[NonValueAdded]

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

BAD REPORTING! FR proper does not have a chat room. FReepmail between NCPAC and MD4BUSH would be just that: between them. Calling that kind of exchange a chat, while it might meet the dictionary definition of the word, does NOT meet the computer-related meaning of the word. In computerese, a chat is an open dialog posted for many to see. The WaPo must know this and therefore are altering the facts to make a case stronger than actually exists. Bad editing at best; malfeasance at worst.

I still hold that NCPAC's open comments were innocuous and that this is now more of a smear on NCPAC than it was on O'Malley. I am VERY disappointed that the original thread was pulled for reason "rumor." It has gone way beyond that now and ironically, the WaPo has turned it into news. For NCPAC to get a fair shake in the court of public opinion, it is now necessary that the entire context of his remarks be made public.

I understand that in this day of lawsuits that Jim Robinson must think of the consequences of taking a principled stand. I would recommend putting back up the original thread without the original content - replace it with a big blinking "rumor" - but leave the ensuing discussion so one could see that NCPAC's only transgression is a private conversation with a troll. The few posts that might contain a snippet of the original thread could likewise be edited. I think we have A DUTY to do at least that much.

[conservative in nyc]

The original threads are back. Jim Robinson overruled whoever first pulled the threads.

[MEG33]

It's back up..and the MD4Bush account is alive..Just in case he cares to comment..(when it snows in hell)The mods removed it but JR decided to let it all go back up. I was one of the ones that alerted the mods...(midnightish) CST

[nicmarlo]

I still hold that NCPAC's open comments were innocuous and that this is now more of a smear on NCPAC than it was on O'Malley.

I agree; I also agree that MD4Bush is a troll.....and he's to be just as despised as another fraud, John Kerry.

[NonValueAdded]

And to revise and extend my remarks in the best traditions of the US Congress:

1) The original thread is back up. Thank you, Jim Robinson.

2) When I said "I think we have A DUTY to do at least that much," I meant to repost the orignal thread, not to redact it. The suggestion to redact the thread was meant to provide middle ground. But as I said in my post, the WaPo has turned this into a legitimate news story, albeit by illegitimate means IMHO, and the original thread is vital to show the overreach of the WaPo article.

And of course our founder knew this and acted appropriately.