I have answered my own questions....kinda... so I figured I would quote myself....
1. the wire is soldered to the bracket and the bracket slides in and out of the plastic. So, no harm done.
2. I guess the foam is okay to touch. Wierd to me, but whatever.
One more tip....Our rear view mirror comes off the windshield in an awesomely ingenious way.....
Disconnect the wire from the back. Then twist the mirror connection to the windshield and slide off.