Amid questions, ABC says messages 'couldn't be a prank'

[kpete]

Exclusive: ABC cites 'more pages'
as Drudge questions Foley story

Amid questions, ABC says messages 'couldn't be a prank'

Brian Beutler
Published: Thursday October 5, 2006

Network staff say ABC plans more stories involving different pages

Faced with claims by the conservative political website The Drudge Report Friday that lurid instant message exchanges between disgraced former Congressman Mark Foley (R-FL) and the former page who was outed on a conservative website yesterday were the result of an elaborate prank, insiders at ABC News say the network stands behind their story.

Drudge alleges that the young Republican “goaded Foley to type embarrassing comments that were then shared with a small group of young Hill politicos” and that “the prank went awry when the saved IM sessions got into the hands of political operatives favorable to Democrats.”

Sources inside ABC News tell RAW STORY that evidence of widespread misconduct by Foley is overwhelming and rules out the possibility that the entire scandal is based on a prank or a sting.

“This couldn't be a prank," one high-placed insider said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the story. "Everything I've seen indicates that it can't be. Clearly there's been an effort on the part of this gentleman and another blogger...to come back at us.”

more at:

[underpants]

1. ---runs it up the flagpole ------

No one salutes
Hangs head and goes home

[Poiuyt]

2. Link?

[NOLADEM]

3. Bullshit

Multiple past pages confirm this happened to them.

Multiple dates.

This is a bullshit cover story for consumption by their panicked sheep, who are terrified they have no story on which to allow them to maintain their love for the neo-conazis.

Fucking pathetic.

If this were really the case, Hastert would not have said what he said today, he would have exposed the ruse like they did on Dan Rather.

The Republicans have such pathetic options with which to defend themselves on this matter.

[Demobrat]

4. BWHAHAHAHAHAHA

A 50-something year old senator allowed himself to be "goaded" by a kid into typing filth? Tell me another one, please, I love to laugh!

[TechBear_Seattle]

5. Indeed, if Foley is not a sexual predator making unwanted advances

Then he is either a weak-willed moran who can be goaded into typing dirty texts in instant messages and emails (the current claims), or he is an alcoholic homosexual who can't help himself because he was molested by a priest (his own admission.)

What will they think of next? Aliens in cahoots with the Democrats have a probe up his rear end and are controling him to further the liberal agenda? :rofl:

[MissWaverly]

14. He sent a message while the House was in session

he was waiting to vote, yeah, joke, joke, just like him taking the pages out to an exclusive
restaurant and showing up at the Pages dorm drunk at night, yeah, just a joke.

[shawn703]

6. 1000+ ecstatic replies to the Drudge thread at FR

(I did shower before I came back here)

Did anyone else hear the pop caused by 1000+ tiny pinheads exploding when they read this?

:rofl:

[davidwparker]

7. The parents of the page, or the page himself if he is now of legal age,

should SUE Drudge.

[democrat in Tallahassee]

8. I know, AOL didn't have those fonts in 2005, right?

Can't they just for ONE time accept some responsiblity?

[NashVegas]

9. Even If They Were Teasing Foley - What Happened in San Diego?

That's where Foley met up with the kid in the AIM chats.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

15. Pages are junior people there to suck up and pad their resume. You think

they're going to run some sexually explicit prank on a member of Congress? From their own party? Not even as an anonymous entity? And expect to have a future? :shrug:

[sinkingfeeling]

10. Where's the link?

[Rex]

11. Looks like ABCnews is really trying to fix the mess ABCentertainment

made. Good'on em I say.

[jpak]

12. Hannity is making much hay of this as we speak

2004 Chimp AWOL docs = forgery

2006 Foley perv IM's = prank

The RW Big Lie machine is in full cry...

[Oilwellian]

13. Right...I guess that's why Foley resigned so quickly

It was all just a prank. Silly boys.

[verse18]

16. ABC is all over the repugs spin tactics.

When one excuse pops up, they smack down with a quickness.