Instead of using Jim McGreevey's "I am a gay American" excuse, Rep. Mark Foley has opted for the "I am an alcoholic" excuse--last employed with great success by Patches Kennedy, who substituted "drug addict" for "alcoholic." After laying the groundwork for blaming the alcohol in later appearances on television talk shows, Foley assures everyone that he does "accept full responsibility." Well, you wrote those pervy emails, right? Who else, but Mark Foley, should "accept full responsibility"?

"I don't know, I was really drunk at the time."

- Henry McCullough

Was that the guy who quoted the line on "Dark Side of the Moon"?

Yes. The dude from Wings.

Was he drunk when he sent the e-mails?

Certainly, getting drunk will affect one's judgment. But does getting drunk all of sudden make you something you're not?

If what Foley is saying is that drinking caused him to have gay tendencies and like young men, then he's full of crap. If he's regretful that it caused him to come out of the closet and expose him for what he is, that's understandable. But to use the drink as an excuse either way is a copout that appears to be the new refuge of scoundrels.

Something like Mel Gibson attributing his anti-Semitism to drink. I would tend to believe that Mel held those beliefs long before his accident with Jose Cuervo.

As a refuge it's probably been around as long as alcohol itself.

Very true. But, it seems fairly recent that it’s become acceptable for people in the public eye to get a complete pass by making excuses for their bad behavior by claiming to be “victims” of substance abuse. Any responsibility for their actions is easily waived when a person bows their head, says that they’re sorry and that they have a disease that they will get help for. Too easy from what I can see.

Often it's an act of contrition followed by a lot of nothing. In an age where the end goal seems to be talk, action often gets overlooked. Hopefully that will change.

"You know the bottle ain't to blame and I ain't trying to
It don't make you do a thing it just lets you"- Drive by truckers.

At least with Kennedy, he was drunk when he did what he did, so blaming it on alcohol makes some sort of sense.

Not that it would be an excuse, but I doubt fully was under the influence during all his escapades.

sorry, foley, not fully