Foley is a pitiful man. and this isn't about pedophilia. this is about pederasty -- ever seen Penthouse's "Barely Legal"? and would Britney have ever had a career if not for the pederastic yearnings of heterosexual men? -- and we are talking about a 16 or 17 year old, not an 8 year old. gross and creepy, absolutely. but not in the same ballpark as going after a prepubescent child. and i believe, but am not certain, that the age of consent in the District is 16.
and, on another level, a bit of a double-standard. in many states, the age of consent is different for heterosexuals than it is for homosexuals. 16 year old heteros can have sex, 16 year old homos cant. but on a political level, it's simply much more titlating and salacious because it was a boy, not a girl, and this might be a situation where the grotesque homophobia that has shaped republican domestic policy since 2002 might come back to bit them in the collective ass since they've basically campaigned on the contention that heterosexuality is always, always better than homosexuality, and that homosexuality is something that must be destroyed.
so now, the real issue, is the lengths that the Republican Party might have gone in order to cover this up to make sure that Foley, who was winning in the polls, retained his seat. THAT is the real story, and that's what's going to have political reverberations. did Republican leaders avert their gaze and let him continue for nearly a year because nothing, but NOTHING, is more important than holding onto a congressional seat?
on one level, i do feel for him. everyone who's gay in DC knew about the Foley rumors (amongst others). the closet is a horrible place, one where men act in implusive and pathological ways that, while inexcusable, arise from a series of circumstance that i have felt act upon me, so i'm not as harsh with my condemnation as i might be in another context. i am not at all excusing Foley's actions, and i hope he suffers whatever legal consequences might arise, and i hope the Republicans suffer for the alleged cover-up of his behavior.
but there's a reason gay men trapped in homophobic institutions (like the GOP) behave in terrbly self-destructive ways, so i hope Foley gets the help he needs, and whatever punishments he deserves.