Spin of the Week: Running From Denny and Tom

Let's say you're a Member of Congress or congressional candidate who is scheduled to have House Speaker Dennis Hastert or NRCC Chair Tom Reynolds stump for you.  Hastert and Reynolds are politically radioactive due to the Foley scandal, so you'd really prefer them not to come.  But you can't just come out and say that, mind you.

So, this week's Spin of the Week (awarded for ballsiest spin effort) is awarded to all those pols with creative public explanations for why Denny and Tom couldn't stump with them after all.  Courtesy of TPM Muckraker:

Rep. Don Sherwood (R-PA): A Hastert fundraiser was "cancelled mostly because Sherwood had another major event the next day." A Reynolds spokesman said that he'd dropped out of a Sherwood event because of "events in his own district."

Joy Padgett (R-OH): Hastert cited "schedule conflicts." And lest there be any confusion, a Padgett spokesperson added that "the switch had nothing to do with the Foley scandal."

Rep. Mike Sodrel (R-IN): Sodrel: "I suspect that he's busy with other issues right now."

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ): McCain, who cancelled an appearance at a fundraiser for Tom Reynolds, knew that there was a schedule conflict, but just didn't know what it was: "Asked where McCain plans to be instead of Reynolds' $250-a-plate dinner in the Statler Towers, Goldman said, "We haven't figured that out yet.'"