Posted on 05/28/2010 2:24:44 PM PDT by pissant
Let’s backtrack. Yesterday, at 2:50 p.m., the siren goes up and Erick Erickson announces that “We know who paid Will Folks to push this story out there.” Last night, at 9:16 p.m., Erickson scoffs at Folks’s denial: “Will Folks is denying he got paid. Hahahahaha.” This morning, at 9:00 a.m., Erickson mocks Folks’s third-person writing style and declares, “Sources tell Erick Erickson that yes, despite Folks’s denial, money was paid to procure the story and guarantee it hit at the most opportune time — right before the primary.”
And now, the chips fall:
I have no clue if anyone is behind Will Folks doing this. He really could feel aggrieved for some reason and just want to take out Nikki Haley. But I have a theory, I have some facts, and I’ve drawn some inferences to form my opinion. Let’s go below the fold and down the rabbit hole…
Who knows where this story will lead. And who knows if anyone is behind it other than Will Folks. A lot of people suspect Andre Bauer has some role just given his history. That’s my opinion and I’m perfectly willing to admit it is speculation based on inference from a number of facts that haven’t really been discussed yet. Take it for what you will.
Follow the last link and read the whole post. There was a rumor floating around awhile ago on another blog that Folks had reached some unspecified deal with Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer last year; supposedly, the private investigator who may or may not have taken a photo that may or may not exist of Folks and Haley together also works for a Bauer ally. And Bauer has a motive to take down Haley because he’s desperate to get back into contention with the primary coming up. There’s a bit more — Folks himself worked for Bauer four years ago before they had a falling out — but that’s pretty much the gist of the big siren-worthy scoop. Unless I missed it, not a word is offered to support the specific, oft-repeated charge that Folks is getting paid under the table to do this. Hot Air commenters, who were joyously anticipating the Great Will Folks Takedown, are … not pleased.
So, two possibilities. One: This was supposed to be some grand satire of Folks’s M.O., breathlessly touting an explosive allegation with little evidence to support it in order to show how easy it is to get media attention from smearing people. Erickson hints at something like that in passing in today’s post (“With apologies to RedState readers … I’ve had no hesitation in stringing the media along like Folks has done”), but if that really was the plan all along, he would have been more explicit today in announcing it as a joke. And the thing is, it’s not a joke: He does think Folks is in cahoots with Bauer and executing a political hit. He’s simply no longer willing to say that he’s doing it for a fee. Which brings us to theory two: Erickson was promised hard evidence by one of his sources about Folks getting paid and the source flaked out on him at the last minute, hanging him out to dry. But in that case, why trumpet this story for two days before you have it nailed down? He’s actually made Folks seem marginally more credible by admitting that he can’t prove any ulterior motive.
Speaking of which, the media’s sifted through Folks’s phone records and found 600 calls between him and Haley in 2007. The obvious explanation: He was working for her at the time. Less easily explained: Why some of the calls came late at night, including one at 2:24 a.m. that ran for more than two hours. Gonna be a hell of a debate on Tuesday!
your boy let you down.
It started sounding like an African Press Agency release early on.
The guy making the affair claims or the clown at redstate pretending yesterday he discovered the money trail but today says nevermind?
allahpundit is pure DIRT for even bothering to mention this phony scandal and trying to keep it alive.
This is just beyond embarrassing. I can’t see myself ever reading RedState again now after checking it daily for the past 3-4 years.
Folks and those he is in bed with are not stupid. No money trail. Favors,promises and a little advertising from time to time. If Folks thought this was the right thing to do why not do it before now,she is in the Senate. A conscience that is not stirred without profit is not a conscience.
It’s about 60/40 that is not phony, IMO.
There fixed.
Erickson is a douche if he played this this way.
Are those her real phone records?
Shark-jumping 101, I’m afraid, for Red State.
Please have you seen the fat balding troll doing the excusing ? Good grief.
Who is apparently broke and trying to promote his tired website and pr firm.
THanks . its was needed.
Any time a blogger says “and we’ll tell you tomorrow.” he has nothin’.
Any time a blogger says “and we’ll tell you tomorrow.” he has nothin’.
Well..., another favorite ploy is to "tell the story in five parts" -- what it would normally take anyone else to do in one part ... LOL ...
I don't know which bluff is lamer right now, Erickson or Folks.
Now they're saying Erick doesn't have permission to reveal his direct sources, so he's been forced to back down. Allahpundit has been goading him all day, trying to get him to do it anyway. Pissing match going on even at Redstate.
Lame. Lame. Lame. Total Lameness.
Meanwhile, Will Folks is either ruining the life of an innocent woman, or revealing a real character flaw in that same woman.
I will say this: If Folks doesn't give us something substantive very soon, then I see no reason to believe him.
I agree with you. It is inexcusable to trickle this crap out, especially if the trickle leads to nothing more than his fantasies.
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