PHOTOS, PAGE 1

       Editor and prime reporter is Doug Terry, a veteran television and radio reporter in   Washington, DC, (details below)

Rep. Chris Less, a Republican from western New York  state, found an unfortunate way to get his 15 minutes of fame: he resigned after a picture, taken by himself, surfaced on the Internet Wednesday, 2.9.11. The photo shows Lee with his shirt off and flexing the muscles on one arm (the other arm holds the camera, pointed at a mirror. It seems Lee sent the photo to a woman on craigslist trying to get noticed or hook up. Wow, if these reports are true, this might not be the very dumbest thing a member of Congress has done, but it surely comes close. Here is his statement:

Statement from Congressman Chris Lee (NY-26)

Wednesday February 09, 2011

It has been a tremendous honor to serve the people of Western New York. I regret the harm that my actions have caused my family, my staff and my constituents. I deeply and sincerely apologize to them all. I have made profound mistakes and I promise to work as hard as I can to seek their forgiveness. 

The challenges we face in Western New York and across the country are too serious for me to allow this distraction to continue, and so I am announcing that I have resigned my seat in Congress effective immediately.

Before his resignation was announced, Lee met with Speaker of the House John Boehner (pronounced Bay-ner) and most likely was urged, strongly, to resign. By resigning so quickly, the political impact of Lee’s actions will be greatly lessened. Instead of a two or three day running story about the ‘indiscretions of a Congressman, the story is over and done with in one afternoon and evening. After appearing tomorrow morning in the nation’s newspapers, it is likely to go away forever as a national story.

The question remains, however, as to why so many members of Congress, especially in the House, get in so much trouble around issues of sexuality. What’s the deal? Don’t they understand that they are in the public eye? What about the juvenile aspect of sending a shirtless picture: didn’t Lee think he could attract a woman any other way? Why did he send a picture that included his face? Why did he use his real name in the email? The list of “whys” goes on and on.

Doug Terry, 2.9.11

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