Reidblog [The Reid Report blog]

Flanked by about 30 children of supporters and as many parents, Reynolds defended his actions at a news conference late Monday in Amherst.

The congressman said that like anyone who hears a complaint about a co-worker, he alerted his supervisor, in this case Hastert.

"I don't think I went wrong at all," said Reynolds. "I don't know what else I could have done. What's a good citizen to do?" ...

...When a reporter suggested to Reynolds that the children step outside in order to have a frank discussion of the sexually charged case, Reynolds declined.

Congressional Quarterly, a nonpartisan newsletter that rates political campaigns, reclassified Reynolds' race from "safe Republican" to "leans Republican" on Monday as Democrats accused the congressman from Clarence, Erie County, of not doing enough after he learned about some of the less explicit e-mails last spring.

The change means that Reynolds — powerful chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee — has gone from "a shoo-in" for re-election to a "likely" winner who could still be vulnerable to an upset victory by Democratic businessman Jack Davis, the newsletter said.