Democrat Politician Sex Scandals

(I've written many letters to the Editors of the San Francisco Chronicle over the years, often to correct their errors and ommissions. Professionals usually carry E & O insurance, but the Chronicle just lets their errors fly, because they know they can, and because they can edit out annoying letters like mine. One of the nice things about blogging is knowing that at least some of my letters will be read, no matter what the Chronicle editors do.)

Editor

In the San Francisco Chronicle’s expose of sex scandals since the 1970s involving U.S. politicians, (Sex Scandal Lineup, March 13, 2008) you included Florida Rep. Mark Foley (Republican), but erroneously wrote that he was “accused of sending sexually explicit e-mails and instant messages in 2006 to teenage congressional pages.” He actually sent the communications to ex-congressional pages, no longer government employees, all 19 or older.

Not surprisingly the Chronicle omitted Massachusetts Rep. Gary Studds (Democrat), who in 1973 plied a 17-year old congressional page with alcohol, had sex with him including penetration, and took him on an official trip to Europe. Studds was reelected many times, even though the violations concerning giving alcohol to a minor, transportation over state and national borders for sex, and abusing a superior/subordinate worker relationship seem much more serious than Foley “e-mailing while gay.”

Also not surprising, the Chronicle omitted Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank (Democrat), although a male prostitute he hired ran an escort service from his apartment in 1990.
President Clinton made the list, of course, but I was surprised the Chronicle omitted that as a result of his perjury concerning relations with Monica, he was disbarred from his Arkansas law license for five years, ordered to pay $25,000 in fines, and was forced to resign or face disbarment from the Supreme Court bar.

Sen. Brock Adams, Washington-Dem. (1988), numerous accusations of drugging, assault and rape; Rep. Fred Richmond, New York-Dem. (1978), soliciting sex from a 16-year-old; Rep. John Young, Texas-Dem. (1975), increased the salary of a staffer after she gave in to his sexual advances; and Rep. Mel Reynolds, Illinois-Dem., convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault with a 16-year-old. President Bill Clinton pardoned him before leaving office.

Mr. Editor, you could have done your entire article with Democrats alone. I suppose you needed a couple of Republicans for “balance.”