Foley Fallout Knocks GOP Off Message

Rep. Thomas Reynolds, R-N.Y., wipes his eye before answering a question from the media during a news conference at Daemen College in Amherst, N.Y., Monday, Oct. 2, 2006. (AP Photo/Don Heupel) (Don Heupel - AP)

WASHINGTON -- Republicans are scrambling to contain the damage of two separate political headaches that share a common theme _ accusations that the GOP is hiding the truth.

At the White House, President Bush's team is rebutting a new book that suggests he misled the country about the severity of the violence in Iraq. On Capitol Hill, House Republican leaders are facing questions of what _ and when _ they knew about former GOP Rep. Mark Foley's inappropriate electronic communications with teenage males who had worked as pages.

"These two events have a chance to be a cloud over the entire Election Day," said Scott Reed, a Republican strategist, who lamented the terrible timing for Republicans with just five weeks before the Nov. 7 election.

Added Tony Fabrizio, another GOP consultant: "It's almost like the perfect storm forming against us."

Republicans already were operating in an unfriendly political environment when last week, in a one-two punch, excerpts of Bob Woodward's new book, "State of Denial," surfaced and Foley, a six-term Florida congressman, abruptly resigned after media reports that he sent sexually suggestive messages to teenage boys. The tawdry turn of events set off finger-pointing among House Republicans.

Before all that, polls showed widespread disapproval of the GOP-run Congress and the public favoring Democrats to win control of the House and Senate. At the same time, Bush's support remains low _ as does the popularity of the Iraq war.

Control of Congress hangs in the balance. Democrats need to gain 15 seats to take the reins of the House and six to seize power in the Senate.

The White House and Republicans had hoped to close the last congressional work week before the campaign homestretch highlighting the GOP's national security efforts. Congress sent the president legislation regulating the prosecution of terrorism suspects and allowing the building of fencing along parts of the U.S.-Mexico border.

But as that week ended and this one began, the GOP found itself knocked off message _ and confronting the stark prospect that the party may not be able to recover from the double dose of woes before the election.

For days, current and former members of Bush's staff have attacked Woodward's accounts, disputed assertions and dismissed the book. White House spokesman Tony Snow likened it to "cotton candy. It kind of melts on contact." And counselor Dan Bartlett, appearing on Sunday news shows, argued that Bush has been up front with the public about the challenges in Iraq.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, meanwhile, spent the weekend explaining his version of events, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke out on Monday.

On the Foley matter, Snow punted, telling reporters: "The House has to clean up the mess, to the extent there is a mess."