It's unbelievable to me that our PBS affiliate, Channel 2, is keeping known propagandist and Republican hack Helen Ferre as host of the supposedly thoughtful and independent Issues political show. The first segment of the show tonight was on the Foley scandal and all the woman talked about was how unfair it was that Negron had to run with Foley's name on the ballot. It was pathetic. She was like, "Can they hold a special election?" And Wingate Payne basically said, "Uh, no." Somebody remarked about the cost and the Sun-Sentinel's Anthony Man remarked how nobody ever votes in special elections. Perfect for Ferre. How embarrassing for PBS this woman is.
After the jump: Will Foley be charged criminally? The answer is ...
One more thing: AP writer Brian Skoloff tells us that while its doubtful that Foley will be charged federally for the e-mails and IMs to teenaged pages, it is ... um ... doubtful that he'll be charged by any state either. Or something like that. The story becomes so muddled up by dull bureaucrats and protective defense attorneys that it becomes a study in how to make a story meaningless.
In Florida it's illegal for an adult to seduce anyone under the age of 18 online. Seems pretty cut and dried there, don't it? Nah. Writes Skoloff:
In reference to the term "seduce," Carrin said, "That's open to interpretation." She declined to elaborate on how Foley's communications may have violated state law.
Dude, Skoloff, have YOU read the damn e-mails. Your boy Foley was seducing all over the damn place.
Skoloff writes that in California the adult has to make some attempt to meet the youth. He doesn't bother to say that Foley does just that on a few occasions in the instant messages. Oh well.
But in the sweepstakes for the most likely state to prosecute Foley, we may have a winner in Louisiana. A state special agent named Mike Johnson cuts through the bullshit: "It just has to be sexual in nature," he says.
Thank you, Mike Johnson. Says Florida Attorney General's Office spokewoman JoAnn Carin,
