Pressure rises on House leadership over Foley scandal

Hastert and other House leaders acknowledge they were informed earlier this year of Foley's e-mail contact with a former House page, which Republicans have called "overfriendly" but not overtly sexual, and that Foley was told to stay away from the pages. But they assert that they were unaware of other, explicitly sexual messages sent to other former pages in 2003.

Political analysts say a Hastert resignation would probably make matters worse for Republicans, with just five weeks to go before the Nov. 7 election and the margin of control in the 435-seat House just 15 seats.

"It [resignation] would, in effect, be a concession that the leadership aided and abetted all of this, and that they were complicit in a coverup," says Charlie Cook, a nonpartisan political analyst. "It's an awful situation no matter what, but I think it probably would throw gasoline on the fire. At this point, the leadership can say, 'Look, the ones [e-mails] we saw weren't explicit and we probably should have done more, but had we seen the explicit ones, of course we would have.' "

James Thurber, head of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University in Washington, says he believes Hastert is in trouble, but not just on the Foley scandal. "He didn't do much on Cunningham, DeLay, or with reforms," he says, referring to other disgraced former Republican members. Hastert has also faced questions over a land deal in which he reportedly made a profit of more than $2 million after personally intervening in a big transportation and infrastructure bill.

"If the conference wants him out, then he's out," Mr. Thurber says. But regarding the GOP battle to keep control of Congress, he adds, "It probably doesn't help, because it points out all the failings and it makes the story go longer."

Weyrich, the conservative activist, believes a Hastert resignation would help. "Republicans could then say, 'We take responsibility for things,' " he says. "I don't think he will, by the way."

On Monday, Florida Republicans selected state Rep. Joe Negron to run in Foley's stead – but Foley's name will still appear on the ballot, making Mr. Negron's task formidable. Voters will be instructed that any votes for Foley will count for Negron. But the No. 2 House Republican, John Boehner of Ohio, said later that day on conservative radio host Sean Hannity's show, "How many people are going to hold their nose to do that?"

Democrats, meanwhile, sought to expand the collateral damage. Tuesday, the Democratic National Committee went after the chair of the House Republican campaign committee, Rep. Tom Reynolds of New York, who is in a tight race for reelection and who had also been informed earlier this year about less-explicit e-mails Foley had sent an ex-page.

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