Free Republic

A former police commissioner suing the city says he can implicate an associate of Mayor Martin O'Malley in a 2004 plot that entrapped Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s administration in a rumor-mongering scandal. Kevin P. Clark, who is suing over being fired in November 2004, says he lost his job, in part because a police probe of a city-owned laptop stolen from Baltimore Labor Commissioner Sean R. Malone threatened to expose Mr. Malone's link to the scandal. "We received information ... that there was information on the computer regarding a group called MD4Bush," said Neal M. Janey Sr., a lawyer...

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Scientists in Ireland may have found the country's most fertile male, with more than 3 million men worldwide among his offspring. The scientists, from Trinity College Dublin, have discovered that as many as one in twelve Irish men could be descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages, a 5th-century warlord who was head of the most powerful dynasty in ancient Ireland. His genetic legacy is almost as impressive as Genghis Khan, the Mongol emperor who conquered most of Asia in the 13th century and has nearly 16 million descendants, said Dan Bradley, who supervised the research. "It's...

Josh White, who took over daily operations of a dispirited Maryland Democratic Party after the Republican gubernatorial victory in 2002, is leaving the organization nine months before next year's primary. A widely respected political professional, White, 38, was hired in 2003 as executive director, but lost the title after Terry Lierman replaced Isiah Leggett as party chairman last year. --Snip-- White declined yesterday to give a reason for his departure but said he was leaving at the end of the year. Party offices in Annapolis are closed next week, meaning White's duties have effectively ended. "I'm just looking forward to...

Following the discovery of e-mail addresses connected to the MD4Bush mystery, the WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team has uncovered the electronic trail of Internet activity. Also Friday, Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley responded to the latest twist in the MD4Bush mystery. Last October, MD4Bush used private e-mails on the Free Republic's Web site to coax a former aide to Gov. Bob Ehrlich, Joe Steffen, into discussing the personal life of Baltimore's mayor. The 11 News I-Team has learned that MD4Bush routinely logged on to the Internet from a computer in the Pasadena area. On Feb. 8 -- the night the story broke...

The Baltimore Sun has the latest on the smelly case. An excerpt: An e-mail address of a former state Democratic Party worker was used in a discussion about Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley's marriage on a conservative Web site, a spokesman for the site said yesterday. Kristinn Taylor, a spokesman for free republic.com, said Ryan O'Doherty's Democratic Party address was one of at least three used to operate the identity of MD4BUSH, the mysterious Internet poster who appears to have coaxed an aide to Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. into talking about the mayor's personal life. MD4BUSH sought out another freerepublic...

An e-mail address of a former state Democratic Party worker was used in a discussion about Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley's marriage on a conservative Web site, a spokesman for the site said yesterday. Kristinn Taylor, a spokesman for free republic.com, said Ryan O'Doherty's Democratic Party address was one of at least three used to operate the identity of MD4BUSH, the mysterious Internet poster who appears to have coaxed an aide to Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. into talking about the mayor's personal life. MD4BUSH sought out another freerepublic visitor known as ncpac, who was later revealed to be longtime Ehrlich...

The operators of a conservative Web site yesterday released three e-mail addresses they said were connected to the anonymous site user who drew a former aide to Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) into discussions of a smear campaign against a political rival -- and one of the addresses matched that of a former state Democratic Party official. A spokesman for the Free Republic Web site said the account MD4BUSH was originally created by someone with access to the e-mail address ryanrock2004@yahoo.com . The address of record was changed twice, first to rodoherty@mddems.org and later to brianwaverly@yahoo.com , said Web...

WBAL-Baltimore reporter Collins just announced that a WBAL TV reporter is set to do a story this evening that claims Jim Robinson is ready to disclose all he knows about the MD4Bush situation.

The operator of FreeRepublic.com has had little to say of the MD4Bush mystery -- until now. WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team lead investigative reporter Jayne Miller reported the operator of FreeRepublic.com holds the biggest clues to the identity of the Internet user MD4Bush. They include e-mail accounts and electronic log-in information. The operator of the conservative Web site has not yet spilled all the beans, but he has made it clear that he believes he owes nothing to MD4Bush in terms of protecting privacy. In a lengthy posting early Thursday morning, Jim Robinson, the operator of the California-based FreeRepublic.com, explained why...

The WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team has uncovered new information surrounding the mysterious Web user known as MD4Bush. In private e-mail exchanges, MD4Bush coaxed Joe Steffen, a former aide to Gov. Bob Ehrlich, into discussing rumors about Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley's personal life on the conservative Web site, FreeRepublic.com. The 11 News I-Team has uncovered e-mail addresses used to register the MD4Bush account on the Free Republic Web site. The 11 News I-Team does not know who opened the MD4Bush account. According to a source familiar with the MD4Bush postings, the e-mail address used in October 2004 to open the MD4Bush...

<p>In response to questions about the MD4BUSH affair, in which a democrat operative got an aide to the governor to comment online about infidelity rumours of Baltimore Mayor Martin Omally, the Governor became angry over the double standard. "When this thing broke I had cameras and mics stuck in my face, now that it seems MD4BUSH is a democrat operative working in conjunction with a major media outlet...its a set-up...where are the cameras now?"</p>

Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s chief legal counsel yesterday called on Democratic leaders to investigate newly exposed ties between the state Democratic Party and an Internet chat room visitor who apparently orchestrated a "dirty tricks" campaign to smear the administration. Chief Counsel Jervis S. Finney said Democrats appear to have been players in a "scam" to discredit Mr. Ehrlich, a Republican. The involvement of a Democratic operative "certainly takes it a step further and it would seem the so-called Special Committee [on Employee Rights and Protections] and the Maryland Democratic Party should seek at last to find the final...

BALTIMORE -- Inside the MD4BUSH mystery are questions of timing, motive, and who knew what when.[snip]..... ......[snip]MD4BUSH signed on to Free Republic in early October and immediately added new dirt to the rumor -- writing on Oct 8: "Yeah, he cheats on his wife. I heard he is not allowed in the house and is living in some new high-rise near City Hall." MD4BUSH then wrote to Steffen directly by commenting on Maryland politics, using language to depict an Internet user who was a true conservative, and suggesting there was a need to play dirty in 2006. In mid-October, Steffen...

BALTIMORE -- For the first time, the operators of a California-based Web site are revealing they have evidence that an e-mail address from the Maryland Democratic State Party is associated with MD4BUSH. WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team reporter David Collins said the operators of FreeRepublic.com are not revealing the name behind MD4BUSH. But this is the first time that they are suggesting the state democratic party is associated with the MD4BUSH account on their Web site. Jim Robinson, the president of the conservative Web site, issued the following statement: "Free Republic has evidence that an mddems.org (Maryland Democratic Party) e-mail address...

As many of you know, Kristinn will be holding a press conference outside the Washington Post building about Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley (D) and the Washington Post's role in the MD4Bush saga at 9:30AM. At a minimum, local Baltimore news media are expected to attend. Please post any news about the press conference here.

Who is MD4Bush?MD4Bush was an infrequent poster on Free Republic from 10/07/04 to 02/08/05, usually discussing Maryland politics. All of MD4Bush's public posts are available here. In an apparent attempt to bait FReeper NCPAC (now known as former Republican Maryland Governor Ehrlich staffer Joe Steffen) into incriminating conversations, MD4Bush spread rumors of Democrat Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley's infidelity, called Democratic Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski a "lezbo", and discussed the alleged tactics of Karl Rove. The February 2005 Old vs. New Media Wars A battle was brewing between the Old and New Media in February 2005. Bloggers pressured CNN to fire...

The Democrat-controlled panel investigating Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.’s hiring and firing practices cannot legally issue subpoenas to identify the mysterious Internet figure known as MD4BUSH, a key request made by Republicans. Assistant Attorney General Robert A. Zarnoch, counsel to the General Assembly, said Thursday that the Special Committee on Employee Rights and Protections does not have the legal authority to subpoena records from a Web site where former Ehrlich aide Joseph F. Steffen Jr. made comments about Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley’s marriage. Steffen, an Ehrlich aide, was fired earlier this year after discussing O’Malley (D), who is running for...

Free Republic.com to Speak About MD4BUSH and the Washington Post at Press Conference Nov. 4 11/3/2005 9:56:00 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: City and Assignment desks, Daybook Editor, Political Correspondent Contact: Kristinn Taylor, 202-309-1589 or kristinn@verizon.net ; Web: http://www.FreeRepublic.com News Advisory: WHAT: Press Conference Free Republic to Speak About MD4BUSH and the Washington Post Newspaper Involved in Scandal that Goes Beyond Governors Race and Maryland Politics WHEN: Friday, Nov. 4, 9:30 A.M. WHERE: 1150 15TH ST., N.W., Washington, D.C., The Sidewalk in front of The Washington Post Bldg. DETAILS: FreeRepublic.com, an independent conservative news and activism Web site, will hold a press...

After months of sluggish progress, a legislative committee investigating Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich's hiring and firing practices yesterday directed its outside counsel to begin interviewing state employees who say they were fired to make room for the governor's political allies. Baltimore attorney Ward B. Coe III's marching orders came amid a growing partisan divide over the direction of the investigation and as a former aide to the Republican governor has begun talking about his role in the firings --Snip-- [MD Senate Minority Leader (R)] Stoltzfus yesterday said he may ask the committee to subpoena records of the Web site where...

A self-described political hit man told his side to the WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team Wednesday. Earlier in the year, the work of Joe Steffen sparked an investigation into Gov. Bob Ehrlich's hiring and firing practices. He could also become a key witness in that probe. Steffen admitted to the 11 News I-Team that he weeded out state workers, but only based on job performance, not party affiliation. --Snip-- Steffen Held No Ill Feelings Toward MD4Bush Steffen claimed he initially held no ill feelings toward being outed by MD4Bush. "I fell on the sword for the governor for the simple reason...