[dhuffman@awod.com]

Looking beyond the Foley follies flap, finally finished, can we take this as an object lesson against anony-blogging and realize that blog flogging is merely the latest incarnation of spam?

The problem is in two parts, anonymity and blog. Everyone has a right (small 'R') to anonymity and to blog their opinion. The only value of opinion is in the effort expended in its development and exposition. Who will work hard on an opinion by Anony Mouse Everyman?

I stand behind, taking credit and slings-and-arrows (and oh, God, the spam) for my opinions - over my name.

Screen names are merely epithets and not 'ding ach sich.'

[conservative in nyc]

While anonymity is never guaranteed on the Internet - a determined person can find out who you are if they really wanted to - that doesn't mean you must use your real name to be credible. The publishers of the Federalist Papers used pen names. That didn't make those works any less persuasive.

This country was founded in part on anonymous free speech.

As for this former Dem staffer - if he's behind the blog, can Chuck Schumer be far behind?