Via a House leadership office, the Florida papers’ defenses:

From The Miami Herald:

Some newspapers — including this one — knew of this message as well and did not find it worthy of a news story because it seemed innocuous. Thus, Democratic charges of a ‘’cover up’’ of Mr. Foley’s activities by the Republican House leadership seem not only premature but crassly political. But the discovery of other, more explicit, messages and confusion over who knew what and when raise questions that require answers — preferably, under oath and soon.

–KJL