Former Aide's 'Dirty Tricks' Could Blemish Ehrlich Image [More on NCPAC/MD4BUSH]

Washington Post ^ | November 15, 2005 | Matthew Mosk

[Quilla]

Long before Joseph Steffen surfaced at the center of political intrigue in Annapolis, Gerry Brewster suspected he was the political operative who wiped out his fundraising list and plastered his windshield with bumper stickers for his opponent.

Connie DeJulius believed Steffen was behind a nasty leaflet pinned to every telephone pole in her neighborhood, tarring her as a "home wrecker."

Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., left, and former aide Joseph Steffen, who helped Ehrlich win congressional races in the '90s. Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., left, and former aide Joseph Steffen, who helped Ehrlich win congressional races in the '90s. (Associated Press)

So, earlier this month, when Steffen told reporters and radio listeners that he "did a lot of things I'm not proud of" during 20 years with Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., it was for Brewster and DeJulius a revelation.

Snip:

Steffen also acknowledged on the Web site that he helped give "float" to gossip about O'Malley's personal life, rumors the mayor has denied. Ehrlich fired Steffen immediately after the Internet chats were disclosed.

When asked whether Steffen was his "dirty-tricks man," the governor said then, "That's just silly stuff."

Snip:

Steffen has not responded to recent requests for an interview with The Washington Post. In other interviews over the past two weeks, he has left the question of Ehrlich's role open to interpretation.

When he was asked directly whether Ehrlich knew what he was doing, Steffen told a Baltimore Sun columnist, "I'm having my Watergate moment," before adding he could not recall Ehrlich ever asking him about his activities.

[Quilla]

He's still at it and I still believe Mosque worked in conjuction with MD4BUSH.

[Phantom Lord]

Alright, can someone give me the Cliff's Notes to explain this whole "MD4BUSH" thing?

I see tons of threads about it, but hoenstly have no idea what the deal is and why it has become such a huge thing.

Thanks!

[The_Victor]

Mosk continues to report rumors and ignore the truth. Do we need any more proof that he is in cahoots with the democRAT party.

[Antonello]

Alright, can someone give me the Cliff's Notes to explain this whole "MD4BUSH" thing?

You might want to start here.

[advance_copy]

MDDEMS.ORG, anyone? Mr. Mosk should realize by now the only thing the Steffen affair proves is that no one with any sense believes what Mosk writes. He is a tool of the lowest form of Maryland Democrats, the kind which even Maryland Democrats cannot publicly acknowledge (emphasis on publicly). WaPo would fire Mosk if they had any credibility.

[Quilla]

MD4BUSH, disguised as a conservative, specifically targeted posts and freepmails to NCPAC (Steffen). MD4BUSH posted O'Malley and other dem rumors and baited Steffen into commenting on them. He said he'd heard about one or two but basically warned MD4BUSH not to go there. MD4BUSH spammed several threads with NCPAC's freepmails that showed only one side of the story.

The WaPo published an article outing Steffen and accusing him of spreanding the rumors. He was then let go by Ehrlich. MD4BUSH emailed his dem operatives just prior to the article's debut giving them a heads up on the explosive, soon to be released details.

Jim Robinson has since informed us that MD4BUSH signed on with an email address that points to the Maryland Democratic Party.

[RebelBanker]

MD4Bush ping!

[TBP]

Mosque -- I love spelling his name that way. Great.

They're still trying to blame the whole thing on NCPAC, I see, even though they know MD4Bush was the one spreading the rumors. (Ryan O'Doherty, come out from hiding and address the situation!) And they completely ignore their own collusion in doing so.

Nice to see once again how unbiased our media is.

[maggief]

Long before Joseph Steffen surfaced at the center of political intrigue in Annapolis, Gerry Brewster suspected he was the political operative who wiped out his fundraising list and plastered his windshield with bumper stickers for his opponent.

Connie DeJulius believed Steffen was behind a nasty leaflet pinned to every telephone pole in her neighborhood, tarring her as a "home wrecker."

Nice hatchet job on Steffen by Mosque ... "suspected ... believed."

I see neither MD4Bush or FreeRepublic are mentioned. I "suspect" the omission is deliberate.

[geezerwheezer]

The dimocraps theory is: so what if someone is hurt by our lies and distortions? They are Republicans, so anything is fair to hurt them! Seems to be the motto of the MSM too!

[Quilla]

Yep, it's a hatchet job alright. I love how from Steffen's statement "I did a lot of things I'm not proud of" Brewster and DeJulius now know in their gut he was behind the dirty tricks. The MD dems, along with Mosque, are reachin'.

[conservative in nyc]

MD4Bush PING!

[Grampa Dave]

Mosk is starting to sound like Mary Mapes.

Wonder if it looks likes Mapes?

[maggief]

[Congressman Billybob]

Mosk has, to quote Arlo Guthrie, "a lotta da*mned gall" to keep flogging the Steffen angle while he lies by omission about the MD4Bush angle. We need to get Mosk fired, and the WashPost embarrassed, if not forced to pay cash money.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column: "Lord of the Fires (French Riots, Day 13"

[Quilla]

Actually they do look like brother and sister, Grampa.

[Mo1]

Gee ... looks like Mosk is worried about something

Hmmmm ... whatever could it be? :0)

[TheForceOfOne]

Bookmark

[Quilla]

And rarely is damage to Joseph Steffen mentioned in any of the articles we read. He's lost the most, and hopefully has the most to gain if and when we get to the bottom of this mess.

[nopardons]

This isn't reporting, this is a SMEAR JOB!

[nopardons]

Thanks for the ping.

[Grampa Dave]

Dang, that is scary!

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks, Quilla did a great job of posting these serial liars together for a mugshot comparison.

[Anti-Bubba182]

Thanks, Mosk is still safe to go on his merry way until and if the Identity of MD4Bush comes out definitely or he gets in trouble for violating the ECPA.

He doesn't act scared.

[Gondring]

Jim Robinson has since informed us that MD4BUSH signed on with an email address that points to the Maryland Democratic Party.

Jim Robinson's statement was actually:

"Free Republic has evidence that an mddems.org (Maryland Democratic Party) e-mail address is associated with the MD4BUSH account. This is not just coincidence."

[Gondring]

I note that in this smear job, the WaPo fails to mention that when MD4BUSH tried to set him up, Steffen replied: "I am sure you will understand, I cannot and will not offer suggestions that may be considered unethical concerning what you should do, campaign-wise. This is especially true concerning O'Malley's personal life."

[Katya]

Who is this Matthew Mosk?
A dartmouth class of 92 graduate, and the grandson of liberal California supreme court judge Stanley Mosk. The senior Mosk considered running on the democratic ticket as the first jewish President of the USA. According to his obit he was "wrongly" labeled a lib. LOL The family was very involved in democratic party politics.
Matthew lives in the midst of political intrigue, Annapolis Maryland with his wife Karin, who works as a therapist in Baltimore. Interesting, it seems O'Doherty's wife Katherine works as an "art" therapist too.
These people are all potentially very close to each other. Annapolis is a town where the chattering class all socialize with one another, and since it's been in democratic hands for so long, you can bet they look at Ehrlich and company as interlopers.

[shetlan]

I can't find any proof that Joe Steffen said or did anything that should have caused him to be fired.

Is it considered a "dirty trick" helping your boss win a campaign?

[Brilliant]

Jim Robinson has since informed us that MD4BUSH signed on with an email address that points to the Maryland Democratic Party.

Which is probably why it's taking so long to find out who it is.

[conservative in nyc]

I think this is what the Washington Post calls "context". In the real world, it's probably a peremptory strike because the WaPo knows who MD4Bush is (if not the actual name, at least a general idea), and it makes their malfeasance in reporting that angle of the story look better if NCPAC is an evil, evil dirty trickster.

[GOP_1900AD]

Mosk apparently does not know when to shut up. Good! Keep it up!

[Alia]

Mosk comes across as utterly incredulous that anyone would ever question his "credentials", and so, he drips, more and more venom. (And, thanks for the ping, conservative in nyc!).

[Quilla]

Thanks for the clarification.

Phantom Lord, please note Gondring's post. Sorry for the confusion.

[topher]

Isn't Mark Moscow, the Washington Post reporter, originally the reporter from Inside the Kremlin, the KGB's friend. I thought that Washington Post's reporter name sounded familar!!! [ sarcasm /off and Satire /off ]

[Gondring]

Thanks for the clarification.

You're welcome...and thanks for posting the story. :-)

[Doctor Raoul]

Mosque looks desperate to change the subject...

Another great moment in Journalistic Ethics brought to you by the Washinton Post.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

I think we need a rule change. I think that in a case like this, JimRob could put it to an FR vote to out a freeper if he suspects others of of pulling an MD4BUSH or some other unethical act, requiring a 3/4ths vote to out said freeper, not to mention the work it would take to do it. It could be our version of an impeachment. Just a thought. This super-secrecy for MD4BUSH will give other punks ideas.

[dalight]

who has standing to move the question of defamation or filing charges on the electronic communications privacy angle?

[Congressman Billybob]

Most and the WashPost are lying scum to publish this story without going into the MD4Bush angle of this story. The Post was INVOLVED in one of the very smears that it decries in this article.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column: "51st Way to Leave Your Lover"