Ehrlich decries MD4Bush praise

Baltimore Sun ^ | 12/18/05 | David Nitkin

[conservative in nyc]

Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. criticized yesterday Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley, a rival in the governor's race, for praising a surreptitious Internet user who lured an Ehrlich aide into circulating rumors about the mayor's personal life.

Speaking on his bimonthly WBAL radio show, Ehrlich said MD4Bush, the screen name of an anonymous visitor to a conservative Web site, discussed rumors about O'Malley and insulted Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, and should not be applauded.

On Friday, O'Malley, a Democrat, said he wanted to thank MD4Bush for helping expose the role of an Ehrlich aide in talking about the mayor's personal life. The Internet user coaxed another freerepublic.com visitor, who used the name NCPAC, into talking about O'Malley and how rumors were being spread.

NCPAC, later revealed to be Joseph F. Steffen Jr., said that a few people worked behind the scenes to give the rumors life. The Internet exchange was later provided to a Washington Post reporter, who wrote a story about it.

--Snip--

Praising MD4Bush, Ehrlich said, is "weird and strange and inexplicable, and I don't get it."

The mayor "is praising a person who went on the Internet to repeat rumors that were around here for years and years and years. And don't forget: Years ago it was members of the City Council who were spreading the rumors," Ehrlich said. "The story is old. Please, mayor ... fill two minutes with your school system, with your crime rate. Do something. But no one is buying this stuff. Particularly me.

"So, message to mayor: Come out with it. If there was some operation here, a bunch of Democratic operatives got out of hand, come out with it, and we'll go on to talk about education, higher education, and jobs and the economy and the Chesapeake Bay."...

--Snip--

[conservative in nyc]

These are the strongest words yet heard from the governor. The gloves appear to be off.

As always, this Sunpaper article was excerpted due to copyright restrictions. There is more at the link, including O'Malley's spokesman, Steve Kearney's response. Steve Kearney who worked with MD4Bush suspect Ryan O'Doherty at the Baltimore Archdiocese and tried to get Mr. O'Doherty a job at city hall. His main response: "we don't have any interest in Governor Ehrlich's whining."

[conservative in nyc]

MD4Bush Ping!

[Anti-Bubba182]

"The gloves appear to be off."

They need to be off if Ehrlich is to survive politically.

[JudgemAll]

So was this a suspected ploy to make FR look bad?

[nopardons]

The gloves need to stay off!

[advance_copy]

MD4BUSH is a Maryland DemocRAT and probably an O'Malley operative. I'll bet that O'Malley knew about this thing long before it ever happened. Probably cooked the MD4BUSH stunt up at a meeting with his political staff, of which the Washington Post Maryland reporter is an ex-officio member.

[commonguymd]

The O'Malley Crowd are bad, bad people.

[Alia]

Yep, the gloves are off. :) The Gov said it best: Why would O'Malley even waste his time on this rumor as old as the hills in Maryland and then go public with praising this MD4BUSH for continuing to spread the rumor(s). lol.

[ricks_place]

Maryland Governor Bob Ehrlich (R) banned his Maryland State Officials from talking to David Nitkin and one other Baltimore Sun reporter after repeated, unfounded, egregious attacks on the Governor and his administration. The Baltimore Sun even sued the administration in a claimed right to interrogate Maryland State Officials. The Baltimore Sun's supposed "subpoena power" was dismissed. Ironically, the Baltimore Sun turned around and banned their reporters from talking to WBAL radio when the Baltimore Sun's actual and continuing misdeeds were reported and discussed on WBAL talk radio! WBAL radio has not claimed any right to subpeona reporters to my knowledge.

David Nitkin grudgingly says that this was a Democrat dirty trick but still appears to fault the Governor. David Nitkin must be fuming.

[Vigilanteman]

The latest chapter in the MD4Bush story unfolded last week when freerepublic.com officials confirmed that one of the e-mail addresses used to register and maintain the account came from the Maryland Democratic Party.

In other words, this is the equivalent of Bill Clinton having one of his admirers spread a rumor that Billy has trouble keeping his pecker where it belongs, then running to his media buddies to have them accuse the vast right-wing conspiracy of dirty tricks.

[GOP_Proud]

Aren't all the MD4BUSH links required in this thread? LOL

[Grampa Dave]

Time to chill the beer and lemonade, start popping the popcorn and arranging our Lazy Boys to watch the upcoming cat fights.

[Mo1]

Speaking on his bimonthly WBAL radio show, Ehrlich said MD4Bush, the screen name of an anonymous visitor to a conservative Web site, discussed rumors about O'Malley and insulted Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, and should not be applauded.

Interesting that he mentioned Mikulski

[darkangel82]

So was this a suspected ploy to make FR look bad? Yes.

[an amused spectator]

On Friday, O'Malley, a Democrat, said he wanted to thank MD4Bush for helping expose the role of an Ehrlich aide in talking about the mayor's personal life.

It's nice to know that some of the more powerful 40ish up-and-comers are still clueless about computers. Or they think that the inexorable "toys" don't apply to them. After all, he's got a degree in "lore", don't he? ;-)

[Woodstock]

I love this, yes I do...yes I do...

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Praising MD4Bush, Ehrlich said, is "weird and strange and inexplicable, and I don't get it."

The cognitive dissonance of liberals is pretty weird and strange.