Foley Fallout: GOP Fears Losing Grip on Congress

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2006 — -- Republicans, already nervous over the prospect of losing control of the House, have now gotten increasingly edgy about the Senate, too. Several new polls have the GOP wondering if there is widespread fallout from the Capitol Hill sex scandal involving former Rep. Mark Foley and teenage pages.

The Rasmussen Reports survey found 61 percent of Americans believe Republicans have been "protecting Foley for several years." Only 21 percent believed the GOP leaders learned about Foley's problems last week.

A Time magazine poll showed that two-thirds of Americans who knew about the scandal believed the Republican leadership tried to cover it up. Just 16 percent approved of the way Republicans have handled it.

An Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that about half of likely voters said recent disclosures of corruption and scandal in Congress would be "very or extremely important" as they decide how to vote next month. By an almost two-to-one margin, they said Democrats would be better at fighting corruption.

Even more disturbing to the GOP may be today's front-page USA Today headline that blared "Race for Senate Control Tightens." Its poll with the Gallup organization showed the Democrats making competitive races in six key states: Tennessee, Virginia, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Missouri and Maryland.

Democrats need to gain six seats to take control of the Senate.

Not all the news was good for Democrats, though. The poll showed the New Jersey race between Democratic incumbent Robert Menendez and Republican challenger Tom Kean Jr. is a dead heat: Menendez holds a tiny three-point lead.

After the poll was released this morning, Kean made news that could also affect the race. He called on House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., to resign in the aftermath of the Foley scandal. But several observers believed the Foley factor would not have a great influence on the outcome of the Nov. 7 elections for the House and Senate.

ABC News polling director Gary Langer is skeptical about the notion of a broad-based Foley effect. He said the media assume "that a big story will suddenly transform public attitudes."