Free Republic

Arlene Holmes, the mother of Colorado theater shooting suspect James Holmes, has suggested that ABC News mischaracterized her when it reported that her initial statement to the reporter, "you have the right person," was a reference to her son. "This statement is to clarify a statement made by ABC media. I was awakened by a call from a reporter by ABC on July 20 about 5:45 in the morning. I did not know anything about a shooting in Aurora at that time," Holmes said in a statement this afternoon, read to the national press by attorney Lisa Damiani. "He asked...

During the chaotic aftermath of the Colorado shooting on Friday, a particularly chilling moment came when ABC News spoke to the mother of suspect James Holmes by phone. The network reported that the woman, reached in California, "told ABC News her son was likely the alleged culprit, saying, 'You have the right person.'" The article also said that Holmes's mother was "apparently speaking on gut instinct" when she "immediately expressed concern her son may be involved in the shooting death of at least 12 people overnight." Today, she disputed that account, claiming her quotes were misused. If true, that would...

<p>The year was 2004 and the campaign season was in full swing. In October, a Freeper who goes by the handle of MD4Bush began making posts on Free Republic urging Republicans to "play dirty" in the 2004 election.</p> <p>Scandal ensued as it was discovered that MD4Bush was actually a Democrat operative and assistant to Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley. But this story isn’t about Ryan O'Doherty, MD4Bush’s Clark Kent. If you want to read that story, click here.</p>

Sarah Palin has been using her political action committee to buy up thousands of copies of her book, "Going Rogue," in order to mail copies of the memoir to her donors, newly filed campaign records show.The former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate had her political organization spend more than $63,000 on what her reports describe as "books for fundraising donor fulfillment." The payments went to Harper Collins, her publisher, and in some instances to HSP Direct, a Virginia-based direct mail fundraising firm that serves a number of well-known conservative politicians and pundits. Sarah PAC spent another $8,000...

The e-mail landed in Danielle Allen's queue one winter morning as she was studying in her office at the Institute for Advanced Study, the renowned haven for some of the nation's most brilliant minds. The missive began: "THIS DEFINITELY WARRANTS LOOKING INTO."

The Washington Post published an article today in the Style section about researcher Danielle Allen's efforts to track down who is behind allegations that presumed Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Hussein Obama (Illinois) is a Muslim. Allen is an Obama supporter who works for the Institute for Advanced Study.The article was written by Matthew Mosk. A curious choice for The Post considering Mosk's involvement in the nefarious MD4Bush scandal in which Mosk claimed to have been given access to a Free Republic poster's account to expose a Maryland GOP government appointee who was alleged to have commented on rumors that...

Jim Robinson has created such powerful software for his site that evil and wicked people have found kinks in the armour to try to cause problems to this site. One such kink in the armour is spamming via FreepMail. Ol' Jim Rob forgot to program FreepMail with the: IF (newbie) AND (Spam Detected) AND (receipients more than 5000) THEN (ban poster forever) !!! With Extreme Prejudice!!! It is understandable that Ol' Jim Rob might have a minor oversight now and then like that. But nobody perfect (though Jim Robinson is somebody I wish I could have been). However, someone in...

Maybe Maryland Dems should put MD4BUSH back to work. The state party seems to have lost the art of political cyber-sleuthing. Last week, the party sent out a long news release that opened with this claim: "Evidence is mounting that former Governor Bob Ehrlich and his new North Carolina law firm's Maryland-based staff are the driving forces behind a totally anonymous and controversial smear website." Later in the release, the party referred to "the confirmed connection" between Team Ehrlich at Womble Carlyle and the site, www.omalleywatch.com

[EXCERPT]: Baltimore Mayor MARTIN O'MALLEY: CEO: Speaking of police, when you entered the Mayor’s office, crime was your top issue. In the first half of your tenure, things went pretty well, but then you experienced a lot of upheaval with your police commissioners. You’ve got one ex-commissioner hosting a radio show where he’s routinely not being very nice to you and another ex-commissioner is suing to get his old job back, saying he was wrongly terminated. Why has there been such a problem managing that position? What’s been going wrong? MO: You know, I wish the appointments that I make...

The legislative committee investigating Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s personnel practices filed a petition in Harford County Circuit Court this week to compel former gubernatorial aide Joseph F. Steffen to testify. Again. - snip - The committee has spent the past year evaluating whether administration officials fired longtime state workers because they were Democrats. Republicans say the investigation amounts to an election-year smear campaign against the governor.

Joseph Steffen made his long-awaited appearance before a legislative investigative committee today, outlining the role he played in the firing of state employees by the Ehrlich administration and giving testimony that at times seemed to conflict with testimony given earlier by other administration witnesses. "We've got some conflicting testimony here. If witnesses testify under oath and are not telling the truth, it's perjury," said Sen. Thomas "Mac" Middleton, D-Charles, co-chairman of the special legislative committee. --Snip-- Steffen, the self-described "Prince of Darkness" and the key figure in a bitter political dispute over the firing of state employees after Ehrlich was...

Joseph Steffen, a former aide to Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., was rebuffed today in his bid to avoid testifying before lawmakers about firing practices. Steffen, who called himself the "Prince of Darkness," is a key witness for Democratic lawmakers who want to know if Ehrlich used Steffen to improperly fire Democrats working for the state. Steffen no longer works for Ehrlich, and he argued that the legislative panel should have no power to subpoena witnesses. Harford County Circuit Court Judge Maurice Baldwin rejected Steffen's motion today. The former aide was subpoenaed to address the panel on Wednesday. A lawyer...

Former Republican aide Joseph F. Steffen Jr., the so-called "Prince of Darkness" who gained notoriety for his role in the firing of state employees perceived as disloyal to the governor, filed a motion in Harford County Circuit Court Monday to quash a subpoena calling him to testify about his work for Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. Steffen was scheduled to appear at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Annapolis before the special committee investigating whether state workers were fired for being Democrats, according to court documents filed by his attorney. But the attorney, George S. Robinson IV, contended in his filing that...

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...

BALTIMORE -- Former Baltimore City police commissioner Kevin Clark's lawyers claimed a city-owned laptop computer may hold the key to why their client was fired. WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team lead investigative reporter Jayne Miller said that same computer may answer the riddle surrounding a political dirty tricks mystery as well. Miller reported the computer in question was stolen just weeks before Clark was fired Nov. 2004, and what it may have contained explains why Clark was tossed out as police commissioner. Miller reported with Clark's lawsuit against the city now revived, his lawyers have delivered a letter to city hall...

He was supposed to be the star witness before a committee of lawmakers examining the firing practices of the Ehrlich administration, the so-called Prince of Darkness accused of clearing out state agencies to make room for GOP loyalists. Then Joseph F. Steffen Jr. disappeared. His cell phone went dead. A subpoena drafted earlier this year was never delivered, and the select committee that wanted to hear from him put its work on hold. Steffen has returned to the Baltimore area and is ready to talk - to lawmakers and the news media. He never intentionally vanished, he said, but had...

WBAL News has learned that Doug Duncan is dropping out of the governor's race. The Montgomery County executive has called a 2pm news conference to talk about the future of his campaign. Multiple sources tell WBAL he will announce he is withdrawing from the race, and will say his decision is based on health concerns.

He wore a black trench coat, called himself the "Prince of Darkness," and proudly mounted a Grim Reaper figurine on his desk. Then he went from state agency to state agency marking Democrats for firing. He's Joseph F. Steffen Jr., who spawned a year-long, $1 million investigation of what he was doing in state government. He came into Maryland politics with a bang, and has exited like a dark shadowy figure of old mystery radio shows. Now, just about every political junkie in Annapolis is asking the same question: "Where in the world is Joe Steffen?" A special committee that...

O'Malley shakes up campaign staff Baltimore Business Journal - 3:46 PM EDT Monday by Heather Harlan StaffBaltimore City Mayor Martin O'Malley has replaced his campaign manager and appointed three political strategists, including his brother, in his quest to become Maryland's next governor. O'Malley, a Democrat, named Josh White as campaign manager, sending Jonathan Epstein packing. White, who joined the O'Malley campaign as deputy campaign manager for political outreach in March, is the former head of the Maryland Democratic Party. The campaign also announced the additions of Lucie Snodgrass, former director of governmental and community relations for Harford County, and Peter...

Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.’s chief appointments officer vigorously denied allegations yesterday that the administration booted Democrats out of state positions so they could be replaced with Republicans and Ehrlich loyalists. “Not a single person can ever say, ‘I was fired because I’m a Democrat,”’ said Lawrence J. Hogan, who heads the governor’s appointments office. Mr. Hogan also denied that Joseph Steffen, the self-described “Prince of Darkness” and a central figure in the probe of the administration’s hiring and firing practices, was sent into state agencies to ferret out employees who could be fired. He said Mr. Steffen’s role was...