Exclusive: Reynolds Aides PARTICIPATED In Foley-Damage-Control BEFORE Scandal Broke

[kpete]

November 02, 2006
Exclusive: NRCC's Foley "Damage Control"
Related Items: Capitol Hill, NY-26

Two senior aides to National Republican Campaign Committee Chairman Tom Reynolds participated in “damage control” conference calls concerning correspondence between Congressman Mark Foley and a former congressional page -- two days before the scandal became public, and earlier than previously reported.

NRCC Communications Director Carl Forti and Reynolds then chief-of-staff Kirk Fordham both took part in the first call the evening of Wednesday, September 27, and one call the next day, Forti and other sources familiar with the call confirmed. Forti's involvement and the NRCC's role in the run-up to the Foley scandal add another link between the disgraced former congressman and Reynolds, who has said he knew only indirectly of questionable emails, and that he reported them to his House superiors. They also reflect another moment at which House GOP leadership was aware of concerns about Foley and pages.

Foley resigned Friday, September 29, soon after ABCNews presented him with a sexually explicit instant message correspondence with a page.

The conference call, described by a Hill staffer familiar with its contents as focused on “damage control,” also included Foley’s Florida-based political consultant, Richard Johnston, and his communications director, Jason Kello, according to two people familiar with the call. The participants were unaware of the explicit instant messages that would force Foley's resignation two days later.

more at:
http://blogs.nydailynews.com/dailypolitics/

NOTE: I owe something more than a hat tip on this to Murray Waas, an investigative reporter for National Journal, who was the first reporter to spot this earlier NRCC involvement in the Foley scandal. Waas wasn’t able to report it because of a family emergency, but suggested this line of inquiry to me and offered guidance in pursuing the piece. The reporting here is all original though.

[greeneyedboy]

1. why am i not surprised that all their feigned outrage is as usual a cover-up

for their own fecklessness, corruption, and opportunism?

[Skidmore]

2. I'm sorry. I just don't understand this kind of loyalty

which requires one to sell his or her soul to preserve a corrupt system. I just don't get it.

[Jackpine Radical]

6. To preserve an income, more like it.

And promises of much greater income as one proves one's loyalty and usefulness to the corrupt system.

[Poiuyt]

25. I think it was more about preserving political power than money

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Hey, but Kerry insulted the troops.

And don't forget about Monica. It wasn't the sex, it was the...uh, stains on the dress, yeah, that's it, the stains on the dress...

[malaise]

4. Kick

them out of power.

[Norquist Nemesis]

5. I wonder if this is that cryptic "expanding" of the Foley afffair!

Anyone catch Chris Matthews last Sunday? During the "tell me somethin I don't know" the last reporter said he was going to be 'intentionally cryptic' becuase he works on the Hill, but the Foley scandal "will be expanding" and it was about to break.

[Joe for Clark]

7. Yeah - I saw that too - you might be right!!

Joe

[Norquist Nemesis]

8. Do you remember who the reporter was?

I've been trying and trying to think of it but the ole' brain just farts on me!

[stop the bleeding]

11. Chip Reid

was in the last 5-10 minutes of the show - even Chris was taken back a bit

[Norquist Nemesis]

13. Snaps fingers and hands over a trophy!

That's the one!

It wasn't just Chris that was taken back, the entire panel sucked in a breath and leaned forward in their chairs!

[Joe for Clark]

17. We are talking about the "tell me something I don't know"

part of the Mattthews show - right?

I would have sworn the woman reporter said this - But I was only half way listening until those words came out, so it could be chip. It was on sunday and I was still upset about the Steelers game at the time, so I can be forgiven I think.


Joe

[Norquist Nemesis]

19. Yes, that part of the show.

And I'm certain it was Chip that said it. :)

[stop the bleeding]

9. I saw it and this is the first quote that I thought of as well

when reading this post by kpete.

Foley back into the limelight - Kerry bye bye

[ddbaj]

10. Kick for sickness.

[Rose Siding]

12. No wonder they're holding the ethics report until AFTER nxt Tues

:grr:

[BootinUp]

14. Stick a fork in Reynolds. eom

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

15. Only if his opponent can use this

I'm not familiar - does he have a good opponent and does that opponent have any money to buy ads with?

If so, this needs to be played from now until election day. MSM won't do it, but DCCC might.

[BootinUp]

16. heres some info on the race

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/writeup/new_york_26-39.html

[ClintonTyree]

26. Davis is putting on a last minute charge........

up until about a week ago he was virtually invisible, at least in the eastern part of the district. He's been running a BUNCH of ads lately though, so I think he can whip Reynolds if this little tid-bit of information starts hitting the media.
Reynolds has been spending BEAUCOUP cash, something he never thought he'd have to do. He thought he had a nice safe seat all tucked away until the Foley flap started. He's been spending money like a drunk Republican after hookers. If this gets legs, and it should in western NY, Reynolds could be looking for work come next week. :)
AND......there no Diebold to help him along in New York. We'll be using the old lever machines that have served us so well over the years. NY missed the HAVA deadline ;) and Diebold won't be able to give the RePigs that little "edge" they usually get.
It should be interesting. GO JACK DAVIS!! :woohoo:

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

28. Thanks for the update.

Meanwhile, back in good ole Virginny, George Allen looks like he may have piled the sleaze on just a little too thick.

Having the Macacca squad rough up an ex-marine on camera hasn't helped him much either.

[AlCzervik]

18. is this making the wire services yet?

[originalpckelly]

21. It will undoubtedly.

And when it does it is another torpedo right before election day. Someone needs to find out where Foley is hiding and get photos of him.

[originalpckelly]

20. We salute:

:patriot:

[Selteri]

22. Why does this not suprise me?

Oh yeah, it doesn't surprise me because these arseholes would do anything to retain their power and hide the stink of their own turdblossom. Already errors are popping up in Florida, it's just going to be another mysterious miracle and unable to be sue in the close states while we American's suffer with the way things are looking right now. Zebra don't change their stripes on command and these people were not kidding when KKKarl Rove said how he saw Republican Domination for a long time. He just didn't add that these people LIE under calling it spin to such a level that they can't even figure out what direction they are going in past that they keep digging deeper.

[redqueen]

23. Is anyone really suprised?

Even the kool aid drinkers must have seen this one coming.

Message to bush party loyalists: Hello? Party of corruption and sleaze? That's y'all, #$&@-for-brains!

[DollyM]

24. delete

wrong post

[redacted]

27. Thanks again KP!

[David Zephyr]

29. This needs television and newspaper coverage now.

This will seal the deal for Tuesday if Americans find out that Republicans were playing politics behind the scenes and HIDING the situation from the public.

[DemReadingDU]

30. I'm still waiting for the PICTURES

From 10/3/06
JC Watts in defending Hastert..he didn't know about the GRAPHIC PICTURES

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=2299556

[what now toons]

31. Repugant party is playing hide the salami!!!!

Of course the Repugnant party began damage control early, they have the NSA to keep them alerted to what the opposition is up to. Nothing but damage control coming from these guys. Shoving the Kerry's botched joke in our faces every day now, is Kerry the October surprise? I mean, we see Foly issue off the front pages now. The very fact that the corporate news media is jumping all over this issue and not Rummy's "We go to war with what we have", slap in the face comment, or Bush's " Nope, no weapons of mass destruction here" joke he made at a dinner, while our troops were dying because of these WMS's! Nope we have to hear all about Kerry instead. Well Foley issue is still here. Keep this skunk up front and center, cause it's driving the real conservatives crazy. Here's a link to my Foley cartoon for anybody who might have missed it.
http://www.whatnowtoons.com/#062

[IWantAChange]

32. Dean and the DNC need to get this into the MSM now.....

just keep piling the garbage on top of the other garbage and even Joe 6 pack is going to notice.

:bounce: :bounce: just keep screwing up Repugs - I love it!!!

[WillyT]

33. Thank You !!! - K & R !!!

:kick: