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25 August 2007
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Live By “Macaca,” Die By “NAMBLA”

Top Virginia Democratic Strategist Linked To Pedophile Web Site

Richmond, Virginia. (August 25, 2007) – The Old Dominion Blog Alliance (“ODBA”), an organization of approximately 25 conservative Virginia bloggers founded on December 9, 2005, discovered on August 21 that someone registered the domain name of “olddominionblogalliance.com” on August 16 via GoDaddy.com’s Domains by Proxy service in order to conceal their identity. The domain was then set to forward to the web site for the North American Man-Boy Love Association (”NAMBLA”), an organization that promotes illegal activity between adults and children, including pedophilia.

Following this disclosure, the parties behind it were subsequently discovered to be Joe Stanley of Yellow Dog Strategy, a Democratic consultant who manufactured last year’s “macaca” gaffe by U.S. Sen. George Allen into an ex post facto racial slur and produced the controversial anti-Harris Miller mailing, and Ben Tribbett who runs the Northern Virginian blog “Not Larry Sabato.”

Evidence in hand and a confession by Mr. Stanley show that he was the one who purchased the domain name and then set it to forward to the NAMBLA web site. Mr. Tribbett, who is close to Mr. Stanley, proceeded to peddle the story to another blog and then feigned outrage at this action apparently in order to further raise the story’s visibility while maintaining deniability over it. Mr. Stanley undertook this action just two days after members of the ODBA began a concerted effort against state Sen. Roscoe Reynolds (D-20th Dist.), a candidate for whom Mr. Stanley has done work and who is locked in a tight reelection battle with Republican Jeff Evans. Sen. Reynolds advertises on “Not Larry Sabato.”

“Child sexual abuse is not a joke and certainly not a political tactic to be used in order to silence your political enemies,” said Kathryn Wilton of the blog CatHouse Chat, a member of the ODBA, the wife of a Navy veteran and mother. “Pedophilia is a morally repugnant behavior and how Mr. Stanley or Mr. Tribbett could think this is humorous or fair game politically is beyond my comprehension.”

“Senator Reynolds needs to go on the record whether or not he agrees with these abhorrent tactics used on his behalf,” added Greg Letiecq of Black Velvet Bruce Li, one of the most widely read blogs in Virginia. “Joe Stanley did this to benefit him. Reynolds must either expressly condone or renounce these tactics used for his gain.”

Members of the ODBA are currently considering whether to bring any civil legal claims stemming from this defamatory act perpetrated upon them. Should a case be brought and damages awarded, any proceeds will be donated to organizations that fight child abuse.

– 30 –

Joe Stanley created this redirect, passed it along to Ben Tribbett who then fed it to Whackette at Daily Whackjob. Ben Tribbett then feigned disgust at such a move. The morning this link was revealed, Joe Stanley called Jim Riley to deny any involvement with the Roscoe Reynolds campaign for whom he had designed a website (which now no longer carries his logo but still has his link). But Joe Stanley failed to accept responsibility for the ODBA redirect.

Greg over at Daily Whackjob dug up the truth of Joe Stanley’s involvement and Joe Stanley went so far as to brag about the act to Jim Riley. Now Ben Tribbett says what was horrible on Monday the 20th is now deserved on Friday the 24th.

Neither Joe Stanley or Ben Tribbett have apologized for their act. In fact, both have gone out of their way to make excuses for purposefully acting in a disgusting manner.

Is this what is to become of Virginia politics?

Both Joe Stanley and Ben Tribbett have become golden boys for the Democratic netroots network in Virginia over the last year. Countless campaigns have turned to them in varying capacities and abilities to utilize the internet and drive home messages or stakes through the hearts of others.

Time and time again these two men have been called upon to run some of the dirtiest campaigning in recent memory. Whether it’s spreading unsubstantiated rumors, anti-semetic cartoons, half-truths, outright lies, or setting up someone to post something reprehensible and pretending to be aloof from it, Joe Stanley and Ben Tribbett have shown a severe lack of moral fortitude and an eagerness to go below the belt that can not continue to be tolerated.

Joe Stanley and Ben Tribbett have targeted the Old Dominion Blogging Alliance for pointing out facts. Instead of engaging in a debate on the issues, both men have chosen to take the low road and slander a group of more than twenty five mothers, fathers, students, professionals, and fine Virginians. Both Joe Stanley and Ben Tribbett have shown a sick obsession with a group that promotes relationships between grown men and young boys and both have shown their willingness to resort to personal threats when the heat is on.

This goes beyond ethics in the blogosphere. This goes beyond ethics in Virginia politics. This goes straight to the heart of what should be common sense of right and wrong and where to draw the line in every day life.

Where do Joe Stanley’s clients stand?

• Roscoe Reynolds, State Senator, Virginia’s 20th district
• Chap Peterson, State Senator, Virginia’s 34th district
• Al Weed for Congress
• Creigh Deeds for Attorney General
• Eric Ferguson for Delegate 2005
• James Webb for US Senate
• Ferguson for Delegate 2007
• Public Policy Virginia
• Change America Now
• Elmendorf Strategies, LLC
• Democratic Judicial Campaign Committee

Where do you stand?

So it seems Roscoe Reynolds is a bit worried about his seat. So worried he’s hired Yellow Dog Strategy, the same organization that put together the George Allen “Macaca” video and the cartoon against Harris Miller that many viewed as having anti-semetic undertones.

This tidbit of information was brought to my attention and the collective attention of the Old Dominion Blog Alliance earlier this week when Carl Kilo sent the following e-mail to the ODBA mailing list (forwarded with permission):

Roscoe has hired the Yellow Dog Group to run his media online.
http://roscoereynolds.com/20/index.php

That is the Joe Stanley bunch, The Macaca master! The Harris Miller anti-semitic flyer, etc.
http://yellowdogstrategy.com/home/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

Something to think about.
Carl

It’s an interesting bit of information that many others might want to know about and could be a major sign of what is shaping up to be a strong challenge down in Virginia’s 20th Senate District. That Roscoe has hired Joe Stanley’s firm is big news. Jim Riley took this heads up and shared it with the world.

But now we get caught it a bit of a spin.

The next day, Ben Tribbett shares Jim’s news with the readers of his site but goes one step further. He says the release of such information was the result of a plot and coordinated campaign by the ODBA. How does he know this? Either he’s on the list or he’s being forwarded information from someone on the list. The ethics of Ben Tribbett’s having access to such list and forwarding information from said list aside, one starts to wonder why Ben Tribbett has suddenly decided to take this opportunity to not only reveal his access but also even get into such a baseless fight.

FACT: Joe Stanley’s Yellow Dog Group distributed the Harris Miller cartoon with anti-semetic overtones.

FACT: Ben Tribbett spread said cartoon to the blogosphere after being fed the flyer.

FACT: Joe Stanley’s Yellow Dog Group created the George Allen “Macaca” video.

FACT: Ben Tribbett “broke” the “Macaca” story after being fed the video.

Seems to me that if you hire Joe Stanley you hire Ben Tribbett as well.

Roscoe Reynolds was hit hard earlier this week. In response, he has brought on the Yellow Dog Group which now has turned to Ben Tribbett to try and turn the story from Roscoe and to a completely baseless and false claim of some grand conspiracy to merely point out the facts about Joe Stanley’s Yellow Dog Group past tactics and record of infamous “accomplishments”.

This is merely an attempt by Joe Stanley and Ben Tribbett to turn the ODBA, the Virginia blogosphere and its readers from the true story:

Roscoe Reynolds is in trouble.

Joe Stanley and Ben Tribbett are merely trying to shoot the messengers. They have both shown their true colors in the past and if this is the ilk that Roscoe Reynolds is going to associate himself with, well, not only is this race going to get worse before it gets any better but the voters in VA’s 20th might want to know what their current Senator is up to.

Or is it “none of their business”?

Constituent asks: Why did you vote to triple the grantor’s tax?
Sen. Roscoe Reynolds says: The federal government and globalization!

Thanks, Senator.

Now I’m dizzy.

Jeff Evans | Donate | Volunteer

Three years ago I used TypingTest and found I could type 78 words per minute with 95% accuracy. Today I took the test again and still type 78 words per minute but now with 96% accuracy. Go improvement!

August is historically a busy month for me. Last week marked seven years of Pantera (early August, 2000), six years of blogging (August 7th, 2001), and three years of Richmonding (August 10th, 2004).

SECOND UPDATE: Wait a second. See below…

UPDATE: Mistake made, noted, and corrected. The reports cited above are from Moving Virginia Forward, who has given the DPVA over $150,000. So then maybe Ben was right. Unless this was misfiled as cash as opposed to in-kind, what’s going on at the DPVA?

Ben Tribbett’s a little upset with the DPVA and making a hefty accusation about some supposedly illegal activity concerning their new website.

But it’s not there.

Check out the DPVA’s Moving Virginia Forward’s most recent SBE filing and you’ll see that the DPVA Moving Virginia Forward has paied Bullseye Interactive almost $9,000 in their last report. That’s on top of the almost $18,000 they spent in their previous filing.

Just another case of crack reporting by Ben Tribbett and Not Larry Sabato, I guess.

SECOND UPDATE CONTINUED: Looking at DPVA’s FEC filings (click to enlarge):

So the DPVA is reporting FEC wise, but where are these “non-federal” parts being reported? Not through the Virginia SBE. What is going on over there?

THIRD UPDATE: Vivian explains:

Being a CPA, my curiosity was aroused so I did a little digging. I found a reference in regulations at 11 CFR 106.7 that requires an allocation of expenses between Federal and Non-Federal accounts. So in looking at Schedule H4 I see that the payment to Bullseye Interactive on 3/27/07 is listed.

So the payment was made from the Federal account, a portion of which was allocable to the non-federal account. So where is the transfer from the non-federal account to the federal account? Right here. On page 2 of the 6/30/07 state filing, there is a transfer of funds from the state(non-federal) account to the federal account - on 4/27/07 in the amount of $106,967.59. This includes a number of items paid out of the federal account that was for non-federal stuff.

Why do it this way? Simple: write one check instead of two. Can you imagine the bookkeeping nightmare if for every single expenditure that was made, two checks had to be written? Talk about extra work!

From the Guardian: New media is just another way to pull the same old tricks

Much has been written gushing over the fact that questions for the candidates were selected from video submissions made by ordinary people. But there is nothing new about contests where the winner gets a cameo appearance on a TV show.

As is typical of user-generated content, despite all the hype about empowering citizens, the individual was utterly powerless, except to try to please and serve the interests of the gatekeeper and thereby obtain some attention (but not remuneration).

…

But what was truly new, or at least very notable, was how cloaking the debate questions in an aura of relaying citizen “publishing” could be used to present far more controversial content, material which would not otherwise be permissible under American journalistic rules.

That is, a moderator might be able to ask about gun control. But it would be a breach of decorum for a journalist to intone that some gun owners would say: “To all the candidates, tell me your position on gun control, as myself and other Americans really want to know if our babies are safe. This is my baby, purchased under the 1994 gun ban. Please tell me your views.”

…

In a way, it’s a very advanced version of the technique where if a journalist wants to put something in an article, he or she contacts a source who’s certain to make that particular point. Or nowadays goes through blogs and forums in search of a post which could be quoted for the viewpoint.

And right there you have why the Republican candidates should avoid the CNN/YouTube format. It allows “gotcha” politics to play out in a debate veiled as a virtual townhall. Candidates would be better served spending that time campaigning or fund raising instead of sitting themselves in a dunking booth where CNN holds the lever.

But what’s also interesting and misleading is that CNN and others are trying to say that this is an opening up of the forum, which it really isn’t. The same questions are going to be asked as CNN still acts as the filter, only now they’ll be able to have a bit of personal and political spin that can act as the gotcha. It’s an open forum for Dukakis “rape-and-murder of a loved one” qustions.

As the Guardian article says in its close:

The talking head format is not sacred. But no matter how heavily marketers try to sell us on the idea of entertainment stardom (even 15 seconds of clip fame) as civic merit, we should never mistake a change in media style for any advance of citizens’ power in politics.

This format does not open the debate to the world. It simply attempts to put faces on the same old questions and make the public feel like they’re not participating. And presenting a false impression and hope of participation is more damaging than just being honest about they format.