Daily Kos member exposes Jason Leopold as a sockpuppet

[brentspeak]

DHinMI from Daily Kos runs a blog (The Next Hurrah), from which he discovered that Jason Leopold had posted under several different aliases, each of whom has his own bizarre backstory, manufactured controversies, and, usually, praise for the work of Jason Leopold:

"On January 14, 2006 in an excellent post at The Next Hurrah, emptywheel closely examined an article by Leopold in which she demonstrated his claims were not supported by his sources. Leopold showed up in the thread, and things got interesting. Leopold called me a pussy. Some guy named Tom Marconi claiming to be former CIA threatened commenter jonnybutter. Andy Gumbel, a writer at the Guardian, vouched for Leopold. And someone named Adam Yorkshire shilled for Leopold's book.

But here's the problem. If all these comments came from different people, they appear to have all spent that evening together, because all those comments came from just two IP addresses.

All eight comments from Jason Leopold came from the same IP address...

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/5/15/184318/243

[OldLeftieLawyer]

1. All these egos, backed up by nothing

All these faceless twits with keyboards, trying to be something they're not.

All the people who sadly put their faith in them.

All these rumormongerers who haven't a clue.

What a dreadful waste of time and energy.

[rzemanfl]

37. I have a face, really, and a keyboard. Put your faith in me Leftie-

I will tell you rumors, you give me clues (I am going to i.d. you one day when I have some time to spend with Martindale-Hubble and Westlaw.) Shit, you're right, that would be a dreadful waste of time and energy, wouldn't it? I am just going to track Glide purchases in the D.C. area.

How does Fitzgerald keep such a tight ship?

[OldLeftieLawyer]

58. He's legendary

Check his NY and Chicago histories. Mighty impressive. Apparently, he inspires such huge personal loyalty from his staff, they're ironclad and leakproof.

He's that good. Yes, he is.

M-H?

Amateur.

Glide? Fabulous dental floss.

[rzemanfl]

100. Yeah, like you don't remember.....n/t

[originalpckelly]

2. I think Mr. Leopold's goose is cooked. (n/t)

[movonne]

30. Why would that be...drudge makes up all kinds of crap and he

is not a cooked goose...

[BuyingThyme]

89. Libs have standards; Pukes do not.

[radio4progressives]

135. i suspect this entire thread is typical lilly livered librul smear op...

i've seen this before, an orchestrated - energy draining - disinfo smear campaign against the MESSENGER - it's getting more and more obvious.

afterall, why even bother posting this kind of tripe?

anyone with a modicum of common sense will realize the agenda of this thread.

[Joe Fields]

92. I will come right out and tell you why. We're better than that.

We seek truth, while they are satisfied with rumor. Who are "they?" Those who apologise for Bush and his illegal, immoral and wholly corrupt administration.

Anyone who can still stand the stench of it is too far gone to be even remotelky interested in the truth. Guys such as Matt Drudge serve their master well, and thrive in the business of innuendo and rumor mongering.

A man such as Jason Leopold may just have to switch to the other side, if he wishes to continue making a living at a keyboard. Or take up the piano. His brand of journalism doesn't fly on the left side of the aisle.

[radio4progressives]

We Lilly Livered Gatekeepers "Seek the Truth" only if the MSM agrees

but if the msm refuses to report it... then it's just am unsubtantiated tin foil hat / rumor mill conspiracy story.

We must never ever scoop the MSM.

[MADem]

123. Well, then fry up some Tweety bird with him

He beat Leopold by a day, on national TV and syndicated radio. http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/12/matthews-on-rove-indictment-it-could-be-today/

I think they BOTH got the intention right, and the timing wrong, myself. We'll just have to wait and see.

[robbedvoter]

3. Some very unsavory characters vented ugly personal stuff on kos

Why are you dragging it here?

[brentspeak]

13. That's not "personal"

That's an actual series of incidents which took place on a similar forum as DU. I've been bombarded here on DU about Leopold's alleged "honesty" and "trustworthiness". Let that DKos article serve as a sober counterargument.

[robbedvoter]

94. There's nothing sober about the Kos discourse or your title/tone

There's no argument/counterargument to be made to you - it's pure, unadulterated personal attack.
Just wondering, what makes some of you so very passionate about trashing - not just Jason as I noticed the names that you posted as 'just names" for you - before nobody asked. As I said, very dirty roots for these overblown resentments.

[dmr]

124. A counterarguement?

Oh, please ....

You bring rumors of substance abuse & mental illness about someone who writes at another website to this forum that was posted at a 2nd forum about an incident that may have occured on a 3rd forum?

:crazy:

[brentspeak]

133. Those things

about mental illness and drugs weren't even what I was posting about. I was only trying to talk about the sockpuppet thing. But as it turns out, what you're referring to are not rumors, anyway: Leopold himself just wrote about his experience with drugs and psychiatric problems in his new book, "News Junkie". But I could care less about those problems as far as Leopold's credibility as a journalist is concerned -- I only care about his use of sockpuppets.

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. Oh boy

I think I better get out my wading boots.

[Kagemusha]

5. Uh, about that last part

I *know* I read someone claiming to have mailed Larry Johnson at a known e-mail address for the real one and that the respondent confirmed it was the real one.

What gives?

[MelissaB]

7. Yep!

You did.

[Garbo 2004]

19. That was Jeralyn Merritt at TalkLeft. From TalkLeft:

One last note on former CIA Analyst Larry Johnson's comment on Democratic Underground that Joseph Wilson received the same information as Jason: Some have questioned whether Larry really wrote the comment, or whether it was an imposter. I e-mailed Larry, and he responded, indeed it was him. He added,

Joe heard the same things but not from Jason. If these multiple sources are lying then I certainly hope Jason outs their a*s.

http://talkleft.com/new_archives/014842.html

[meganmonkey]

6. Snack time

:popcorn:

[katinmn]

15. Move over

:popcorn: :popcorn:

[meganmonkey]

28. There's plenty to go around

:)

[guinivere]

36. Mmmm...extra butter for me, please.

:popcorn:

[HereSince1628]

8. Oh, oh. If true that's sad...

[wakeme2008]

9. Bs from a BS site

I trust the DKos as much as FR.

[eShirl]

10. funny this is all coming out now

It's almost as if someone is motivated to attack the messenger.

I have the patience to see if the message proves true, or not.

[MelissaB]

12. And the guy at Kos is supposed to have more creditibity?

Just askin'.

[eShirl]

16. all involved are just names on the internet as far as I am concerned

I have no personal stake in which side, if any, is right.

[MelissaB]

21. I think we just have to let it play out,

but I get sick of reading these negative posts.

[eShirl]

24. huh?

don't know what you are reading into my words, lady.

[MelissaB]

31. I wasn't talking about your post being negative

if that's what you are thinking. I was talking about the op.

[Patsy Stone]

97. Now, Melissa...

You've been around long enough to know the drill. Eventually, as the waiting progresses, the natives and the trolls get restless, and it gets ugly. We're all just waiting. Some of us just like to poke each other with our pencils while we do it. :hi:

[MelissaB]

110. .

:hi:

I'm certainly restless and I can see that others are, too.

[Patsy Stone]

125. It might be time

for a good old fashioned meeting of the DUDQ!

[Sydnie]

127. Can I carry the tiara this time?

I promise not to drop it again. :rofl:

[skids]

11. .

:popcorn:

[babylonsister]

14. brentspeak, what gives? I wish you'd stop bringing your

negativeness here! You've been doing it all weekend; take a break! :eyes:

[brentspeak]

20. I don't like to see people get hustled

And there's been way too many people on these boards allowing themselves to get hustled over this Leopold article.

[MelissaB]

25. How many people do you think are going to believe this without

confirmation? Come on, now. Give your fellow DU'ers some credit.

[brentspeak]

27. Quite a few, as the threads indicate

[KittyWampus]

34. so what's your opinion on Bush's speech, Brentspeak?

[MelissaB]

39. So, if this article isn't confirmed we are all going to believe the guy

was indicted? I don't think so.

[brentspeak]

66. Is it too hard to just let Patrick Fitzgerald make an indictment anncmt?

That's why this whole Leopold article is so bizarre; there's no NEED for it. Do people really think that if Rove gets indicted, Fitzgerald is not going to hold a press conference to announce it for the whole world? So then, why are people pushing this unnamed-source article all over this website?

[MelissaB]

81. Why the hell are you fighting so hard against it?

We just have to wait and see. Do we at least agree on that?

[brentspeak]

91. My thoughts exactly

Which is why posting the Leopold article -- and then people blindly accepting it -- in the first place was unbelievably dumb and pointless.

[MelissaB]

108. "blindly accepting"

:shrug:

There's no hope. I give.

[babylonsister]

Nah, you're playing out some kind of vendetta from your actions.

I personally know the ramifications of believing anything, am awaiting Fitz's call, but you're relentless.

[brentspeak]

49. I don't even know these people!

Jason Leopold, William Pitt...they're just names on the internet to me. I have zero against them. My only "vendetta" is to demand responsible information-gathering and dissemination. When these people get on here at DU and post articles claiming that Rove has been indicted -- when there hasn't been that announcement from Fitzgerald -- and then accuse others of being "Fox News watchers" or the like because questions are raised, they must be subject to the sternest possible public scrutiny as would anybody else who makes such bold public claims.

[babylonsister]

54. Do you 'know' the people on Kos and if not, why are you spewing

their p.o.v.? We should all take a

[babylonsister]

111. Paging brentspeak. DO YOU KNOW THESE PEOPLE? nt

[Catherine Vincent]

46. No one asked for your help.

[brentspeak]

51. No one asked for your opinion, either

[Catherine Vincent]

61. This is a message board, brother.

Not a help desk. Don't get an attitude.

[Cooley Hurd]

22. Pitt nailed it last night

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=1190678

[brentspeak]

33. Did Pitt "nail it" this morning when he called Skinner a "cretin"?

(He later edited his post before Skinner could see it.)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=1190766

[Cooley Hurd]

41. I never saw that part... the part that still exists was spot on...

Do you have a screen shot of the unedited post? Sorry, but I'm not trusting you on this (or much)...

[Balbus]

56. I know you didn't ask me, but here it is,

preserved by DailyKOS in all its glory. Enjoy.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/5/15/33446/1501

[Cooley Hurd]

59. Umkay...

Not a screenshot, though... Like I trust "AnonymousArmy":eyes:

[Sydnie]

62. Here's your AnonymousArmy

http://www.scamdy.com/forum/html/viewtopic.php?t=79

I think I remember when this guy was TS'd here too...

[Cooley Hurd]

65. BINGO! You rock Sydnie!!!

Just as I thought - a concerted effort to discredit Will, Loepold, TruthOut, et al...

Nice catch!:thumbsup:

[Sydnie]

73. If you liked that one ... you're gonna love my encore!

I am AnonymousArmy @ Kos.

I was the one George Howland contacted for his Seattle weekly piece. I got George in touch with Franksolich Howland couldn’t be bothered to investigate any part of the story that might cast suspicion on his good buddy Andy.

If numb nuts is all you got then you, like the rest of Andy's supporters, are really struggling to legitimize his efforts.

Why not list his accomplishments instead of calling me names.

I could call you a doofus but how would that help anything.

lol

p.s. I'm still waiting for the wrath of Will Pitt. But since I've been threatened by Andy fans since May 2nd I expect his threats were designed to distract from the fact that Andy’s family would be suing Hopkins if Andy's claim that they cancelled the May 10th surgery were true. Hell, they could even sue paypal if they froze life saving fund erroneously.

http://washblog.typepad.com/main/2005/07/election_hero_a.html

[Cooley Hurd]

77. Jesus fucking christ!

:grr:

Pitt was right

[MelissaB]

79. That's a hellava encore!

Thank you!

[Maddy McCall]

82. He sounds like a real bastard.

[Sydnie]

86. Search for those bolded names and see how he played DU

Once again, "steve" aka AnonymousArmy, aka MrNiceGuyDied, aka SomethingsGotaGive, aka AndyScam, aka Admin, aka ChefSteve, aka "H"

http://washblog.typepad.com/main/2005/07/election_hero_a.html

I remember how he played us. Now, he's posting all over the net about Will ... and it's not about the article, it's personal.

[heartofthesiskiyou]

106. THAT DOES IT>>>

Keep?...Make it a large..Extra butter

:popcorn:

[brentspeak]

76. I know about AnonymousArmy, better than you, probably

http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2006/5/14/152723/909/240#240

That's a real DU post, even if it is on his diary.

[Spazito]

80. You know, somehow I believe you DO KNOW about

AnonymousArmy and did when you used his diary to slime a DU member, I truly do believe you.

[brentspeak]

85. [I] used his diary???

Check again, Charlie. I'm not the one who linked to it. (not as if the person who did link to it was doing any "sliming".)

[Spazito]

90. Hmmm, you refer to his diary while providing the link

76. I know about AnonymousArmy, better than you, probably
Edited on Mon May-15-06 06:29 PM by brentspeak
http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2006/5/14/152723/909/2...

That's a real DU post, even if it is on his diary.

It seems to me you are using his diary which contains the post, right?

[Name removed]

95. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Cooley Hurd]

99. When out of ammo, you go to ad hominem attacks...

Weak...:eyes:

[brentspeak]

105. Whatever that's supposed to mean

I don't think you even know what that last exchange was about. You're basically staying on this thread to troll me.

[Name removed]

107. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[brentspeak]

114. Yeah, I'm real "pals" with AnonymousArmy

http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2006/5/14/152723/909/240#240


You're one of the freaks behind 'Scamdy.com'? (1+ / 0-)

Recommended by:
Scout Finch, donailin

I got into a bit dust-up with Will Pitt today on DU over this Rove indictment story. After it was done, I had zero respect for him.

But knowing that he faced you degenerates down on the scamdy thing makes me think a little better of him. I'm really hoping he or another of Andy's friends sues the living pants off you people for that cyberstalking.

by Brentspeak on Sun May 14, 2006 at 05:37:11 PM PDT

< Parent >

Any other genius ideas or trolling accusations you want to spam out here?

[Cooley Hurd]

126. Okay, so you're not part of Scamdy...

I stand corrected.

However, this thread is bullshit, and you're the OP.:thumbsdown::eyes:

[Spazito]

104. That was YOUR post with the link that I cut and pasted into mine

I never inferred you were posting on the KOS link to the slimy pond-scum's diary, I pointed out that you were using it to attack a DUer. Not only that, given you KNOW all about AnonymousArmy, more than us, according to you, yet you use the link to his verminous diary speaks volumes, imo.

[brentspeak]

112. No, you misunderstood

Which was partially my fault because of how I wrote the post above.

The following is a link to a summary of an exchange I had with a DKos poster named "AnonymousArmy" on DKos last night:

http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2006/5/14/152723/909/240#240

I included that link in my post up above:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1198283&mesg_id=1198943

After which, I made the comment "That's a real DU post, even if it is on his diary," which referred NOT to that exchange that I linked to in my post, but to the snapshot of WilliamPitt's DU post in AnonymousArmy's diary that Balbus just linked to:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1198283&mesg_id=1198734

[Spazito]

115. That does clarify it, somewhat, but my disgust at anything

AnonymousArmy might spew in his diary being brought to DU is unabated, especially by someone who KNOWS about him. Seeing as you know him, you might ask him about his involvement in scamdy, his obsession with Will Pitt, etc. You might find it enlightening....or not.

[Donailin]

136. That was not AA's diary, that was scout finch's diary

anonymous army posted in it.I replied to a few of his posts, including here:

I was on DU for every post (1+ / 1-)
Recommended by:Scout Finch
Trollrated by:rjo
of every thread of that entire ordeal with Andy, from the day he posted that he wasn't feeling well right up until weeks after he died. It was a "six month's to live" scenario for a 42 year old man who did nothing but try desperately to expose election fraud.

What you just admitted to, that you created Scamdy.com and doubted and challenged his cancer which led to John Hopkins postponing his critical operation, positively blows my mind.

What a low life you are. What a godammed lowlife you are.

May God have mercy on your wretched soul.

Everyone here should be done with you. You ought to be trollrated into oblivion and banned from the internet altogether. Positively sick to my stomach now. . .

"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" -8.13/-7.03

by donailin on Sun May 14, 2006 at 07:55:30 PM EST

< Parent | Reply to This >

I was appaled to read his open admissions and lack of remorse for his actions. He is contemptible. Beyond the pale.

[Spazito]

69. Ahhh, THANK YOU, I knew that user name was familiar in some

disgusting way but I didn't tie it to that horrid website and it's pondscum member that came over to DU for a bit.
To use a post by that POS to slime a DU member is reprehensible for sure!

[Catherine Vincent]

71. Thank you!

Apparently some here don't know about this prick.

[babylonsister]

42. There you go again. What's your real beef? nt

[Jacobin]

oh boy

going down with the ship.

Hate to see that. If he screwed up by relying on someone who was unreliable, he needs to deal with it up front.

[Patsy Stone]

134. Those are two different posts, dude.

The one in the link below captured at dKos like some trophy is time stamped 3:11 a.m. The one you say he edited, was started at 3:29 and edited at 3:30 a.m. What happened between 3:11 a.m. when he wrote the post (reply number 52 in reply to post 13) and 3:29 a.m. when he wrote the post (or did he write it at 3:11 a.m.??) in a thread with only three responses?

[stepnw1f]

119. He Did Nail It

and he continues to nail it... amazing. They do it to themselves.

[Sydnie]

17. Larry Johnson clarified to TalkLeft that it was INDEED

him posting on DU.

Posted by TalkLeft
May 15, 2006 02:10 AM
I e-mailed Larry Johnson and he confirmed he posted the message on Democratic Underground.

http://talkleft.com/new_archives/014841.html#comments

[brentspeak]

26. If TalkLeft is a reliable source

then I'll edit my thread to note that I was wrong to insinuate that Leopold was sockpuppeting Larry Johnson's ID.

[Sydnie]

35. I didn't realize HER credibility was being questioned here

Is it? :shrug: You're the first to question her at all ... surely they aren't all out to lie to you are they?

[brentspeak]

40. I don't know a thing about TalkLeft, that's why I was inquiring

and if you had simply said, "She's a very reliable source," I would just taken your word for it and not questioned it, and edited my post. (Which I'll just do, anyway).

[Sydnie]

48. Well, don't take my word for it alone

but I have not seen one post by anyone saying that she is not reliable. She seems to be in contact with the major players here, has been following the Plame case since the beginning and called Luskin herself Saturday night. She spoke to the PR mouthpiece today and to Luskin again today as well.

She appears to be connected to the pulse of the players here.

She also has talked to Jason and reports that he stands by his story.

Seems fair to me. She is not coming down on one side or the other.

[understandinglife]

43. Yes. And, Larry linked to Jason's article within hours of it appearing ...

... at Truthout.

http://noquarter.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/05/rove_indictedfr.html

And, it's still on Larry's site, as of 1800 PDT, 15 May 2006.

And, why would anyone believe Luskin, Rove or anyone associated with them?

All that matters is that these criminals are brought to justice and Mr. Fitzgerald's record more than indicates he's competent at doing just that.


Peace.

[Patsy Stone]

102. Very well said!

Thanks, ul!

[Cooley Hurd]

109. I laughed my ass off when people started linking Byron York's article

...as definitive proof that Leopold got it wrong.

BYRON FUCKING YORK!!!!!:rofl:

[KittyWampus]

18. Bush just called for US troops on the border & you STILL beat this dead

horse?

Messed. Up. Priorities.

[Jacobin]

47. Is the horse dead yet?

I think the story has not played out yet....and that is the most generous way of describing it.

[Balbus]

53. This is horse if far from dead...

Just a mild cough at the moment.

[KharmaTrain]

23. More Popcorn Anyone

Here we go...the egos have been bruised, the keyboards are gonna go flyin' around here...ready, aim...FLAME!

It appears Mr. Rove is still doing business as usual (and doing the AEI show today just to pretend things are)...but it's only a matter of time until we know his fate. Leopold jumped the gun and those of us who were skeptical about this story have been proven right. So what. Time to move on and focus on the issues and the people who really deserve our scorn...the crooks in the boooosh regime, the Repugnican party and those in the corporate media who play their able enablers.

Methinks those who are THAT bent out of shape should take a couple days off...see a movie, read a book...just take a step back and see who the forrest instead of one tree.

Peace...

[jumpoffdaplanet]

29. Funny thing.

I was just wondering, in another thread, what the next attack would be?

The business hours lament failed in the last hour, and 'lo this turns up.

I'm so looking forward to thursday.

[LittleClarkie]

32. I dunno

You can have sock puppets posing as real people, but it might have nothing to do with the actual person.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

38. Pathetic. Just Pathetic.

And how many times does Larry need to confirm that it was him? Sighhhhhhh.

[Catherine Vincent]

44. Sigh!

!!

[Change has come]

45. Can't you just post a thread stating you don't like

Mr. Leopold and leave it at that?

[brentspeak]

57. No, because I don't dislike him

Nor do I like him. I care about the veracity of his article and its presentation. Anyone who publishes the kind of article he did (ie. one that basically says "trust me on this") should themselves demand to be on the receiving end of the sternest possible public scrutiny if they want to be taken seriously.

[Gabi Hayes]

50. mabye it's John Lott!

how quick would this thread be pulled at freeperville?

too bad, if true

bad for left blogs, that's for sure

doesn't matter much if/when the papers come down, though

[karlrschneider]

52. Somebody's busted. Big time.

Too many DUers forget the old adage, if it's too good to be true, it ain't.
...

[Media_Lies_Daily]

55. IMHO, this is just another personal attack on Jason Leopold.

[Maddy McCall]

60. You want to see what a REAL personal attack looks like?

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/5/15/33446/1501

[Cooley Hurd]

63. Sorry, but I don't trust AnonymousArmy's word over Will's, Larry Johnson's

...and Joe Wilson's. They're backing Leopold.

[Maddy McCall]

68. You think that AnonymousArmy just made up that post by Will?

He didn't, because I saw it in situ in the DU thread before it was deleted. Numerous other DUers saw it, too.

[Cooley Hurd]

72. He has an agenda - he's been busted up-thread...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1198283&mesg_id=1198836

Damn, Maddy...:(

[Maddy McCall]

78. So? He's a vicious bastard, but he certainly captured the post.

Are you not the least bit bothered by the way Skinner was attacked?

Amazing, the blinders some of you are wearing.

[Cooley Hurd]

83. Maddy - I'm bothered by what happened to Andy Stephenson...

...WAY more than a drunken Pitt post.

The person who posted that at dKos was involved in Scamdy! Fuck!:grr:

[Maddy McCall]

98. A lot of people did a lot of things to hurt Andy...

I was not one of them. Those who did hurt Andy will have to live with that for the remainder of his life.

Yes, AnonymousArmy is a bastard. And, yes, Will posted a terribly nasty post against Skinner last night.

It's not just one drunken Will post...if you recall, there have been many others, some of them very painful to read.

[Sydnie]

113. George Goble was a smart man

smarter than most gave him credit for. He once made a joke on the Tonight Show (with Carson hosting and I think Dean Martin or someone just as timely and swoon worthy as the other guest on the couch). He asked Johnny if he ever felt like the world was a tuxcedo and he was a pair of brown shoes.

I think that is how Will is feeling right now. Many of us would have had a melt down LONG before Will did were we to find ourselves in a similar situation. Will, with all his warts, is on our side. He is one of the good guys. He's just feeling like a pair of brown shoes waiting for a brown suit to appear.

I think we can cut him a bit of slack. What would it cost us to be compassionate and understanding to a fellow fighter?

If this story turns out to be somewhere between dead on and dead wrong... are we going to kick him to the curb like so many other voices that once spoke for us?

Now me, my warts are out there too. I'm not perfect. But, I can forgive those around me that aren't perfect either. Will is good people who happens to be under the spotlight. And boy ... is it hot and lonely out there.

edited to add a letter

[Maddy McCall]

116. What are you talking about? I have no personal issues with Will.

What am I supposed to do? Not ever question Will or his reporters' work because he's having a tough time?

How exactly am I supposed to "cut him some slack?"

If he has a personal issue with me, he knows how to PM me.

[Sydnie]

120. No, I don't think you have an issue with Will

I was trying to make the point that sometimes people under stress might do things that are less than savory. That's all. I was addressing the tone of Will's deleted post and your concern that he posted it ... that's all.

No harm no foul.

[babylonsister]

138. I, for one, loved your analogy, my friend. Thanks

for sticking up for a friend who is so important to our community, warts and all. :hug:

[symbolman]

122. I saw it

there were actually TWO versions of it, so he even went back and edited it once and then left it for a while.. (None of this is directed at you Maddy)

I was going to Light into him for DARING to talk to Skinner that way, HOW DARE ANYONE DEFEND Pitt calling Skinner a CRETIN along with most of US. You AGREE with that? How can you begin to rationalize that? Don't you think it's hard enough on Skinner, then to be BOMBARDED with such VILE BULLSHIT in more than ONE drunken SPREE on Pitt's playground here.

I'm sick of drunken abusive posts, there have been THREATS of ASSAULT, and I don't take them lightly.

I'll buy a plane ticket if Pitt wants to say some of that shit he said here to my FACE.

He's not the tough guy he may think he is.

Someone needs to drag his ass to AA, it's getting ridiculous, he's not Hunter fucking Thompson and he needs to get control of what I see as a problem.. I've been here five years and it's WORSE than it's ever been.

I can see where he's sweating bullets and beer over hanging his ass over the ledge, but you know what? HIS DECISION.

[Catherine Vincent]

67. As long as he deleted the thread before the mods saw it.

This isn't the first time this has happened. Sometimes posters post a message to get it off their chest and then delete it right away.

[Maddy McCall]

75. Even after they are deleted, the record is there.

He left it up for almost ten minutes before he deleted it. He meant for it to be read, and it was. Many DUers saw it.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=1189621#1190730

[Coexist]

70. but you know what - he deleted it soon after - please allow for that

I think we have all written posts in the heat of anger that we regretted.

I think Mr. Pitt is/was really stressed and has been attacked since the story came out. If he left it out there, it would be one thing, but he didn't. He retracted it.

We all have these human moments. I can't condemn him for lashing out - I can only try to understand that he felt betrayed, and after typing out a rash response - realized he was wrong.

It was wrong, and it was mean, but it was deleted. Can you give him just a little bit of a break here? His career may be on the line.

I am choosing - CHOOSING - to believe the story until it is proven false. Maybe because I want it to be so very badly. That is my choice.

Some are choosing to not believe until it is proven true. That is their business and their right.

Time will tell - the truth will out, as it were!

Peace.

[Mr_Spock]

88. Yikes!

I don't speculate on crap I don't know the ultimate answer to, but I do think people are taking this all a bit too seriously.

All in good time...

[porphyrian]

64. Huh huh, you said "member." - n/t

[robbedvoter]

74. And this trash is "recommended" on page one because?

Why is kos sewer draining on DU?

[MelissaB]

87. Beats the hell out of me!

:shrug:

[rucky]

84. So is Rove getting indicted or not?

I don't care about the dueling bloggers.

[Rhiannon12866]

93. I agree, that's what's really important.

The infighting going on is yet another distraction, like Bush*'s speech tonight...:-(

Though what happened to Andy, who was a friend of mine, was deadly serious.;(

[Robbie Michaels]

96. I know I'm going to get flamed but...

I don't care what DailyKos says. You have Anonymous Army cheerleading Bev Harris' every post on there, so I don't take every post on there as gospel. With it being more of a community blog, I wouldn't accept everything on there as fact.

I just think it would be too easy to smear someone's reputation on a site like that.

[Cooley Hurd]

103. Nope - you get a high-five from me!

...or a thumbsup (since there's no "high five" smilie).:thumbsup:

[Awsi Dooger]

101. Leopold could be a sock puppet and also have the Rove story right

That possibility seems to be missing from the analysis so far.

His writing is obviously aggressive and arrogant, trying to get the jump on MSM,, so that type of personality could easily lead to checking how his work is being received elsewhere, and using phony names if he's annoyed at the critiques.

[brentspeak]

117. That's possible, I agree

The fact that he sockpuppeted someone's blog doesn't necessarily mean that his Rove article is wrong.

[Catherine Vincent]

118. I think this thread should be locked since a scamdy prick post

has resurfaced here by way of dailykos.

[MelissaB]

121. I was trying to decide if this was a flame war or a thread to blow off

steam. It just keeps getting worse.

[Patsy Stone]

128. I got a woogy feeling the

minute I saw it.

[symbolman]

132. Yeah I love this

now we have a gang of Leopold CULTISTS who all alert at the same time when they are losing a rational arguement and are tired of beating someone up who wants a simple question answered.

Real class, just like Brownshirts, or the guys that shut down the vote count for Gore.

[Catherine Vincent]

137. Just to let you know, I didn't alert this thread.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

129. What indictment?

No one knows anything.

I think these people need a time out and a nap.

Maybe some nice hot chocolate later, and then solitary confinement for a couple of months, except, of course, for the daily visits from Nunzilla.

[symbolman]

130. Thank you Brentspeak for passing along this info

and I appreciate your graciousness about the Larry Thompson scene, I made sure that one was VETTED myself before I spoke up - something even WE can do, INVESTIGATE, instead of blind faith.

Some of the posts here have all the makings of cultspeak, not to mention using every red herring, strawman, whatever in the book to ATTACK ANYONE who disagrees with them. If you say you don't think the article has merit, all of a sudden three people start screaming that you've hated Will Pitt for YEARS, strangled his cat, called Leopold a child molester, are a GOP operative..

I wish people would just AGREE TO DISAGREE, isn't that simple?

But if someone tells me to shove 1000 dollar bet, a donation to the DU if one of us is wrong, up my ass, I simply ain't gonna sit back and take that ABUSE and THAT IS an attack. So I respond in kind.

QUIT calling people assholes for DISAGREEING with you, IGNORE THEM, USE FACTS, don't DOGPILE on people.. show some class even if the other person doesn't.

If I think Leopold is a dumbass con man, that's my RIGHT.

Before Will got abusive I was laying off him, when he went after me I decided to give in return what I was getting, tit for tat. But once again it's EASY to say that on a web page, will you say it someone's face?

Thanks Brentspeak, you got my vote.

[radio4progressives]

139. yeah thank you David Corn and Chip Berlet for keeping us lilly livered

libruls honest. we never ever want to scoop the MSM or Drudge for that matter.. otherwise it won't be "credible"...

Fey!

[SheepyMcSheepster]

131. who cares? This story will confirmed one way or another.

Give it a rest. There is really no reason to speculate as to Leopold's integrity. His credibility will be boosted or destroyed in due time, no need for this drama.

[pinto]

140. Locking.

Enough's enough.