As scandal festers, Boehner plumps for Jones

U.S. House Majority Leader John Boehner was in Raleigh Wednesday night, but he apparently didn't want to talk about the unfolding scandal in Washington.

Boehner blew by a reporter as he entered Caffe Luna for a closed fund-raiser for 3rd District U.S. Rep. Walter Jones of Farmville.

Later, an aide released a letter Boehner had sent to his Ohio constituents Wednesday saying he was "sickened" that a colleague apparently sought to exploit children.

"As a husband and the father of two daughters -- one of whom once served as a congressional page -- I am outraged by the actions of former Rep. Mark Foley who resigned abruptly Friday when sexually explicit instant messages he sent to former congressional pages were revealed."

Boehner said he hadn't learned about the sexual advances until ABC News reported them last week.

Jones was in a delicate position. He criticized the GOP leadership while not blaming Boehner, who was raising money for him.

"The more I learn, the more disappointed I am and disgusted I am," Jones told Dome before the event. "Then, to know that maybe the leadership, this would primarily be Speaker [Dennis] Hastert, might have been made aware of concerns about the habits of Foley as related to young men ... why they didn't take immediate action, I don't know."

But Jones said he was willing to give Hastert the benefit of the doubt. Jones also noted that Boehner was not part of the leadership a year ago when Foley's misdeeds were first reported to House leaders, and Jones said he was comfortable with Boehner attending his reception.

North Carolina Democrats, meanwhile, noted that the Democratic-controlled legislature passed a Child Exploitation Prevention Act last year allowing law enforcement officers to go under cover to catch predators.

"While the Republican leadership in Congress was covering up for Mark Foley, North Carolina Democrats were passing some of the toughest child protection laws in the country," state Democratic Chairman Jerry Meek said in a statement.

Meek, who noted he is a former congressional page, called on North Carolina Republicans to return money they had received from Foley. Rep. Robin Hayes got $3,500, Sen. Richard Burr $1,000 and Sen. Elizabeth Dole $250 since 2000.

School summit in N.C.?

With three deadly school shootings in three weeks, including one Monday at an Amish school in Pennsylvania, President Bush wants to hold a national summit on school safety.

U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge, a former state school superintendent, wants Bush to hold it in North Carolina.

Etheridge wrote Bush this week asking him to bring the summit to the 2nd District, which includes Johnston County and other areas around the Triangle.

Etheridge, a Democrat from Lillington, is a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, where he has studied school safety issues and pushed for legislation allowing schools to apply for homeland security grants.

Etheridge also has asked the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study on school safety.

Joanne Peters, Etheridge's spokeswoman, said Bush has not responded but that a summit could be held as soon as next week.