Posted on 11/05/2005 4:36:11 PM PST by kristinn
After yesterday's press conference in front of The Washington Post building in downtown Washington, D.C. that criticized The Post for violating their sourcing guidelines and for accessing a FreeRepublic.com account in possible violation of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, an editor for The Post is now claiming authorization to log-in to the account of MD4BUSH.
Earlier this week, Post Maryland editor R.B. Brenner made statements that reporter Matthew Mosk had logged in to MD4BUSH's account "two or three times" after being given the password by an "intermediary" in order to authenticate private messages sent between MD4BUSH and NCPAC on Free Republic.
Brenner has maintained that The Post does not know who MD4BUSH is.
Brenner is reported to have made the following statement to The Post for their story today about the press conference:
"As part of our reporting, we needed to verify that the chat room postings were authentic. We were authorized to view them, and it was appropriate to do so under the circumstances."
Link to Post article here.
It's a thread worth studying -
I have no knowledge of another thread on FR that has been pushed by drive-by posters like that one. Could someone have learned that Steffen was a Freeper and the attempt at dragging him in have started last summer?
JimRob will know from where the posts were made - how many different computers were used for the onetime posters.
Could it be totally unrelated to Steffen/NCPAC?
It definitely was someone wanted to spread the O'Malley story here. Everyone I knew in Baltimore had heard the rumors before I did, and I knew them before last summer.
I think Len Downie, Jr. needs an attorney, also. The initial story in February ran on the front page of The Post and had the potential of harming Gov. Ehrlich. No way he wouldn't be in the loop on this one.
I don't know if anyone from E&P was there. It was a good crowd in front of The Post building. Maybe a dozen reporters.
That is one of the great mysteries in this: How did MD4BUSH know to seek out NCPAC?
I remember reading all those postings from MD4Bush and knew right off he was not a Freeper. Like you I knew those were not the kind of things Freepers would be saying.
I find this to be a strange post – particularly in light of the other posters on this thread noting that MD4Bush is reported to have Freep-mailed directly “NCPAC” on the first day of registration????
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1246101/posts
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To: MD4Bush
Haven't had the chance to read all the posts yet.
Perhaps we've met?
25 posted on 10/15/2004 11:57:39 AM PDT by NCPAC (Social Darwinists Unite!)
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If they don't know who MD4Bush is, how could he have given them legal access. Did he sign his name with an "X"?
NCPAC was particular to Steffen - perhaps a previous job North Carolina PAC or something like that. I remember reading that he said he could be linked to that screenname.
Hi, haven't been able to keep up on things, moving from AZ to IN has taken its toll on my ability to follow things. What is MD4Bush?
MrEd1964
dempublican
baltimore
bug10
?authority
genevaz
tskitmir
chloec
superwoman4u2
MD4BUSH
theheadman
Thanks for collating the names on this thread.
I think a few of those are the same person, if not all of them. That's another violation of FR rules(multiple accounts) but that's nothing compared to the problems they're about to face.
They got it from Lucy Ramirez at a livestock sale.
I call bs on this too. The post is up to it to their eyeballs. They know they have been caught dirty.
MD4BUSHs very first post is to NCPAC. NCPAC was targeted. MD4BUSH is a post reporter.
Thanks for digging that out -
And also note that not only did they post on the one thread, they all opened their FR accounts within one week of each other (last week of July 04) - some on the same day....
The statistical odds of that happening by sheer coincidence on a single thread of just 100 posts are beyond calculation.
How did MD4BUSH know to seek out NCPAC?
I've found a few posts of NCPAC's (posted around the time of MD4BUSH's short stay here) that would make it quite easy for someone who closely follows Maryland politics to pick up on NCPAC's identity. (Bold for emphasis, comments in green are mine, and most importantly, please note the red snip from a Mosk WaPo article.)
"Did you mention FreeRepublic to him (Ehlrich)?"
I was at this news conference. Ehrlich also said the legislation was a $430 million tax increase to take care of a $30 million problem. The one quote of his in the posted article does not tell the story. It is possible MD4BUSH attended this conference in an official capacity with the WaPo and saw NCPAC there. Incidentally, Mosk wrote the following WaPo article as those he attended the conference: Stormy Session Ahead After Veto Of Insurance Bill Washington Post Staff Writers
I've known/worked in various capacities for and with the Governor since 1986. He and his wife, First Lady Kendel Ehrlich, are two of the classiest and ballsiest people I've ever met. I met Lt. Governor Steele in 2001 and I worked some with both the Governor and Lt. Governor on Ehrlich's 2002 Gubernatorial Campaign.
Over the past year or so, I've made both men aware of FreeRepublic. In fact, at the MD GOP Fall Convention a few weeks ago, I informed Steele directly of a lot of the praise/compliments/support he has from so many Freepers. After this discussion, one of Steele's aides asked me for FR's web address. I know this aide well, so I wouldn't be surprised if he was lurking on here now and then.
Rancor Between Ehrlich, Democrats Is Worsening
Tuesday, January 11, 2005; Page A01
Yesterday's gathering had all the trappings of a political celebration. With a bank of television cameras capturing the moment, Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) stood flanked by a crowd of legislative allies and lab coat-clad doctors, whose insurance woes had prompted him to call an emergency session of the General Assembly.
Snip:
At yesterday's news conference, Ehrlich seemed to be pointedly aware of the sentiment that the veto represents not a victory but a failure.
As he moved to sign the giant leg cast -- which was already decorated with 753 signatures of his supporters on the issue -- he had trouble finding an opening for his own name. "Maybe I should sign it on the Achilles' heel," he joked. Then, recognizing that it would be a fitting symbol, he asked a doctor to point him to the anatomically correct spot, leaned in and signed his name.
VANITY - Congressman Phil Crane's defeat.
"But as with all great stars in the galaxy, we best remember them when they were at their apex."
Yes, we do!
Thank you for your kind words on behalf of Congressman Crane. While I agree that the years had taken their toll in a number of ways, the good he did for this country and for the consertive movement is immeasurable.
To answer your question, I was the National Conservative Political Action Committee's press secretary and second spokesman (to NCPAC Chairman, Terry Dolan) from between 2/82 - 2/84.
NCPAC's identity should be easy to uncover from the comment in bold above.
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Posted by NCPAC to BillyBoy On News/Activism 08/13/2004 9:12:49 AM CDT · 41 of 42 It's a matter of semantics, then. I consider anyone who averages 76% ACU rating over 8 years to be a conservative - especially since I know Ehrlich had a number of years in the mid-upper 80's, ratings-wise. I know the Ehrlich history well, having been involved in three of his campaigns. He is the best candidate I have ever met/worked/consulted/strategized with and I've worked in professional politics for the last 20plus years. On the stump, he is incredible. More importantly, he sticks to his guns. If he says he is going to do something, he does it - or takes the loss and the hit. He does not flip-flop or cave-in to anyone's demands. He is who he is. (FWIW, the Bush campaign last week tapped Ehrlich to be a surrogate for the President in a number of the Battleground States.) |
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Discovering who served on these three campaigns and combining that with the tidbits above basically confirms NCPAC's identity.
Lastly, while googling NCPAC/Steffen, I was appalled to read some of the horrible comments and disparaging remarks made about him. His name has truly been dragged through the mud. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help vindicate a fellow freeper and conservative.
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