ABC's The Note reported Hastert's plan of action to protect congressional pages -- without noting it includes no Democrats

Written by Rob Morlino

Published

The Note, ABC News' political newsletter, reported that Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert would meet with Rep. John Shimkus, chairman of the House Page Board, and his staff to “review ways to protect pages while they are serving in the nation's Capitol” in the wake of the revelations of former Rep. Mark Foley's allegedly inappropriate email communications with a congressional page, but it did not note the absence of Democrats in Hastert's plans.

The October 2 edition of The Note, ABC News' political newsletter, reported that Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL) would meet that day with Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL), chairman of the House Page Board, and Shimkus's staff to “review ways to protect pages while they are serving in the nation's Capitol” in the wake of the revelations of former Rep. Mark Foley's (R-FL) allegedly inappropriate email communications with a 16-year-old male congressional page, but it did not note the absence of Democrats in Hastert's plans. Rep. Dale Kildee (MI) is the Democratic member on the committee.

Only separately, The Note cited an October 2 Washington Post article by staff writers Charles Babington and Jonathan Weisman quoting an anonymous aide in the Republican leadership saying that the GOP had “erred in not notifying the three-member, bipartisan panel that oversees the page system” after Hastert reportedly learned of the email communications in late 2005. “Instead, they left it to the panel chairman, Rep. John M. Shimkus (R-Ill.), to confront Foley.” Indeed, Roll Call reported on September 30 that Shimkus confronted Foley about the matter in 2005, but Kildee said in a September 30 press statement that he was never informed about Foley's communications. The Note also reported that Hastert “will be making a series of media interviews regarding Foley.” Will interviewers ask Hastert why his plans to address the integrity of the congressional page system include no Democrats?

From the October 2 edition of ABC News' The Note:

The goal for Republicans on L'Affaire Foley is to drive home the message that they have nothing to hide. That's why Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) called for a Justice Department investigation into not only Foley's actions but also Congress's handling of the matter once it learned of the contacts. That's also why some Republicans in the toughest races -- Shays and Simmons in Connecticut, Wilson in New Mexico, and Fitzpatrick in Pennsylvania -- have taken steps to show some independence on Foley.

The Speaker will continue his effort to rid the GOP majority of Foley's taint by meeting with the Clerk of the House, Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL), and his staff today to review ways to protect pages while they are serving in the nation's Capitol. The Speaker will also discuss how Congress can protect pages after their program concludes. Hastert spokesman Ron Bonjean advises that it is “likely” that the Speaker will be making a series of media interviews regarding Foley.

[...]

In today's Washington Post, Charles Babington and Jonathan Weisman have “one House GOP leadership aide, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of losing his job,” conceding that Republicans “had erred in not notifying the three-member, bipartisan panel that oversees the page system.”

From the October 2 Washington Post article:

As the scandal broke, Hastert contended he learned of concerns about Foley only last week. But after Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds (R-N.Y.) said Saturday that he had notified Hastert months ago of Foley's e-mails to a 16-year-old boy, the speaker did not dispute his colleague, and Hastert's office acknowledged that some aides knew last year that Foley had been ordered to cease contact with the youth.

Republican leaders continued to insist yesterday that it was understandable that the “over-friendly” Internet e-mails they had seen did not set off alarm bells. But one House GOP leadership aide, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of losing his job, conceded that Republicans had erred in not notifying the three-member, bipartisan panel that oversees the page system. Instead, they left it to the panel chairman, Rep. John M. Shimkus (R-Ill.), to confront Foley.