo on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 08:36:13 PM PDT

    •  Diary flog

      http://www.dailykos.com/...

      by rocketito on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:51:13 AM PDT

•  You just couldn't make this stuff up. (n/t)

  by roxtar on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:44:16 AM PDT

•  FYI: Sexual Abuse Information

  http://www.dailykos.com/...

  by etherapy on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:45:58 AM PDT

•  The guy is multidextrous, he can type and vote

  at the same time.  Or whatever he was doing with that other hand.  Oh, the hell with it, it's Clinton's fault.

  by hcc in VA on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:46:49 AM PDT

•  Holy Fucking Shit!

  Teen:   are you going to be in town over the veterans day weekend
  Maf54: I may be now that your coming
  Maf54: who you coming to visit
  Teen:   haha good stuff
  Teen:   umm no one really

  Maf54: we will be adjourned ny then
  Teen:   oh good
  Maf54: by
  Maf54: then we can have a few drinks
  Maf54: lol
  Teen:   yes yes ;-)
  Maf54: your not old enough to drink
  Teen:   shhh...
  Maf54: ok
  Teen:   that's not what my ID says
  Teen:   lol
  Maf54: ok
  Teen:   I probably shouldn't be telling you that huh
  Maf54: we may need to drink at my house so we don't get busted

  by irishamerican on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:48:20 AM PDT

  •  i Can

    I can only shudder at the thought of what kind of disgusting porn is in that guys computer, but then again we may never know since the FBI (aka keystone cops) are on the job.

    by pissedpatriot on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:50:51 AM PDT

    •  Abhu Gonzales

      Was asked today by reporters why the FBI had not done anything since it turns out that the FBI was informed in july.

      Can you guess what his response was?

      "Please give us the time to do our work, also I do not want to comment on an ongoing investigation."

      Asshat

      by irishamerican on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:56:44 AM PDT

  •  Question is

    did they actually go through with the drinking? And ... um ... anything else?

    by leftilicious on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:00:02 PM PDT

•  Karl Rove's October Surprise

  In the form of a haiku.

  He said it would come.

  October leaks like a sieve.

  Guess what, Karl? Surprise!

  by scorponic on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:48:25 AM PDT

  •  Dems' 'Operation Boomerang'

    Tie me kangaroo down, Sport!!!

    by serrano on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:56:22 AM PDT

•  We have a WINNER!

  First Congressman to molest a child DURING a house vote.  One for the history books, folks.  The Smithsonian will want his BlackBerry.  

  Man, it just gets more and more disgusting.  I don't know why; I always thought it was pretty dirty, but it keeps on getting below my "dirty" line, even after I move the line.

  by rocketito on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:49:48 AM PDT

•  216 Ayes, 197 Nays, and one "Uh-uh--uhhh"

  by darthstar on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:50:40 AM PDT

  •  classic

    by pissedpatriot on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:51:33 AM PDT

  •  Would the honorable gentleman from Florida

    please show his hands?

    The first hand check in House history. Priceless.

    by Still Thinking on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:09:51 PM PDT

    •  sir

      sir, that is not your hand....  ewwwwwwww

      by pissedpatriot on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:13:38 PM PDT

      •  hanky on aisle five, please.

        by darthstar on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:26:53 PM PDT

  •  Oh, that's just wrong

    but pretty damn funny!

    by Rey Mota on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:17:27 PM PDT

•  the difference between reality and fiction...

  Fiction has to be plausible.

  For years, I keep moving the bar on how far they can go, and they just keep effortlessly jumping over it.

  by Leggy Starlitz on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:50:41 AM PDT

•  So, was that the 'alcohol'??? Was Foley

  drunk on the job?  After all, he did check into rehab because of alcoholism and the 'behaviors associated with it' (though I think this is an unfair excuse as it  casts aspersions on real alcoholics that they don't deserve).

  by darthstar on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:55:54 AM PDT

•  Mark Foley ...

  Rated 84% by the Christian Coalition.

  by Meteor Blades on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:56:35 AM PDT

  •  And 100% by NAMBLA!! n/t

    by serrano on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:58:01 AM PDT

•  omg

  this is more than aweful. round them all up and get the firing squad. looks like they took away the geneva convention in just the right time.

  by lgb30856 on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:57:26 AM PDT

  •  I Think He Should

    be waterboarded till he gives up the location of the boy terrorists!

    by serrano on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 11:58:53 AM PDT

•  There goes his "Alcohol" excuse...

  ...unless he was flailing about the House floor and nobody noticed...

  Foley and his co-conspirators are going down...

  by Sanuk on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:00:32 PM PDT

•  Diaried

  here. Also added as update to Rec'd diary.

  No need to delete, just sayin'.

  by leftilicious on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:02:56 PM PDT

•  Ohfergawdsake!

  This is just getting worse and worse.

  We should have guessed as much, given that Foley stepped down immediately on hearing he was busted. He wouldn't have done that if it had just been a few "naughty" e-mails. No... there's gonna be some bad stuff coming to light.

  I think we're still just seeing the tip of the iceberg. The GOP Titanic is already listing to port and they're manning the lifeboats. Heh. Since it's the Republicans, you know they're elbowing the women and children aside.

  by The Raven on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:03:43 PM PDT

•  Talk about "sweating out a vote".

  This guy is SO toasted.

  by highfive on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:06:37 PM PDT

•  A vote on money for the troops!

  The House voted that evening on HR 1559, Emergency War Time supplemental appropriations.

  New Foley Instant Messages; Had Internet Sex While Awaiting House Vote.

  A vote on funding for the troops in April 2003, right after the invasion of Iraq.

  by lysias on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:08:54 PM PDT

  •  sending

    sending 18 year old boys to "DIE for the Lie" while at the same time hitting on 16 year old boys.  

    Yeah, you must be real proud Mr and Mrs Foley.

    by pissedpatriot on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:16:17 PM PDT

•  how the hell could he interupt a vote?

  he opens his laptop fires up the wireless and...time stops?  All eyes turn to him in an accusatory manner?  "Oh thats just Mark gettin his groove on."  

  This is the third diary I've read this in and for the third time I'm asking myself how.  Does he address the speaker?  "Mr Speaker, foley, Florida...may i enjoin the body for a five minute recess, I um....ahem....am in the middle of a very important discussion with a um, constituent."  I mean this is crap.  "Excuse me guys, sorry to interrupt, but do any of you have that page from X's myspace id?"  

  Its not the diarist's fault if the statment is as written, the claim and no reason as to how his im'ing a page interrupted a vote.  

  just saying

  by Bill O Rights on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:14:22 PM PDT

  •  He probably went to his office.

    Calls on votes can last a long time.

    by scorponic on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:17:22 PM PDT

  •  I was confused about this too

    Are they using "interrupted a vote" to mean "left the Chamber"?  Did he actually stop the voting process?

    by ChicagoDem on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:21:07 PM PDT

  •  dumb! he interupts it for himself

    be so anal! he does interrupt the vote because he didn't vote as quick as HE could because of the fillandering. any questions? up to speed?

    by swissffun on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:58:18 PM PDT

•  I don't want to think about:

  1. how he types so well with one hand, when he's in private

  2. how he somehow avoided standing up when he was doing this during the vote

  Eww.

  by Plutonium Page on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:25:46 PM PDT

•  What "milking?" .....

  ... the story is developing and ABC is reporting what they are learning.  

  by quantumspin on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:37:24 PM PDT

•  iam just speachless!

  by swissffun on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 12:54:46 PM PDT

•  One thing that bugs me

  Why all this attention from ABC now, it is like manna from heaven. But I keep thinking about Karl Rove's promise of an "October surprise" and whether or not this Foley flap is the first part of an unfolding  strategy that has yet to be revealed.

  Certainly in terms of the nation as a whole, the 911 commission ommision is a bigger story. Yet will it get this kind of coverage?

  by wakingup on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 01:07:48 PM PDT