Blue Hog Down
The left-leaning Blue Hog Report has been shut down. The blog was a relentless critic of the Secretary of State's office. They were particularly alert for any misuse of government property from that office. The SoS was bombarded with FOI requests.
But he who lives by the sword dies by the sword, and sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. The state Republican party noticed that the ramrod for the blog was a state employee. They made some FOI requests of their own, betting that the employee was engaged in partisan blogging on the taxpayer's dime. Maybe they were right, Matt Campbell, the ramrod in question, abruptly shut down the blog.
Jason Tolbert is a fairly conservative blogger, but he seemed off-put by the GOP action. Political blogging is a sort of a fraturnity. It is hard to say what he really thinks about the matter though, because his blog abruptly shut down too. Is he doing it in sympathy with his leftist fellow bloggers, or is it something more sinister? Did he rely on technical support from Republican insiders to keep his blog up- support that got zotted once it was clear he was not going to agree with the decision to hit back at the lefty bloggers? Jason, call me and tell me what is going on!
The ADG on the other hand, has no love of us upstart political bloggers. They ran an article that seemed supportive of the Republican Party action.
Where I am I? All over the place. This is one of those situations where it is hard to say where the truth lies. I am pro-blogger and believe that there should be an alternative to the establishment media. That ties in with the blogging fraturnity instinct to side with Campbell and company.
On the other hand, this was not a free speech issue. No one is saying the creators of Blue Hog can't sound off. They just can't do it on the taxpayer's dime. Free speech does not mean taxing me so you can do reasearch and write attack articles all day. This is especially so if one's specialty is decrying misuse of public property and money while misusing public property and money. Rush Limbaugh has often said that you can get liberals on hypocrisy everytime. Have the blue hoggers just given more credence to that Rushism?
I am one who has held the position that most of the attacks against Martin were attempts at misdirection while Beebe and McDaniel slip a secretive redistricting process down our throats. I can't vouch for all his staff though. My feeling is that the take down of Blue Hog is blowback for what the Republicans percieve as attack dog misleading work from them. But what will the blowback be from the blowback? Stay tuned.
But he who lives by the sword dies by the sword, and sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. The state Republican party noticed that the ramrod for the blog was a state employee. They made some FOI requests of their own, betting that the employee was engaged in partisan blogging on the taxpayer's dime. Maybe they were right, Matt Campbell, the ramrod in question, abruptly shut down the blog.
Jason Tolbert is a fairly conservative blogger, but he seemed off-put by the GOP action. Political blogging is a sort of a fraturnity. It is hard to say what he really thinks about the matter though, because his blog abruptly shut down too. Is he doing it in sympathy with his leftist fellow bloggers, or is it something more sinister? Did he rely on technical support from Republican insiders to keep his blog up- support that got zotted once it was clear he was not going to agree with the decision to hit back at the lefty bloggers? Jason, call me and tell me what is going on!
The ADG on the other hand, has no love of us upstart political bloggers. They ran an article that seemed supportive of the Republican Party action.
Where I am I? All over the place. This is one of those situations where it is hard to say where the truth lies. I am pro-blogger and believe that there should be an alternative to the establishment media. That ties in with the blogging fraturnity instinct to side with Campbell and company.
On the other hand, this was not a free speech issue. No one is saying the creators of Blue Hog can't sound off. They just can't do it on the taxpayer's dime. Free speech does not mean taxing me so you can do reasearch and write attack articles all day. This is especially so if one's specialty is decrying misuse of public property and money while misusing public property and money. Rush Limbaugh has often said that you can get liberals on hypocrisy everytime. Have the blue hoggers just given more credence to that Rushism?
I am one who has held the position that most of the attacks against Martin were attempts at misdirection while Beebe and McDaniel slip a secretive redistricting process down our throats. I can't vouch for all his staff though. My feeling is that the take down of Blue Hog is blowback for what the Republicans percieve as attack dog misleading work from them. But what will the blowback be from the blowback? Stay tuned.
posted by Mark Moore (Moderator) at Friday, May 27, 2011
2 Comments:
I think it is absolutely great that the heretofore untouched bloggers who for so long have taken free license with the reputations of others to get a taste of their own medicine. Their activities are fair game and apparently a couple don't think the light of day is something they want to have shed on them.
I do not challenge the validity of your viewpoint.
You may not care much for my next however. But you can take solace in that at least I am not drawing a salary from the taxpayers while taking my free license. My license, btw, is the 1st amendment.
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