[Sarah]

Do you know how IMs work? He had to be saving them for something.. and the timing is convenient.
Democratic involvement is logical...but 'pro-gay?' What IS your point?

[Jean S]

My point is someone who had these IMs, not the kid, was holding on to them (for three years?) and released them at an opportune moment, October Surprise. This kid didn't release them last week and I find it appalling that Freepers are trashing this kid and trying to prove that he was 18 and not younger.

This blog outed the kid and not the person who released them to the media.

[Paine's Ghost]

This kid got in deep. His IM's result in the Congress going to the other party. He chose to record (not the default) the test of his IMs. He chose to have a dalliance with a representative.

He could have come forward in the last few days to "clear the air" and set the record straight. It is time to pay it to the piper. He gets no sympathy from me and my congrats to the blogger who did an excellent investigation.

[Fishtalk]

AOL has some weird thing that when you set up IM's they CAN go to your cell phone. Evidently I have mine set up wrong as all my IM's go to my cell phone AS WELL as the computer screen.

And, ladies and gems, these things REMAIN on my cell phone until I erase them. So this is how the IM's might have been saved. As opposed to copy and paste I mean. Copy and paste could be anything but a message on the cell phone? Pretty good proof.

[pepsionice]

People that keep achieves of IM's....do so with a purpose. There is little doubt in my mind that he knew precisely what he was going to do with the IM's...my guess is that he tried this year to get a juicy job in DC at high salary...and got flat turned down. Foley probably even tried to help a little...but a young guy around 21 years old...isn't going to pull in more than $60k in the DC area. He was probably betting that Foley would ensure a position on his staff, and he failed miserably...so it was revenge time.

As for privacy of the IM...if these stupid congressmen can't stop identity theft or computer hackers...why should anyone dream of information privacy on the web? Get real. The politicans have guaranteed their buddies of an absolute open door...so now...here is trouble on your doorstep. I think this is totally open for anyone to do...and I don't have heartburn. No one should.