Hypocritical Fox In The Chicken Coop

Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL), expected to be an easy victor for re-election in November, abruptly resigned from Congress and apologized in the wake of questions about sexually explicit e-mails he wrote to a 16-year-old male former page.

An odd twist is that Foley was chairman of the Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus. He had introduced legislation in July to protect children from exploitation by adults over the Internet. He also sponsored legislation designed to protect minors from abuse and neglect. "We track library books better than we do sexual predators," Foley has said. Someone should have given this hypocrite a mirror!

The 52-year-old Foley, who is single (or is that eligible bachelor?), faced questions about his sexual orientation in 2003 as he prepared to run for Sen. Bob Graham's seat, but later decided not to seek the Senate seat to "care for his parents." He said he wouldn't comment on rumors he was gay. Apparently the public would have been better served if reporters had found out if he was interested in hitting on the young men that intern in Washington for real-life political experience.

The hypocrisy here reminds me of the scandal in Spokane, WA where its vehemently right-wing conservative mayor Jim West was spewing anti-gay rhetoric — all while trying to use his influence and power to arrange trysts with men via the Internet. West also denied allegations that he molested boys when he was a scoutmaster during the 80's.

As a side note, the Foley case appears to be pederasty not pedophilia.

'Pederasty' is a very close relationship between an adult male and an adolescent boy. This may or may not include sexual activity and could also describe a non-sexual mentoring-type relationship with emotional overtones.

'Pedophilia' is a psychosexual disorder in which there is a preference for sexual activity with prepubertal children. Pedophiles are almost always males and the children are about twice as often to be of the opposite sex. They are typically 13 years of age or younger.

It bears repeating that most men, gay and straight, are not interested in sex with minors.