The White House on Monday tried to downplay the significance of what it called “simply naughty e-mails” that a former Republican congressman allegedly sent to teenage boys.
“Look, I hate to tell you, but it’s not always pretty up there on Capitol Hill,” White House press secretary Tony Snow told CNN. “There have been other scandals, as you know, that have been more than simply naughty e-mails.”
Rep. Mark Foley, R- Fla., abruptly quit on Friday after the public disclosure of salacious e-mails and instant messages he allegedly sent to boys who had worked as pages on Capitol Hill. Democrats have accused GOP congressional leaders of knowing about the messages for months and doing nothing about them.
“Does Tony Snow really think the Foley scandal is just a case of ‘simply naughty’ e-mail?” said Phil Singer, spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. “For a White House that claims to be so family-friendly, the person who is supposed to be its public voice has a twisted understanding of why the Foley scandal is so disturbing.”
Snow backpedaled from his “naughty e-mails” comment when he faced reporters at his daily press briefing.
“What did you mean when you said there have been scandals ‘more than simply naughty e-mails’ on the Hill?” asked an Associated Press reporter.
“No, no, I said there’s a lot of gossip,” Snow replied. “Gossip flows freely about members. And rather than retelling it, I was simply citing a fact of life.”
Another reporter asked if “simply naughty” captures the seriousness of the scandal.
“No, I really don’t. You know, you’re right. That may sound a little bit too glib,” Snow said. “Thank you for that, because I don’t want to get socked with that later in the day.”
But the White House was already being socked by Democrats eager to make political hay from the scandal just 36 days before the midterm elections. Snow did his best to contain the damage.
“You got one person who behaved badly — there are 434 others in Congress,” he said. “This does not affect every Republican in the United States of America, just as bad behavior on the parts of Democrats in ages past has not been a reflection of their entire party.”
Snow also sought to shield President Bush from political fallout.
“Look, the Househas to clean up the mess,” he said. “The president is not responsible.”
