.Foley's secrets had many layers
WASHINGTON -- Mark Foley had secrets.
First there was whispering about the Republican congressman's sexual orientation, beginning in 1994 during his first House campaign. He was almost outed two years later when he voted against same-sex marriage. In 2003, Foley dropped a Senate bid after the rumor mill again started churning. He dismissed the speculation as "revolting and unforgivable."
Although publicly unacknowledged, Foley's homosexuality gradually became known in Washington and Florida political circles. Over time, it became a defining force in his career. Foley was ambitious, but as a Republican from a state with lots of social conservatives, he had dim prospects for higher office.
He hit the gay glass ceiling in Congress too. Foley served nearly 12 years in Congress, but he barely registered on the senior GOP leadership's radar screen.
"I've never had a conversation with him," Speaker Dennis Hastert said, "other than his vote on a tariff matter at one time or another, I think."
But as Foley navigated the tricky path of being a gay Republican, there was yet another, darker secret he proved unable to handle: He was making sexual advances toward underage former congressional pages.
To some people who have known Foley for years, the sordid details were both shocking and ironic, given his efforts to shield his private life.
Sid Dinerstein, chairman of the Palm Beach County Republican Party, said he refused to believe early reports about the page exchanges, which he dubbed "the evil e-mails." His wife was convinced someone had hacked into Foley's instant-message account. "That's how far off it was from the Mark Foley we knew," he said.
Like most local officials, Dinerstein had known about Foley's sexual orientation for years. He recently ran into Foley and his longtime companion, a Palm Beach doctor, at a local restaurant. "He didn't introduce him as his companion," said Dinerstein. "But I knew who he was from the whisper mill."
Foley, 52, has quit and checked himself into an undisclosed treatment facility for alcoholism and "other behavioral problems." His lawyer, David Roth, confirmed Tuesday that his client is gay. Roth also said Foley had been molested by a clergy member as a teenager, although Foley wasn't making excuses for his behavior.
Foley had carved out a reputation as a gung-ho, if slightly unpredictable, mainstream Republican. After dropping out of a South Florida community college, he opened a restaurant at age 20 and won a seat on the Lake Worth City Commission three years later. He was elected to the state House in 1990, the state Senate in 1992 and the U.S. House in 1994.
Foley staked out typical Florida Republican positions on immigration, agriculture and Cuba. He portrayed himself as a protector of exploited children. He snagged a plum seat on the Ways and Means Committee.
More socially gregarious than most members, Foley entertained at his Capitol Hill home and attended parties and gatherings around town.
A gifted mimic, he would regale fundraising audiences and cocktail parties with imitations of former President Bill Clinton, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"The man loved being an elected official," Dinerstein said. "He'd wake up in the morning and look for an event to attend."
Bubbling below the surface was Foley's private life, which some found difficult to reconcile with his public actions.
"You have someone who for all intents and purposes is a gay person, but continues to perpetuate the myth that there's something wrong with it," said Tracy Thorne-Begland, a Foley family friend.
In 1992, as a Navy lieutenant, Thorne-Begland announced he was gay during a nationally televised interview, helping lay the groundwork for the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Four years later, after Foley voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, Thorne-Begland called to complain.
"I said, how could you vote against me, my family, your own self-interest?" recalled Thorne-Begland. He said Foley responded, "I could never compare any relationship I have ever had to the nature of my mother and father's relationship."
Chicago Tribune
All you had to do was look. It's hard to believe no one did, after receiving complaint, and or suspicious e-mails.
Fox's eat chickens, good farmers know that, and lock the hen house at night, specially so when you hens are on loan.
First there was whispering about the Republican congressman's sexual orientation, beginning in 1994 during his first House campaign. He was almost outed two years later when he voted against same-sex marriage. In 2003, Foley dropped a Senate bid after the rumor mill again started churning. He dismissed the speculation as "revolting and unforgivable."
Although publicly unacknowledged, Foley's homosexuality gradually became known in Washington and Florida political circles. Over time, it became a defining force in his career. Foley was ambitious, but as a Republican from a state with lots of social conservatives, he had dim prospects for higher office.
He hit the gay glass ceiling in Congress too. Foley served nearly 12 years in Congress, but he barely registered on the senior GOP leadership's radar screen.
"I've never had a conversation with him," Speaker Dennis Hastert said, "other than his vote on a tariff matter at one time or another, I think."
But as Foley navigated the tricky path of being a gay Republican, there was yet another, darker secret he proved unable to handle: He was making sexual advances toward underage former congressional pages.
To some people who have known Foley for years, the sordid details were both shocking and ironic, given his efforts to shield his private life.
Sid Dinerstein, chairman of the Palm Beach County Republican Party, said he refused to believe early reports about the page exchanges, which he dubbed "the evil e-mails." His wife was convinced someone had hacked into Foley's instant-message account. "That's how far off it was from the Mark Foley we knew," he said.
Like most local officials, Dinerstein had known about Foley's sexual orientation for years. He recently ran into Foley and his longtime companion, a Palm Beach doctor, at a local restaurant. "He didn't introduce him as his companion," said Dinerstein. "But I knew who he was from the whisper mill."
Foley, 52, has quit and checked himself into an undisclosed treatment facility for alcoholism and "other behavioral problems." His lawyer, David Roth, confirmed Tuesday that his client is gay. Roth also said Foley had been molested by a clergy member as a teenager, although Foley wasn't making excuses for his behavior.
Foley had carved out a reputation as a gung-ho, if slightly unpredictable, mainstream Republican. After dropping out of a South Florida community college, he opened a restaurant at age 20 and won a seat on the Lake Worth City Commission three years later. He was elected to the state House in 1990, the state Senate in 1992 and the U.S. House in 1994.
Foley staked out typical Florida Republican positions on immigration, agriculture and Cuba. He portrayed himself as a protector of exploited children. He snagged a plum seat on the Ways and Means Committee.
More socially gregarious than most members, Foley entertained at his Capitol Hill home and attended parties and gatherings around town.
A gifted mimic, he would regale fundraising audiences and cocktail parties with imitations of former President Bill Clinton, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"The man loved being an elected official," Dinerstein said. "He'd wake up in the morning and look for an event to attend."
Bubbling below the surface was Foley's private life, which some found difficult to reconcile with his public actions.
"You have someone who for all intents and purposes is a gay person, but continues to perpetuate the myth that there's something wrong with it," said Tracy Thorne-Begland, a Foley family friend.
In 1992, as a Navy lieutenant, Thorne-Begland announced he was gay during a nationally televised interview, helping lay the groundwork for the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Four years later, after Foley voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, Thorne-Begland called to complain.
"I said, how could you vote against me, my family, your own self-interest?" recalled Thorne-Begland. He said Foley responded, "I could never compare any relationship I have ever had to the nature of my mother and father's relationship."
Chicago Tribune
All you had to do was look. It's hard to believe no one did, after receiving complaint, and or suspicious e-mails.
Fox's eat chickens, good farmers know that, and lock the hen house at night, specially so when you hens are on loan.
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