Getting A Grip On The Page Issue

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/10/AR2006101001379.html

The WaPo offers a bit more detail about the source and timing of the release of Foley emails to news organizations.  The Republicans are arguing that they would not have done absolutely anything about Foley, especially since it's election time.  But the dirty, dirty Democrats have forced the issue.

Except that's not really the case here.  It seems that a Democrat was aware of the less vulgar emails, and had passed them over to news organizations at least five months ago.  Nobody was interested in the story except ABC News, and they had to keep putting the story off because of other news.  The former pages didn't send the explicit IM messages until ABCNews began reporting the story.

Now, there is something a bit fishy about all of this, and I'll post up on it a bit later.  But here's the problem for Republicans.  They are complaining that a youth predator in their own party was exposed at a time when they didn't want to deal with it.  And if that's the best argument that they have, then they are screwed. 

And you've got to love this final quote.  It seems like these pages are afraid they will be cannibalized by their own party, via the 101st Keyboard Division:

Two of the primary sources who delivered the instant messages came forward this week to clarify their motives. Both spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear that exposure would leave them open to harassment, especially from bloggers.