Journalists asked about mayor buzz [O'Malley, Democrat sleaze, MD4Bush]

Washington Times ^ | February 20, 2005 | AP

[Jim Robinson]

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Jervis S. Finney, chief counsel to Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., has questioned two journalists about "MD4BUSH," an anonymous contributor to a Web site that posted rumors about Mayor Martin O'Malley.

Mr. Finney said he was asking the questions as part of his investigation into the activities of Joseph Steffen, an aide to the governor who was fired Feb. 8 for his involvement in spreading rumors about Mr. O'Malley's personal life, the Baltimore Sun reported.

~snip~

In a Feb. 16 letter to Sun reporter Michael Dresser, Mr. Finney cited a federal appeals court panel's decision last week that undercut reporters' right to shield their sources. In a letter to Sun columnist Michael Olesker, Mr. Finney wondered "whether you are in fact 'MD4BUSH.' "

~snip~

Mr. Olesker and Mr. Dresser said they had no knowledge of MD4BUSH.

"Of course I'm not that guy," Mr. Olesker said. "It's not me, and I have no idea who it is."

Said Mr. Dresser: "I am not MD4BUSH, and I would not care to speculate who MD4BUSH might be."

~snip~

Mr. Olesker and Mr. Dresser appear to be the only ones to have received written questions last week as part of the investigation.

Mr. Finney said that he "verbally" asked other media members about MD4BUSH and intends to follow up in written form. He said the decision to question the press is part of his effort to conduct a thorough investigation into the spreading of the rumors about the mayor.

"I am trying to seek information that is relevant to the governor, whether a state employee or official might be MD4BUSH," he said.

[airborne]

I believe he broke the MD4Bush story and I doubt he can deny knowing MD4Bush's real ID (the proof of this is in our logs).

You know! Do you think the time will come when someone in authority gets around to asking you? And can you even tell?

[SC Swamp Fox]

Do you think the time will come when someone in authority gets around to asking you? And can you even tell?

In the FreeRepublic Registration and User Agreement the paragraph on "Confidentiality" states that FR would make it's "best efforts" to maintain security over personal information. However, two paragraphs later the paragraph on "Indemnification" pretty much gives FR a free hand to do what they want.

It is my guess that JR is going to sit on the information until a subpoena arrives. He is then forced to give up the information and he hasn't broken the agreement.

Confidentiality: Free Republic agrees to use its best efforts to maintain security over personal information submitted by user in confidence on this form and agrees not to disclose e-mail address, password or any personal information about user to any third party.

Indemnification: User agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Free Republic and its owners, officers, management, employees and providers from any loss, liability, cost, damage or suit (including attorneys' fees) for breach of this agreement, copyright violation, libel, slander, misuse of data, errors or omissions, or any other legal theory, to the proportionate extent caused by or contributed to by any act or omission of user, in whole or in part, including without limitation any and all such claims brought by user or any third party or lawsuit. Free Republic is not responsible for and is not liable for any loss of data or loss of access to data for any reason. Free Republic is not responsible for and is not liable for any unauthorized use of user account.

[airborne]

Thanks for the info. I don't want anything to happen to Jim or freeRepublic. This place has a bullseye painted on it by the MSM and the DUmmies on the left. They would do ANYTHING to hurt this place.

[BigSkyFreeper]

The odds are very remote that MD4BUSH was a pubbie, given the coordination between the release of the WashPost story and the spamming of previously private freepmail exchanges between NCPAC and MD4BUSH into three places in FR just minutes before the story was posted on the WashPost website.

My thinking is MD4BUSH was used by Dummie operatives to meld into FR without raising the suspicion he/she/they were Democrats. If the handle was MD4KERRY, red flags would have been going up all over the place here, and the person(s) would have been zotted big time.

[ILLUMINATI_216]

Upon reviewing posts by md4bush, I noticed one in particular that gave away his liberal identity from 11/08/04, soon after the elections:


Specter Defends Record on Judiciary
Posted by MD4Bush to Clive
On News/Activism 11/08/2004 4:39:02 PM EST · 4 of 22

I don't know where he was on Bork (the most brilliant conservative and legal mind in the 2oth cent) But I do know that the christians who delivered this election for bush want his head on a platter!!!



Note that he did not capitalize the "C" in the word "Christians", or a capital "B" in "Bush" but elsewhere he did use capital letters where gramatically correct.

[faq]

I'm trying to understand how MD4BUSH and the Washington Post knew for certain that NCPAC was Steffen. If NCPAC never gave his name, how would they know? If he didn't give it, was electronic eavesdropping going on? Is that legal? Is there any legal way that MD4BUSH could have gotten his name? Is that grounds for a subpoena?

[ILLUMINATI_216]

ncpac probably gave md4bush his name in a private freepmail.

md4bush did post private freepmails bewteen the two but we don't know if md4bush posted EVERY freepmail.

otherwise some liberal working in maryland state government might have caught on to steffan's log on name via conversations at the water cooler or via eavesdropping.

of course, we could ask steffan himself.

but he'll probably have no comment since the coniving liberal MSM is obviously lurking around, looking for a pulitzer piece.

advancing the politics of personal destruction against republicans is a badge of honor for the BS-un and WashComPost reporters.

[faq]

ncpac probably gave md4bush his name in a private freepmail.

I don't think this is very likely. Besides, it sounded to me that Steffen didn't know how he got it.

otherwise some liberal working in maryland state government might have caught on to steffan's log on name via conversations at the water cooler or via eavesdropping.

OK, but consider this, if you were a journalist and someone you didn't know came up to you with this important story and said "Here are some posts from this guy I've been talking to on the internet and he is an aid to the governor. And no, I don't have any proof of that, but a friend of mine knows this guy who's secretary works in the governors office and she claims this guy is NCPAC." Would you believe him and take this story to print? No, the only way a journalist would take the guy at his word without proof is if the journalist knew MD4BUSH personally.

[ILLUMINATI_216]

"OK, but consider this, if you were a journalist" .......


Please no profanity or personal attacks on the board!

What a horrifying thought!