Won’t Somebody Please Think About the Children?
An embattled Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds on Monday denied covering up the actions of a now-disgraced Florida congressman who resigned last week after it was revealed that he sent inappropriate computer messages to teenage boys who worked in the House. […]
During a 45-minute news conference at Daemen College on Monday evening, Reynolds was asked by The Buffalo News why he didn’t learn earlier of Foley’s actions involving House pages from his own chief of staff, Kirk Fordham, who was Foley’s former chief of staff.
Surrounded by three dozen children of his political supporters, Reynolds replied that he and Fordham never discussed Foley’s reputation.
Reynolds told reporters that as soon as he learned Friday of the more serious instant messages that Foley sent to another former page in 2003, he “immediately began to work for his resignation.” He called the instant messages “despicable and disgusting” and called for Foley’s criminal prosecution at both the federal and state levels.
From the Transcript:
Reporter: Congressman, do you mind asking the children to leave the room so we can have a frank discussion of this, because it’s an adult topic. It just doesn’t seem appropriate to me.
Reynolds: I’ll take your questions, but I’m not going to ask any of my supporters to leave. […]
Reporter: Who are the children, Congressman? Who are these children?
Reynolds: Pardon me?
Reporter: Who are these children?
Reynolds: Well, a number of them are from the community. There are several of the “thirtysomething” set that are here and uh I’ve known them and I’ve known their children as they were born.
Reporter: Do you think it’s appropriate for them to be listening to the subject matter though?
Reynolds: Sir, I’ll be happy to answer your questions, I’m still, uh…
……………………
Well, the kids need to learn about the Birds and the Bees sooner or later. Just go full bore and ask for definitions and degrees of “explicit”. The early ones are supposedly vague enough that the kids might think something else — what I don’t know — anyways, right?