O'Malley Blames GOP Plot For Rumors (MD GOVERNOR'S AID FIRED FOR FREE REPUBLIC POSTS)

Washington Post ^ | 2/9/05 | Matthew Mosk

[crushkerry]

Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley yesterday accused agents of Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s administration of spreading false rumors that he had an extramarital affair, and Ehrlich responded hours later by dismissing a longtime employee.

The mayor, a Democrat considering a bid for governor in 2006, said he believes that the widespread and persistent rumors were part of a "concerted and orchestrated and sustained" effort and called on the Republican governor to apologize to his wife and children. "I don't think any of us run for office expecting that this sort of hurt will be heaped on our kids or our spouses," O'Malley said.

Ehrlich said an apology was premature and denied any personal involvement in spreading the rumor. He then asked for and received the resignation of Joseph Steffen, a longtime aide working in state government. Steffen confirmed yesterday that he had discussed the rumor on a popular conservative Web site and in private e-mails, which were given to The Washington Post.

[BillF]

Besides, is fooling around really so bad?

Please tell me that you intended to post her photo and NOT O'Malley's photo when you make comments like that:

If not, I can still be your friend, but I may not seat next to you at meetings. :)

A serious point raised by the above: someone could infer erroneous conclusions about you from your post. You can see how your inartful post could start false rumors about you.

In similar fashion, questionable conclusions should NOT be drawn from a politician's appearance. Trading in totally unsubstantiated rumors about a politician is not wise or acceptable. Because you think that the guy is attractive to women (aren't you glad that I included the "to women" phrase right there?), it's not fair or right to conclude that he is "fooling around."

Although I haven't followed this very closely, nothing appears to suggest that the rumors about O'Malley and the reporter (or other women) are worthy of belief.

(BTW, the original post on FR, not by NCPAC, simply was trying to figure out what the truth was. The media now has NCPAC feeding the rumor, but nothing in the Post story supports that conclusion. Instead, NCPAC commented on the rumor and said that a lot of effort was made to float the story. That effort could easily have been from Dem opponents of O'Malley or corporate lobbyists with non-ideological non-party reasons for opposing O'Malley. NCPAC even praised a prior post that shredded the credibility of the rumor.)

Most people believe that "fooling around" is a betrayal of a solumn vow of faithfulness to one's spouse. When the marriage has children, the damage goes beyond the betrayed spouse.

Most people believe that betrayal of one's spouse is an indicator of character and reduces the chances that the adulterer would be truthful to the citizens. Most probably forgive a lapse, but would be very wary of someone with a consistent pattern of such cheating (ala Clinton).

Whatever you reply, please don't post that your computer wallpaper is a photo of George Michael or Elton John.

[Chef Dajuan]

no, you don't upset me. its just that misguided leftists like you are so much FUN to toy with and bait.

we play you guys like a steinway and you STILL just don't get it.

btw, as clarence darrow once said, truth is an absolute defense. calling you a libtard was just telling the truth, not really an ad hominem......

[muawiyah]

Still, you have to recall the rumors that Dukakis was seeing a psychiatrist.

Turned out he wasn't. Instead he was making arrangements for his mentally ill wife to see the psychiatrist.

Sometimes these "couples rumors" have a different twist once the truth is known.

Don't be surprised at anything.

[BootsOnTheGround]

Tell me again why we let this troll stay on FR?

[Boot Hill]

That's a pretty reasonable supposition, plus he outed and additional FR alter-ego at the same time.

--Boot Hill

[LibWrangler]

Also, the Baltimore Sun has a list of FReepers they read off to me to see if I was "also" posting under those screen names. I don't remember all of them, but CrushKerry was one.

BTTT.

[rightsforall]

This scumbag Steffen has been a long time Ehrlich dirty-tricks operative. Let's just hope he goes away as he is a thorn in the side of true freedom.

With a little luck, this slime will fall through an open manhole ... oops, that would be his front door.

[Darksheare]

That's a laugh, YOU claiming unwarranted ad hominem attacks.
If I didn't know better, I'd say you had a good comedy schtick going or that you were trying to be funny.

But hey, what should one expect from a liberal who claims to be SO tolerant, and yet shows so very little tolerance herself.

[blogblogginaway]

OMG! You mean it's MRS. O'Malley who is having the affairs???

LOL........couldn't resist that.

[Dianna]

According to my married daughter, who lives two blocks from the Mayor O'Malley's house and is also well-wired in the communications/entertainment industries in Baltimore, the Mayor's dalliances are about as described. Apparently his wife has not left him (as yet). Power has its privileges.

My parents are not well connected in Baltimore. They don't know anyone powerful. YET, my father heard this rumor from someone at work who knows someone who lives downtown.

This sounds to me like Valerie Plame. It's information EVERYONE has heard but they want to blame the GOP.

[Lazamataz]

Also, the Baltimore Sun has a list of FReepers they read off to me to see if I was "also" posting under those screen names. I don't remember all of them, but CrushKerry was one.

Tell them you post as Lazamataz.

I routinely call for death camps for liberals; I believe Islam should be wiped off the planet; and I talk about my genitalia constantly.

That will make them absolutely blow a gasket.

[jerri]

Curses. Now I'll have to stop posting from the Batcave.

LOL, No wonder I feel so vulnerable in a cubicle.

[BillF]

The Post hit piece on Gov. Ehrlich was based on an FR thread and email (maybe FReepmail), the latter apparently having been criminally obtained by a keystroke logger, spyware, or illegal IT intercepts. (I doubt that the recipient of the email or FReepmail leaked it.)

The real story there should have been "Opponents of Governor Illegally Leak Aide's Email."

Remember the GOPer who leaked the Dems' "Estrada must be opposed because he is Hispanic" (paraphrase) Senate memo? The leaker of the memo was fired, even though it was on an unsecured server. The guy who wrote the memo was not fired. In that case, the Post story was "there's a terrible leak," not "here's what the memo says."

In that Senate memo case, there was no crime. Here it is likely that the leaking of NCPAC's email was a crime. The GOPer always gets the axe and always is the villain to the press.

Maybe the media or the O'Malley people timed this story about a FReepers' stolen email to distract from the outrageous O'Malley comparison of President Bush to the Sept 11 hijackers per below thread. Post ran below on page A5, but ran the NCPAC story on the front page.

O'Malley Likens Bush's Proposed Cuts to Sept. 11 Attacks
Washington Post ^ | Wednesday, February 9, 2005 | By Lori Montgomery

Posted on 02/09/2005 11:21:14 AM PST by sure_fine

Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley yesterday compared President Bush's proposed budget cuts to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, saying that Bush, like the al Qaeda hijackers who crashed planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, has launched an assault on America's cities.

"These cuts, ladies and gentlemen, are sad. Irresponsible. They are also dishonest," O'Malley (D) told a packed news conference at the National Press Club, where mayors and area officials had gathered to decry Bush's plan to slash spending on community development programs by $2 billion.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THAT THREAD.

The original post on FR, not by NCPAC, simply was trying to figure out what the truth was.

The Post and the media now has NCPAC feeding the rumor, but the facts of the Post story do NOT support that conclusion. Instead, NCPAC commented on the rumor and said that a lot of effort was made to float the story.

That effort to float the story could easily have been from Dem opponents of O'Malley or corporate lobbyists with non-ideological non-party reasons for opposing O'Malley.

NCPAC even praised a prior post that shredded the credibility of the rumor.

You can read the original thread itself by clicking here, but below are two posts that made it crystal-clear that NCPAC was NOT feeding the rumors. Otherwise, why would he praise velmacruther's highly skeptical post?

---

To: Elkiejg

This rumor has been around for over three years ... and the identities of the anchorwoman (and the affiliate) AND the alleged father change every few months. At least seven anchorwomen in Baltimore have supposedly had the mayor's kids, or a police commissioner's kid, or a local professional athlete's kids ... too bad "The X Files" was cancelled ... Spooky Mulder was probably the only one who'd pay any attention ...

10 posted on 08/13/2004 10:17:17 AM PDT by VelmaCruther

[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]

---

To: VelmaCruther

Welcome to FR, VC.

Nice first post.

12 posted on 08/13/2004 10:39:16 AM PDT by NCPAC ((Live without Fear: Don't worry about what may happen. Concentrate on what must be done.))

[Twinkie]

Well, the guy (NCPAC) stated that Ehrlich DIDN'T fire him.

Repukie pol is one of the DUer's favorite automatic, regurgitational, unimaginative juvenile namecallings.

If the allegation is true, then there should be no problem.

Relentless viciousness among the media allows no conservative person any privacy, but when it comes to the democrat pols, everything they do comes under the heading of privacy.

Looks like we on Free Republic are going to have to take measures to better conceal our identities if we are in any official capacity.

[agincourt1415]

I run into a lot of Florida Republicans that never heard of FreeRepublic, really, executive committee types that never heard of it.

I assumed there was more awareness.

[TaxRelief]

Screen capture security or keystroke log software. Did you Freep from work?

[TaxRelief]

Be circumspect about the personal information you discuss online.

Even the most circumspect will eventually slip up, perhaps the best thing is to 1)have nothing to hide, and 2)plant false info on a regular basis. :-)

[BillF]

Please see my 313 above.

You are likely the victim of a crime involving a keystroke logger device (computer equivalent of a bug), spyware, or illegally collected logging files at an IT central office.

The materials may have been collected by someone with a personal non-work animus to you, but more likely it is someone upset with what you and the Governor have done in the MD gov or someone aiming to hurt the Governor.

You should request that gov officials determine if a crime has been committed.

If your identity had simply been matched to your screen name, that might have been done (ala the LA Slimes "outing" Buckhead) simply via your public posts if they included sufficient unique details. However, someone had your emails (FReepmails?).

Except in the unlikely event that the recipients leaked them, you are the victim of a computer crime analogous to having your phone illegally wiretapped.

[MeekOneGOP]

[BillF]

Remember the GOPer who leaked the Dems' "Estrada must be opposed because he is Hispanic" (paraphrase) Senate memo? The leaker of the memo was fired, even though it was on an unsecured server, i.e., open to anyone in the office. The guy who wrote the memo was not fired. In that case, the Post story was "there's a terrible leak," not "here's what the memo says."

In that Senate memo case, there was no crime. Here it is likely that the leaking of NCPAC's email was a crime (keystroke logging, spyware, illegal logging at an IT central office).

The GOPer always gets the axe and always is the villain to the press.

PS. Wish I could join you guys at Fayetteville again this spring, but we have to hold down the fort here.