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?"

[Royal Wulff]

I thought only the FreepMails *to* MD4Bush had been posted. Can you give me a link to the mails from him?

[conservative in nyc]

Click on the Washington Post story. That's the only place I found any FReepmails FROM MD4Bush.

[BillF]

I think you're right about MD4Bush.

I had just reviewed the MD4Bush posts quickly before I made the post that you replied to. He said a couple things that a liberal might be reluctant to say, or so I thought late at night, apparently in error.

Several hours after that post of mine, I reviewed MD4Bush posts in more detail and, more importantly, the WaPo-printed purported FReepmails from MD4Bush to NCPAC. I then posted that MD4Bush had possibly set out to goad and entrap NCPAC and that I was modifying my earlier expressed opinion.

Reading MD4Bush earlier today after I got some sleep, and especially considering that MD4Bush has apparently NOT offered any explanations as suggested by Jim Robinson, MD4Bush was clearly out to get one or more FReepers.

I was not naive, just wrong.

My only consolation is that at least someone else has been more wrong (click here). :)

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for your comments and keep us posted on this.

What is the term to describe when so called reporters actually create news or a mini scandal and try to call it news?

[BillF]

What is the term to describe when so called reporters actually create news or a mini scandal and try to call it news?

You mean "yellow journalism?"

Or thinking that most Old Media journalists are "yellow dog Democrats," maybe this should be called "yellow dog Democrat journalism?"

[Grampa Dave]

You may be right.

I know that the socialists so called journalists in Germany did this to help Hitler gain power and stay in power.

This is a name for this faux journalism where the so called reporters create the news that they report on.

[conservative in nyc]

Well, unless we've been missing a Free Republic O'Malley rumor before 7/19/04, Free Republic isn't the first Internet site on which the O'Malley rumors were spread. Check out these posts in July 4-7, 2004 mailbag on dcrtv.com, which seems to be frequented by... the local Baltimore and Washington TV and radio media:

Dave, Have you heard anything about the reported affair with [a certain Baltimore mayor] and [a certain former Baltimore TV anchor]. She left the station a few months ago. I will tell you this, I have a close friend who works at one of the Baltimore TV stations (I can't say which) and this story is starting to come out. Was told she just had twin babies and part of the move to NY was because of this messy affair with the mayor. Just wanted to pass this along to you. Thanks, Jerry MacNeish (7/4/04)

Interesting bio for Baltimorean Sade Baderinwa at WABC 7 New York's website. Gotta love the bungee jumping part!..... abclocal.go.com/wabc (7/4/04)

Sick of reading the veiled references to "a certain Baltimore Mayor" and "a certain former Baltimore TV anchor" who moved to NY, is allegedly having twins. THE RUMOR ISN'T TRUE. You don't have to have "a close friend" at one of the stations to know it's crap. The rumor has taken on various characters over the last *three* years, with a different anchor each time. Please know, all the people in one local newsroom chuckle at these allegations every time they come up. (7/5/04)

The sad part about the 'mayor/anchor' rumor mill is that the media see this stuff all the time. And they do nothing about it. I don't buy the line that the media can't 'out' someone. You can bet if it were a Republican mayor fratenizing with someone, the media would be all over it. Just look at how they treat the Bush twins. However, given their biases, the media did nothing while watching Clinton and Lewinsky fratenize at a Starbucks almost next door to WUSA. I think its the media who start and fan these rumor flames just so they have something to chuckle about when they have nothing to report. (7/5/04)

I concur about the postings of an anchor and Mayor sleeping together. It is not true. Sade Baderinwa and Mayor Martin O'Malley DID NOT sleep together. DAVE PLEASE KEEP THE NAME IN THERE! We are not stupid, and everyone knows who this is talking about. Duh! She went to NYC in August last year, and it's been almost 11 months. Sade hasn't had any time off to have a baby, and hasn't had any time off and been back in time to have an abortion. Look at her photo provided (abclocal.go.com/wabc), does it look like she had a baby? I think not!!! Besides, the Mayor and his wife were at the City Hall Open House a few weeks ago together without a problem. Granted, these things could be hidden to public, but come on. This rumor has been around for at least three years and involved 1 anchor from WJZ, and about 3 or 4 from WBAL, and 2 from Fox45 -- none from ABC2. This is all of the scenarios I have heard. It was funny at first, but now average people are asking about this. You'd think the someone put a billboard up saying this because police are asking, PIOs, viewers, people who see our marked vehicles on the street, and while on other stories. Got a question to ask, do so instead of fueling the rumor! Call NYC and ask for her, and call City Hall to ask for him. PLEASE STOP! SIGNED, Cool Dude (Really, how many of think this is true, or are you all just having fun keeping it going?) (7/5/04)

Dave's response: Memo to the WMAR promotion department - put together a news ethics PR campaign touting the fact that not one of your female (or male) news reporters or anchors has been rumored to have slept with the mayor.....

Over the past few years I’ve seen the rumors of "a certain Baltimore Mayor" and "a certain former Baltimore TV anchor" who moved to NY in a whole series of guises. At various times it’s been “a certain Washington DC Mayor,” “a certain DC area County Executive,” “a certain area School Superintendent,” or “a certain area Police Commissioner,” and “a certain TV anchor,” “a certain TV weather person,” “a certain area Washington DC athlete,” and—oddly enough—nothing has ever come of any of it. Me thinks a rather repetitive area wag wastes too much time trying to fool the local media with this stuff. As for the local CBS affiliate going blank for 15 minutes…who could really see any difference? Dave In Sterling. (7/5/04)

Dave's response: Hey's, the July 4th holiday is a slooooow news period. So, 15 minutes of dead air on on 9 becomes big news.....

All of those same "local newsroom people chuckle" also when "the Baltimore mayor" passes out during a local concert too, but they don't ever report it, do they? Oh, I guess that's not news if the mayor is hung over after a late long show for tomorrow's tough city business day, huh? Maybe the rumors have no credibility at all, but the fact that "the Baltimore mayor" and WJZ 13 chose to respond to it in some hastily staged goofy family/mayor story, does add a news angle to the story. I doubt it will go anywhere, as there is one thing that most people believe more than most "local newsroom people"... we know you all would cover up for him or any other politician, regardless of party, as much as you would cover up for yourselves in a certain given necessary situation. Imagine the day when a certain mayor's press secretary doesn't return your call and you miss "the big story", huh? Well, we know that doesn't happen does it? Personally I'm tired of this rumor as well and think until someone files legal papers or public info appears, it should probably just go away. Oh, I almost forgot, even legal trouble for local newspeople sometimes magically goes away. Imagine that, huh? -------VOICE OF THE PEOPLE (7/6/05)

[MeekOneGOP]

What is the term to describe when so called reporters actually
create news or a mini scandal and try to call it news?

Uh, "Ratherism?" .....

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[maica]

Nice find!!!

FYI, Governor Ehrlich will be on WBAL from about 10:06 to 10:30, a regular Saturday feature of Bruce Elliott's show.
http://www.wbal.com/

[bert]

.....It looks to be an overall talking point in the MSM to push the blogs and political sites on both sides to the fringes....

A counter attack resulting from fear and envy, a death rattle from deep in a diseased and dying dinosaur.

[conservative in nyc]

There's more, brought to you by the wonders of Google... I have no idea what to make of it. But these rumors were NOT started on Free Republic, for sure:

-Two 6/18/04 dcrtv.org Mailbag Items:

I Told You So. The [Baltimore mayor] s*** is about to hit the fan! Get ready for the revelation of the “rumor mongering” disclosed a couple of weeks ago about a potential paternity suit involving a recent NYC bound Bmore TV anchor and our mayor. The Mrs. moved out 3 weeks ago and is living at the family compound in AA county. (6/18/04)

Re: "I Told You So"....... Well, I guess you didn't notice WJZ 13 is advertising today an in-depth interview with the "Baltimore mayor's" happy family altogether at their home tonight with the wife and the kids. Interesting timing for that "exclusive interview", though huh? :-) Joe in Essex (6/18/04)

-A July 2-11, 2004 Usenet thread in balt.general started by "Billy D": Anyone know which city bigwig "knocked up" a Channel 11 reporter

-And a DU thread about the rumors on January 4-7, 2005. One of the posts links threads in the Sun's message boards.

[Grampa Dave]

Maybe we can start a new word, "Ratherism" to label an action where the mediots created the news so they could report it.

[BillF]

Outstanding research! And I'll say that you've also been great in starting a lot of these threads about O'Mally - NCCAP.

I emailed the info to Bruce Eliot Show on WBAL http://www.wbal.com.

Governor is expected on the show very shortly.

[Mo1]

WOW .. great research

[BillF]

Conservative, you've done more great research.

In case you haven't seen the below, HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity posted the below quite interesting post (click here for thread):

No, but the program host and station manager have both been on air stating that they were first approached with the rumor by a "Democrat operative" associated with Montgomery County politics. This would imply a regional rival for the governor's race INSIDE the Democrat Party. In other words, DEMOCRATS were spreading the rumors about O'Malley.

The radio program mentioned that there has been some contact between FR (Jim Robinson was mentioned)and the governor's office of Maryland which is doing an internal investigation of the scandal. The implication was that there is some information to be passed regarding this.

I can't verify these details. But that is what was discussed on the radio program (WBAL.com).

posted on 02/12/2005 5:14:30 AM PST by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity

[maica]

Great job. I just taped the conversation with Rob Douglas.

[BillF]

maica said: Great job. I just taped the conversation with Rob Douglas.

The kudos go to HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity on that. I was just quoting from his great post on another thread as linked in my 695.

What conversation? Who is Rob Douglas? Who was he talking to? What was said? Was the conversation on WBAL? Maybe you have the address of another thread with this info?

PS. Thanks for the FReepmail.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Who is Rob Douglas?

WBAL talk radio host in Baltimore covering the story.

http://www.wbal.com

http://www.wbal.com/shows/douglas/

They have been running interviews with a Freeper named "Robert" who has outlined and explained the textual history on FR of exchanges between "MD4BUSH" and "NCPAC" leading up to the story in The Washington Post. The host of the show has hinted that he knows who "MD4BUSH" is and is calling upon him to "out himself." What a riot! Hilarious story.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Summary of WBAL.com radio interview:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1341711/posts?page=90#90

[Samwise]