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As the leader of House Republican campaign efforts, Tom Reynolds could have sounded the alarm about Congressman Mark Foley's emails last spring -- before Foley started running for re-election, before the correspondence became public, before the story became a daily headline. But Reynolds did nothing and as a result faced a firestorm of criticism. To save his own seat in the House, Reynolds took an unusual political step. He went on TV with a 60 second mea culpa about his role in the Foley scandal.
ACT 3: NOBODY'S ANGRIER AND MORE DISAPPOINTED THAN ME THAT I DIDN'T CATCH HIS LIES. I TRUSTED THAT OTHERS HAD INVESTIGATED LOOKING BACK MORE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE. I TRUSTED OTHERS TO INVESTIGATE AND FOR THAT, I AM SORRY.
ACT 4: TELL THE TRUTH, ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH. THE TRUTH IS NOT OVERRATED.
Leticia Remauro, is a Republican campaign manager. She's advised some candidates on how to say they're sorry. But she says there are limits.
ACT 1: IT'S A VERY PERSONAL THING, SORRY. IF THEY'RE SAYING SORRY TOO OFTEN WE SHOULD WONDER IF THAT CANDIDATE SHOULD BE IN OFFICE.
Remauro says Tom Reynolds had no choice but to apologize for his inaction in the Foley scandal.
ACT 2: WHEN THEY HAVE HURT SOMEONE BY THEIR ACTIONS AND THAT'S THE VERY RARE OCCASION THAT THEY SHOULD SAY SORRY.
ACT 4: I THINK IT'S VERY HARD FOR THESE GUYS WHO GET THEMSELVES IN THESE SITUATIONS TO WORK THEMSELVES OUT OF IT.
That's Lee Miringoff. As the director of the Marist Poll, Miringoff monitors the public's response to scandals.
ACT 5: THE NEWS CYCLES MOVE VERY QUICKLY AND YOU WANT TO CONTAIN THE STORY BUT BETWEEN THE MEDIA AND YOUR OPPONENT THERE'S A GREAT INTEREST IN KEEPING IT GOING.
Miringoff founded the Poughkeepsie-based polling organization in 1978. His favorite apology dates back to 1952.
ACT 6: THE NIXON CHECKERS SPEECH. IT WAS GOOD
Me: Why's that one?
Miringoff: IT WAS GOOD.
The Checkers speech is widely regarded as the first televised mea culpa in American politics. In it, Richard Nixon, then a candidate for vice president, addressed allegations that he had taken personal presents, including a beguiling cocker spaniel, from campaign supporters.
ACT 7: We did get something of a gift. Our little girl Trisha, the six year old, named it Checkers. And ya know the kids like all kids like the dog and I just want to say this right now that regardless of what they say about it, we're going to keep it.
Like Nixon, Congressman Reynolds has benefited from his mea culpa. But political apologies can be a tricky business. Another congressman, Don Sherwood, got no relief at the polls after he made a televised apology last month. Sherwood, a Pennsylvania Republican was caught cheating on his wife with a younger woman. Here's what he told voters.
ACT 9: WHILE I'M TRUELY SORRY FOR DISAPPOINTING YOU, I NEVER WAVERED FROM MY COMMITMENT TO CREATE JOBS, REDUCE TAXES AND BRING HOME OUR FAIR SHARE. SHOULD YOU FORGIVE ME, YOU CAN COUNT ON ME TO KEEP FIGHTING HARD FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
ACT 10: YOU CAN'T APOLOGIZE YOUR WAY OUT OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
Tom Edsall, who covered politics for 25 years for the Washington Post, says Sherwood's ad may have been too little too late.
ACT 4: "WHEN YOU HAVE THAT KIND OF A SCANDAL LIKE A SEX SCANDAL OR ONE INVOLVING PAGES, THAT'S WHEN YOU HAVE TO ACT QUICKLY TO STAUNCH THE BLEEDING.
And as the polls start closing tonight, politicians will find out whether their public confessions have persuaded voters to absolve them. Jennifer Collins Columbia Radio News.