It could be irony... but it's really just sad.

Mark Foley, Republican Representative from Florida... oops, make that *former* Republican Rep. from Florida.

Mr. Foley served in the House from 1995-2006. Among other activities, Rep. Foley was one of the foremost opponents of child pornography. Foley had served as chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children. He introduced a bill in 2002 to outlaw websites featuring sexually suggestive images of preteen children, saying that "these websites are nothing more than a fix for pedophiles." (Much of his work was later set aside since the language would have shut down many other legitimate photographic businesses.)

Foley's legislation to change federal sex offender laws was supported by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, America's Most Wanted host John Walsh, and a number of victims' rights groups. Foley publicly stated that pedophiles were "sick people [who] need mental health counseling. They certainly don't need to be interacting with children."

Turns out, though, that Mr. Foley is involved in the very behavior he has been championing against. A teenage Congressional page came forward with emails (though these look more like chat messages) he said were sent from Foley under the screen name 'Maf54'. Excerpts follow:

Maf54: What ya wearing?
Teen: tshirt and shorts
Maf54: Love to slip them off of you.
----
Maf54: Do I make you a little horny?
Teen: A little.
Maf54: Cool.
----
Maf54: You in your boxers too?
Teen: Nope, just got home. I had a college interview that went late.
Maf54: Well, strip down and get relaxed.
----

These are the excerpts that ABC News released to the public. The rest they say were too graphic to be broadcast. They involve Foley asking the teen about his masturbation practices, including insisting on details. A PDF of the complete chat transcripts can be found here. It is explicit.

Conservative spinmeisters have started trying to paint this scandal as homophobic in spirit. However, no commentator I have yet heard speaks of any homosexual issues but rather of the fact that this boy was underage. Stories are now coming to light about how Congressioal pages were warned as far back as 2001 to be careful around Foley.

Nothing Foley said in the transcripts of these chat sessions would be a problem were it not for the fact that this boy was underage. Foley obviously recognizes the hot water he is in. He resigned within hours of getting a call for comment from ABC News on the day this story broke. Florida Governor Jeb Bush has called for a State Police investigation of the emails. Foley has stated that he is enrolling in an alcohol abuse treatment program.

But, here comes the irony... Rep. Mark Foley famously said of Bill Clinton after the Starr Report was released:

"It's vile," said Rep. Mark Foley, R-West Palm Beach. "It's more sad than anything else, to see someone with such potential throw it all down the drain because of a sexual addiction."

Rep. Foley had been given a score of 84% by the Christian Coalition on family issues. Here's a nice Christian passage for the rest of the Republicans who think they can/should spin this as a partisan attack on Foley.

"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." - Matthew 7:1,2 (NKJV)