Washington is embroiled in another sex scandal. A sure-bet win for the Republicans in Florida is now imperiled. The Dems look to be one seat closer to regaining control of the House. But the latest one involving disgraced GOP Congressman Mark Foley's predatory emails and lecherous instant-message exchanges is more than just a political nightmare.

It's a parental nightmare.

Foley's targets were underage high school students serving as congressional pages. I spoke with good friends of mine a few weeks ago who were positively glowing about their teenage son's experience as a page earlier this year. It is supposed to engender pride in our country and its institutions. It is supposed to inspire young people to public service. But irresponsible, selfish and sick adults have turned the Page Program into their personal sexual romper room.

For more than 150 years, these young messengers have worked in
the U.S. Congress. Daniel Webster appointed the first Senate page in 1829.
The first House pages began their service in 1842. Most are high school
juniors at least 16 years of age. They must have stellar academic records
and enlist members of Congress to sponsor them for one or two semester terms
during the school year or a summer session.

The pages serve principally as gophers. They carry documents
between the House and Senate, members' offices, committees and the Library
of Congress; assist in the cloakrooms and chambers; and when Congress is in
session, they may be summoned by members for assistance. They live in a
supervised dorm near the Capitol. They wear uniforms and take classes. It's
a highly competitive process to become a page, and it's an exclusive and
exciting opportunity to see Washington up close. Parents put full trust in
Congress that their children will be safe.

You can't possibly read Foley's reported communications with
minors that have been disclosed so far -- including his attempts to
rendezvous with one and apparent meetings and scheduled drinking sessions
with others -- and dismiss them as merely "naughty e-mails." Yet, that's how
White House press secretary Tony Snow described some of them this week.
Though he admitted to being too "glib" and later "clarified" those words
with tougher remarks, the damage has been done. It makes Republicans who
downplay the messages -- and Democrats and journalists who sat on them --
look recklessly flippant about sexual predation. Parents of all political
persuasions should be outraged by both.

It is also impossible to ignore the appearance of calculated
grooming by Foley of potential young targets. In a June 6, 2002, farewell
speech to pages, Foley effused about his teen pals -- even bragging about
taking one male page out on a dinner date at Morton's steakhouse after the
boy made a winning bid to have a meal with him. Given my own experience in
Washington as a young college intern, when I was approached by a congressman
to live alone with him for a winter term, I am sure there are many, many
more such stories to be told.

Some Beltway types think it's absolutely absurd to expect the
adults in Washington to have policed Foley more aggressively based on
knowledge of his more "innocent" exchanges. Come on. This was a 52-year-old
man instant-messaging teenagers. Hello? Would you be comfortable with your
next-door neighbor doing that?

And this is not the first time the Page Program's participants
have been exploited by politicians lurking in the halls of power.

In 1983, Republican Dan Crane and Democrat Gerry Studds soiled
the legacy of the House Page Program after both admitting to sexual
relations with 17-year-old pages. Crane abused his position of power with a
female page. Studds with a male page. Crane apologized and was voted out of
office. Studds was defiant, calling his "relationship" with his teen prey
"consensual." He was re-elected. Then-Congressman Newt Gingrich called for
both predators to be expelled. But the enablers and apologists for Crane and
Studds settled for censure.

The consequences of letting their sordid behavior slide without
the most severe punishment created fertile grounds for the Capitol Hill
predation scandal we are witnessing today. I do not blame the media or the
prey for the sins of the predators. I blame the predators -- and all of
those, on both sides of the aisle, who looked the other way.

Michelle Malkin is author of the new book "Unhinged: Exposing
Liberals Gone Wild." Her e-mail address is malkin@comcast.net.

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