Some Democratic Candidates Raise Foley Issue; Fallout Continues in Foley E-Mail Scandal
NGUYEN: Well, the Republicans have control over the White House and both houses of Congress. Normally that would mean smooth sailing in next month's elections, but the war in Iraq and the Mark Foley scandal could make waves for the GOP. So let's talk about how that's all going to play out in just a few weeks. With us now, our Republican strategist Cheri Jacobus and Democratic strategist Robert Zimmerman, and thanks for being with us.</s>CHERI JACOBUS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Good morning.</s>ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Nice to be with you.</s>NGUYEN: Well, let's start with you Robert. Let's talk about this Foley scandal. Is that going to dominate the elections because they're just weeks away.</s>ZIMMERMAN: It's clearly going to be a very critical factor in this election. It's not just the Mark Foley scandal that's so reprehensible, but the way the Republican leadership has tried to avoid it, tried to cover it up and tried to mislead the American people in terms of what has transpired. For example, Congressman Reynolds from upstate New York, whose part of the Republican leadership, knew about the inappropriate e- mails, the predatory signals that Congressman Foley sent and then after he reported it to the speaker's office, he then went to Congressman Foley several months later and encouraged him to run again. It's that kind of -- that kind of focus on political power at any cost and the lack of accountability that the Republican leadership in congress has shown that really is at stake in this election.</s>NGUYEN: Well, Cheri, lets me allow you to jump in because I'm sure you're just chomping at the bit. Do you believe that the Republicans have really tried to just push it under the rug?</s>JACOBUS: No, we haven't swept anything under the rug. I think that your other guest is playing a little bit fast and loose with the facts here. We know that Denny Hastert did not have access to the most lurid of the e-mails. I think what we're finding out now if you read the "Washington Post" piece is perhaps we had a few key senior staffers that felt their power a little bit too much. I spent a lot of years.</s>ZIMMERMAN: ... senior members of Congress that went to the speaker.</s>JACOBUS: Please let me finish. I spent many years as a staffer myself on Capitol Hill. I'm familiar with the culture there and also "Roll Call" has its list of senior most powerful staffers. They're more powerful than members of Congress. I think without any inside information, I think how this is going to bear out with the Ethics Committee investigation and the FBI is that there have been some staffers who tried to deal with this in order to keep Hastert or maybe other members of Congress out of the loop.</s>ZIMMERMAN: How do you explain Congressman Boehner, part of the Republican leadership, going to Speaker Hastert, Congressman Reynolds, part of the Republican leadership going to Speaker Hastert and according to today's "Washington Post," the speaker's chief of staff...</s>JACOBUS: This is what I'm talking about staffers.</s>ZIMMERMAN: I'm talking about members of Congress, Cheri. Let's deal with the facts and let's not try to sweep this under the rug.</s>JACOBUS: Why don't you tell me which e-mails you think that they all knew about that they talked about because...</s>ZIMMERMAN: Clearly the initial e-mails.</s>JACOBUS: Are you talking about evidence or a red flag because it's very easy in retrospect to call something a red flag.</s>ZIMMERMAN: What I'm talking about Cheri is the e-mails that were sent, that were brought to the attention of the congressional leadership were of such concern, they went to Speaker Hastert and in fact, according to newspaper reports, Congressman Foley was warned about his behavior. The fact is it should not have stopped there.</s>JACOBUS: I think what you're playing.</s>NGUYEN: Who knew what, when. Let me ask you, as well, on the flip side, talk about the Republicans sweeping it under the rug and we'll see when this investigation plays out. But there are also claims that the Democrats are just playing dirty politics with the election just a few weeks away. So, Robert, let me ask you, is that the truth?</s>ZIMMERMAN: Well, Speaker Denny Hastert, after he had these allegations acknowledged he had no facts to document it and no facts to back it up. In fact, according to the Hill and ABC News, a Republican staffer was the source for these e-mails and the source for this explosion involving Congressman Foley and the Republican leadership. But what you're seeing here from the speaker is the kind of panicked reaction of the congressional leadership and Congress because of the fact that they now have been caught not -- they're caught not being accountable. They're caught not addressing the issues. For example, in Bucks County, Congressman Michael Fitzpatrick has engaged in the most scurrilous attacks against Patrick Murphy. In fact even Republicans have caused Congressman Fitzpatrick into line just because of the reaction of the Foley scandal and the reaction of the Republican congressional leadership.</s>NGUYEN: Well, let me get this last question in to both of you because really it boils down to what the voters think and what they are going to the polls for in just a few weeks is to determine if the Republican Congress is better than a Democratic Congress. And let me let you answer that, Cheri. Is it?</s>JACOBUS: I think that a Republican Congress, Republican-led Congress is far better than Democratically-led Congress. Let's not forget. I'm going to throw this in here. President Clinton pardoned a former Democratic congressman who was caught having sex with a 16- year-old campaign worker. So I didn't see the Democrats getting up in arms.</s>ZIMMERMAN: It's wrong then Cheri and it's wrong now.</s>JACOBUS: But I don't recall you or others back then saying that...</s>ZIMMERMAN: You weren't listening too carefully Cheri.</s>JACOBUS: I think the American people understand.</s>NGUYEN: I wonder if voters are arguing like this about the issues out there. Quickly, Robert, let me get you to answer that question before we just simply run out of time. Is a Democratic-led Congress better than what we're seeing right now?</s>ZIMMERMAN: A Democratic-led Congress is critical because it restores checks and balances to our system. Senator John Warner, chairman of the Armed Services, came back from Iraq and he acknowledged that he didn't ask the tough questions that had to be asked that hopefully could have avoided this tragedy that America is facing in Iraq. A Democratic Congress means you're going to have the checks and balances that will hold the presidency in check.</s>JACOBUS: A Democratic congress means no plan on Iraq and I think that's...</s>ZIMMERMAN: The only ones with a plan -- the only ones with a plan on Iraq are the Democrats, Cheri.</s>NGUYEN: The plan right now is to leave it right there.</s>ZIMMERMAN: The plan right now is to focus on the war on terror.</s>NGUYEN: For us, the plan is to leave it there. Robert Zimmerman, Cheri Jacobus, we appreciate your time. Boy, what an explosive topic. We'll see how it plays out at the polls. Thank you.</s>HOLMES: We should get them together more often.</s>NGUYEN: Shouldn't we?</s>HOLMES: They're cute together. Come up, gentle giants threatened by man.</s>ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Visiting the mountain gorillas is probably one of the most incredible and intimate experiences you can have with an animal in the wild when you're this close to the gorillas and you see their eyes, you see how intelligent they are and how really similar they are to human beings.</s>HOLMES: Anderson Cooper travels deep into the Congo jungle in search of the gorillas of central Africa.