Petrelis Files

Foley Emails to Jeb: I'm "Getting the Shaft" from Dubya

With the release of emails from Jeb, we learn that Foley bragged to the governor about his attempts to always cast a positive light on Dubya, despite the president never doing something truly positive on gay issues. Foley seems to have been overly concerned with getting his photo taken with the president during his Florida visits.
There's nothing like a queen desperate to have her image with the country's leader broadcast on local TV and printed in the papers. Indeed, I've heard that if you wanted to live and not get trampled to death, it was always best to NOT stand between Foley and TV cameras.

From today's Palm Beach Post:

E-mails from former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley to Gov. Jeb Bush reveal that Foley feared two years ago the White House was shunning him, and he called on the governor, President Bush's brother, to intercede.

Foley wrote to Gov. Bush on Sept. 29, 2004: "Have I done something to offend the White House ... I am always getting the shaft ... they came to ft pierce a few weeks ago and said I was not allowed to attend ... yet joe negron is there ...

"Tomorrow Potus is in Martin County and I am told I am not allowed to be there either. I can't quite figure what I have done but this is a continuing pattern of slights ... I have constantly put the President in the best possible light on everything from haiti to hurricanes ... sorry to trouble you ... and I wouldn't if this wasn't so frequent ..."

POTUS is an acronym for president of the United States. Foley's message referred to President Bush's visits to Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Jeanne.

Bush responded that day: "I will try to help. I know it is nothing you have done. Promise. I think it relates to debate prep time. Jeb." [...]

Foley also sent Gov. Bush a cryptic message in the fall of 2005, roughly coinciding with the time a former Louisiana page complained to his former sponsor, Rep. Rodney Alexander, that Foley had sent him inappropriate e-mails.

The page, then 16, said Foley asked about the boy's birthday and requested a photograph. The disclosure of the exchanges with the teen ultimately led to Foley's resignation.

"I need your thoughts on something ... are you in south florida or somewhere we can meet up," Foley messaged Bush on Oct. 3, 2005.

"I am up in Tallahassee. Will a call suffice?" Bush responded. [...]

The governor's office did not return calls Wednesday night concerning the e-mails.

The e-mails show a friendly relationship between Foley and Bush, in contrast to Bush's recent characterization of Foley's behavior as "despicable" and "disgusting."

In one e-mail in May 2004, Foley asked Bush to call in to a West Palm Beach radio station's on-air birthday celebration honoring local radio personality Jennifer Ross. Bush complied.

The day after the Nov. 2, 2004, general election in which President Bush was reelected, Foley messaged Gov. Bush: "Congratulations brother Jeb ... what a wonderful well deserved victory."

"Thank you so much. It was a great victory! Congrats to you as well," Bush responded. [...]

My queer mind wonders if Foley had email exchanges with George P. Bush, Jeb's son, or if he ever tried to enlist the president's nephew into the page program.