Gerry Studds, Previous House Page Molester, Dies

Since the Foleygate scandal broke a couple of weeks ago, one name from the past was frequently brought up to demonstrate the double standard the House Dems have when it comes to illicit relationships with House pages. Republicans were quick to point out that they got rid of their problem (Foley), while the Dems celebrated and reelected theirs. One of those past Dem page molesters was Rep. Gerry Studds (D-MA) who died yesterday:

BOSTON (AP) - Former U.S. Rep. Gerry Studds, the first openly gay person elected to Congress, died early Saturday at Boston Medical Center, several days after he collapsed while walking his dog, his husband said.

Studds fell unconscious Oct. 3 because of what doctors later determined was a blood clot in his lung, Dean Hara said.

Studds regained consciousness, remained in the hospital, and seemed to be improving. He was scheduled to be transferred to a rehabilitation center, but his condition deteriorated Friday and he died at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday, Hara said.

Hara, who married Studds shortly after gay marriage was legalized in Massachusetts in 2004, said Studds was a pioneer who gave courage to gay people everywhere by winning re-election after publicly acknowledging his homosexuality...

Studds was first elected in 1972 and represented Cape Cod and the Islands, New Bedford, and the South Shore for 12 Congressional terms. He retired from Congress in 1997.

In 1983, Studds acknowledged his homosexuality after a former Congressional page revealed he'd had a relationship with Studds a decade earlier.

Studds was censured by the House for having sexual relations with the page. He acknowledged having sex with a 17-year-old male page in 1973 and making sexual advances to two others and admitted an error in judgment, but did not apologize.

Just the other night on Special Report Studds was mentioned (in connection to the Foleygate story) as having died, but then a correction was issued after the commercial by Brit Hume saying that Studds was in fact "alive and well". I guess they'll have to correct that on Monday's show.