"Mystery Poster" DEEP MODEM Demystified. SOURCE Found at CREW

[L. Coyote]

It is time to start yet another "Deep Modem" (DM) thread. Some of the mystery has been solved, and we can get away from some confusion by restarting the discussion with these "knowns" in mind.

For the uninitiated, "Deep Modem" is a moniker attached to a series of posts on TPM.
When you post comments on TPM without using the name filed, you too become a "mystery poster."
I know, because I post on TPM that way, as do lots of people. Some are confused with DM, including mine.

The blogosphere gave the TPM posts a lot of attention in late July/early August, and
the name "Deep Modem" came into usage to identify the mysterious anonymous poster.

I ignored the threads on DU, then B McT posted a plea for help understanding the mystery. I love mystery, and started research a week ago.
Researching "Deep Modem" keywords led to the Mother Lode of original posts on the CREW website.
I suspect that someone was pasting from CREW to TPM, and there the posts took on a mysterious air because the context was lost.
The posts in the original context on CREW are opinions and suggestions directed at the CREW legal staff.

Here is a partial list of the CREW Comments by "Anonymous"," now dubbed the "Anonymous Lawyer."
There has been some confusion of "Anonymous Lawyer" postings with someone I dubbed "Ranting Poster."

This list may or may not reflect posts by a single person or a team of people:

11 April 2007 7:06pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/27374#comment-4816
31 May 2007 1:43am	http://citizensforethics.org/node/28567#comment-5967
31 May 2007 1:39am	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/28576#comment-5966
31 May 2007 1:52am	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/28590#comment-5968
31 May 2007 2:38am	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/28590#comment-5969
31 May 2007 7:03pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/28616#comment-5990
2 June 2007 7:27pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/28670#comment-6056
2 June 2007 9:53pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/28670#comment-6058
4 June 2007 6:16pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/28670#comment-6105
9 June 2007 4:08pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/28744#comment-6184
11 June 2007 7:26pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/28744#comment-6231
13 June 2007 7:36pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/28786#comment-6271
19 June 2007 7:42pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29131#comment-6429
20 June 2007 5:37pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29149#comment-6459
23 June 2007 4:35pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29170#comment-6570
23 June 2007 8:18pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29170#comment-6581
24 June 2007 5:18pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29170#comment-6693
25 June 2007 2:56pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29175#comment-6729
25 June 2007 3:53pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29175#comment-6818
25 June 2007 6:11pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29193#comment-6937
25 June 2007 6:35pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29175#comment-6938
25 June 2007 6:55pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29193#comment-6939
26 June 2007 12:28pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29195#comment-7242
26 June 2007 3:37pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29198#comment-7255
26 June 2007 4:56pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29198#comment-7258
27 June 2007 3:59pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29207#comment-7297
30 June 2007 8:11pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29198#comment-7258
2 July 2007 12:37pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29232#comment-8701
2 July 2007 1:10pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29237#comment-8703
2 July 2007 2:35pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29232#comment-8720
2 July 2007 4:47pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29242#comment-8908
3 July 2007 12:53pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29256#comment-8925
3 July 2007 1:35pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29256#comment-8926
3 July 2007 3:23pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29256#comment-8941
3 July 2007 3:31pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29260#comment-8942
3 July 2007 4:11pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29260#comment-8949
8 July 2007 6:59pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29348#comment-9579
12 July 2007 1:43pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29408#comment-10056
14 July 2007 4:33pm	http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29370#comment-10343

Here are some of the recent threads. They reflect the state of research as we many DUers
busily approached the mystery from many points of view, sometimes finding useful tidbits,
sometimes heading into rovian briar patches, sometimes flinging turd blossom fertilizer.

Mystery Poster "Deep Modem"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1641762

Mystery Poster "Deep Modem" (DM) = What is DM telling us? FORGET the MYSTERY part.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1655390

NEW Mystery Poster on CREW = "Anonymous" +++ Deep Modem's Mother Lode?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1669387&mesg_id=1669387

Links in these will lead to more.

The "Ranting Poster" that has been confused with Deep Modem's source posts is:
21 August 2007 3:23pm http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29947#comment-12502

Well, enough to get a thread started. If you can, support CREW. Even if just a giant "Thank you!"

[L. Coyote]

1. Is the "Ranting Poster" paranoid? Is he really bugged by the USG? Is this real?

You have to read it to not believe it!

Kennedy's remarks to distract from Boehner's Mafia Connections
Submitted by Anonymous on 7 August 2007 - 1:18pm.
http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29888#comment-12238

Brian Kennedy's public statements to describe CREW and Melanie Sloan were utterly classless and don't extinguish the fact his boss leaked classified information for political purposes!

Every American needs to understand the ramifications of all this! I am head of government operations for Immtec, Inc. which is inventor of the smart wallet in NIST's Biometrics and Security Systems and Applications program. Solely our biometric credential wasn't tried in federal identification credentialing programs, despite ours was ready for deployment 2 years before the biometric smart card.

Beginning in 2002 I became aware my calls were being eavesdropped on. I could hear people coming in on the call and on occasion when the call was solely of a personal nature, their leaving the call. My friends and family heard the eavesdroppers coming and going, too. We believed it wasn't legal, but it was the government and its contractors eavesdropping.

In November of 2002, weeks after the GSA illegally banned Immtec from federal procurement ......

============================

Therein we find an identity for the "Ranting Poster" albeit not a name.

That may have been how eavesdropping was done by government in the '60s.
Today, they have methods that don't click in and out on your line.

[L. Coyote]

2. Yesterday's glass ball wisdom from the "Ranting Poster"

Decide for yourself. Is Ranting Poster's crystal ball diluded with too much Foggo. :rofl:

This is the Dem basher that some posters are confusing with Deep Modem:

==============================================
Renzi and Gonzales deserve capital punishment!
Submitted by Anonymous on 28 August 2007 - 12:01am.
http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29975#comment-12572

For the record, the Dems picked-up where the corrupt Republicans left-off! The Republican leadership's greatest crime was being bought by the Russian Mafia led by Putin and the Dems are doing the same right now provable by much of their legislation. Stay tuned...it appears US DOJ is coming-out with some really big news next week. My company is a party as a victim to a majority of the corruption probes, the NSA surveillance scandal including the portion that put cameras into private citizens' bedrooms (funded by congressional earmmarks), etc.

............

[L. Coyote]

15. The "Ranting Poster" drones on at TPM. Foggy glass ball and all.

Justice Department Resignation Roll Call
By Paul Kiel - August 27, 2007, 2:42 PM
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004012.php

The circle is pretty much complete at the Justice Department with Gonzales' resignation today. Here's a rundown of the numerous resignations over the past several months connected to the U.S. attorney firings scandal.

1) Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, today.

2) Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty announced his resignation May 14th.

3) Acting Associate Attorney General William Mercer (the Department's #3) announced that he was withdrawing his nomination for the position June 22nd.

4) Kyle Sampson, Gonzales' chief of staff, resigned March 13th.

5) Department White House liaison Monica Goodling resigned April 6th.

6) Michael Elston, McNulty's chief of staff, resigned June 15th.

7) Executive Director of the Executive Office of United States Attorneys Michael Battle, announced his resignation in mid-February.

8) Bradley Schlozman, an attorney in the Counsel to the Director staff at the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, formerly the U.S. attorney for Kansas City and a former acting assistant attorney for the Civil Rights Division, resigned mid August.

And, finally, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Wan Kim was another notable resignation (on August 23rd), although Kim's troubles were unrelated to the firings scandal.

==========================
The first post is readily identifiable.

[stillcool]

3. I haven't checked the mystery posters...

threads out for a while...my head is till spinning from my last attempt. Thanks for the links...I've bookmarked for what looks to be some interesting reads..

[L. Coyote]

4. This is the perfect point to check back in.

You missed a lot of false starts and tangents.

[Buttercup McToots]

5. Thank you L. Coyote

:)

[democrat2thecore]

6. Good stuff!

Thanks Coyote for helping separate the wheat from the chaff - or the plausible from the crap!

[bleever]

7. Thanks for doing all the leg work, LC.

Recommended.

[druidity33]

8. are you being careful?

to maintain AL's anonymity? If you can "name him"... will you? (please don't)

Why would someone really post anonymously with such detailed info if they wanted to be found?

There are ways to solve mysteries without exposing authors...

[L. Coyote]

10. YES! AL remains anonymous. I'm focused on separating the real AL from the BS

What has gotten lost in all the excitement, perhaps because it was some sort of intentional ruse, was the fact that much of what was attributed to Deep Modem was posts by people like me. Some researchers thought my posts were DM posts, so I know some conclusions have not been sound.

The more alarming aspect was people trying to place "Ranting Posters" comments into "Deep Modem's" mouth. To keep things grounded, I'll skip motivations, but that would not matter to those falling for the ruse. It is important that someone personified as heroic not be abused to bash Dems.

Maybe we have disrupted a dirty trickster operation, maybe some people were over-excited. Anyway, we now know more about our mysterious poster than TPM told us.

If you are wondering who to support, the credit goes to nonprofit CREW: http://www.citizensforethics.org/
Others may have reaped considerable credit and funds with the pasted text, but CREW is the source.

About CREW

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability in government and public life by targeting government officials -- regardless of party affiliation -- who sacrifice the common good to special interests. CREW advances its mission using a combination of research, litigation and media outreach. CREW employs the law as a tool to force officials to act ethically and lawfully and to bring unethical conduct to the public’s attention through:

* Litigation
* Freedom of Information Act Requests
* Ethics Complaints
* Internal Revenue Service Complaints
* Federal Election Commission Complaints
* Requests for investigations

[femrap]

9. K & R....

I love mysteries. Thx L. Coyote.

(Off topic but....Did you see the article by Swanson...using the 4th article of impeachment against Nixon and apply to today's criminals? Not answering subpoenas is worthy of impeachment and it is an indisputable fact...take no time at all! Seems like a good idea to me. Maybe even the damn Blue Dog DINOs would agree to this.)

[L. Coyote]

13. Impeachment is very much on topic in "Anonymous Lawyer" threads. LINK

Secret to Forcing Compliance with Subpoenas
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3485865&mesg_id=3485865

It got my read and rec!

[Hissyspit]

11. Big thank you to CREW for all they do. And good work, LC. n/t

[DemReadingDU]

12. Thanks for keeping up with all these postings

and consolidating them in 1 thread

[L. Coyote]

14. More work to do. I imagine there are more posts

in case anyone wants to look. As if AL hasn't said enough, eh?

Also, was all the stuff on TPM just pasted there by DM, whoever that is (not me)? Did AL post anything there first?
Did TPM know about the CREW posts? Using keywords, it wasn't difficult to find the CREW posts!

Anyways, I'm taking a break from looking for more posts, timelining TPM, etc. Go for it, anyone.

[Buttercup McToots]

16. Good Morning

:donut:

[southern_belle]

17. Good morning, everyone.

:hi:

[LanternWaste]

18. K&R

Coyote... great stuff! Thanks for your work and CREW's work, too. :toast:

This a bit like watching Lost-- every time I think I'm beginning to understand one small, tiny parcel of this affair, the writers decide to yank the rug out from underneath me and I'm back to square one.

[L. Coyote]

35. At least the sources of the DM pastes are now clear to all.

The remaining mystery is, "What was going on with those promotiong DM and the imposters using DM for Dem bashing?" Are they connected?

How much political "covert op" is there on DU and elsewhere?

[Blackhatjack]

19. I posted this before...But Why is TPM Silent on This? Not even an acknowledgement of Existence

News is not always made by verifying the legitimacy of an assertion. Sometimes it is made by the fact that someone makes a comment which may not be provable for years, but definitely defines the person making the comment.

So why has JMM not allowed even a brief mention of the existence of the posts on his site which are attributed to the 'mystery blogger?'

And if anyone would have a chance of tracking the identity of the 'mystery blogger' it would be them since they own the server the comments were passing through. Granted there are ways to hide the identity, but they would be in the best position to determine that.

I consider JMM and TPM to be legitimate investigative journalists who have proven themselves in the past. Their silence tells us a lot about the 'mystery blogger.' One thing for sure, they have not determined the 'mystery blogger' to be a provable fake, or unreliable, because if they had we would expect that they would have published that information given the amount of attention the 'mystery blogger' has garned so far.

Maybe all of us need to send emails to Josh asking them to tell us what they do know about the 'mystery blogger.'

[L. Coyote]

20. On the Web, attention and hits translate into money.

All the excitement focused on TPM may be a good thing for support at the site.
Perhaps, solving the mystery is not going to garner more hits. Let it be may be better for traffic.

I doubt that this is a case of TPM creating the "mystery." However, a factor on the Internet with activists
can be needing to "be in the news," especially in cases where activists rely on monetary support to be able to work.
That is not necessarily a bad thing. 'Dig up good muck, get more support' is commendable, Darwinian even.
There are hard working, dedicated people who have to quit their activism and get other work if the level of support is inadequate.
That is not good. The problem arises when organizations and sites are created for the purpose of sucking up the money
that should be going to the hard-working activists doing the real work. Everyone knows Josh is doing real work.

We should be cautious about political web sites that want money, just like any other genre. And we should SUPPORT good results.

[Blackhatjack]

21. That is just the point... Josh is doing good work... we don't expect silence when an issue exists

Here is an example of how Josh might address this issue:

"In recent weeks an anonymous poster has left comments on our site, DailyKos, and Crew's website. This poster has implied inside information about the actions of the Bush Administration, and apparently captured the attention of many bloggers who have contacted us for comment. We continue to monitor all postings and will publish and report as appropriate."

Nothing more needs to be published. It acknowledges that an anonymous poster exists, has posted at various sites, that the poster has garnered attention, and that Josh is aware of the situation and will report on it as it merits reporting.

To remain silent when their website is involved causes their site visitors to believe either (1) that investigation of something substantial is going on behind the scenes or (2) they are ignoring an apparent public interest news item.

Silence always carries its own message.

[L. Coyote]

22. May sites have a policy of not commenting on comments posted for good reasons.

It can feed the damn trolls!

[Blackhatjack]

24. That may be true, but if this was breaking news in a comment you know they would...

For example, if a comment contained information that Karl Rove would resign 24 hrs before any other news outlet had that news.

I understand your point about feeding the trolls.

However, the when people contact TPM about an issue, that in itself is newsworthy --and Josh has commented on just those kinds of situations in the past. Enough people contact TPM about any subject and it becomes worthy of TPM addressing it, whether the topic originated in a comment left on their website or arising at another website.

[L. Coyote]

28. My guess, just that, they knew the posts were pasted, and even modified.

As such, they did not merit attention. The problem lies with the blemmings, the blog lemmings leading people over the edge and making a big deal out of something they did not understand, not with TPM. Nonetheless, TPM could have responded. More mystery, I guess, or they too are trying to track the "mystery imposter" w/o tipping their hand!

[Buttercup McToots]

23. See the latest one...? Makes me sick to my stomach...

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/003994.php#comments


They will be picking a new VP soon. I have told you all that Rove wasgoing, then he went. I told you all Gonzales was going and he went. I am now telling you Cheney is going. 2 and 1/2 weeks is the time frame. Cheney is next. The deal has been made, Bush has to chop off his "right arms" to spare himself. This is how Impeachment came off the table. Washington backroom politics are at work here and I feel it is my responsibility to "turn on the lights". This horrible dirty deal protects democrats from backlash and protects Bush from ever being held accountable. It is a win-win for politicians and as usual a great big loss for America as a whole. Watch it unfold people, Then remember these posts. They will be the only glimpse I ever give you. While exposing this crooked deal here with no name is a risk I can take, I will never let myself be known. It is not safe or wise to go against these people.

Posted by:
Date: August 30, 2007 12:43 PM
Tpm

[Blackhatjack]

25. Worth watching, but I have my doubts about this post .....

The predicting business is 'iffy' at best because of the innumerable moving parts and individuals.

Kind of sets up the poster to live or die with this prediction, and if associated with the 'anonymous blogger' posts of the past, it provides a very convenient way to attack that credibility when 2 and 1/2 weeks comes and goes and Cheney is still in office.

I must admit I am jaded on this one.

Thanks for keeping us informed Buttercup!

[Buttercup McToots]

26. 2 1/2 weeks is Wed...Sept 19

It's my birthday thats why it stuck out...
Anything going on on 9/19/07...?

[KoKo]

27. This doesn't sound like the original "Anonymous"...

to me at least. I posted a similar post from TPM here on August 27th, and it said the same thing about Cheney leaving...but wasn't written this way. This sounds like a "copy cat." I didn't think that the one posted on August 27th was the original "Anonymous" either, though.

Imagine all the new stuff from "AL" could be someone faking it. :shrug: just my hunch, but who knows. Sorting it all out would take too much time.

[L. Coyote]

30. Is there any reason to believe ANY post on TPM was by "Anonymous Lawyer"?

Anyone can copy and paste today. Anyone can post anonymously.
That is why all the links are in the Original Post.

Maybe, someday, someone will have something to add about the substance of "Anonymous Lawyers" difficult work. Maybe! I doubt it will be here though.

[L. Coyote]

29. This is obviously a true troll playing with the toys. Everyone else left the playground

and who knows why this person thinks the future can be foreseen.

[L. Coyote]

31. Are they trolling the pages linked from DU, right after the DU posts, then viola

the troll-speak gets quoted back here.
Reminds me of Cheney and the NY Times.
First it gets planted, then quoted.

Must be just coincidence! Right?

[Blackhatjack]

32. I was just thinking about that M.O. --Cheney plants story, goes on MTP and uses it to confirm his pt

It is in the first chapter of Everyday Dirty Tricks for beginners.

[L. Coyote]

33. More like: a page is getting referrers, so put something Dem bashing there.

Then the mystery is, why people post it back here?

[L. Coyote]

34. New thread. Focus: the constantpated.blogspot posts

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1702829