Foley's rehab: True treatment or spin doctoring?

By Derek J. Moore
The Press Democrat
October 5, 2006

It used to be that politics was the last refuge of scoundrels.

Now it's rehab.

Disgraced former Rep. Mark Foley, who is being investigated for sending sexual e-mails to young male pages, checked himself into a rehabilitation facility after he resigned Friday from Congress.

The 52-year-old Florida Republican said through his attorney that he is being treated for alcoholism. Skeptics, however, say Foley is using addiction as an excuse, and his real intent is to avoid answering for his alleged misdeeds.

"Here's a man who's continuing to hide," said Mike Paul, a "reputation management expert" in New York City whose clients include United Airlines and Time Warner. "It's sad to see that he is still thinking he can get away with spin."

Foley's decision was surprising to almost no one, as it has become a cliché for high-profile politicians and celebrities to enter treatment for drug or alcohol addiction in the wake of scandal.

The list includes Mel Gibson, Rush Limbaugh, Robert Downey Jr., Whitney Houston, Winona Ryder and Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I.

In an Oprah-fied society, where everyone feels each other's pain and talks openly about it, seeking treatment for addiction is often applauded as the right - even noble - thing to do.

But rehab also is being used as a public relations strategy, one with dubious merits, some experts say.

Image consultants say there is a risk for people to view rehab as an excuse for bad behavior, while addiction counselors worry that the treatment is being trivialized.

"I believe the public is on to this as a spin doctoring method and doesn't look upon it favorably," said Sam Singer, president of a public affairs agency whose clients include ChevronTexaco Corp., Levi Strauss & Co. and the owners of the San Francisco 49ers.

He said if Foley were his client, he would have advised him to not resign so quickly and to apologize personally for his alleged mistakes.

"Immediately signing yourself into rehab is the equivalent of taking the Fifth Amendment. People immediately assume you're guilty," Singer said.

Foley has not spoken publicly about the allegations against him, instead relying on his attorney and other members of Congress.

Mike Paul called that a mistake, saying the story will feed on itself whether Foley participates or not. That prediction was borne out Wednesday with the resignation of Foley's former chief of staff, who said he warned Republican leaders about Foley's behavior before 2005.

The details released to date by Foley's attorney - that the former congressman is gay and that he was the victim of sexual abuse by a clergyman as a teenager - have raised an eyebrow or two in the addiction treatment community.

Experts say it typically takes weeks or months before clients feel comfortable talking about their past.

"It does look to me like it's damage control," said Michael Spielman, director of the Drug Abuse Alternatives Center in Santa Rosa. "These are the kinds of things we don't encourage people to bring out right away."

In allowing his attorney to release those details, Foley is walking a fine line between excusing his actions and explaining them.

Spielman said the contradiction in any treatment program is telling clients they are powerless over their addiction while teaching them to take responsibility for their own lives.

Working through those issues can take considerable time and effort. High-profile cases can distort this reality by making the process seem secondary to rescuing a reputation or career. Among the celebrity set there is even a certain glamour in going to rehab.

While acknowledging those concerns, Spielman said he's not worried that Foley's case will discourage people from seeking help.

"Honestly, we see 2,000 individuals every year in our counseling programs," he said. "We know that 99 percent of the people are here because of some negative consequence. It may be legal. It may be medical.

"Whatever it takes to get them in."

© The Press Democrat.