http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/01/washington/01memo.html?ei=5094&en=f4ae9ee2fcbdf0ec&hp=&ex=1159675200&partner=homepage&pagewanted=printOctober 1, 2006
Along With Victories, G.O.P. Takes a Few Blows
By CARL HULSE and KATE ZERNIKE
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 — Just hours before Congress closed down for the midterm elections on Saturday, Republican leaders threw together a ceremony to celebrate the passage of what they hoped to promote as their singular legislative accomplishment — a bill to bring terrorism suspects to trial.
But after House and Senate leaders formally signed the measure for the cameras, the only questions they faced from assembled reporters pertained to Representative Mark Foley, the Florida Republican who had just resigned after accusations that he sent sexually explicit Internet messages to teenage pages.
“None of us are very happy about it,” Speaker J. Dennis Hastert said before abruptly calling a halt to the questions, and the ceremony.
No doubt.
Republicans scored significant legislative victories in the closing hours. They pushed through the bill for detainee trials after weeks of internal squabbling, won approval for 700 miles of border fencing to show they are serious about cracking down on illegal immigration, passed spending bills for defense and domestic security, and enacted new port security initiatives.........