Bob Schieffer Convinced Foley Scandal Will Cost GOP House Majority

Wednesday’s ‘Early Show" continued to hype the Mark Foley scandal. In a segment with Bob Schieffer, called "Capitol Bob," co-host Julie Chen wondered if Speaker Hastert should resign his position over the scandal, while Schieffer cited conservative sources such as "The Washington Times" to emphasize the trouble Hastert is in and conveyed to viewers his conviction that the Mark Foley scandal will cost the Republicans control of the House of Representatives.

"If I were a betting man, I would now bet that the Republicans are going to lose the House. Not by very much. But I think this may be just the thing to give the Democrats control of the House. This is really serious business for the Republicans right now."

The "Capitol Bob" segment was short, with Julie Chen asking only two questions, both centered around the question of Speaker Hastert resigning:

"Should House Speaker Dennis Hastert resign over this?"

Chen followed this inquiry by asking of the likelihood that Hastert will resign, and if so when:

"Do you think we're going to see Hastert resign before the midterm elections or after? Or not at all?"

Schieffer couldn’t say whether Hastert would step down, but highlighted the conservative newspaper, "The Washington Times." Schieffer mentioned how the Foley scandal puts Republicans in danger, but concluded with this statement about Speaker Hastert:

"...When you have 'The Washington Times,' the most conservative of the conservative news organizations, saying the Speaker should step down, that tells you the kind of trouble that he's in right now."

Following Schieffer’s remarks, Chen suggested that the Mark Foley scandal has divided Republicans

"And it sounds like it has really split the Republican party."

I am fairly certain Republicans are united in their disdain for former Congressman Foley’s actions, and in their belief that these actions are not only reprehensible, but beyond defense.