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WHAT THE?

Rep. Chris Cannon Dismisses Foley Scandal


By Tracy Medley, 10-06-06

Utah Representative Chris Cannon made some rather shocking and unfortunate statements regarding the Mark Foley scandal, which aired on KSL’s Nightside program. In a brief interview with SLC-Spin blogger Ethan Millard, Cannon seemed to blame the kids.

Ex-Florida Representative Mark Foley is under investigation for allegedly having lascivious conversations with minors through email and instant messages. The minors involved were part of the Congressional Page Program.

At a fund-raiser for School Choice Rep. Cannon shared his thoughts on the scandal, “There’s not much we can do except educate kids to the dangers,” he said.

“Frankly, this is the responsibility of the parents – If you get online you may find creepy people who will do and say creepy things – avoid them.”

Cannon should be reminded that Mark Foley isn’t just any old creep on the internet; he was a congressman who may have used his position to sexually harass young men.

If these comments weren’t enough Cannon went on to say that the pages involved were “precocious kids” who “egged [Congressman Foley] on.”

“It looks like this one email was a prank - a bunch of kids sitting around, egging this guy on.”

Cannon continued, “The world is a complicated place.”

Say what?

There is nothing complicated about expecting our government officials to act with some measure of dignity around minors, even if baited (which has not been proven the case) and further there is nothing complicated in holding those officials accountable to the standards they themselves put in place.

Cannon’s position on this matter is disturbing at best and alarmingly revealing at worst. His attitude may offer some insight as to why House Republicans were so grossly negligent in taking any action against Foley when they were originally alerted to his misconduct years ago.

Listen to the entirety of his comments at the Nightside link above



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