[UPDATE] BREAKING AP:Hastert knew about Foley 3 YEARS AGO!

Payback is a bitch!
Fordahm strikes back:

AP

A senior congressional aide said Wednesday he told House Speaker Dennis Hastert's office in 2004 about worrisome conduct by former Rep. Mark Foley with teenage pages - the earliest known alert to the GOP leadership.

Kirk Fordham told The Associated Press that when he was told about Foley's inappropriate behavior toward pages, he had "more than one conversation with senior staff at the highest level of the House of Representatives asking them to intervene."

I'm running out of popcorn!

Update [2006-10-4 16:49:53 by weelzup]: Bay Buchanan on CNN: Speaker should be gone by the end of the day.

•  Hastert's gonna be roasted like a Johnsonville

  Brat in the parking lot of Soldier Field.

  - Albert Einstein

  by Walt starr on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:32:53 PM PDT

  •  hows those Bears doing

    by betterdeadthanred on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:33:34 PM PDT

    •  Four and Oh

      :-D

      - Albert Einstein

      by Walt starr on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:35:20 PM PDT

  •  He's already...

    Plump.  At least a brat has value (good value if you ask me).  He is more like the brat that fell between the grill and is smoldering in the coals.

    by RichM on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:35:46 PM PDT

  •  mmmm

    Brats.

    With spicy brown mustard . . .

    Damn you, all I have for lunch is a tuna sandwich.

    by saucy monkey on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:36:30 PM PDT

    •  Brats

      With grilled onions and peppers and so much mustard it drips off your chin along with the juice from the well-grilled brat.

      by kfred on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:42:20 PM PDT

      •  And...

        A Fat Tire to wash it down.

        by RichM on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:47:11 PM PDT

  •  Yes, but get the wording that allows Hastert to

    deny knowledge: "told House Speaker Dennis Hastert's office" which means that Hastert will continue to claim that only his  staff (and not he) knew.

    by Xapulin on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:44:20 PM PDT

•  Tips

  by weelzup on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:32:56 PM PDT

  •  Sorry dude...

    Hunter the FP'ger just scooped ya....

    by RichM on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:37:32 PM PDT

    •  I see that...

      I did beat him by 4 min!

      by weelzup on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:39:30 PM PDT

  •  If you're out of popcorn, then ...

    If you're out of popcorn, then it's time to roast some nuts.

    by Bearpaw on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:37:46 PM PDT

•  This is turning into

  a mini-series, dare I say, saga.

  I wonder what the sequel will be like.

  Actually that would be bad, sequels have more sex & violence then their predecessors.

  Ew.

  by bam bam on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:34:27 PM PDT

  •  rumor patrol

    From the comments at MSNBC:

    ATTORNEY GENERAL GONZALES SAYS HE CAN'T FIND ANYTHING ILLEGAL IN THE TEXT MESSAGES. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SAYS THAT THERE MUST BE AN ATTEMPT TO SOLICIT A SEX ACT AND SO FAR THESE TEXT MESSAGES DO NOT SHOW SOLICITATION

    Anyone know anything about this? Is this real?

    by gpdx on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:53:15 PM PDT

    •  All I can say...

      What did you expect? That worthless piece of &%^$ wouldn't dare start an investigation of Republicans. He's been protecting rethgs against the American people for a long time now. I don't expect to see him change until he is sitting in a courtroom at the Hague!!!

      by reflectionsv37 on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 02:48:19 PM PDT

    •  Excellent, now the Executive Branch is in on it

      this brings in the Bush White House and all those positive associations! Makes it clearer than ever why no matter who their candidates are, people everywhere need to put Dems in charge in House and Senate just to counterbalance this sort of hubris.

      by raines on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 03:55:12 PM PDT

•  when the ship is sinking these rats sing fast

  don't they, I still think John Laesch needs to have a pork roast with the pig being Denny lol more than one conversation  between Fordham and Hasterts office  ooops  esplain that fat azz  

  by testvet6778 on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:35:40 PM PDT

  •  The ship is called "Schadenfreude"!

    by Asinus Asinum Fricat on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:36:48 PM PDT

•  Help

  I received emails from this guy that were sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick, sick. I'm a page. I'm 16. would you guys in leadership help me?

  And we know the rest of the story from the Keepers of Family Values.

  by etherapy on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:36:33 PM PDT

  •  Do I make you a little bit Horny?

    Love, Dennis.

    by ChuyHChrist on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:44:00 PM PDT

•  And Alexander walks back his statement

  Alexander backs off claim [that] Hastert knew

  oh, what a tangled web we weave....

  When you go for a popcorn run weelzup - pass some around.  :o)

  by Terre on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:36:52 PM PDT

  •  Knew or

    should have known is the standard he is help to.

    Peried.

    by etherapy on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:37:54 PM PDT

•  Welcome to Washington

  Congressman John Laesch.

  by saucy monkey on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:37:24 PM PDT

•  Telling Hastert and telling and a Senior staff

  are two totally different things. Your title is misleading at this point.  

  by Chamonix on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:38:20 PM PDT

  •  Actualy..

    he refers to "the highest levels of the House of Representatives" which can only mean Hastert, among others.

    by weelzup on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:41:09 PM PDT

    •  Thanks...

      it is clear to me that they all knew about this for years. I am just sitting tight waiting for the direct link, but at this point it looks like we probably won't even need it. They are all going to fall. Wash them all away. Throw the bums OUT.

      by Chamonix on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 02:02:46 PM PDT

•  "So Long, Dennis"

  Front-page headline in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, shortly before George Voinovich beat incumbent Dennis Kucinich in the 1979 mayoral election.

  Seems appropriate now.

  Kucinich came back. Hastert is no Kucinich.

  by brownsox on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:38:33 PM PDT

•  Awesome comment of the day!

  I'm running out of popcorn!

  Thanx for the laugh....

  by sp0t on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:40:58 PM PDT

•  OT - what are the chances Laesch wins this seat?

  Is this doable? Any recent polls?

  by Friar on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:44:02 PM PDT

  •  before this I doubt it now it's real John can

    smell the trip to DC in Jan  If Hastert can't survive this  it's John's  Hysterical is just digging his own grave deeper

    by testvet6778 on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 01:45:50 PM PDT

•  You Just Don't Understand

  When he says "senior staff," it's like the "senior partners" at Wolfram and Hart in the late lamented Joss Whedon show, Angel.

  The "senior partners" aren't on the premises, in fact, they aren't even human.  Heck, even the meanest of demons around can only aspire to become their tools.

  So, you see, it wasn't Hastert or his staff who were told.  They're just bit players.  No, Fordham went straight to Beelzebub's chief of staff.  And ain't no one going to be asking Beelzebub to step down, much less talking about voting him out of office.

  Unless, of course, Grover Norquist decides it's time for a whole new team.  

  by Paul Rosenberg on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 02:02:40 PM PDT

•  Fordham fired and speaks his truth

  Kirk Fordham was fired today because, anonymous sorces say, he knew about the Foley affair and intentionally tried to surpress any efforts to take it to the leadership. He claims otherwise.

  Kirk Fordham told The Associated Press that when he was told about Foley's inappropriate behavior toward pages, he had ''more than one conversation with senior staff at the highest level of the House of Representatives asking them to intervene.''

  The conversations took place long before the e-mail scandal broke, Fordham said, and at least a year earlier than members of the House GOP leadership have acknowledged

  Fordham was previously Foley's cheif of staff, and claims his actions were those of a long-time friend who knew what was about to happen of Mark Foley and to his family.  

  After leaving Foley, no reason given, Fordham moved to Rep. Tom Reynolds office in the same capacity as chief of staff.  He was fired this morning.  It is reported that Dennis Hastert aggressively demanded his termination.  Fordham believes others should come forward and tell what they know.

  ''Rather than trying to shift the blame on me, those who are employed by these House leaders should acknowledge what they know about their action or inaction in response to the information they knew about Mr. Foley prior to 2005,'' Fordham said.

  He asserts that his resignation was prompted by loyalty to Reynolds as the Congressman is struggling to avoid fallout because of the scandal. He said has no reason not to co-operate with the growing investigation.

  (he) resigned because he did not want his role in the Foley matter to harm his boss' re-election bid.

  ''I have no reason to state anything other than the facts. I have no congressman and no office to protect,'' Fordham said.

  In the morning edition of the NYT, Fordham claims his is the first scapegoat being offered up to help blunt the building heat against Hastert, etal in the next 5 weeks. He also believes that Dennis Hastert heatedly demanded his termination.

  The heat was ratcheted up today by the US Attorney for the District of Columbia.  

  Acting U.S. Attorney Jeff Taylor for the District of Columbia sought protection of the records in a three-page letter to House counsel Geraldine Gennet, according to a Justice official speaking on condition of anonymity.

  Such letters often are followed by search warrants and subpoenas, and signal that investigators are moving closer to a criminal investigation.

  NYT story

  This looks like a lighted match tossed into a pile of old paint rags effect to me.  We haven't begun to see the real flames yet.

  by Ninepatch on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 02:25:15 PM PDT

•  Please update AP quote

  AP updated the story at 5:17PM, it now says Fordham told Hastert's office more than three years ago.

  Aide Says He Reported Foley 3 Years Ago
   
  WASHINGTON (AP) -- A senior congressional aide said Wednesday he told House Speaker Dennis Hastert's office about worrisome conduct by Rep. Mark Foley toward teenage pages more than three years ago, long before officials have acknowledged becoming aware of the issue.

  by leckavrea on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 02:27:32 PM PDT

•  I believe they knew about Foley's problem

  way back in 1995, as reported by Chris Mathews.Pages were warned way back then to stay away from Foley. Let's see by my calculations that's eleven years ago. Former pages are coming forward, also on MSNBC, there is a section asking if Has-turd should resign. There is also a questionare asking if anyone has information regarding the Foley matter, would they please fill out and send. Oh yeah and our fearless leader supports Has-turd. This whole matter sucks to high heaven and it's just I believe, the tip of the iceberg.

  by bonesy on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 03:27:33 PM PDT