GOP’s Kolbe Named as ‘Problem’ for Pages, Says ABC Source
Apparently -- and it's really only apparently at this point -- Mark Foley wasn't the only GOP rep who got too close to congressional pages. ABC is reporting that a former House clerk has named GOP Rep. Jim Kolbe as one of a small number of "problem members" in Congress.
Apparently — and it’s really only apparently at this point — Mark Foley wasn’t the only GOP rep who got too close to congressional pages. ABC is reporting that a former House clerk has named GOP Rep. Jim Kolbe as one of a small number of “problem members.”
AS CHAOS UNFOLDS, FIND SOLID GROUND…ABC News:
A source close to former House Clerk Jeff Trandahl told ABC News that Arizona Congressman Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.) was one of a small number of “problem members” of Congress who page program supervisors complained spent too much time socializing with pages, taking them to dinner or sporting events outside of official duties.
Mark Foley was also on the list.
The source said Trandahl frequently cautioned both congressmen that “adults should hang out with adults, pages should hang out with pages,” a message Trandahl also conveyed to pages during their orientation.
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The GOP is undergoing a bit of an ethical crisis following the recent string of scandals involving prominent Republicans -- the most recent being, of course, the media hullabaloo surrounding Sen. Larry Craig's run-in with an undercover policeman in a Minneapolis airport men's room. Oh, and then there's that whole Iraq war issue.
Having just finished its investigation of the Mark Foley coverup, the House Ethics Committee said lawmakers behaved inappropriately, but that no rules were broken: "In all, a pattern of conduct was exhibited among many individuals to remain willfully ignorant of the potential consequences of former Representative Foley's conduct with respect to House pages."
Disgraced Congressman Mark Foley has indefinitely extended his stay in rehab. Though his lawyer refused to specify how long he would remain in hiding, one can only assume Foley plans to wait out the election and minimalize further damage to his party and reputation.
In case you lost track, Stephen Colbert offers this rundown of Republican debacles. From phantom WMDs to Mark Foley, the "Report" host highlights the greatest hits of GOP mania.
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