Can't get Sub Element values

[bluewalrus]

I'm trying to make my own comment system and have it maybe 85% of the way there but can't seem to get the inputted values to sub elements for some reason. Is the js regex operator different in some way or am I missing something else? Here's a simplified version

<script type="text/javascript" src="/js/jquery-1.4.2.min.js">
</script>
<div style="border: 1px solid #000000; margin-left:0px;">03/03/2011 11:46 AM<br />
<a href="#" class="comment_cmd" id="hide_859">Hide Comment?</a><br />
<p>test</p>
<a href="#" class="comment_cmd" id="reply_859">Reply to this</a>
	<div style="display:none;" id="reply_show859">
		<textarea id="response_1_859"></textarea><br />
		<a href="#" class="comment_cmd" id="replied_1_859">Reply</a>
	</div>
</div>
<div style="border: 1px solid #000000; margin-left:20px;">03/02/2011 4:59 PM<br />
<a href="#" class="comment_cmd" id="show_2225">Show Comment?</a><br />
<p>test comment 1.1</p>
<a href="#" class="comment_cmd" id="reply_2225">Reply to this</a>
	<div style="display:none;" id="reply_show2225">
		<textarea id="response_1.1_2225"></textarea><br />
		<a href="#" class="comment_cmd" id="replied_1.1_2225">Reply</a>
	</div>
</div>
<script type="text/javascript">
var re = /reply_\d+/, shw = /show_\d+/, hde = /hide_\d+/, snd = /send_\d+/,  f_re = /replied_.*_\d+/;
$('.comment_cmd').live('click', function() {
	if (re.test($(this).attr('id'))) { 
		//display reply
		$("#" + $(this).attr('id').replace("_", "_show")).slideDown();
		return false;
	}
	if (f_re.test($(this).attr('id'))) { 
		//reply
		var reply_id = $(this).attr('id').replace("replied", "response"), reply = $("#"+ reply_id).val();
		alert(reply_id);
		alert(reply);
		return false;
	}
});
</script>

EDIT:

So I've narrowed it down to it being the '.'s in the id that are causing this problem. Is this cause jquery thinks the id has classes associated with it? I made a work around but am still wondering about the cause. I also couldn't use and of these symbols `'!@$%^&*()=+\|.