* The State Journal-Register editorializes:

Most of us are not looking at this situation as a political football game. We are looking at it as parents who wonder how in the world anyone could consider even for a nanosecond that politics might be more important than protecting a child.

If evidence continues to evolve that Foley was indeed protected - or even if serious allegations of impropriety were not investigated - then retribution should be swift and painful for those who failed to act. That seems an absurdly easy call - at least away from the dissonance of the Capitol dome.

* The SJ-R’s article completely buried the item about Sen. Dick Durbin’s call on Shimkus to resign as chairman of the page board, relegating it to one sentence.

* The Sun-Times editorial, which won’t be read by many in Shimkus’ district, is harsh on the Republican incumbent.

“Mark Foley should be ashamed,” Shimkus told the press conference. So should Shimkus and any other Republican who failed to protect the young people serving as pages. Hastert says he does not recall being told about the first reports of Foley’s behavior last year. The early reports on the messages did not contain any explicit language. Still, when the GOP leaders heard about them, why did they take Foley’s word that the messages were merely “over friendly?” Why didn’t they launch a formal investigation? In this day, when there has been so much angst and anger over the sexual predations of Catholic priests and school teachers, why did Shimkus and the other Republicans in the know just shrug this off? The horrible irony is that Foley himself sponsored legislation to protect children from sexual predators.

* The Tribune editorial makes a good point at the very end:

But this scandal now rests where it should: at the door of the speaker of the House. Mr. Hastert, you don’t need a squad of FBI agents to tell you how you and your colleagues in the House reacted when they first learned that Mark Foley had crossed a line that ought never be broached. You need to tell us.

* Democrat Dan Stover, Shimkus’ opponent, got some rare ink.

A Democratic congressional candidate says U.S. Rep. John Shimkus should step down from panel that oversees more than 70 pages working in the U.S. House.

Danny Stover, Shimkus’ opponent in the upcoming election, called for the Collinsville Republican to resign as head of the House Page Board after news surfaced that fellow legislator Mark Foley had sent inappropriate e-mails and text messages to a then-16-year-old male page.

* The Alton Telegraph ran this long headline above its coverage of Shimkus today: “U.S. Rep. John Shimkus ducked a chance to address his role in the growing House page scandal on Monday, and his November election opponent and other Democrats wasted little time in turning up the heat. ”

* The Tribune looks at the political fallout in the 8th:

U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean (D-Ill.) and Republican challenger David McSweeney disagreed Monday over whether to scrap the congressional page program amid a scandal involving a Florida congressman.

McSweeney said Congress should dissolve the page program following the resignation of Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.), who had been sending sexually explicit e-mails to underage male pages.

Bean blamed Republican leadership for failing to act appropriately when House staffers learned at least a year ago that Foley had been sending “over-friendly” messages to a youth from Louisiana.

* Crain’s has more from congressional candidates:

The sharpest talk locally came in the north suburban 10th District, where Democrat Dan Seals accused Republican incumbent Mark Kirk “and the entire Republican leadership” of a “shameful” silence on the scandal. […]

Mr. Kirk said in a statement that he is “disgusted” with Mr. Foley, and proposed that House rules be changed to require that any further credible allegation of misconduct with a page be referred to leaders of both major political parties, not just the majority party. Mr. Kirk also called for appointment of a bipartisan outside panel to probe what happened. […]

Ms. Duckworth charged that House GOP leadership “has been involved in keeping Foley’s secret” and called on Mr. Roskam to return the $40,000 in campaign donations he’s received from Messrs. Hastert, Shimkus and other leaders. […]

This is the type of leadership Roskam would look to,” Ms. Duckworth said in a statement. “The last thing we need in Washington is another rubberstamp.”

Mr. Roskam’s spokesman said the speaker acted correctly in asking an outside agency, the Department of Justice, to probe whether any laws have been broken. That probe will reveal whether Mr. Hastert is at all culpable, the spokesman added.