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David Weigel | October 3, 2006

Kerry Howley decodes the "[e-mail]" chat transcripts and wonders what, beyond Mark Foley's hypocrisy and one-handed way with his mouse, all the fuss is about.

Comments

|10.3.06 @ 3:12PM|#

Good piece, Kerry.

In my mind it seems indeed that Foley's worst sin is being that of a hypocrite. Most adults have sexual fantasies about adolescents- it's just that we're in some bizarre form of denial about that fact, and Foley actually crossed that line to trying to get with one.

Any punishment he gets will be ok with me, in spite of my disdain for the puritanical laws behind the punishment, because of his hypocrisy
No punishment is too severe for a hypocrite.

|10.3.06 @ 3:15PM|#

Beyond the hypocrisy there's nothing more than an old man talking dirty to a high school student. Nothing illegal there> Still, I doubt the populace cherishes the idea of a dirty old man leading the charge on protecting our children from poor parenting, er, the internet.

|10.3.06 @ 3:55PM|#

Can this close the book on the actual investigation/examination of what he did?
I think now is a good time to look at the House Republicans who were aware of the Rep's proclivities and chose to cover them up.

|10.3.06 @ 3:57PM|#

I found myself reflexively appalled on Friday. Kerry does a great job of stating what's been going on in my mind over the weekend to mellow me out. Now I can only shrug my shoulders at yet another case of hypocrisy by a politician and shake my head at the fact that a 16 year old can, in many states, legally engage in unprotected anal sex with a syphilitic junkie, but is forbidden in all the U.S. from drinking a beer.

But as it turns out, the Mark Foley pedophilia sex scandal lacks two things: pedophilia and sex.

That's just so hilariously true.

|10.3.06 @ 4:06PM|#

I have nothing to add, except that I really like how Kerry gets all the sexxxy stories.

|10.3.06 @ 4:21PM|#

Nothing illegal there

Lamar: nothing illegal, except for the law against it that he wrote.

|10.3.06 @ 4:38PM|#

No doubt Foley's puritanical legilative ventures were actually inspired by his personal shame - he KNEW there were dangerous sickos on the 'net...better than the rest of us.

Likewise, temperance societies are filled with drunks, anti-gambling leagues with plungers, and Morals clubs with whore-mongers - while the 12-Step groups that actually help people change pointedly DO NOT take positions on legislation, or any matters of public controversy.

|10.4.06 @ 1:05PM|#

x

|10.4.06 @ 1:18PM|#

the 12-Step groups that actually help people change pointedly DO NOT take positions on legislation, or any matters of public controversy.

I understand from this http://rational.org/ alternative to 12-step programs that judges of DUI convicts commonly mandate, and/or condition reduced sentencing, on the convict's commitment to participate in AA programs. Rational Recovery (at the url above) campaigns against this as a civil-liberties infringement.