THE scandal over lewd messages sent by a closet gay politician to teenage boys in Congress has hit Republican support among “security moms” and evangelical voters — two groups that the party was counting on to win elections next month.

The sleaze surrounding Mark Foley, a Florida congressman and campaigner against internet paedophilia and child exploitation, has narrowed the “God gap” in politics between Republicans and Democrats.

A poll last week showed that 57% of white evangelicals are likely to vote Republican in the congressional elections, 21 points down on 2004.

Family values conservatives have led calls for the resignation of Dennis Hastert, the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, for failing to take action against Foley before news of his predatory behaviour towards “pages” — schoolboys on work experience — became public.

“It is enough for me that Republican leaders knew that a parent and child had lodged a complaint. They should at a minimum have questioned other pages to find out if other boys had resigned,” said Maggie Gallagher of the Institute for American Values.

Myrna Blyth, former editor of the Ladies Home Journal, was equally blunt. “So long, security mom,” she wrote of the Republican vote.

“What were those guys thinking? Every parent knows there is something very fishy about an older guy, any older guy, sending overly friendly e-mails to a 16-year-old.”

Until last week’s slew of sordid “instant messages” as well as tamer e-mails from Foley hit the news, Republicans had been confident of retaining the house and Senate even while trailing in the polls.

Following the playbook of Karl Rove, the architect of President George W Bush’s victories, Republicans began a targeted campaign to win the mid-term elections within weeks of the 2004 result.

“Panic results when you’re surprised,” said Ken Mehlman, chairman of the Republican National Committee, before the Foley debacle.

“We’ve been preparing for the toughest election in at least a decade.”

The strategy of identifying and motivating every potential conservative to cast their vote is now in peril.

“Social conservatives are frustrated with what is going on,” said Saulius Anuzis, chairman of the Michigan Republican party. “We have heard disappointment and disenchantment. The level of commitment isn’t as fierce as it ought to be.”

Democrats are hoping to pick up the slack. “It’s an opportunity for growth among women,” said Nancy Pelosi, who would take over as Speaker if the Democrats won. “They don’t always vote and this could be a motivation.”

The Foley affair is also reviving memories of the congressional corruption exposed by the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. Susan Ralston, a White House aide to Rove, resigned on Friday after a congressional report showed she had stayed in frequent contact with Abramoff, her old boss, and accepted free tickets to sporting events and concerts from him.

Democrat strategists are aware of the pitfalls of sounding too self-righteous. Shortly after the Abramoff lobbying scandal broke, one of their own congressmen was found with $90,000 (£48,000) from an alleged bribe stashed in the freezer of his home.

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