Fashions by Foley (Mark Foley, That Is)

By Robert Wilonsky Thu., Oct. 12 2006 at 11:49 AM

Categories: News

You gotta love that entrepreneurial spirit that's so much a part of the Dallas zeitgeist. With the latest news from Congress comes a press release informing us that "Dallas designer" Terri Wilkerson is peddling "FoleyGate" merchandise. And I quote:

"'FoleyGate' could soon be dubbed the biggest catch phrase since Watergate, also filled with secrets, lies and cover-ups. Merchandise about the Mark Foley scandal is popping up everywhere and a Dallas Designer is the first to dub her designs 'FoleyGate.' ...New questions are arising everyday and the public demands to know 'What did the Republicans in Congress know and when did they find out about Mark Foley's alleged inappropriate behavior, he had with the pages?' Only the Congress can answer these questions and this is not a topic soon to disappear. You too can own a piece of history, which will surely go down in the history books."

FoleyGate doesn't seem to arise to the level of a scandal that brought down Richard Nixon, but, hey, it's the scandal du jour. And the possibilities are provocative. But follow the link and you discover Terri Wilkerson is peddling T-shirts, magnets, mugs, mousepads, ballcaps, calendars, stickers and buttons adorned with the words "FoleyGate" and, for the more anti-Republican angle, "Bush's WaterGate."

In fact, you can find the same merchandise stamped with more avenues of self-expression for soccer moms, military folks, smiley-face addicts, and "I did [fill in the blank] and all I got was this lousy T-shirt." My favorite is the "I was Aducted by Aliens and all I got was this lousy T-shirt," featuring that classic big-brained head with the big eyes that make it appear as if the alien has had his eyes dilated. I'm not sure what being "aducted" is, but it sounds better than being probed. Or IM'ed. --Glenna Whitley