How Do You Spot a "Staffer" Posting at the DU for Their Democratic Boss?

[David Zephyr]

A few years back, there was a hilarious thread here at the DU which asked something along the lines of "How do you spot a Freeper posting at the DU?"

Well, it has long been a little, but badly kept secret that staffers from Democratic congressmen and Senators troll the DU and post "impartially" (of course!) on behalf of their bosses.

Without naming names and hopefully with humor, what are the tell-tale signs of a staffer posting here at the DU?

Have fun!;-)

[havocmom]

1. Seems sometimes they ask questions

and take the info they get to their bosses. That's sorta cool.

Also, some TV faces or staff cruise through here getting tidbits and great lines.
Many's the time I read it here first then heard some talking head reciting a great DUer line.

[annofark]

2. Overly cool

If they try to be OVERLY nonchalant when trying to support a member.

[Bucky]

19. How can you tell in words if someone is being "overly nonchalant"?

Do they write, "Congresswoman X is the most awesomest, Pug-fightin', labor-lovin', tree hugger in the known galaxy... But honestly it's no big deal to me."

Or do they simply refrain from snickering when they read filthy puns like "trying to support a member"?

("Trying to support a member" is sooo tacky, if you have a dirty mind like mine.)

[annofark]

26. They write stuff like...

"I was just reading that Congressman X said this....I agree with what he is saying..." blah blah

[Bucky]

43. Which is absurd! I only read what Wes Clark says. And I agree with it!!!

blah blah blah

[FSogol]

3. They ask some question like, "How Do You Spot a "Staffer"

Posting at the DU for Their Democratic Boss?" to throw people off of their trail.

[blm]

7. Nailed ya, DZ... hahah

Nah, Zephyr is WAY too passionate for that job - I doubt any lawmaker could control his words.

[David Zephyr]

37. Actually, I must confess that I am on Senator Lieberman's payroll.

;)

[Arugula Latte]

45. What department are ya in? Sucking up? Ass kissing?

Booking Fox appearances? First-one-standing-for-Bush protocol? ;)

[blm]

4. Oh man, I wish.... This country would be much better off with us in charge

Dontcha think?

OK - I'll play - "_____, is out there fighting for YOU every day."

[greenbriar]

5. more important, how do you get that job???

awesome

[MADem]

20. Apply, and work your way up

Start with an internship--paid or unpaid (they pay you in the dark--you need savings, or a place to crash, or you will be living in heavy roomate land--remember, Chandra Levy's parents PAID her rent). If you have a friend or relative who is a contributor, your odds of securing a slot go way, way up. Spend hours doing stupid things like xeroxing, going to the mailroom, carting crap around, answering the phone. If you have the right appearance, attitude, and talent, you can then get a better job as full-time staff if or when an opening occurs. Stick with your rep, be circumspect, prompt, fiercely loyal, and move your way up the food chain. Be careful not to burn bridges with staffs from other offices--that is how you get the dirt to keep your guy on top, and if you are perceived as a "works and plays well with others" type, if your guy gets bounced in an election, you stand a better chance of hiring on with someone else!

If you work for Tom DeLay, it used to be if you did time in the Tommy barrel, you could get a job with a lobbying firm as a reward...or a job in another agency, to extend the Bugman's reach!

[benburch]

6. And what would be the problem with that?

I think we WANT them here.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

10. I agree

I know that we've had posts not by staffers but by Democrats like Rep. Conyers. I like knowing that staffers are here getting information, even launching trial balloons on ideas for their boss. This is the only way I can think of where there is a real chance that my thoughts and ideas and opinions might make a real difference to a Congressperson.

[seabeyond]

23. i hear ya. who cares. since we inform ourselves, we arent gonna

buy bull and i have no problems chatting with or listening to staffers of some congressional person. as with you, i further see the good in them checking out what is being said here.

it is all good

[Cassandra]

29. And there was at least one DUer...

who signed on with a campaign officially and publicly (Kerry's). I'm also fine about them being here. If someone thinks that they can misrepresent someone's record, they will be found out.

[underpants]

8. Thong threads

draws 'em in every time

[David Zephyr]

39. So that's how you spot them. Now, I know.

;-)

[mtnester]

9. Go over to the Ohio forum

maybe you can spot someone like this
:shrug:

[Crazy Dave]

11. They always say "Duh...you're using right wing talking points"

No matter what the argument is and even that stretches the limits of their inferior intelligence.

[blm]

25. Sorry, but congressional staffs don't recognize RW talking points, that's

why we at DU are always pointing them out. If they did, MediaMatters wouldn't have to exist.

[Crazy Dave]

28. I don't know about that

I've gotten some pretty piss poor responses from people that were the only ones who think their bosses are always doing the right thing. That or they had their heads in the sand or up their asses.

[blm]

30. RW talking points are easily recognizable for most DUers. Best suggestion

is to not use them to make your case. Because 99% of the time RW talking points are lies.

[Crazy Dave]

31. But the ignorance is accusing someone of using rw talking points

when that is the individual's own personal opinion. It's a perfect example of someone who cannot think for themselves and therefore thinks that everyone else out there is just like them. Needing someone to tell them how to think versus thinking on their own.

[emulatorloo]

34. The RW talking points are endlessly repeated until they are drummed

into our heads.

Its like air pollution, everybody breathes it.

At some point I may think something is "my opinion" when it has really been formed by the endless repetition of so-called "conventional wisdom" or so called "common sense" etc etc

[Crazy Dave]

40. Well here's one thing you won't hear the right wing say:

I say our democratic leaders are going to bend over and grab their ankles again with the UAE port deal. Sure they're going to squawk a little to fool the people that keep re-electing them but when it comes to actually taking action you'll see them do the same thing as they did in laying down or voting for the war, laying down or voting for Judge Roberts and laying down or voting for Judge Alito. As I've stated before, this could be an ideal opportunity for the democratic leaders to show America that they are more concerned about the nation's security than the almighty dollar. Getting your face in front of a camera saying, "this is an outrage" doesn't mean shit. Getting out there on that senate floor and gathering up a bi-partisan coalition to block this deal and get public support behind it does.

And if anybody is going to call that a right wing statement then they better tell me where they heard first because if they can't or won't then they themselves are full of shit.

[MADem]

12. One-note wonders--no opinion on any other politician other than their

boss, or if there is any opinion on anyone else, it lines up closely with the views of their boss.

Excessive knowledge of the positions of the favored congressperson, to a point beyond what is commonly known or available through the media or the dot-gov website of the incumbent.

Acknowledged attendance at gatherings (speeches, town meetings, meet-the-candidates) that when taken as a whole over the course of time, suggest that if the person does not work for the rep, he or she is a stalker!

I can't blame them for not showing their true colors--hell, then they'd totally have to "watch what they say, watch what they do" for fear of being perceived, in some cases erroneously, as a spokesperson for the rep. Can't have that, and have personal opinion as well! The waters would get too muddy...

[blm]

36. Or when they know nothing about DSM, election fraud, BCCI, CIA drugrunning

or any other event of import, but they expect you to follow their advisement on who is doing their job in DC.

I CAN be a one-note but it's more of an anti-corruption note that tracks the BFEE and their criminal acts.

[coalition_unwilling]

13. If any of Rep. Jane Harman's staffers are reading\posting,

I hope they understand (and relate to their boss) that she will be facing an anti-war primary challenger this year. We tried to get Ron Kovic to run against her, but as far as I know he wouldn't. But someone else fairly prominent is planning a run against Harman.

[politicaholic]

14. By their shoes?

There are some congressmen and senators that NEED staff to do that such as Joe Lieberman (for example) just so they can get a feel for what their base really thinks about them.

[TomClash]

15. Lieberman's staffers must come here

to learn how to be a Democrat.

[Gormy Cuss]

16. I don't even try.

I don't pay much attention to posts that are backslapping any politician in the Democratic party. However, those staffers for the Santos-McGarry ticket really need to get a clue.;-)

[ThoughtCriminal]

17. If we could see IP addresses

That would ID them if they are using House or Senate computers. They apparently spend a considerable amount of time editting Wikapedia articles. It's fun to look at the histories to see what staffers add or remove.

As for DU, maybe the admins know since they could check the IPs.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

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

[savemefromdumbya]

21. where are the IPs?

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

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

[ThoughtCriminal]

35. OK, If I understand this correctly

I think that tells me an IP that views the image, but not what they have posted and what other threads they viewed.

[Name removed]

42. Deleted message

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

[papau]

38. neat - another great reason to post images that you have uploaded.

:-)

[Name removed]

41. Deleted message

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

[savemefromdumbya]

22. I think Karl Rove surfs here!

'can smell him'

[Dr Fate]

27. They have well thought out excuses for every failure.

Usually somthing like "We are not in power- stop saying we that we can do...(insert creative, suprising, agressive, fresh idea here).

If they had as many ideas for kicking Bush's ass as they did for excuses when their bosses FAIL to do so, we might get somewhere.

[JackBeck]

32. They link to a biography

of their boss from wikipedia

[BuyingThyme]

33. Hey staffers, tell your fuckin' bosses to sit down and learn!

Gather up all of the New York Times and Washington Posts, and dump 'em in the trash.

[Cha]

44. Okay, ya got me!

I'm a Dean staffer! :)