In Perspective

CNN this morning:GOP leaders assail Foley amid Democratic criticism¹:

House Republican leaders mounted an effort to explain their own conduct after the resignation of Rep. Mark Foley, and they suggested there should be a criminal investigation of Foley’s contacts with congressional pages.

A strongly worded statement assailing Foley from the chamber’s top three Republicans came as they addressed questions about what they knew of the incidents and what action they took.

Calling Foley’s contacts “an obscene breach of trust,” the congressmen said in their statement that his “immediate resignation must now be followed by the full weight of the criminal justice system.”

“The improper communications between Congressman Mark Foley and former House congressional pages is unacceptable and abhorrent,” read the statement issued by Majority Leader John Boehner of Ohio, House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert of Illinois and Majority Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri.

Foley, a Republican from Florida, resigned Friday after his alleged e-mail exchanges with a teenage male page were made public, and the House voted to launch an investigation. Foley apologized to his family and his constituents.

Note to CNN: it isn’t “alleged” when the bloody e-mails have been published all over the world.

Let’s set this situation at the local level so everyone can understand why some of us are so ticked off.

A local high school student is “creeped out” by receiving e-mails from a county commissioner from a different district. His statements of discomfort are so vocal that word reaches a local reporter.

The local reporter asked the county commissioner from the student’s district about the situation. That commissioner calls the student’s parents to verify the story. The story is verified, but the parents don’t want any trouble.

The student’s commissioner calls the party’s county chairman, the school board president, and the superintendent of education about the situation. Since everyone is in the same party, and the suspect commissioner says he won’t don’t it any more that’s the end of the situation as far as the politicians are concerned. Oh, the chairman of the county commission was notified by the party chairman.

Except, the commissioner continues his activities and the reporter decides to print the story.

Okay, on the local level, how long until the first lawsuit is filed?

The Page School is an accredited high school operated by Congress. The Page Board is the equivalent of a local school board. In addition, it is a boarding school, so the Page Board is also acting in loco parentis and has extra responsibility because of that.

When the Republican chairman of the Page Board, John Shimkus, who has only been in Congress since 1997, said he and the Clerk of the House didn’t need to notify Rep. Dale Kildee (D-MI-5), the only Democrat, a former high school teacher, and a 20-year member of the Board, because they dealt with it, you can taste the arrogance.

A hint for Rep. Schmuck: if you had actually dealt with it, it wouldn’t be splashed all over the media and the pervert would have resigned a year ago, which, by the way, would probably have saved your beloved partei a seat in the Reichstag.

1. The Article was edited later to include the White House “shock” about the situation. Claude Raines should be receiving royalties for these statements.