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What follows is from me personally. I am on the FRB board, and I want to make it clear that I am not speaking for that board here.

Why is it that you network nuts would rather lie when the truth would do just fine.

I have to tell you that my little foray into conservative activism has been quite a thrill. In getting involved with this Network idea and trying to help make it happen, I have so far traveled across the country several times at my own expense to attend meetings. I have donated professional services that, had I billed for them, would easily come to over $40,000. I have written sizable checks to help cover various start-up expenses we have had. I am not alone on the FRN board in having made these kinds of contributions and efforts.

So far my reward for this has been to be vilified, in this forum and elsewhere, as every kind of crook and liar.

Just now we are a week away from an event that we have been planning for some months. We have hired the Leadership Institute to come give a class on how to be a more effective conservative activist. We have also arranged for some conservative luminaries to come and speak at the event. This event is an activism conference. It does not promise to be the fun-filled evening of song and dance that the Inaugural Ball was; it was never intended to be. It is a classroom exercise for those who wish to become more effective in their activism. But promoting activism is what we are about, so there it is.

About two weeks ago, privacy data concerning the FRN's Executive Director mysteriously escaped from the personnel records of the Alan Keyes organization. It was posted to an anti-freeper forum, along with a statement -- subsequently denied by the president of the Declaration Foundation -- that this individual had left that Foundation on less less-than-agreeable terms. This was clearly an attempt to harm FRN, and the professional reputation of this individual, through a combination of false statements and invasion of privacy. I would ask readers to think about how they would feel if someone with a personal grudge were to take their records from a company's personnel files and post them on the Internet as part of a smear campaign. This is what happened to our Executive Director.

Last week an individual who is known to have a romantic association with a person high enough up in the Alan Keyes organization to have access to personnel records, posted to this forum a wild-eyed screed attempting to link the acts of what appears to be a professional criminal, to Free Republic and the Free Republic Network. I have seen speculation in the anti-freeper forum frequented by these two individuals to the effect that I personally was involved in some scam associated with this.

I know a smear campaign when I see one, and this is one. A certain disgruntled former freeper, with access to the personnel records of the Alan Keyes' organization, and a romantic link to the author of the hit piece posted here last week, is attempting to ruin an event that many people have worked on for months, for reasons that appear to be based in spite, revenge, and hatred. This person is willing to invade privacy, to make false statements, to use fabrication and innuendo to sow suspicion, and to destroy innocent third parties to get at the one or two she really has an issue with.

I have never seen anything like this in my life. In 1998 I start posting to this web site. I go to a protest or two, I decide to volunteer for some more stuff, I spend my own money doing it, and what I get for this is attacked, called a liar, and in the upcoming week I fully expect to have my own privacy violated in an ongoing and escalating smear campaign waged by the forces of spite and revenge.

It would be really easy to say, "I don't need this," and go back to posting funny graphics and taunting the liberals. But I believe in this, and I would like to keep doing it. I take inspiration from Jim Robinson, who has been called every kind of name by those wackos over there, and keeps plugging along. I guess I'll keep plugging along.

As for you, Mr. Gore_War_Vet, you can take your insults and your insinuations and your 'nutwork' lingo, and stuff it. All I'm trying to do -- all any of us in the Network are trying to do -- is make it possible for the freepers who want to be activists to be able to do it better. We have devoted countless hours to this, for no reason other than that we think it should happen. I can't tell you how rewarding and fun it is to do these things only to have people like yourself call me a liar and insinuate that I am involved in some career criminal's endeavors. To quote Whoopi Goldberg at the end of Sister Act, "bless you."

Nick... that post almost rates its own thread.

It's nearly a god-dang Opus....

My hat is off to you.

For great justice.

I have never seen anything like this in my life.

I think that I have, Nick. It is a lot like what the Clintonites did to Linda Tripp, which is ironic, given all of the circumstances. One difference is that the scum-sucking supporters of X-42 were playing for all of the marbles -- control of the Presidency. This crew doesn't live up to those high standards, since they commit these vile, and possibly criminal acts, in pursuit of a petty personal vendetta. Having spent my own time in the activist ranks, in the 60's and 70's, I have to tell you that this sort of thing is nothing new, and just one more indicator of the fallen state of man!

As I said to JimRob, don't let the ba-t-rds grind you down!

Well Nick, I can speak for the board. And I along with the other board members are honored to have an individual with your abilities and your self-less dedication to FreeRepublic and the FreeRepublic Network, involved in FRN Board efforts.

I don't know of a single individual who has agreed to work on the FRN Board that hasn't donated countless hours of personal time, or donated personal funds or that hasn't bypassed self-enrichment should those hours or funds have been dedicated to their individual betterment.

I have seen numerous individuals give up their evenings, part or all of their weekends, the fruits of their very creativity in an effort to see Conservatism spread throughout our nation. Not you or any of them seek anything for themselves. None of them have gained anything personally, but each of them have profited in the knowledge that their efforts are spent on doing the right thing. And I must say Nick, I have seen the evidence of our countless hours of work on behalf of the Network. I have always been impressed.

How anyone, especially individuals who know what we are trying to do, could do some of the things I have seen them do, is beyond me. It angers me, it dumbfounds me, it sickens me. What an amazing contrast they are to the fine folks who try to make FreeRepublic and the FreeRepublic Network all that they can be.

Here's to you Nick. Here's to Jim, and everyone else that makes FreeRepublic and the FreeRepublic Network the succes they are. For the more successful they are, the more successful the more sound our nation will be as it moves back toward it's founding principles.

Knowing what our goals are and unable to join in our efforts to attain them, I can only wonder what the goals of these other folks must be. The only evidence I can see, is that their intent is to defeat those who seek Conservatism's everlasting sucess.

May they be blessed with the opportunity to feast off the rotten withered fruits of their misdirected efforts.

You are really needed Nick...don't let them get to you.

I know a smear campaign when I see one, and this is one. A certain disgruntled former freeper, with access to the personnel records of the Alan Keyes' organization,"

A couple of years ago, at that annual Conservative conference in Washington, that individual went on record with reporters speaking for Free Republic. It caused quite a dust up. All complaints were deflected with the words "Talk to JimRob, he authorized me to speak for him." This person went on during that time to vehemently denounce any suggestion that FR was any kind of conservative force to be reckoned with - all the signs were there that this person had no love for FR as we understand love of our work or our causes. It was a power thing. From that thread - I made a note to myself that something like what you described in your post would be an inevitability.

God bless. And thanks for all you do. You remain always one of my heroes, and an invaluable mentor. I hope I can be of some kind of FRN service, however limited, in the future.

HB

Nick,
Thank you for the circumspect, but also clear, update on the situation. You have always been a class act around these parts.

Billybob

Standing and applauding, nicely done!

Thanks for your comments and your efforts for FRN and FR.

Guess this all comes back to "by their fruits you will know them". President Bush also is smeared continually but he just keeps plugging along working.

I understand that in matters such as fraud those knowing the truth are not at liberty because of "class" and respect for privacy to go out spreading tales of what "she did". To do so would open these people up to lawsuits themselves.

If these malcontents would think for a minute outside their own viewpoint - they might understand that personnel matters are private. This is the same privacy each of us can expect should we have unfortunate dealings with others.

Maybe a "Management Announcement" should be made of these episodes that would explain that there has been an unfortunate incident and it is being handled appropriately keeping the confidentiality intact. Maybe this would defuse the rumor mill and reinsure the readers that all is ok.