The Note: Bugging Indecisions

— -- WASHINGTON, Oct. 5

Here's a Note exclusive, a joint statement from two gentlemen who wish to demonstrate that there is unity and harmony between the Office of the Speaker and the Office of the Majority Leader:

Dearest Gang of 500:

The most common denominator threaded throughout this story is the question: To whom should those of us in the media assign blame? Our answer is simple: the blame lies squarely with Mark Foley. Mark Foley lied. Mark Foley engaged in widespread deception. Mark Foley disgraced the institution to which he was elected to serve. Mark Foley resigned in disgrace before the entire Congress expelled him from office. Mark Foley should be and will be held accountable for his despicable actions.

Additionally, any individual or individuals with knowledge of these explicit instant messages between Mark Foley and underage pages or former pages should come forward and provide this information to the proper authorities. These witnesses must cooperate with law enforcement about their knowledge of these explicit communications. Also any individuals who had prior knowledge of these instant messages and provided them to the media instead of alerting the proper authorities must answer questions about their motives and the possibility that they put others at risk.

House Democrats interested only in tearing down reputations in order to make a power grab will be sorely disappointed. Republicans are unified in our outrage against Mark Foley and resolute in our determination to complete a full and thorough investigation of the facts. That House Democrats have decided to merely resort to crass political maneuvering indicates they are motivated only by their political self-interest.

Ron Bonjean
Communications Director
Office of the Speaker

Kevin Madden
Press Secretary
Office of the House Majority Leader

Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) has no public events scheduled for today and was expected to remain at home in Illinois.

But a green town car left Hastert's residence this morning around 6:00 am local time with a woman driving. It was too dark to tell if anyone was huddled in the back but the stake-out crew speculation is the car was perhaps headed to the small local airport and the Speaker may be enroute back to DC.

(If you have never been at a media stake-out, however, you can't appreciate how wild -- and often baseless -- such speculation can be. Still, some have wondered why the Speaker was hanging out at home, rather than getting to DC to huddle with staff and try to fix things.)

Lynn Sweet of the Sun-Times has this: "'Denny is reaching out to everyone he can reach out to,' his former spokesman, John Feehery, told me on Wednesday. 'I just don't know how the story plays out, how much oxygen is out there.''' LINK

(In response to yesterday's Note, John Feehery tells ABC News on the record that the Speaker is doing all he can do to address the problem and working to get his message out. And/but he is advising the Speaker on this matters and watching the situation evolve.)

Unresolved: if the ethics committee will move the ball; how bad Republican race-by-race polling data will have to get to move the ball; if any of the House Republican leaders are capable of trust any more; if the base can be sufficiently rallied by attacks on ABCNEWSOROS; and the contradictions between Fordham and Palmer.

An "open letter" was sent by House Majority Leader Boehner (R-OH) to his constituents yesterday. Boehner writes at length about the distinction between the "over friendly" e-mail and becoming aware of that in spring 2006 and the sexually explicit instant messages he learned of when ABC News published the report on Friday. Embedded in the letter is his stated support for Hastert continuing as Speaker.

This Chicago Tribune story is must-reading for anyone following all this closely. LINK

It includes no huge news, but. . .

1. An interview with Hastert in which he renews his accusations that ABC News, Democrats, and George Soros are the real culprits here.

2. A rare on-the-record interview with Hastert's powerful deputy chief of staff Mike Stokke.

3. A quote from an anonymous Republican with close ties to the White House:

"'This is a disaster. It's undermining our base. And it's been handled terribly,' said a Republican official with close ties to the White House. 'Quite frankly, right now, everybody's circling the wagons.'"

"But the official pointed out that a departure by Hastert might not solve the party's political difficulties since Boehner also was in the loop on the complaint. 'The No. 2 supposedly knew about this months ago,' the official said."

Like the Chicago Tribune account, this Bloomberg News story makes clear that Hastert is spending time calling allies to keep them on board. LINK

Note, too, that Bloomberg reports "Human Events, a conservative national weekly, will call on House Republicans to elect new leaders in an edition that goes to press today, said Tom Winter, the editor-in-chief. 'I don't think Hastert will be there much longer,' Winter said."

And don't miss the important on-the-record quotes from Republican members Porter and Franks talking, well, frankly about how bad this is for the party.

The House ethics committee meets at 10:00 am ET. Pool camera coverage is expected for entrances and exits. The committee meets in executive session. Members are not expected to address the cameras.

Rep. Tom Reynolds (R-NY) is scheduled to appear on National Public Radio at 10:15 am ET on the program "On Point."

President Bush was scheduled to participate in a briefing on No Child Left Behind at 9:15 am ET followed by a visit to Woodbridge Elementary and Middle Campus Schools in Washington, DC. President Bush makes remarks about his education agenda at 11:00 am ET.

Later, Mr. Bush meets with the National Commander of the American Legion at the White House at 1:55 pm ET.

Vice President Dick Cheney addresses the Michigan Congressional Victory Committee 2006 at 12:30 pm ET in Bath, MI. He then heads off to a reception for the Allen Victory Committee at 5:00 pm ET in McLean, VA.

First Lady Laura Bush speaks at two events today, the Preserve America History Teacher of the Year Awards at 12:30 pm ET and the National Parks Foundation Gala at 7:00 pm ET, both in New York City.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) delivers an address at 11 am ET concerning the economy at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. The Associated Press has a preview of her remarks. LINK

Former President Bill Clinton campaigns for congressional candidate Joe Sestak at 12:00 pm ET in Wayne, PA while across the state, in Gladwyne, PA, Former President George H. W. Bush a fundraiser for Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA).

The pair meet up at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, PA to receive an awards former for their fundraising work. Be sure to watch "World News with Charles Gibson" tonight from Philadelphia including an interview with President George H.W. Bush.

Michael J. Fox campaigns with Claire McCaskill and highlights her position on stem-cell research at 5:30 pm ET at the Monarch Restaurant in St. Louis, MO.

Ethics committee convenes:
The Associated Press tees up today's ethics committee meeting and reports, "Republican officials said at least a few disgruntled members of the GOP rank and file had discussed whether to call on the speaker to step aside." LINK

The AP Notes, too, that the Wright and Gingrich investigations were conducted by outside counsel. The Hill's Josephine Hearn reports that Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) called on Leader Pelosi and Chairman Emanuel to "offer a 'yes or no' answer as to whether they would go under oath 'to assure the American people that neither you nor your staffs had prior knowledge or involvement -- at the strategic or tactical levels -- with the release of Foley's e-mails and/or instant messages.'" LINK

"Representative Deborah Pryce of Ohio, a member of the leadership, asked the current clerk of the House, Karen L. Hass, to investigate reports raised this week in a party conference call that Mr. Foley was once turned away from the pages' living quarters and that the staff in the page program had raised concerns about him with the former clerk," reports the New York Times' Zeleny and Hulse. LINK