The Palm Beach Post reports on a plaintive series of emails sent from disgraced former Congressman Mark Foley and Florida Governor Jeb Bush. The email exchange took place in the late fall of 2004, prior to the election and around the time aides to various Republican members of Congress now say they were alerting their bosses about the creepy Congressman's inappropriate contact with teenaged male pages. Here's a clip from the Post's story today:
E-mails from former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley to Gov. Jeb Bush reveal that Foley feared two years ago the White House was shunning him, and he called on the governor, President Bush's brother, to intercede.
Foley wrote to Gov. Bush on Sept. 29, 2004: "Have I done something to offend the White House ... I am always getting the shaft ... they came to ft pierce a few weeks ago and said I was not allowed to attend ... yet joe negron is there ...
Note that Negron, who has run for everything but dog catcher in the last several years (he's currently a State Rep,) is now running for Foley's seat. Continuing...
"Tomorrow Potus is in Martin County and I am told I am not allowed to be there either. I can't quite figure what I have done but this is a continuing pattern of slights ... I have constantly put the President in the best possible light on everything from haiti to hurricanes ... sorry to trouble you ... and I wouldn't if this wasn't so frequent ..."
Here, the occasion for Dubya's visit was the aftermath of Hurricane Jeanne...
Bush responded that day: "I will try to help. I know it is nothing you have done. Promise. I think it relates to debate prep time. Jeb." ...
The missives continued last year, as the 52-year-old instant message freak's contact with pages continued to heat up behind the scenes...
... Foley also sent Gov. Bush a cryptic message in the fall of 2005, roughly coinciding with the time a former Louisiana page complained to his former sponsor, Rep. Rodney Alexander, that Foley had sent him inappropriate e-mails.
The page, then 16, said Foley asked about the boy's birthday and requested a photograph. The disclosure of the exchanges with the teen ultimately led to Foley's resignation.
"I need your thoughts on something ... are you in south florida or somewhere we can meet up," Foley messaged Bush on Oct. 3, 2005.
"I am up in Tallahassee. Will a call suffice?" Bush responded.
Foley asked Bush to call him at his Fort Pierce office or on his cellphone.
What could Foley have wanted? Tips on what kinds of videogames kids like? Jeb does have young'uns who were just out of their teen years by then...
Bush and Foley have exchanged about 100 electronic messages since 1999, according to documents Bush's office released Wednesday evening. The bulk of the e-mails from Foley, who almost exclusively sent the messages from his Blackberry, concerned hurricanes, federal legislation and his recommendations for appointments.
Hm. Over the last couple of weeks, I've kind of gotten the feeling Jebbie didn't know Mark very well. Hell, it seems like no one knew this guy, once his prediliction for boy-toys came out! Let's continue...
The e-mails show a friendly relationship between Foley and Bush, in contrast to Bush's recent characterization of Foley's behavior as "despicable" and "disgusting."
In one e-mail in May 2004, Foley asked Bush to call in to a West Palm Beach radio station's on-air birthday celebration honoring local radio personality Jennifer Ross. Bush complied.
The day after the Nov. 2, 2004, general election in which President Bush was reelected, Foley messaged Gov. Bush: "Congratulations brother Jeb ... what a wonderful well deserved victory."
"Thank you so much. It was a great victory! Congrats to you as well," Bush responded.
In another exchange, Bush took a swipe at state Sen. Ron Klein, a Boca Raton Democrat who is seeking to unseat U.S. Rep. Clay Shaw, R-Fort Lauderdale, in District 22.
Foley asked Bush whether Palm Beach County would receive disaster relief.
"Ron Klein said on tv last night that we were not part of the declaration," Foley wrote.
Bush confirmed Palm Beach County was included, saying of Klein: "Yes! And he knows it. What a slime."
Indeed.
Update: I'll bet Mark Foley wasn't invited on the Kolbe camping trips either...
Also, David Corn asks a damed good question: if Republicans knew of Foley's troubles as early as 2003, might the leadership have used his predilictions as leverage on the House floor?
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%>
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dim url
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url = "http://www.aspbasics.net"
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"[T]he practice of arbitrary imprisonments, have been, in all ages, the favorite and most formidable instruments of tyranny.' Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 84, August, 1788
