Getting played

So I read this story about the former Congressman Mark Foley with particular interest and amusement. In case you didn't know, the formerly Honourable Mr Foley (or Maf54 to his friends) has resigned and entered rehab (Mel Gibson's his hero) after it was revealed that he sent overtly sexual emails and IMs to teenage Congressional pages. Teenage male Congressional pages. Ah, Republicans and their need to share family values.

Anyway, I'm amused about how the story is being told. Interestingly, most of the articles that I read about it in the American press downplays the homosexual angle. Some even eliminates it completely, like People online. I guess they didn't want to depress their regular subscribers, those like me seeking frivolous and light entertainment news. (In case you wanted to know: Kelly from 90210 has had her third child! Isaac Hanson of MMMBop fame marries!)

I first read the story about Mark Foley, who was also the co-chair of the caucus on missing and exploited children, in the Guardian (click here for the link). Their headline?

Republican resigns over 'sick' email
to 16-year-old boy

(Oh, by the way, the Guardian is a left wing paper. Can you tell? I bet when they saw this, reporters for the Guardian were shitting themselves with joy and cackling with glee over the irony.)