Scandal Puts Focus On Role of Bloggers (WaPo on FR, NCPAC and MD4Bush)

Washington Post ^ | 02/11/05 | David Snyder and Matthew Mosk

[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?"

[Alia]

Bang on! Dolphy. Very good catch and insight: and so true. It's not a secretive WH; it's a WH which uses communication in a far more effective manner. And based on real facts.

[Chad Fairbanks]

My IQ is "Wah!"? Ooooooookay... That makes absolutely zero sense.

However, I will say that well over 90% of the FReepers here oppose open borders and illegal immigration. So, based on that (and the fact that 90% + are not lying) your little complaint is nothing but whining without a basis in fact.

So bite me.

[Alia]

You are right. However, I'm wondering... could we post pictures of.. others.. as ourselves? The MSM wants to play at this masquerade, let 'em have a ball. But, of course, this would be very confusing to newbies. Best to play it straight. Or, post pictures of Freepers with their faces "hidden". :) It's what anarchy intnl does with their "black hoods". It's what the MSM does, literally; it darkens, blacks out whatever they don't want the public to see.

[conservative in nyc]

I guess in my quest to figure out MD4BUSH's identity, I didn't really comment on the WaPo article itself. It's actually quite decent, and a lot better than earlier articles.

Sure, there are a few relatively minor flaws:

1) The WaPo's keeps on calling this place a blog instead of a forum. This is somewhat understandable, given most of their readers won't appreciate the difference anyway.

2) I think they slightly mischaracterized the WaPo settlement. As I understand it, we can excerpt the most relevant portions of their articles, regardless of where the text appears. This is important because reporters (especially at the NYT) sometimes bury what we think should be the lead.

3) I'm not sure why Jim Robinson was characterized as "reclusive".

IMHO, the Washington Post is not as lost a cause as the New York Times. They at least are listening to our concerns. They also spent considerable effort actually investigating the Swift Boat Veterans' claims. We might not have liked the result of their investigation, but at least they tried.

Call me naive, but I still don't think there's sufficient evidence on this thread to counter the WaPo's contention that they don't even know MD4BUSH's identity. But Jim Robinson knows plenty that we don't know, and seems to be on to something. I don't know what it is, but have watched enough TV crime dramas to know arsonists often return to gawk at the fire. MD4BUSH: Care to explain what you were up to here? Something seems rotten.

[CyberAnt]

Eason just resigned!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Yes we are having a BIG PARTY over here:

EASON JORDAN JUST RESIGNED (Updated Info)

[GOP_1900AD]

Is dc925er (at the Baltimore Sun forum) MD4Bush? (Or perhaps are they husband and wife?). Note the familiarity with that Atlantic Monthly article:

dc925er
Member

Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Washington, DC, USA
Posts: 1,488
Quote:
Originally Posted by capn mike
Bobby will now try to have the WashPo banned from the StateHouse.


Hahahaha!!!

This is absolutely stomach turning. I can't imagine the bile in the throats of everyone in O'Malley's and Curran's families.

Maybe Ehrlich's administration has been learning from Karl Rove? http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200411/green

The worst thing is the guy only owned up when a reporter came to his house with print outs of the e-mails. Sorry, my ass. He's sorry he got caught. I can just see him as a little kid, his mother dragging him by the scruff of his neck to the neighbor's house.

"Tell Mrs. Smith you're sorry."

"Sorry, Mrs. Smith," he'd say, with his fingers crossed behind his back.

This guy deserves to be unemployed for the rest of his life. Total scum.

And SWK, it doesn't matter if he started it or propogated it. That's really small of you. And it's small of everyone who has gossiped about it over the last year, too.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1246101/posts

To: NCPAC

I sent this post to you, did you get it? We need this kinda stuff in MD.

"There was a great article in the atlantic (lib mag my wife reads) about Rove. The writer whines all about Rove?s tricks, but they work and he is a genius. He got a rumor started about this dem judge who gave a lot of money to a charity for kids, so they took those pictures of the judge with the kids and said he was a gay pedophile. It worked.

Check it out: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200411/green

"

24 posted on 10/15/2004 11:16:05 AM PDT by MD4Bush (Bush must win)

[GOP_1900AD]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1246101/posts

TIPP Tracking poll 10/15/04 Bush 47% Kerry 44, Bush 47%-43% 2 way.
Posted by maica to GOP_1900AD
On News/Activism 02/11/2005 5:47:46 PM PST ? 79 of 81

I think the 'details' in all these posts would make a Hollywood screenwriter a little jealous.

#53: MrEd1964- - - -July 24
#55 demopublican- -July 24 <-- [who uses the same handle at the Sun forum! ]
#63 Bug10- - - - - - - July 27
#66,69 ?authority - - July 31, Aug 4
#70 genevaz- - - - - - Aug 6
#71 tskitmir- - - - - - Aug 14
#72 chloec- - - - - - -Sep 3
#74 superwoman4u2- -Sep 11

There were almost solely "distinctive" posters from July 24 until Sep 3. There is no way that lurkers alone would be finding this particular thread once or twice a week for a two months span.

Someone was trying hard to spread the rumor. I certainly hope it was not NCPAC, (who did not seem to mind using Caps) like these posters did.

[CyberAnt]

I just love it when a plan comes together.

And these people think they're capable of ruling the world and they can't even pull off a good dirty trick - ROTFLOL!! This has made my day!!!

[King Prout]

A 1 week old newbie used professional flattery to break NCPAC's back.

hell of a warning to us all, isn't it?

[longtermmemmory]

The MSM must realy like using the wrong word "blog" because it sounds like "blob".

FR is a forum. HOWEVER if the correct description of forum is used then they can't attack FR as easily. After all FR is a 24/7 townhall meeting where everyone is engaged in the marketplace of ideas.

Somebody and somehow we need to educate the MSM mediots. Blogs are open streaming diaries/journals, not forums for all.

[Cicero]

You're being naive. I've read some of MD4BUSH's posts, and they sound very much like a mole provacateur. He even has the Compost habit of speaking of himself as a blogger.

Either he works for the Post, or he's a Dem operative who passed his private freepmails to the Post.

[longtermmemmory]

Perhaps a freeper calling themselves a "blogger" will be a sign of a troll. This is much like the seminar callers which say "Rush I agree with you but,...."

BTW why did the MSM never find issue with the creation of seminar callers? Why does the MSM not have a problem with pineta's little dnc think tank having trolling a part of their jobs? Why does the MSM have no problem with Soros paying groups to be anti-bush?

Answer: because the MSM can not see evil, hear no evil, or speak of evil.

[Cicero]

Actually, this latest ComPost article is rather mysterious. Unless you've kept up with this case, you'd hardly know what they are talking about.

The really interesting point is that the bring in MD4BUSH for the first time. MD4BUSH is obviously the key. He's either a Compost reporter or a Dem operative (probably from Baltimore) who is working in cahoots with the Compost.

No lies in this column either, as far as I could tell, unlike the one yesterday which was chock full of lies and mischaracterizations. It seems as if they are getting a little more cautious. I don't blame them, after the fall of Rather and Eason. They could be next if they aren't careful.

In fact I believe they have already crossed the point of no return. Cooperating with an agent provacateur to publish a private email correspondence and then lying about the contents of posted threads and perhaps the emails as well. That's not smart, when there's a large electronic trail here at FR.

[GOP_1900AD]

He / she never fully develops any thoughts when it comes to the things we normally discuss here. And while not exactly a single issue poster, he / she mostly deals with O'Malley related topics. He also proposes outright unlawful activity and shows a very mean spirited side. No doubt, not a real FReeper.

[GOP_1900AD]

Here is something I found interesting and posted on another thread. The first part I found lurking over at the Baltimore Sun forum today:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1340900/post

Posted by GOP_1900AD to Ernest_at_the_Beach; conservative in nyc; nicmarlo; Grampa Dave; staytrue; dirtboy; advance_copy; ..
On News/Activism 02/11/2005 6:12:58 PM PST ? 667 of 675

Is dc925er (at the Baltimore Sun forum) MD4Bush? (Or perhaps are they husband and wife?). Note the familiarity with that Atlantic Monthly article:

dc925er
Member

Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Washington, DC, USA
Posts: 1,488
Quote:
Originally Posted by capn mike
Bobby will now try to have the WashPo banned from the StateHouse.


Hahahaha!!!

This is absolutely stomach turning. I can't imagine the bile in the throats of everyone in O'Malley's and Curran's families.

Maybe Ehrlich's administration has been learning from Karl Rove? http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200411/green

The worst thing is the guy only owned up when a reporter came to his house with print outs of the e-mails. Sorry, my ass. He's sorry he got caught. I can just see him as a little kid, his mother dragging him by the scruff of his neck to the neighbor's house.

"Tell Mrs. Smith you're sorry."

"Sorry, Mrs. Smith," he'd say, with his fingers crossed behind his back.

This guy deserves to be unemployed for the rest of his life. Total scum.

And SWK, it doesn't matter if he started it or propogated it. That's really small of you. And it's small of everyone who has gossiped about it over the last year, too.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1246101/posts

To: NCPAC

I sent this post to you, did you get it? We need this kinda stuff in MD.

"There was a great article in the atlantic (lib mag my wife reads) about Rove. The writer whines all about Rove?s tricks, but they work and he is a genius. He got a rumor started about this dem judge who gave a lot of money to a charity for kids, so they took those pictures of the judge with the kids and said he was a gay pedophile. It worked.

Check it out: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200411/green

"

24 posted on 10/15/2004 11:16:05 AM PDT by MD4Bush (Bush must win)

[Fido969]

The whole WP story stinks.

"Copies of those chat room e-mails were later provided to The Washington Post."

Journalism 101 - where is the source? Even "an unnamed source" or a "confidential source"? A careful reading of the article shows that the writers were falling all over themselves NOT to reveal certain information. This story stinks to high heaven.

If a reporter was behind it, he will lose his job and career - this is manufacturing a story. It smells more like a 'rat job, all reporters have a few inside 'rats in bed with them and most MSM nitwits are more than willing to repeat verbatim as "news" any loopy left drivel fed to them. Where WP could get creamed is if the reporters had knowledge of the inside job either a priori source disclosure or had knowledge of illegal (or unethical) activity that was not disclosed.

[Cicero]

The formatting is a bit hard to understand on your post, but I've been told that there has been a great deal of discussion of the scandal at the Baltimore Post, and that that discussion predates any threads on FR. I also read here that the Baltimore Sun has recently removed the earlier posts, perhaps because they undermine the charge that FR is responsible for spreading these rumors.

Personally I knew nothing about the whole business until it blew up yesterday. I missed seeing any of the earlier posts at that time, and so, I imagine, did most Freepers. It was minor stuff, hardly what you might call a propaganda campaign against the rockstar mayor.

[Cicero]

The article published in the ComPost yesterday was really rebarbative. This one is more controlled. In fact it's hard to say what it's purpose is, other than that the ComPost was determined to launch a multi-day propaganda campaign againt the governor and they had to keep it alive by publishing SOMETHING.

Too late. This story will fly about as far as those forged National Guard documents. It's not forgery, but it appears to be malicious slander and lies and complicity in political entrapment.

[GOP_1900AD]

The main element of that was that both MB4Bush here at FR as well as well as dc925er at the Sun both referenced the same Atlantic Article about Rove. I find that fascinating.