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6th Congressional District Republican hopeful Roskam has taken a reasonable stance on the Foley scandal, even though he has already been attacked for toeing the party line.

Something went wrong in the way the Foley matter was handled, Roskam said in an interview, but it’s too early to tell where the breakdown occurred. He said he doesn’t want to critique the actions of any member of Congress until after the FBI has examined the case.

“You had a member of Congress who was betraying the trust of parents, and that’s fundamentally where the responsibility lies,” Roskam said. “The second question then is, ‘Were there failures that left that child in jeopardy? Yes. But the point is, where were the failures and who was responsible?” […]

“Do I take the speaker of the House at face value? Yeah,” Roskam said.

But Roskam also said he wouldn’t send any of his four children to join the page program.

That parental angst, of course, is a main factor driving this debate.

The Post-Dispatch couldn’t reach Congressman Shimkus yesterday.

Shimkus was unavailable for comment Tuesday, despite attempts to reach him at his home, his office and on the road. His staff reiterated his previous statements and dismissed the possibility of political side-effects.

And neither could Carol Marin.

Here’s my conversation Tuesday afternoon with Shimkus’ press secretary, Steve Tomaszewski:

Is it possible to talk to Congressman Shimkus sometime today by phone? “I can put a request in, but at this point he’s not doing interviews,” Tomaszewski told me.

Can you help me understand why? “At this point the congressman issued two statements . . . If anything changes with regard to him talking or interviews I will certainly make sure that this request is considered,” he assured me.

What was it that caused Shimkus and Hastert not to take questions Monday? “You’d have to ask the speaker’s office,” replied Tomaszewski. I’d love to, believe me.

But Copley did, and Shimkus was not in a good mood.

Asked whether that made it look like a political cover-up, Shimkus said: “Bull–, what I regret is that now it’s used for the political expediency, for a political agenda by the Democrats. Anybody who knows me knows that I wouldn’t do anything to assault or hurt these kids.

“I put more time in to protect these kids than anyone. For these people to try to take me down because of this is unconscionable. They ought to be ashamed of themselves. For my former friends who are Democrats and who are leading this charge, I know what their true values are.”

Shimkus accused the media of falling for what he said is a pre-election Democratic ploy.

“You’re feeding right into the Democrats. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves. This is an October surprise, and you guys have fallen hook, line and sinker for it,” Shimkus said.

Shimkus admitted yet again that he had seen some e-mails, even though his press spokesman originally insisted to everyone who called that the congressman had seen nothing. That point was not addressed in the story.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Oct 4, 06 @ 9:36 am

Comments

Did Shimkus have enough information to reasonably infer why Foley was so interested in the House pages?

And did Shimkus continue to introduce Foley to new pages?

Was this part of how DeLay got Foley’s vote on close legislation?

Comment by Carl Nyberg Wednesday, Oct 4, 06 @ 9:41 am
How low of Congressman Shimkus to say the press should be ashamed of themselves. I feel Congressman Shimkus should be ashamed of himself. As a former teacher for what seven years, he should’ve known that something was seriously out of whack from the start, and dug to the bottom of it instead of sweeping it on the rug. You Congressman should be ashamed.

Comment by Eddie Wednesday, Oct 4, 06 @ 9:47 am
Jonathan Turley in today’s NYT suggests that the page board should be revised to include former pages, many of whom are now prominent citizens.
Now, apparently, the board is comprised of legislators and they have an obvious bias towards keeping transgressions quiet. It sounds as though predators of both parties abound in Washington DC, as everywhere. Former pages would likely be knowledgeable about the risks.

There should also be a formal protocol for reporting suspected maltreatment of pages by members of Congress and Congressional staff with mandatory reporting criteria, penalties for failure to report, and clear protocols for timely investigation. Such protocols abound in child protection system across America and could easily be adapted to the US Congress. Such a protocol would have given Hastert and Shimkus clear incontrovertible guidelines on how to proceed and possibly spared them their current travails. Now, if such a protocol already exists and they ignored it, they should leave office immediately.

Sexual predators don’t confine themselves to one child and therefore all pages were at risk from Foley, not just the unfortunate recipient or recipients of his e-mails. This is what Hastert and Shimkus failed to address. Should they have?
Of course, but would anybody else in their positions have done so. It’s not that clear. A child maltreatment protocol would remove the uncertainty and protect the kids.

Comment by Cassandra Wednesday, Oct 4, 06 @ 10:03 am
Shimkus is right!
Once again, we don’t have to listen to the spin. We already have proof of how either party would handle this situation. When the Democrats were in charge, one of their congressman was having sex with a male page. Did Tip O’Neil demand his ouster? Did anyone’s head roll? Nope. Nope. Nope. We even saw a Democratic congressman’s boyfriend running an escort service out of his Washington apartment. He is still in Congress!

Foley is gone! That is what the Republicans do when this kind of this happens.

This is the “October Surprise” Democrats have unleashed on us. Instead of discussing the war we are in, they prefer to discuss Foley. Sickening!

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Oct 4, 06 @ 10:16 am
Should the intern program also be abolished? These are all starstruck children/young adults ripe for the picking by predatory powerful officeholders. Perhaps Rod was onto something by giving internships to people eligible for social security.

Hastert will not step down, but if the GOP retains majority, he will not be voted as speaker again.

Shimkus will resign as a total revamp of the page program.

This depends on the investigation. But the power ball is what dem will get in trouble for sitting on this information for years putting more pages at risk. More importantly, if it turns out that Hastert and Co knew a lot more than they are letting on.

Does Rauschy live in Hastert’s district now?

Comment by Wumpus Wednesday, Oct 4, 06 @ 10:38 am
Shimkus says: “I put more time in to protect these kids than anyone.”

There’s where your “Bull—-” is Mr. Congressman.

If he had put more time in he would have talked with his fellow page board members about the red flags and they would have all figured out what the proper course of action was.

Instead, he gave Foley a slap on the wrist and ignored it (or hoped it would end and go away).

The guy is a father and a teacher (so is Hastert). Both of them should have known full well the pattern of a Congressman and teens engaging in “overly friendly” emails and dinners and drinks and toddling around town in a Beemer convertible.

Their either ignorant by choice or by nature — and neither is acceptable to this father of two young children.

What is so upsetting the GOP (incl. Shimkus) is the very fact that the press, when they’re paying attention, is not buying the political line hook, line and sinker. The press has woken up to the sort of low-lying corruption that has til now flown under the radar.

If we can’t trust the GOP to protect 16-year-olds, how can we trust them to protect us?

America comes first, not Republican power.

Comment by NW burbs Wednesday, Oct 4, 06 @ 10:49 am
Apparently, partisan conservative Joyce Morrison can get right through to Rep. Shimkus.

Umm… ok.

Comment by NW burbs Wednesday, Oct 4, 06 @ 11:07 am
NW, I don’t think there’s any quote in that article you linked to…so I wonder if the conversation was off the record, and if it was maybe we should cut a little slack. It’s not that the guy isn’t talking to ANYONE, it’s that he’s not talking to reporters, and he’s not talking to anyone else on the record. Except, apparently, Copley.

Comment by RickG Wednesday, Oct 4, 06 @ 11:20 am
LaHood ought to be ashamed of himself for saying something so ridiculous. Rather than suspending the page program to protect young boys, as LaHood suggests, maybe our congressman could their hands to themselves and their pants zipped.

Now, there’s a novel idea!!!

You were right Rich: Washington (or Springfield, or any other political Utopia) is the problem. These people spend too much time there, and they enter into their own realities.

LaHood ought to have his head examined for totally sidestepping the reality that congressman like him must accept some responsibility for their actions.

Comment by DeepFriedOnAStick Wednesday, Oct 4, 06 @ 11:26 am
That’s “keep their hands to themselves and their pants zipped.” My bad.

Comment by DeepFriedOnAStick Wednesday, Oct 4, 06 @ 11:27 am
I like the idea of having non-political civilians (i.e. no hacks) serve on the Page Board. I’m not sure where they get these political eunichs, but it would be the best idea I’ve heard yet.

I’m not sure where the GOP is going with this it’s all the Dems fault for putting it out there now bit. Surely if the Dems had done this for partisan gain, they would have done it later than this? Isn’t Oct 1 too early for October surprise season?

Comment by cermak_rd Wednesday, Oct 4, 06 @ 11:39 am
When I was a very active Young Republican, at about age 16, I asked my friend Rep. Webber Borchers for a position as a house page. He threw a fit and said no way would he allow a young lady from his district to be subjected to the men in the IL. House. That was probably 35 years ago. Can you imagine if Webber was around, now?

Comment by Shelbyville Wednesday, Oct 4, 06 @ 11:39 am
Is LaHood suggesting that changing the page program makes it unnecessary to hold members of Congress accountable for protecting Mark Foley and endangering the pages?

Comment by Carl Nyberg Wednesday, Oct 4, 06 @ 11:57 am
RickG, Morrison ledes with “Last night as I sat talking to Congressman John Shimkus, a man I have known for over ten years, I was reaffirmed of what I already knew….”

That means she got through to speak to him. That’s all I wrote. The point was that he talked to her, but not Carol Marin and other reporters (except Copley News). I didn’t say it was on or off the record because that doesn’t matter (tho’ if it was “off the record” Morrison obviously didn’t keep quiet).

–

Apparently there’s another revelation now from an obviously “liberal” media source, feeding fuel to the “it was all a Democratic ruse” fire.

“Liberal” Bob Novak reports today that Tom Reynolds encouraged Foley to run for re-election after finding out about Foley’s inappropriate emails. Party before country is not an American value.

The Republican leadership is now in a civil war my friends — there’s no honor among Republicans, apparently. How deep into leadership will it go? Will the slime stick to Mark Kirk and others in Leadership also?

Comment by NW burbs Wednesday, Oct 4, 06 @ 12:03 pm
Vanillaman, you might interested in seeing exactly how differently Demcorats responded to scandal in the page program by reading this article in today’s WaPo: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/03/AR2006100301109.html

When Democrats were in charge, it was a Democratic investigation that revealed the Studds and Crane liaisons with interns. When Republicans are in charge, the investigations were deliberately designed to prevent any consequences to the wrongdoers.

Comment by the Other Anonymous Wednesday, Oct 4, 06 @ 12:25 pm
I hope people are starting to see how immoral Republican partisans are. They will do anything and lie about anything to stay in power. And the true believers eat it up and regurgitate it on demand.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Wednesday, Oct 4, 06 @ 12:49 pm
Isn’t it nice to see elected officials like Shimkus step up to the plate and accept responsibility? It’s nice to see a guy who’s not trying to shift blame but will stand up like a man and say “I screwed up. I was wrong. And now I’m going to do everything I can to make a bad situation better.” Way to go Congressman Shimkus! You’re an inspiration to all of us!

Comment by Taxpaying Parent Wednesday, Oct 4, 06 @ 3:38 pm
Oh please, NW, are you insinuating that there is honor among DEMOCRATS? The federal Dems are the same ones who defended His Lechery President Clinton, and the state ones are Defending His Inestimable Graft, the Governor.

Let’s face it, our federal and state governments are bipartisan hogwallows. There are fewer than 25 pecent of these SOBS that deserve to be re-elected and about 1 percent that I would trust with my kids.

Comment by HoosierDaddy Wednesday, Oct 4, 06 @ 5:19 pm
Okay, now I REALLY think Shimkus should go. What an arrogant s.o.b.

Here’s a guy who broke a fundamental promise he made to get elected, i.e., his term limit pledge.

So a guy who couldn’t keep a sicko away from the kids under his supervision, and a guy who couldn’t keep his word on a major promise wants to point fingers at others?

Mr. Shimkus, you are the new Poster Boy for why the Republicans are going to lose the majority.

Comment by RealClear Wednesday, Oct 4, 06 @ 8:30 pm
When the Newtoids took over, thought the first thing the did was to make Congress obey all the laws the rest of mere mortals had to deal with - minimum wage, overtime, OSHA. Come to find out, Congressmen who deal with pages are not mandated reporters - can you say “hypocites” ????

Comment by Smitty Irving Wednesday, Oct 4, 06 @ 8:54 pm
So Roskam has nothing but blind defense of Hastert, even as he admits the House Page program isn’t safe for kids.

No wonder we can’t secure Iraq, we can’t even secure the House under Republican leadership!

I didn’t think it was possible for a Republican to lose such a Republican drawn district, but a guy this namby-pamby may just pull it off.

Not only has Duckworth shown more courage than Roskam in her life, but so have the young boys who have volunteered to be pages.

Comment by RealClear Wednesday, Oct 4, 06 @ 9:07 pm