FL joins FBI in looking into possible Foley crimes

Florida authorities joined the FBI in the investigation into former Rep. Mark Foley's cybersex activities, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

The FBI is looking into the e-mails, as is the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Gov. Jeb Bush on Sunday instructed the department to become involved to see whether any state laws were broken.

The Foley affair has become a nightmare for Florida Republicans. The six-term incumbent was expected to cruise to victory this November over Mahoney. Now they must introduce a new candidate and explain to voters that if they want Negron, they must go to the polls and vote for Foley. It is too late in the election season to remove Foley's name from the ballot.

In a sign of just how deeply the scandal has impacted Republican hopes in Florida, Foley's replacement in the race, pronounced that most voters are "pretty smart and pretty sophisticated" and would have no trouble understanding the process.

As if on cue, a television reporter then mistakenly addressed Negron as "Mr. Foley," prompting the candidate to say he was confident his constituents could tell the difference.

So Republican bets are on the hope that voters are smarter than TV reporters, which may in fact be a good bet.