Posted on 10/08/2006 12:56:23 PM PDT by SmithL
WASHINGTON -- The week-old congressional page sex scandal could have a decisive effect on several key political campaigns across the country and prove crucial to Democratic hopes of gaining control of the House of Representatives in November.
Polls indicate that the scandal, triggered by the publication of sexually explicit messages that former Florida Republican Rep. Mark Foley sent to ex-pages, hasn't created a voter backlash against Republicans nationally.
But in four House districts currently held by Republicans the issue could prove decisive, political analysts said, because of the candidates' connections to Foley or to child protection issues:
• Foley's open seat in central and coastal Florida, where his name will remain on the ballot even though he resigned.
• The upstate New York district of Rep. Thomas Reynolds, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. The committee received $100,000 from Foley last summer, and Reynolds is one of the congressional leaders who knew last year of concerns surrounding Foley's e-mails.
• Minnesota's 6th District, where child safety already was the signature issue for the race's Democrat, whose 11-year-old son was abducted in 1989.
• The New Mexico seat of Rep. Heather Wilson, who was a member of the House committee that oversees the page program during the period that Foley sent the sexually explicit instant messages that now are under scrutiny. Her Democratic opponent has accused her of participating in a cover-up.
In more than a dozen other races around the nation, Democrats are trying to put Republicans on the defensive over the issue,
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Another Leftie hack paper.
The candidate for Senate is a puke, but he too will get my vote.....as a way to honor our President and our troops.
Anything to make it sound like the rats are winning....
Yeah right....
Total and complete wishful thinking. Wetterling comes off as a complete and total moonbat. She will get maybe 30% of the vote. She all ready ran once. She is one of those screech incredibly unlikable Cindy Sheehan moonbat types. Think of this as the Wellstone Memorial Redux.
You have Chris Smith as a Congressman???
On Monday, Hastert would call a press conference, and announce the following: As soon as Congress returns after the elections, a Bill will be submitted entitled the "Save Our Sons" Act. This Act, when passed into law, would make it illegal for Homosexuals to work with children. They would be barred from being Scout Masters, Teachers or Coaches, etc.
The Democrats will be put on the defensive. If they support the Act, they will alienate their Homo base. If they fight the Act, they will alienate the " Reagan Democrats."If they accuse the Republicans of being Homophobic, the Republicans can point out that the Democratic stance supports Pedophiles.
By initiating the Foley scandal, the Democrats have brought the Gay issue front and center. Gay marriage helped the Republicans at the Polls in 2004, it can help them again.
Excellent! They make their side look like hysteric morons, they warn our side where our problem children are and when they out someone who is NOT gay, their will get their pathetic little butts sued out of existence. Talk about your win-win-win situtation for Conservatives!
The "news"paper where within hours of 9/11/01 saw the best and brightest Bee brains opining that it was partly our fault. You see, we don't try to understand the rest of the world. It was just a message, that's all.
The biggest Bee brain of all, Ms Heaphy the publisher, was booed off the stage at a local university whilst explaining that Bush and Ashcroft were mean to suspects. Bad boys, bad boys.
More from the skid marks on journalism's shorts.
This is amazing. The politicans on both sides are acting like this will determine the election and the people doing the voting either don't know or don't care.
Nope.
Yes this scandal may have some effect but it's not the one the liberal gay bashers were looking for.
Saddened they are. Where are all the bigoted homophobic Christians reacting to Reps as if they are lepers?
Let's review the races. Reynolds, Wilson and Bachman were already in tight races. So the idea this suddenly created a danger zone has to be repudiated at face value.
I'm not particularly found of Wilson as she's gone liberal on amnesty and liberal on the war to try to save her House seat. Since she didn't even know of E-mails, I don't see fall out there on that issue. She's in a tight race because her district has been becoming more liberal, and Reps naturally will have trouble in those circumstances.
Bachman's opponent had an ad out full of lie after lie, and Bachman is a woman herself in a Republican district. Damage should be minmal if at all. Perhaps if it were a man representating the Republican district there could be fall out, but there is not.
Reynolds was in a three way race with the Dem and the Green candidate. Since the Green was forced to withdraw, the liberal votes went to the Dem naturally. Any poll you see out now is reflecting the fact it's no longer a three way race, but a two way and so crediting the numbers on Foley would be yet another lie. It's still a Republican district, and all Reynold's needs to do is put together a good GOTV effort and he should win. That's in his court, but the Foley thing isn't his problem. It's Rep voters lack of enthusiam in his district.
Foley's district is the only actual district in play that wasn't previously because of Foley, for obvious reasons. Even so it is a Republican district and no guarentee the Dems wins it. After all, the district nearby actually had its numbers for the Rep go up after this. I suspect Rep voters might turn out in high numbers here just given the Dems dirty tricks.
How in God's name what happened to Wetterling's son got connected to the Foley non scandal is amazing to me. The Dems have never sunk so low. They are essentially comparing Republicans to child predators and perverts. We can only hope this will have a backlash and these scurrilous, ludicrous attacks will hurt Wetterling and others.
If voters are either dumb enough or weak willed enough to punish Republican candidates because of the Foley nonsense, and weaken America in the process, then the loser is not the GOP. It is our future, because I fear it will be a bleak one.
Well said, Foley's gone and good riddance. But voting in socialist democrats because of him will not punish the Republicans but the country.
Yes, but it also could prove to be the media created non-issue it actually is. If wishful thinking could kill, ninety percent of the MSM would be enjoying a peaceful dirt nap.
Does the scandal help us? Of course not. Will it hurt us that much? I don't think so. I don't many outside of Foley's district will be less likely to vote GOP because of the actions of one man in Florida. With important issues like terrorism, education, abortion, the borders, and defecit I just don't see too many people making up their minds because of this issue.
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