Reynolds in Deep Over Foley Scandal (UPDATED)

Rep. Tom Reynolds is a step away from becoming a Dead Man Walking. As Josh Marshall wrote last night on Talking Points Memo:

If I'm understanding this correctly, ... the leaders of the House Republican caucus have known for almost a year that a member of their caucus was having cybersex with an underage congressional page. And apparently they did nothing about it.

The incumbent GOP Congressman, who has been locked in a tight battle with Democratic-Working Families challenger Jack Davis, is about to face an avalanche of questions about his role in covering up the Mark Foley sex scandal.

Reynolds, part of the House Republican leadership team, knew about the allegations that Foley made advances over the internet towards a 16-year-old congressional page, and apparently took no action. The AP reports today:

The congressional sponsor of the page, Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-La., said he was asked by the youth's parents not to pursue the matter, so he dropped it.

Alexander said that before deciding to end his involvement, he passed on what he knew to the chairman of the House Republican campaign organization, Rep. Thomas Reynolds, R-N.Y. Reynolds' spokesman, Carl Forti, said "We are not characterizing conversations that Congressman Reynolds may have had or may not have had with other members of Congress on that subject."

The usual questions -- What did Reynolds know and when did he know about it -- appear to be answered: He knew about the improper actions of a colleague "months" in advance of their public revelation. The questions that leaves are: why didn't Reynolds act, and how his constituents will react to his apparent application of political calculus to a deeply troubling allegation of personal misconduct.

The Davis-Reynolds race, which was already tight because of the visceral anger towards the Bush administration's trade policies, may be at a tipping point.

From the WFP's policy-based perspective, in a year when helping Take Back Congress is our number one priority, we have been very excited about a referendum on one-sided trade agreements without adequate labor and environmental safeguards. That dynamic has turned what should be a cakewalk for a powerful Republican leader like Reynolds into a statistical dead heat.

But if Reynolds' role in covering up a fellow member of Congress's predatory internet activity proves to be the margin of difference in this race, we'll take it.

UPDATE: Rochester Turning reports that there's going to be a protest outside Reynolds' office in Greece, NY (outside Rochester) at 1pm today.

Technorati tags: Working Families Party | 2006 Election | Take Back the House | Vote Row E | NY26 | Foley | Reynolds | Davis