A DESERVED DRESSING DOWN

Nudists: Foley's attack on camp is malicious (PETER WALLSTEN, July 07, 2003, Miami Herald)

In his quest for a seat in the U.S. Senate, Rep. Mark Foley has rankled a group that is barely covered in most elections: nudists.

Foley, of West Palm Beach, has hit the national TV and radio talk-show circuit in recent weeks to bash a Tampa-area summer camp not unlike most camps -- except that the boys and girls, ages 11-18, are naked.

Foley, a Republican hoping to replace Sen. Bob Graham, says that letting naked teenagers play together is immoral and potentially dangerous.

But ''naturists'' who say the camp exposes their children to a perfectly healthy and wholesome education see something more calculated: A candidate with a reputation as a social moderate on issues such as gay rights and abortion has found a convenient target to boost his reputation among conservatives who decide GOP primaries.

A group of camp representatives and officials of the American Association for Nude Recreation is scheduled to meet with Foley today in West Palm Beach. ''We're going to tell him that what he's doing is irresponsible and malicious,'' said Shirley Mason, a Miami naturist and former association board member. ``The fact is these children are naturists and have grown up with naturists.''

Pro-sodomy. Pro-abortion. Anti-nudity? Isn't it a little late in the game to start drawing lines, Representative Foley? Posted by Orrin Judd at July 12, 2003 12:05 PM