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Where does the responsibility lie for Foley's misconduct?

  • Thread starter Thread starter hipsterdufus
  • Start date Start date

Where does the responsibility lie for Foley's misconduct?

  • Bill Clinton

    Votes: 5 35.7%
  • Studds

    Votes: 2 14.3%
  • Alcohol

    Votes: 1 7.1%
  • Democrats

    Votes: 3 21.4%
  • Barney Frank

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • A Catholic Priest

    Votes: 3 21.4%
  • The Liberal Media

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    14
Well since I'm a stereotpical neo-con fundy, I'm gonna blame Clinton. Afterall, he left such a legacy of low moral behavior that it HAS to be his fault.
 
hipsterdufus said:
Where does the responsibility lie for Foley's misconduct?

Brilliant! I can't decide who is the most responsible. I wish you had included "all of the above." ;)
 
hipsterdufus said:
Foley, the Dem from Florida right?

Are you serious?

You must watch the Bill O'Reilly *complete spin zone*
Those freeking hacks showed (D-FL) under Foley's name during its report, without ever correcting or retracting their obvious dirty tricks.

NO, Foley is a bona fide REPUBLICAN
Bible toting, gun loving, abortion hating, Bush loving ...
and apparently ... loves 16 year old boys in red ties ... and nothing else
 
aps said:
Brilliant! I can't decide who is the most responsible. I wish you had included "all of the above." ;)
In the end aps, it's everyone's fault. Society failed this poor man and we need to bear the responsibility for his actions. In light of this (and keeping with general level of intelligence associated with the OP), I'm suggesting that every American be fined the sum of $1, to be deposited in a fuind for the Faithful Servant Home for Indigent Neo-Cons, Stray Cats (the band, not the animals) and Hugo Chavez.
 
talloulou said:
I don't get what's going on with this stuff. First did Foley even have sex with an underage person?

Anyway assuming Foley did actually commit some sort of crime he is to blame. However I do think the dems have pushed for this situation to be a circus which may well bite them in the arse in the end. Foley is gone now so why is this such a big deal? If a priest molested Foley then that sucks. But it's not an excuse for him molesting children, if that is in fact what he did. Personally I think it's much to do about nothing.

I'm not sure if he had sex with someone under 18. I heard he was offering some of these kids to stay at his house if they gave him oral sex. Ewwwwwwwwwww.

I don't see why you think that this is much to do about nothing. In fact, I am shocked to see you say that. And it's not the democrats that is keeping this up--it's the media. They are all over this issue, as they should be.
 
The_Virginian said:
Are you serious?

You must watch the Bill O'Reilly *complete spin zone*
Those freeking hacks showed (D-FL) under Foley's name during its report, without ever correcting or retracting their obvious dirty tricks.

NO, Foley is a bona fide REPUBLICAN
Bible toting, gun loving, abortion hating, Bush loving ...
and apparently ... loves 16 year old boys in red ties ... and nothing else

But.. but... but..., I saw it right there on the TV. Foley's a Dem, right? ;)
It was right there on O'Reilly's show.:rofl
 
The responsibility lies with the House, and with the Hastert, who has said as much. But as I have said, this has been going on for decades, and everyone in the House has some amount of responsibility here. I especially blame those who not only gave the last Congressman a standing O, and even went as far as to vote him in to a Chairmanship, who had sex with a page. You can't get past this, I know I cannot, this should have been addressed then, the page is off limits, this should not be hard to understand.

So let's all not make this about the letter after the name, but the letter of the law, and this should be law, in the House anyway, hands off these impressionable kids!
 
Deegan said:
The responsibility lies with the House, and with the Hastert, who has said as much. But as I have said, this has been going on for decades, and everyone in the House has some amount of responsibility here. I especially blame those who not only gave the last Congressman a standing O, and even went as far as to vote him in to a Chairmanship, who had sex with a page. You can't get past this, I know I cannot, this should have been addressed then, the page is off limits, this should not be hard to understand.

So let's all not make this about the letter after the name, but the letter of the law, and this should be law, in the House anyway, hands off these impressionable kids!

So then explain to me why you can't just address the situation without pointing out what the dems did more than 20 years ago.

And just because Hastert has said he takes full responsibility doesn't make it so. He said that they "probably" didn't take the right steps. And he brought up George Soros, Bill Clinton, and the media as he accepted responsibility. Oh yeah, he surely took responsibility. :roll:
 
aps said:
So then explain to me why you can't just address the situation without pointing out what the dems did more than 20 years ago.

And just because Hastert has said he takes full responsibility doesn't make it so. He said that they "probably" didn't take the right steps. And he brought up George Soros, Bill Clinton, and the media as he accepted responsibility. Oh yeah, he surely took responsibility. :roll:

I don't know how I can explain myself any better then I have, any responsible adult knows that actions taken today, will have effects long after! They handled this situation poorly back then, and it has come home to bite us all today! We should not reward congressmen with standing O's, and chaimanships after they have sex with impressionable young pages, then think we have set a standard of decency.

Has everyone lost their minds, or is it just me?:confused:
 
Deegan said:
I don't know how I can explain myself any better then I have, any responsible adult knows that actions taken today, will have effects long after! They handled this situation poorly back then, and it has come home to bite us all today! We should not reward congressmen with standing O's, and chaimanships after they have sex with impressionable young pages, then think we have set a standard of decency.

Has everyone lost their minds, or is it just me?:confused:

Okay, so they handled it poorly back then. Why not let the republicans SHOW everyone how it should be done?
 
aps said:
Okay, so they handled it poorly back then. Why not let the republicans SHOW everyone how it should be done?

Good, we agree, and as I said, if it is found that the Speaker knew, and did nothing, he should step down. I just don't like this idea of destroying everyones life, just because this pervert did something wrong. I happen to like, and respect the Speaker, but again, I would totally lose that if he is found to have been aware of this, and hid those facts.

I happen to think that the other Rep. were just totally thrown by the mans lifestyle, and probably all were ignoring him when ever they could. That said, that is no excuse, just being anti-gay is no excuse, but these guys had no idea how to handle this, perhaps this is a good lesson for the party.
 
Deegan said:
Good, we agree, and as I said, if it is found that the Speaker knew, and did nothing, he should step down. I just don't like this idea of destroying everyones life, just because this pervert did something wrong. I happen to like, and respect the Speaker, but again, I would totally lose that if he is found to have been aware of this, and hid those facts.

I happen to think that the other Rep. were just totally thrown by the mans lifestyle, and probably all were ignoring him when ever they could. That said, that is no excuse, just being anti-gay is no excuse, but these guys had no idea how to handle this, perhaps this is a good lesson for the party.

Ahhh, we finally understand each other's points. Thank goodness. I know what you're saying. If Hastert did not know, I agree--he should not step down. :cool:
 
One thing is for sure-that the dems who whine about the poor pages are just shedding crocodile tears. I tire of this sanctimonious nonsense given these people backed Studds, Frank, Clinton and even Reynolds.
 
TurtleDude said:
One thing is for sure-that the dems who whine about the poor pages are just shedding crocodile tears. I tire of this sanctimonious nonsense given these people backed Studds, Frank, Clinton and even Reynolds.

I, too, believe their tears are those of the crocodile however, I see no need to try to divert today's issue with something that happened a coupla decades back and try to make them relevant to today. But that's just me. But I hear ya on the point of hypocracy and agree. Even if we have to dig through the archieves to make the point I suppose. It is written, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

The truth is, and we both know it, if the shoe was on the other foot, with a democrat pervert and a party cover up/blame shift the GOP would be playing this for all it's worth as well. Rove, Limbaugh, O'Reilly, SwiftBoaters, would be on this like stink on poo.

My problem is this. As pathetic as Foley's actions are, they are the actions of one sick twisted individual. And I don't mean to minimize his detestable behavior but on the grander scale of national politics, we have shifted our focus from healthcare, terrorism, Iraqi quagmire, education costs, energy costs to a horny old goat who likes to have cybor sex with boys with peach fuzz on their balls. The democrats efforts (and some GOP'ers as well) to demonize an entire political party over this as well as divert our attentions away from pertinent matters is reminescent to the GOP's efforts to demonize a decorated war hero or ruin another man's carreer over a misplaced "Ye-haww!" We cannot find fault with the right side of the aisle's past political shena****ns without recognizing it now coming from the left side of the aisle. To do so would be sheer hypocracy.

The sad reality of it all is that in our efforts to divert attention, misplace blame, and spin this issue for partisan protection, everyone seems to have totally forgotten about the children.

Crocodile tears indeed. :roll:

Face it folks. Our system needs an enema. I am one who is for a new change. Enough of the status quo. Our system is polluted through and through. Am I what O'Reilly calls a "Progressive Secularist" because I think the old traditional way of doing things needs to be sh** canned?

PS....this poll sucks. The correct answer isn't even listed. The correct answer is "Foley." (Unless you wanna blame Gore for inventing the internet. :mrgreen: )
 
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TurtleDude said:
One thing is for sure-that the dems who whine about the poor pages are just shedding crocodile tears. I tire of this sanctimonious nonsense given these people backed Studds, Frank, Clinton and even Reynolds.

Studds back in 1983?
Clinton having consentual sex with a 22 year old? O'Reilly or Hannity- one of those idiots said Monica was 19.

But please - keep defending this loser and blaming Clinton for it.... The fundies are ready to stay home in droves on 11/7.
 
hipsterdufus said:
Studds back in 1983?
Clinton having consentual sex with a 22 year old? O'Reilly or Hannity- one of those idiots said Monica was 19.

But please - keep defending this loser and blaming Clinton for it.... The fundies are ready to stay home in droves on 11/7.

Mollohan, Jefferson, Mckinney, Kennedy Jr., Democrats in 2006....... why aren't these people forced to resign:confused:

Ney, Delay, Cunningham, Republicans in 2006 all resign?

Why the double standard hips?
 
:rofl This poll is funny. Some people don't seem to understand this is a joke. What is even more funny is Fox News's attempt to spin this off the map and call him a democrat. That is really going below the belt. Only one person is to blame in this situation and that is Foley, but I have a feeling coming from some of you that you don't agree.

Blah, blah, blah we can argue about who could have been taken down the same way in the past, but there is no excuse to put the blame anywhere else but on Foley himself.
 
Kandahar said:
DeeJayH is claiming on another thread that it's the page's fault. That should definitely be an option. :lol:

while this is not a thread in the basement

you sir, are a douchebag
and a used one at that

all i did was post a recent 'development' in the scandal
take it deep
I have not taken a side in this issue
you are the one all too ready to crucify without having all the facts
and than you malign me because i posted an article that pigeon holes your latest crusade.
time will tell who is right, who is a criminal, and who gets jail time
and if you read all posts regarding this issue, you would see that i already posted that I was willing to be the one to light the match to burn Foley at the stake, if the claims are true
but since politics are full of, and politicians in general are scum, I am awaiting a release of all the facts

points willingly accepted regarding this post
he had to be called out for what he is, a douchebag
 
Hmm, so Foley's Priest is making the rounds saying that he is a good friend, and Foley never revealed any abuse.

Also, we're hearing from Foley associates that he was never seen drunk in public.

Huh? I wonder if this Republican Rehab is all a smokescreen. :roll:
 
hipsterdufus said:
Hmm, so Foley's Priest is making the rounds saying that he is a good friend, and Foley never revealed any abuse.

Also, we're hearing from Foley associates that he was never seen drunk in public.

Huh? I wonder if this Republican Rehab is all a smokescreen. :roll:

I thinks its more a Foley smokescreen hips........
 
Navy Pride said:
I thinks its more a Foley smokescreen hips........

Exactly, f**k that mother f**king pervert, I wish he would crawl under a rock, never to be seen again, f**king predator!:censored
 
Nancy Pelosi has called for Hastert's resignation. She wasn't even in Congress when the Studds scandal occurred. Are people attacking her assuming that she supported Studds back then? If you have proof of such, post it. I'd love to see it.

I agree. Studd's behavior is disgusting. But so what? I want the republicans to show concern for the pages as opposed to pointing fingers and saying, "But look what the democrats did." Shut up, and grow the hell up.

Monica Lewinsky was an adult, and she has admitted that she came onto Bill Clinton (she flashed her thong at him). It would be one thing if he were preying on her, but that clearly was not the case.

In Barney Frank's incident, he wasn't using his office or his position to solicit sex, interaction, etc. To me, there is a difference. What Barney does in his private life is his business.

But if it makes you republicans feel a teeny tinsy bit better to point fingers, be my guest. What it shows me is that you have no insight into the situation, and you refuse to acknowledge that what Foley did was disgusting. I truly believe that Hastert knew what was going on prior to last week.
 
aps said:
Nancy Pelosi has called for Hastert's resignation. She wasn't even in Congress when the Studds scandal occurred. Are people attacking her assuming that she supported Studds back then? If you have proof of such, post it. I'd love to see it.

I agree. Studd's behavior is disgusting. But so what? I want the republicans to show concern for the pages as opposed to pointing fingers and saying, "But look what the democrats did." Shut up, and grow the hell up.

Monica Lewinsky was an adult, and she has admitted that she came onto Bill Clinton (she flashed her thong at him). It would be one thing if he were preying on her, but that clearly was not the case.

In Barney Frank's incident, he wasn't using his office or his position to solicit sex, interaction, etc. To me, there is a difference. What Barney does in his private life is his business.

But if it makes you republicans feel a teeny tinsy bit better to point fingers, be my guest. What it shows me is that you have no insight into the situation, and you refuse to acknowledge that what Foley did was disgusting. I truly believe that Hastert knew what was going on prior to last week.


Poor APS-Frank used his power as a congressman to fix numerous tickets for his gay pimp "special friend". Truth's a b*tch:mrgreen:

"In 1990, the House voted to reprimand Frank when it was revealed that Steve Gobie, a household employee he had hired in 1985, was running a prostitution business from Frank's apartment. Frank had dismissed Gobie earlier that year after learning of Gobie's activities.[5] (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/tours/scandal/gobie2.htm)

The Boston Globe, among others, called on Frank to resign, but he refused. The House Ethics Committee recommended Frank be reprimanded because he "reflected discredit upon the House" by using his congressional office to fix 33 of Gobie's parking tickets. Attempts to expel or censure Frank failed; instead the House voted 408-18 to reprimand him.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Barney_Frank#Steve_Gobie
 
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TurtleDude said:
One thing is for sure-that the dems who whine about the poor pages are just shedding crocodile tears. I tire of this sanctimonious nonsense given these people backed Studds, Frank, Clinton and even Reynolds.

The article below lists Democrats and Republicans, not just Democrats, who committed crimes or ethics violations. Hinson, Bauman, Evans (and Quayle, and Railsback), Dan Crane, Konnyu, Lukens, Strangeland, and Packwood, all Republicans, were guilty of things from paying a 13 year old girl for sex, to changing legislation for sex with Paula Parkinson. None of them resigned except Packwood, who stepped down only because he was facing a Senate hearing which probably would have led to having him expelled.

Rep. Wilbur Mills (D-Ark.)
On Oct. 9, 1974, Mills, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and perhaps the most powerful member of the House, was stopped for speeding near the Jefferson Memorial at 2 a.m. Shortly after, Annabella Battistella – a stripper who went by the stage-name of Fanne Foxe, the "Argentine Firecracker" – jumped out of his car and into the Potomac River tidal basin. The incident did not immediately threaten Mills, whose district was solidly Democratic. But Mills won reelection with only 59 percent of the vote, his lowest total ever. Within weeks, Mills appeared on a Boston stage carousing with Foxe, apparently intoxicated. Faced with an uprising among House Democrats, Mills was forced to resign as Ways and Means chairman, and in 1976 he announced he would not seek another term, ending his 38-year House career. He was succeeded by Jim Guy Tucker, whose own ethics got the attention of Kenneth Starr some two decades later.

Rep. Wayne Hays (D-Ohio)
In its May 23, 1976, editions, The Washington Post quoted Elizabeth Ray as saying that she was a secretary for the House Administration Committee, headed by Hays, despite the fact that "I can't type, I can't file, I can't even answer the phone." She said the main responsibility of her $14,000-a-year job was to have sex with Hays. The fall of Hays, an arrogant bully who was one of the most powerful – and disliked – members of Congress, was rapid. The House ethics committee opened its investigation on June 2. He resigned as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on June 3. In the Democratic primary five days later, a car-wash manager/bartender who had run against Hays four previous times and never received more than 20 percent of the vote got 39 percent. Hays later resigned his committee chairmanship, dropped his reelection bid, and finally resigned on September 1.


Rep. John Young (D-Tex.)
On June 11, 1976, Colleen Gardner, a former staff secretary to Young, told the New York Times that Young increased her salary after she gave in to his sexual advances. In November, Young, who had run unopposed in the safe Democratic district five consecutive times, was reelected with just 61 percent of the vote. The scandal wouldn't go away, and in 1978 Young was defeated in a Democratic primary runoff.


Rep. Allan Howe (D-Utah)
On June 13, 1976, Howe was arrested in Salt Lake City on charges of soliciting two policewomen posing as prostitutes. Howe insisted he was set up and refused to resign. But the Democratic Party distanced itself from his candidacy and he was trounced by his Republican opponent in the November election.

Rep. Fred Richmond (D-N.Y.)
In April 1978, Richmond was arrested in Washington for soliciting sex from a 16-year-old boy. Richmond apologized for his actions, conceding he "made bad judgments involving my private life." In spite of a Democratic primary opponent's attempts to cash in on the headlines, Richmond easily won renomination and reelection. But his career came to an end four years later when, after pleading guilty to possession of marijuana and tax evasion – and amid allegations that he had his staff procure cocaine for him – he resigned his seat.

Rep. Jon Hinson (R-Miss.)
On Aug. 8, 1980, during his first reelection bid, Hinson stunned everyone by announcing that in 1976 he had been accused of committing an obscene act at a gay haunt in Virginia. Hinson, married and a strong conservative, added that in 1977 he had survived a fire in a gay D.C. movie theater. He was making the disclosure, he said, because he needed to clear his conscience. But he denied he was a homosexual and refused GOP demands that he resign. Hinson won reelection in a three-way race, with 39 percent of the vote. But three months later, he was arrested on charges of attempted oral sodomy in the restroom of a House office building. He resigned his seat on April 13, 1981.

Rep. Robert Bauman (R-Md.)
On Oct. 3, 1980, Bauman, a leading "pro-family" conservative, pleaded innocent to a charge that he committed oral sodomy on a teenage boy in Washington. Married and the father of four, Bauman conceded that he had been an alcoholic but had been seeking treatment. The news came as a shock to voters of the rural, conservative district, and he lost to a Democrat in November.

Rep. Thomas Evans (R-Del.)
The Wilmington News-Journal reported on March 6, 1981, that three House members – Evans, Tom Railsback (R-Ill.) and Dan Quayle (R-Ind.) – shared a cottage during a 1980 vacation in Florida with Paula Parkinson, a lobbyist who later posed for Playboy magazine. All three proceeded to vote against federal crop-insurance legislation that Parkinson had been lobbying against, and questions were raised whether votes were exchanged for sex. Railsback and Quayle denied having sex with her. Evans said he regretted his "association" with Parkinson and asked his family and God to forgive him. But he forgot to include the voters, who in 1982 threw him out of office.

Reps. Dan Crane (R-Ill.) and Gerry Studds (D-Mass.)
The House ethics committee on July 14, 1983, announced that Crane and Studds had sexual relationships with teenage congressional pages – Crane with a 17-year-old female in 1980, Studds with a 17-year-old male in 1973. Both admitted the charges that same day, and Studds acknowledged he was gay. The committee voted to reprimand the two, but a back-bench Georgia Republican named Newt Gingrich argued that they should be expelled. The full House voted on July 20 instead to censure the two, the first time that ever happened for sexual misconduct. Crane, married and the father of six, was tearful in his apology to the House, while Studds refused to apologize. Crane's conservative district voted him out in 1984, while the voters in Studds's more liberal district were more forgiving. Studds won reelection in 1984 with 56 percent of the vote, and continued to win until he retired in 1996.

Rep. Ernie Konnyu (R-Calif.)
In August 1987, two former Konnyu aides complained to the San Jose Mercury News that the freshman Republican had sexually harassed them. GOP leaders were unhappy with Konnyu's temperament to begin with, so it took little effort to find candidates who would take him on in the primary. Stanford professor Tom Campbell ousted Konnyu the following June.

Sen. Brock Adams (D-Wash.)
On Sept. 27, 1988, Seattle newspapers reported that Kari Tupper, the daughter of Adams's longtime friends, filed a complaint against the Washington Democrat in July of 1987, charging sexual assault. She claimed she went to Adams's house in March 1987 to get him to end a pattern of harassment, but that he drugged her and assaulted her. Adams denied any sexual assault, saying they only talked about her employment opportunities. Adams continued raising campaign funds and declared for a second term in February of 1992. But two weeks later the Seattle Times reported that eight other women were accusing Adams of sexual molestation over the past 20 years, describing a history of drugging and subsequent rape. Later that day, while still proclaiming his innocence, Adams ended his campaign.

Rep. Jim Bates (D-Calif.)
Roll Call quoted former Bates aides in October 1988 saying that the San Diego Democrat made sexual advances toward female staffers. Bates called it a GOP-inspired smear campaign, but also apologized for anything he did that might have seemed inappropriate. The story came too close to Election Day to damage Bates, who won easily. However, the following October the ethics committee sent Bates a "letter of reproval" directing him to make a formal apology to the women who filed the complaint. Although the district was not thought to be hospitable to the GOP, Randy "Duke" Cunningham, a former Navy pilot who was once shot down over North Vietnam, ousted Bates in 1990 by fewer than 2,000 votes.

Rep. Donald "Buz" Lukens (R-Ohio)
On Feb. 1, 1989, an Ohio TV station aired a videotape of a confrontation between Lukens, a conservative activist, and the mother of a Columbus teenager. The mother charged that Lukens had been paying to have sex with her daughter since she was 13. On May 26, Lukens was found guilty of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and sentenced to one month in jail. Infuriating his fellow Republicans, Lukens refused to resign. But he finished a distant third in the May 1990 primary. Instead of spending the remaining months of his term in obscurity, Lukens was accused of fondling a Capitol elevator operator and he resigned on October 24, 1990.

Rep. Gus Savage (D-Ill.)
The Washington Post reported on July 19, 1989, that Savage had fondled a Peace Corps volunteer while on an official visit to Zaire. Savage called the story a lie and blamed it on his political enemies and a racist media. (Savage is black.) In January 1990, the House ethics committee decided that the events did occur, but decided against any disciplinary action because Savage wrote a letter to the woman saying he "never intended to offend" her. Savage was reelected in 1990, but finally ousted in the 1992 primary by Mel Reynolds.
 
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TurtleDude said:
One thing is for sure-that the dems who whine about the poor pages are just shedding crocodile tears. I tire of this sanctimonious nonsense given these people backed Studds, Frank, Clinton and even Reynolds.

This is the rest of the article.

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.)
In response to a story in the Aug. 25, 1989, Washington Times, Frank confirmed that he hired Steve Gobie, a male prostitute, in 1985 to live with and work for him in his D.C. apartment. But Frank, who is gay, said he fired Gobie in 1987 when he learned he was using the apartment to run a prostitution service. The Boston Globe, among others, called on Frank to resign, but he refused. On July 19, 1990, the ethics committee recommended Frank be reprimanded because he "reflected discredit upon the House" by using his congressional office to fix 33 of Gobie's parking tickets. Attempts to expel or censure Frank failed; instead the House voted 408-18 to reprimand him. The fury in Washington was not shared in Frank's district, where he won reelection in 1990 with 66 percent of the vote, and has won by larger margins ever since.

Rep. Arlan Stangeland (R-Minn.)
It was reported in January 1990 that Stangeland, married with seven children, had made several hundred long-distance phone calls in 1986 and 1987 on his House credit card to or from the residences of a female lobbyist. Stangeland acknowledged the calls and conceded some of them may have been personal. But he insisted the relationship was not romantic. Voters of his rural district were not buying, choosing a Democrat in November.

Sen. Charles Robb (D-Va.)
On April 25, 1991, with NBC News about to go on the air with allegations he had an extramarital affair with Tai Collins, a former Miss Virginia, Robb made a preemptive strike. The Virginia Democrat, married to Lyndon Johnson's daughter, said he was with Collins in a hotel room, but all that took place was a massage over a bottle of wine. Collins, in a subsequent interview with Playboy, said they had been having an affair since 1983. It was thought that these charges, along with long-circulated but unproven allegations that Robb had attended Virginia Beach parties where cocaine was present, would jeopardize Robb's 1994 bid for re-election. But the GOP nominated Oliver North, the Iran-Contra figure who had his own credibility problems. Robb squeaked by with 46 percent in a three-way race.

Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii)
In October 1992, Republican Senate nominee Rick Reed began running a campaign commercial that included a surreptitiously taped interview with Lenore Kwock, Inouye's hairdresser. Kwock said Inouye had sexually forced himself on her in 1975 and continued a pattern of sexual harassment, even as Kwock continued to cut his hair over the years. Inouye, seeking a sixth term, denied the charges. And Kwock said that by running the commercial, Reed had caused her more pain than Inouye had. Reed was forced to pull the ad, and while many voters took out their anger on the Republican, Inouye was held to 57 percent of the vote – the lowest total of his career. A week later, a female Democratic state legislator announced that she had heard from nine other women who claimed Inouye had sexually harassed them over the past decade. But the women didn't go public with their claims, the local press didn't pursue the story, and the Senate Ethics Committee decided to drop the investigation because the accusers wouldn't participate in an inquiry.

Sen. Bob Packwood (R-Ore.)
Less than three weeks after Packwood narrowly won a fifth term, the Washington Post on Nov. 22, 1992, reported allegations from 10 female ex-staffers that Packwood had sexually harassed them. The Post had the story before the election, but didn't run it as Packwood had denied the charges. With the story now out in the open, Packwood said that if any of his actions were "unwelcome," he was "sincerely sorry." He then sought alcohol counseling. But his longtime feminist allies were outraged, and with more women coming forward with horror stories, there were calls for his resignation. It wasn't until September of 1995 when, faced with the prospect of public Senate hearings and a vote to expel, Packwood announced his resignation.

Rep. Mel Reynolds (D-Ill.)
Freshman Reynolds was indicted on Aug. 19, 1994, on charges of having sex with a 16-year-old campaign worker and then pressuring her to lie about it. Reynolds, who is black, denied the charges and said the investigation was racially motivated. The GOP belatedly put up a write-in candidate for November, but Reynolds dispatched him in the overwhelmingly Democratic district with little effort. Reynolds was convicted on Aug. 22, 1995 of 12 counts of sexual assault, obstruction of justice and solicitation of child pornography, was sentenced to five years in prison, and resigned his seat on October 1.



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/congress.htm[/I]
 
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