When Louisiana Governor Edwin W. Edwards bragged, in 1983, that the only way he could lose an election was if he was “caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy,” he had no way of knowing the power of instant messaging.

Less than a week after e-mails written by Republican congressman Mark Foley to a 16-year-old former page were made public, a steady stream of sexually explicit instant messages have continued to surface, over 50 in all, from other former pages.

The messages range from “send me a photo of yourself” to “I miss you lots since san diego [sic]” to “I’m a little to [sic] interested in you” to “your cute butt bouncing in the air” to “don’t forget to measure [your penis]” to messages too graphic to publish.

Needless to say, this isn’t the October surprise that Karl Rove was planning on to reinvigorate the Republican base days before midterm elections.

The only thing that could wrest this scandal, which has led every evening newscast since Friday, from the headlines is a full-scale invasion of Iran. And don’t count that out.

As of Tuesday, Republican leaders were struggling to distance themselves from the unfolding scandal, in what has become one of the most shameless – not to mention humorous – episodes of “pass the buck” and “cover your butt” of modern political history.

Foley, who last Thursday characterized the initial e-mails as merely “overly friendly,” abruptly announced his resignation on Friday after ABC’s Brian Ross contacted him for a response to other more explicit instant messages.

Perhaps I should mention that Fox News, who also had the e-mails, sat on the report. In fairness to the “fair and balanced” network, they were probably waiting for a Democratic congressman to be implicated.

Ross later reported that Foley’s former chief of staff (and current chief of staff to Republican congressman Thomas Reynolds) attempted to negotiate a deal with ABC not to air the more graphic communications.

Can you say ‘cover-up’? Good. Now try ‘conspiracy.’

If you’re confused, don’t worry. The unfolding scandal has more twists than a game of Twister.

Suffice it to say that while Foley fights to stay out of jail (for violating an Internet predator law that he himself sponsored), Republican leaders are fighting for political survival.

At best, the House leadership was indifferent to the safety of the pages whose welfare they were responsible for. At worst, they were intentional in their failure to act. One thing is for certain, the party that has built its reputation and majority status in the House of Representatives as the party of family values is crumbling like a house of cards.

Like most political scandals, this one hinges on who knew what, when.

Just four weeks from election, and faced with having to answer uncomfortable questions in their districts, a cast of Republican congressmen, including Representatives Alexander, Shimkus and Reynolds, and Majority Leader Boehner and Speaker of the House Hastert are playing a political game of tackle the man with the football.

True to nature, no one is willing to accept any degree of responsibility for failing to investigate the charges of improper behavior leveled against one of their own. The appearance is that the Republican leadership was more concerned about maintaining a Republican majority than protecting pages from a sexual predator.

What we do know is that the aforementioned men knew at least 10 months ago – some as long as 11 years – that there was a serious problem with Foley’s behavior, which has led some conservatives to call for the resignation of Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, including the conservative Washington Times editorial page, which, on Tuesday, wrote:

“Either [Speaker Hastert] was grossly negligent for not taking the red flags fully into account and ordering a swift investigation…or he deliberately looked the other way in hopes that a brewing scandal would simply blow away.”

While some were calling for Hastert’s resignation, President Bush supported the embattled speaker, saying, “I know Denny Hastert. I meet with him a lot. He is a father, teacher, coach who cares about the children of this country.”

Really, Mr. President? Did you know that the one-time high school wrestling coach lost his first bid for public office amid allegations of improper sexual conduct with his wrestlers?

No less surprising than Republicans’ attempts to provide cover for their colleagues is the spin being pushed by Republican pundits.

Consider the bloviating Sean Hannity, who recurred to what has become the Republicans’ catchall defense for everything: President Clinton did it, too.

On his radio show on Tuesday, an unapologetic Hannity attempted to create a parallel between illegal sexual Internet communications with minors to President Clinton’s consensual relationship (albeit sordid) with Monica Lewinsky, who, at the time of their trysts, was 23-years old.

The most disingenuous (and laughable) excuse, however, was offered up by former Speaker Newt Gingrich, who argued that Republicans would have been accused of “gay bashing,” had they come forward with the allegations against the gay Republican earlier. Since when has the Republican Party cared about being accused of gay bashing?

While Republicans are long on excuses, they are short on apologies. The only congressman who has apologized to any page has been Rep. Alexander of Louisiana, the home state of the page who first reported the e-mails.

Not even Foley, who entered an alcohol treatment center on Monday, has issued a statement of apology to the pages. He has, however, managed to release a statement claiming he himself was sexually molested as a teenager.

The total absence of outrage, not to mention empathy for the boys caught in Foley’s web of sexual predation, should tell every American what Republican operatives care about most: the party.

Not surprising, amidst all the hand-washing and self-absolutions Republicans are engaging in, the page who initially came forward is now receiving threats against his safety.

Color me surprised.

George Henson is a Spanish professor at SMU. He can be reached at [email protected].