Congressman Mark Foley of Florida quit the US House of Representatives Friday after it was alleged that he sent inapporiate messages online to teenage boys who worked as Congressional pages. The allegations and the proof are bad enough. But what makes it even worse is that Foley has been a crusader sponsoring laws aimed at protecting children from online predators and exploitation, even chairing the Missing and Exploited Children Caucus. In fact, Foley may have violated laws he helped create. To say he leaves Congress in shame is probably an understatement. So how did he try to save face and bounce back from it all? He suddenly realized he was a drunk.
"I strongly believe that I am an alcoholic and have accepted the need for immediate treatment for alcoholism and other behavioral problems," Foley said in a statement released through his attorney. This morning he reportedly checked himself into rehab. Last time I checked, having a drinking problem doesn't typically prompt someone to make sexual advances toward a teenaged boy online. Allegedly that is.
Of course, it also doesn't usually prompt someone to scream anti-semitic remarks at police officers pulling them over for DUI. But that's what Mel Gibson claimed this summer before he dove behind the curtain of addiction. And remember Larry Eustachy? He was the Iowa State University basketball coach who resigned in 2003 after photos surfaced of him drinking with coeds at a party at an off-campus apartment in Columbia, Mo., (hours after his Cyclones team lost to Missouri) and reports that he'd been to a fraternity party in Manhattan, Kan., a year earlier after a game at Kansas State. How did Eustachy explain it away: "I am certainly aware of the role drinking has played in my behavior. I am addressing this matter," he said in a statement released by his lawyer.
I am certainly not denying that these men may have an addiction they need or needed help with. This morning we ran a story that said perhaps half a million people in North Carolina alone are facing drug or alcohol addicitions. But I think it's interesting how high-profile people sometimes pull the addiction card when they need cover. Obviously Eustachy and Gibson have a pretty solid claim. They were, after all, drunk or drinking when they got in trouble. Allegedly, of course. But what about Foley?
In this day and age, there is little shame in admitting an addiction. The taboo has been reasonably removed as we've accepted societally that it is a disease that needs treatment, just like any other illness. Heck, even President George W. Bush has admitted he had a drinking problem and takes pride in being sober. And he certainly is not the only high-profile person to be a recovering alcoholic. But the timing of Foley's announcement is just a tad suspicious. This certainly could be the incident that finally pushed him over the edge and made him realize that he needed help. That happens. That's what Gibson and Eustachy claimed.
But again, they at least were busted doing something alcohol-related. Foley's claim seems just too convenient to me. A year after he allegedly committed the improprieties and is confronted with the evidence he resigns from Congress and checks himself into rehab. I guess the up side is at least he is seeking help. But I'm not sure alcohol is the addiction for which he needs to be treated.
