one of the pages now an aid to Istook who is rep candidate for OK governor

[bobbieinok]

NEW YORK (AP)

...

But in one exchange the network inadvertently left his screen name on. It was quickly discovered and removed, replaced by a version with the name redacted. But a blogger was able to retrieve the deleted file, go on a computer detective mission and uncover the former page's identity.

....

In a news conference Thursday, Istook praised his employee, said the former page would cooperate with investigators and asked reporters to leave him alone.

``This is a young man who is bright,'' Istook said. ``He is hard working. He does not deserve the public embarrassment that he's facing right now.

``I believe there is no justification for putting this young man in the national media spotlight when what he needs and deserves is Christian compassion,'' he added.

The blogger known as ``Wild Bill'' from the ``Passionate America'' site who discovered the former page's identity describes the computer detective mission in detail on his Web site. ABC has taken additional steps to make sure no one can access the deleted messages, a spokesman said.

....

(this is from a post in the Foley thread at salon's tabletalk)

[Leopolds Ghost]

1. As mentioned Foley was being used as casting couch for compromised Repubs.

That is my belief. The only thing they needed to "compromise" them with was revelations about their sexuality, since there are quite a number of closeted Republican activists according to those who have left the party and talked about it.

It stands to reason that folks like DeLay found it easier to control Congress when the sexual preferences of all the senior staffers were known and exploitable. They could be threatened with discovery by using Foley and his casting couch as a blackmail tool, since Foley was such a slimey character that even "out" gay staffers on Capitol Hill would not want to claim Foley as gay, nor want it revealed that they had engaged in (whatever) with Foley years ago, as an impressionable former page, before all these people who Foley sent e-mails to somehow attained positions in senior Congressional offices, through some great good fortune that had absolutely nothing to do with their having been "made" already (in the mafia sense) thnks to Foley and his compromising e-mails.

[aquart]

2. Belief ain't fact.

[drm604]

3. You're right of course,

but I wouldn't be the least bit surprised. I'm starting to wonder if homosexual blackmail was one of the tools they've purposely used to gain and maintain power. We still don't really know what was going on with Gannon/Guckert.

[TheMadMonk]

4. True. However, this "problem": has been "fixed" before.

"Conspiracy of Silence" is bruited as one example.
Another made it to trial in Europe, centred around Belgium and the Girls in the Dungeon case IIRC, and suddenly collapesed with all sorts of hindereances placed in the way of the investigators.
Call boys in the Regan Whitehouse. Underage call boys IIRC.