This is a novel defense. Drudge is reporting that the under-age pages “goaded” Rep. Mark Foley into typing sex-filled instant messages as a joke.

The joke went “awry” when they fell into enemy hands.

Tom Reynolds campaign spokesman was in a meeting and couldn’t comment. The spokesman for Reynold’s opponent, Jack Davis, disagreed with the account on Drudge, but declined to comment on the record.

Being a congressional page is not a something that even people who used to be in the program want to talk about nowadays. I tried asking one former page, Manhattan Councilman Dan Garodnick, about the program when he was there. He too is having a busy day of meetings.

– Azi Paybarah