Opposition research...on bloggers?
Wonder if they know about my Cincinnati Reds obsession?
By Chad Dotson Posted in 2006 — Comments (4) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
There has been a bit of a kerfuffle (love that word) lately about reports that Virginia Senator-elect Jim Webb's campaign compiled huge opposition research files on a number of Virginia bloggers. Shaun Kenney has the story, and William Beutler has more here. The plan appears to have been to keep some ammunition on hand to smear bloggers who might dare print something damaging about Webb.
Read on...
I don't know if the story is true or not, though I was one of the targeted bloggers, evidently. Frankly, I don't care that much; I'm an elected prosecutor myself, so Webb probably isn't the first person to compile such a file on me. I don't have much to hide, and if I did, I'd expect it to come out next year when I run for re-election.
If this story pans out, what's most interesting to me is that the bloggers who were targeted were not just Republicans; some were prominent Virginia Democratic bloggers...including a couple who were actually on Webb's staff. Making sure they kept their own guys on the reservation may have been as important as keeping an eye on the opposition.
Again, we'll see how much of this story is legit. Either way, the lesson may be that campaigns ignore the blogosphere at their peril. Just ask George Allen.
For what it's worth, Allen's official campaign blogger has decided to go ahead and disclose what his opposition research file must look like. Heh.
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Opposition research...on bloggers? 4 Comments (0 topical, 4 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
why DON'T we have this kind of research? I mean, an Al Queda or Hamas sympathizer posing as an impartial reporteer of fact could ...
Never mind....
Webb is just an ignorant punk, who took advantage of Allen's bumbling, and Virginia turning a shade of purple from red.
Virginia mistook his brash style as refreshing, it's not he is just ignorant.
His staff can compile all the toilet paper they want, no one will give a rats ass.
Webb just better focus on doing his job in the senate.
This dude stoops to a new low. The people of Virginia were duped. Not only did he use his son as propgand for the war (by wearing his combat boots all the time) he cold shoulders the President when he is asked genuinely how his son is doing, stiffs a group of Vietnam vets who voted for him, and now is keeping files on people who have the ability to expose him for the moron that he is...Shoulda kept writing those fiction novels...cause real life seems to elude him.
How would it go over if a campaign did oppo on a journalist or do they already do it to them? Hmmmmm