Bauer: Foley's Failures Reminder of a Fallen World

by Jody Brown and Chad Groening
October 3, 2006

(AgapePress) - - Christians are being advised not to be so disgusted with the behavior of former Republican Congressman Mark Foley that they decide to stay home from the polls in November. In fact, Christian activist Gary Bauer says the scandal involving Foley is just further evidence that the pro-family agenda is needed desperately in America.

Several pro-family leaders are now saying it is clear why Mark Foley always refused to answer questions about his sexual orientation. Tony Perkins with Family Research Council says in light of Foley's now revealed e-mails and messages to teenage male pages who had worked in the Capitol, "... it appears clear that Foley is a homosexual with a particular attraction to underage boys." Adds Linda Harvey with Mission America, "... like many homosexual men, he likes young teen boys. We should pray for him that he gets a handle on this problem and refrains from harming any more kids." Since resigning his congressional seat on Friday, the former Florida lawmaker has admitted himself to an alcoholic rehabilitation center.

Gary Bauer, chairman of the pro-family group American Values, describes some of the instant messages transmitted by Foley as "obscene and disgusting" -- and says resignation was "the only appropriate response" for someone who has "abused the public trust." He notes, however, that similar indiscretions among Democratic lawmakers in the past brought different results.

Gary Bauer

"In contrast, former Democrat Congressman Gerry Studds of Massachusetts remained in the House after admitting to homosexual conduct with a teenage page, and won re-election numerous times," he points out. "[And] Representative Barney Frank [also of Massachusetts] was implicated in a homosexual prostitution scandal run out of his house and continues to be a leader in the Democrat Party today."

Still, Bauer comments, the recent revelations about Congressman Foley should remind people that sin is an equal opportunity employer. "Hopefully, no Christian voter is under the illusion that the Democratic Party is full of sinners and the Republican Party is full of saints," he says. "Both parties are full of sinners. Our faith teaches us that it's a fallen world."

But Bauer says when it comes to voting, the GOP platform supports the sanctity of life and traditional marriage, while liberal Democrats support same-sex "marriage" and abortion on demand. "Those differences remain the same," he points out, "and in view of that, I would hope that the obvious disgusting behavior by this one Republican congressman would not affect turnout on election day."

But the former presidential candidate suspects the timing of Foley's revelations may have had that intended effect. "There is some indication that perhaps left-wing groups and some Democrats knew about this," he explains. "We know that a newspaper in his district knew about it for a year; so I doubt if it was coincidental that it's come out five weeks before an election."

What is at work in this case, Bauer suggests, is "an attempt to discourage Christian conservative voters and to get some percentage of them to stay home so that the Left can retake the United States Senate and the United States House."

In fact, House Speaker Dennis Hastert -- who himself is taking some heat in the Foley scandal for not acting upon the party leadership's earlier knowledge of the e-mails -- is demanding the Department of Justice undertake a formal investigation of the matter. Hastert claims no knowledge of the sexually graphic instant messages before they were reported last week. In his letter to the DOJ, the House leader requests they find out "who may have had the [second set of sexually explicit] communications and why they were not given to prosecutors before now."

Bauer concurs, saying there are rumors in the national capital that some Democratic leaders knew of the communiqués and chose to wait until five weeks before the election for their own advantage. Before the news broke last week, Foley was considered an easy winner in his campaign to again represent the 16th congressional district of Florida and help the GOP retain its hold on the majority in the House.