(October 4, 2006)--On Capitol Hill and elsewhere, Republicans are "very, very concerned,” said Congressman Ray LaHood, as he described the mood as the news about former Congressman Mark Foley continues to emerge.

LaHood and others are wondering what else will come out about Foley or any other GOP lawmakers between now and Election Day.

But he doesn't want House Speaker Dennis Hastert to quit.

LaHood is standing behind his fellow Illinois Republican.

LaHood told CNN that rather than get rid of Hastert, it's the page system that needs to be tossed. He calls it "antiquated" and questions the wisdom of bringing 15- and 16-year-olds to work at the US Capitol.

LaHood says there are lawmakers "taking advantage" of the teens, and he wants the program suspended for now.

Meanwhile another House Republican is suggesting that House Speaker Dennis Hastert knew about an inappropriate e-mail that Foley sent to a Louisiana boy who had worked as a congressional page.

Rodney Alexander of Louisiana is the House member who had sponsored the boy as a page and he says Hastert "knew about the e-mails that we knew about" including one in which then-Congressman Foley asked the page to send his picture.

Hastert has said he wasn't aware of the e-mails when they were discussed with his staff.

And today, a spokesman says, "The speaker's staff knew about this; the speaker didn't."

Two others, number-two House Republican John Boehner of Ohio and House GOP campaign chairman Tom Reynolds of New York, say they'd spoken with Hastert about a complaint that was passed along by Alexander last spring.

Alexander told Fox News that Hastert knew only about e-mails that made the page uncomfortable, and not about the salacious instant messages Foley is reported to have sent.

Alexander says Hastert is a "good man" and a "good leader" and that he would "personally break the neck of anybody he thought was trying to sexually abuse a young man or woman."

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