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Scandal Puts Focus On Role of Bloggers (WaPo on FR, NCPAC and MD4Bush)
Washington Post ^ | 02/11/05 | David Snyder and Matthew Mosk

Posted on 02/10/2005 10:41:44 PM PST by conservative in nyc

The Web site began as a sort of Internet boutique for like-minded conservatives and libertarians, suspicious of federal power and angry at President Bill Clinton.

Started in 1997 by a reclusive California conservative, freerepublic.com saw its membership blossom with Clinton's impeachment and the election of George W. Bush. Attention to the site reached a zenith last fall, when a "freeper" -- the group's moniker for its bloggers -- first discussed flaws in documents CBS News used in a report critical of Bush's National Guard service.

---Snip---

One participant working under the handle MD4BUSH, whose identity is unknown, drew Steffen into a private conversation and appeared to coax him to share more details about his role in spreading the rumor. Copies of those chat room e-mails were later provided to The Washington Post.

The Oct. 18 conversation began with MD4BUSH complimenting Steffen and saying how obvious it was that the rumors about the mayor were true. Steffen, writing under the name NCPAC, replied:

"I don't look for the MO'M [O'Malley] story to hit for a little bit yet. . . . However, a lot of what everyone knows about MO'M is because of work that has occurred. It's been a wild ride."

MD4BUSH later probed further:

"Your saying that my dentist knows [about the rumors] because of work you did? Wow, I must say, I'm impressed. I mean really, everyone knows -- how did that happen?"

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Free Republic; News/Current Events; US: Maryland
KEYWORDS: compost; ecpa; freerepublic; gannon; kristinn; md4bush; media; mediabias; msm; ncpac; odoherty; omalley; ryanodoherty
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To: nicmarlo

See his post at #537.


561 posted on 02/11/2005 8:34:55 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (A Proud member of Free Republic ~~The New Face of the Fourth Estate since 1996.)
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To: advance_copy

You are so right. The transceiver is under a sand trap by the eighth green, planted there by Ray Floyd's father when he was the golf pro there.


562 posted on 02/11/2005 8:37:46 AM PST by jjmcgo
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To: Map Kernow
...George bush must win...

A true Bush supporter would not be so lax about capitalizing his name, imo. On a home page, there is adequate time to catch and correct such an error, if one really wants to.

563 posted on 02/11/2005 8:38:59 AM PST by ride the whirlwind
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To: Grampa Dave; scripter; EdReform; Ernest_at_the_Beach
Whenever, I see an article, oped, or something from a news service blasting GW, Rummy, Conservatives, Christians, Republicans, and our military, I run a Yahoo search on the author's name with Gay added.

I see that scripter and EdReform already saw this....good idea; I'll keep it in mind!

564 posted on 02/11/2005 8:39:19 AM PST by nicmarlo
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To: MeekOneGOP

"The blogosphere "is the international waters of the Internet age -- a lawless area where anything goes," said Matthew Felling, media director for the nonpartisan Center for Media and Public Affairs. "Sometimes that means information the quote-unquote mainstream media are keeping you from, and sometimes that means rumors the mainstream media responsibly ignores."
Ah! There you go! So when the Washington ComPost buries a story, they are being "responsible"."

Exactly right. The Trenton state house reporters knew about McGreevey and Cipel but kept the story from the public. Despite the fact that so-called "gay rights" are being pushed in politics, McGreevey was able to get away with being a gay person pushing a secret gay agenda without the public knowing his true nature.
The Associated Press made a big spash by re-assigning three state-house reporters but they're back now.


565 posted on 02/11/2005 8:42:50 AM PST by jjmcgo
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To: VisualizeSmallerGovernment

Gene Gene the Dancing Machine.. llllooollll


GONGGGGGG!!!!!!


566 posted on 02/11/2005 8:42:54 AM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ...... The War on Terrorism is the ultimate 'faith-based' initiative.)
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To: nicmarlo
Web has changed the shape of 'reporting' (Balt Sun Lurking; FR and NCPAC mentioned)
567 posted on 02/11/2005 8:45:56 AM PST by nicmarlo
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To: MeekOneGOP

Thanks for the ping.


568 posted on 02/11/2005 8:46:21 AM PST by GOPJ (Jacksonville and the NFL did us proud. Thanks for a great show.)
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To: MD4Bush

Any thoughts?


569 posted on 02/11/2005 8:47:59 AM PST by woofie
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To: conservative in nyc

RE: Who is Michael Olesker? Did he just slip up here -- BIG TIME? Or is he just wrong about MD4BUSH's identity?

&&&&&
Michael Olesker is a regular, high profile columnist who is in an ongoing feud with Governor Ehrlich. He said something that the Governor said was a serious misquote last summer, so the Gov told his staff in Annapolis not to talk to Olesker until an apology was issued. - still waiting, as far as I know--

Governor Ehrlich was on the phone to our 9am talk show at 9:06am, steaming about this comment in Olesker's comment - another misquote according to the governor.


570 posted on 02/11/2005 8:50:40 AM PST by maica (Ask a Dem: "When did promoting Democracy and Freedom in the World become a Bad Thing??")
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To: Alia

Pseudonym *ping*.. fyi


571 posted on 02/11/2005 8:51:13 AM PST by JesseJane (KERRY: I have had conversations with leaders, yes, recently.That's not your business, it's mine.)
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To: conservative in nyc

Bottom line is, whether pacific or east coast time, there is no way compost can claim that they got the e-mails from the public post by MD4. They either got illicit copies of private messages, or MD4 is a compost/DUmbocrat operative. WaPo has no integrity, none, zip, zero, nada (to quote maha rushie). The irony is that today's compost story points their stinky little finger at the internet, when they are the disgusting liars.


572 posted on 02/11/2005 9:00:23 AM PST by advance_copy
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To: CyberAnt

"So .. what I see is the SLIMY media is sending people over to FR to corner people into private "chat" and then they have copies of all the conversations.

I don't like it. It's a form of entrapment."

Aren't reporters 'posed to identify themselves? Anything regarding the law?


573 posted on 02/11/2005 9:00:40 AM PST by Getsmart64 (..)
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To: freebilly

I agree that the average FR poster probably doesn't care that much if the Baltimore Mayor is behaving in similar fashion to his Police Commissioner and buddy, who is now in jail for using gov funds for his mistress (mistresses?). (The rumors about O'Malley were posted, irresponsibly IMHO, to the Baltimore Sun talk forum, long before a FReeper asked if the rumors were true and most responding FReepers debunked or through cold water on the rumors.)

The original Gannon story was the news that there was a conservative (gasp, hide the women and children) in the White House Press Corps (WHPC), most FReepers sure didn't think that was a scandal. The real scandal there was the lack of ideological diversity, often resulting in group think, among the WHPC. However, much of the WHPC thought it was a scandal that a conservative was among them, especially one who worked for a less-known new media outlet, making him an easy target for attack.

Two real scandals have now broken.

First, a mischaracterization of NCPAC's actions by the WaPo and the rest of the jackals in the media pack. As the last paragraph of the current WaPo article (much better and more balanced article than the rest) makes clear, NCPAC commented on the rumor, but did not appear to be spreading it.

The scandalous mischaracterization is being used to bloody Gov. Ehrlich by his political opponents and their willing accomplices in the media.

The scandalous mischaracterization is also being used by much of old media to trash the internet in general and FR in particular.

The scandal in the Gannon case is that the NY Times-owned Boston Globe (a former virtual subdidiary of the Kerry campaign) investigated journalist Gannon because he deviated too far from the liberals' group think. They trashed him as a phony journalist with an agenda, something that they never did with, for example, Helen Thomas. Further the media now use the case to further trash the internet, bloggers, etc.


574 posted on 02/11/2005 9:03:36 AM PST by BillF (Fight terrorists in Iraq & elsewhere, instead of waiting for them to come to America!)
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To: BillF; MD4Bush

Well, this has been an interesting week. I'm pretty convinced that MD4BUSH is an operative from Left, whether they are employed by The Compost or the Baltimore Fishwrap or not...

Hey, MD4BUSH - any comment on this, or are you too cowardly to show up and answer for this? We're waiting...


575 posted on 02/11/2005 9:07:29 AM PST by Chad Fairbanks (Celibacy is a hands-on job.)
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.


576 posted on 02/11/2005 9:09:02 AM PST by P_A_I
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To: cyncooper

I believe it's Wednesday.


577 posted on 02/11/2005 9:13:04 AM PST by lightingguy (Sorry, I got distracted)
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To: MeekOneGOP

Thanks for the ping!


578 posted on 02/11/2005 9:17:48 AM PST by Alamo-Girl
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To: Chad Fairbanks

The FReepmails from MD4Bush certainly show that he was either overzealous in the extreme or was trying to entrap NCPAC. Of course, as you can see from the last few paragraphs of the WaPo story, NCPAC refused to help spread the rumor, thus showing that the whole media circus is based on a lie.

NCPAC commented on a rumor, but did not spread it as far as can be determined on this record.


579 posted on 02/11/2005 9:20:47 AM PST by BillF (Fight terrorists in Iraq & elsewhere, instead of waiting for them to come to America!)
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To: MEG33; Lazamataz; Kay; nunya bidness; moonpie57; des; Ernest_at_the_Beach
If I'm going off base here, folks, please guide me home. However...
 
THIS IS GREAT!
 
The enemy has engaged, has returned fire, and, baby, the battle is on. They may have won a skirmish, but they've admitted there's a war.
 
 
 
Mr Burns

580 posted on 02/11/2005 9:36:13 AM PST by AnnaZ (Repent. The end is nigh.)
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