WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Many Republican strategists believe the resignation of U.S. Rep Mark Foley in a scandal over House pages could swing the November election, a report says.
They believe that religious conservatives, a significant part of the Republican base, could be so angry that they will simply not vote, The Washington Post reported.
To win control of the House, Democrats would need to pick up at least 15 seats. A Senate majority requires a net gain of six seats.
One district that had seemed safe and now seems almost certain to be lost is Foley's own, in central Florida. Foley's name will still be on the ballot even though the state GOP has chosen a replacement candidate.
"To vote for this candidate, you have to vote for Mark Foley," House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, told conservative radio host Sean Hannity. "How many people are going to hold their nose to do that?"
The Foley scandal closely followed new bad news on the Iraq War, including the National Intelligence Estimate suggesting that the war has increased the terrorist threat.
