A Very Special Around the Horn

Filed in Delaware by on August 7, 2009

Tonight, I was prepared to, at best, declare that coverage of the right wing local blog,Delaware Politics, would no longer be a part of Around the Horn, or at worst, end this column, which provides coverage of the Delaware blogosphere. Why? Because of the attempted outting of Kavips by Dave Burris at Delaware Politics, and the ironic subsequent outtings of MJ, El Som, and Donviti in that thread at Delaware Politics by an ANONYMOUS commenter. As of this writing, that post by Burris has been removed, along with the offending comments and David Anderson has told his commenters to calm down. In the end, David Anderson did the right thing. Hence, I, and Delaware Liberal, are stepping back from the brink as well.

Look, I consider David Anderson, despite our strong, vehement and mutual political disagreements, to be a good person. I say that despite saying explicitly that I think his political opinions are delusional and idiotic. Actually, no, to be honest, I do call HIM an idiot and delusional whackjob. Is that a personal attack, to call the person whose political positions you consider idiotic and delusional an idiot and delusional? I ask that because that seems to be the justification for outting or for accepting outting as, as one commenter said this week, the normal evolution of the Delaware blogosphere? The rationale is that if I cannot control my hyperbole, than I should not be able to control my identity.

It is an assine justification, and I will tell you why: because all you have to do in response to an insult is to insult me right back. And you right wingers do that all the time. We here at Delaware Liberal are called loons, fascists, Nazis, idiots, baby killers, etc. We are not going to complain about the names you call us, so long as those names are not racist or sexist.

And what to we do in response to those insults? Have I ever tried to out Hube whenever he insults me? No. And I don’t even know if Hube’s identity is known, because I have never cared to find out. Why? Because when he insults me, I just insult him right back. Done and done. Yes, it is not ideal. We shouldn’t be calling our opponents’ names. But passions get the best of all of us, and I think we all would much rather vent our anger by virtually insulting someone than by getting out our guns and killing each other.

No, outting is not about responding to what you perceive to be a personal attack. The only reason you try to out someone is to intimidate or silence them. It is an attempt to silence someone’s freedom of speech. It is an attempt to stifle debate and dissent. I find it quite shocking that some local libertarians tried to discuss outting in a rational way this week given the real aim of outting. To each their own. I will say this, as long as Delaware Liberal exists, outting will be considered a cardinal sin in the blogosphere, not an evolution of the blogosphere. When this weapon is used against us or anyone, we will retaliate. Not in kind, but by 1) removing all links to the offending site from our blogroll, 2) banning the offender from our site, and most importantly 3) we will continue whatever activity that led to the outting tenfold. For example, Burris used outting to silence Kavips and his opinions of CRI and those involved with it. We will now be increasing our coverage and criticism of CRI. The acceptable response to that criticism and coverage is to deride it if you wish, defend CRI if you want, or to call us name. The unacceptable response is to silence the criticism by outting the pseudonymous critic.

So the lines are drawn. As the person who writes this column every week, I like to think of the Delaware blogosphere as a community, albeit not a civil one. Politics, despite our best intentions and wishes, is not a civil arena. It is hot in this kitchen. I like linking to posts by my political opponents in this column, if only so that we are all informed of each other’s opinions so that we can offer a counterpoint if we wish, or, in the rare instance, agree with our opponents. And, let’s be honest, this column allows traffic to flow from all of our blogs to one another. It provides us all with blog traffic. If outting is to become an acceptable response in our community to criticism, then this will be the last Around the Horn. And you better say goodbye to our blogroll while you still can. It is your choice. We can let the heat from the kitchen burn the house down, or we can just stay in the kitchen and tend the oven.

Now on with our regularly scheduled program. And I will not provide links to the outting controversy and any reaction thereto.

SENATOR BOOTH
Election Day Open Threads by the Mourning Constitution, Delaware Politics, and Delaware Liberal.
Brian also liveblogs his activities on Election Day. Good job on both the blogging and your efforts in the election, Brian.
The results and reaction at Delaware Politics, Delaware Liberal, Delaware Liberal again, Common Sense Political Thought, Delaware Politics again, Delaware Watch, and the Mourning Constitution.
Redwaterlily’s letter to the Department of Elections on their performance in posting the results of the election. Brevity is sometimes best.
Polly Adams and Herman Holloway, Jr: Separated at Birth?

ANOTHER SPECIAL ELECTION IS COMING.
Have you noticed that since the rise of the blogosphere in Delaware in 2006, we have had an inordinate number of special elections since then? I think they schedule them just to give us something to write about.
John Tobin is already crunching the numbers in the 37th RD.
David Anderson does not enjoy the prospect of Democrats winning in the 37th and getting a super majority.
And he withdraws an endorsement I was unaware he made in what is becoming a free for all crowded primary for the GOP in the 37th.

THE CAESAR REPUBLICAN INSTITUTE
Kavips on Garrett Wozniak of the CRI. Now, if you don’t like this column, insult Kavips. Don’t out him.
LiberalGeek on the CRI posting individual state employees and their salaries.
Steve Newton reacts

KAVIPS AND STEVE NEWTON
Both had a series of connected posts that I really think you all should read without commentary from me.
Healthcare: It is about who gets the money … by Kavips.
Indirectly, at least, a homage to Kavips … by Steve Newton
More of the same …. by Kavips

AND THE REST…
Last week’s Around the Horn
Joe Biden said that?
Both Tyler Nixon and Dana Garrett think each other gets pwned by commenters concerning Dana Garrett’s opinions on libertarianism. This may be the ultimate insult or the ultimate compliment, but…. the more I read Tyler Nixon, the more he sounds like a Libertarian Delaware Dem. 😉
Bulo’s Read all about it Sunday Papers column
Steve Newton on the Delaware Student Torture Program.
When you mess with the House Majority Leader, you get the horns.
Cassandra on the Brandywine Drive of a Lifetime.
Delaware Politics covers the ratings of our local schools.
Steve Newton on the ridiculous notion of having cell phone jammers installed in our cars.
Our reaction (here and here) to Mike Castle’s passing of the torch.
Brian Shields on stimulus spending, DelDOT, and his non-stereotypical nonaversion to government services as a libertarian.
David Anderson answers a want ad. (Read the comments).
Inside Bill Colley’s Warped Mind, by MJ at LSD
CR on Greg Lavelle FOIA-ing Vince Meconi. That’s Elbert provides more coverage.
LiberalGeek made Hawaii his home for the last 11 days, and, like the Geek he is, he followed local Hawaiian politics while on vacation. LOL.

Finally, let’s follow our President’s excellent example, and cool our differences this week over a beer, while helping a good cause at the same time! Buy your tickets now.

Tags: ,

About the Author ()

Comments (19)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. MJ says:

    All I can say is unbelievable. First the fascists shout down elected officials they disagree with and now they resort to petty BS to silence those of us who call them on their shit. What’s next – picketing outside our homes?

  2. Delaware Dem says:

    To be fair, Anderson removed the posts. What yes, this week’s events were unbelievable.

  3. Thank you and don’t forget to put us back on the blogroll.

    I disagree with your characterization of the dispute with Dave. He at least did not take someone’s resume and mock it in public. I expect better behavior from everyone than that. You have to understand that there are 500 hard core Republican leaders in the state. That is a small number. We know each other and most of us are friends. An unfair attack on one of us is taken very personally, especially on someone like Garrett who has worked with most of us. Garrett has gone out of his way to be good to Democrats and it got him smeared. It hurts.

    My final word on that, I hope. Let’s move on.

  4. Delaware Dem says:

    Garrett is a political operative. Going through the man’s resume and offering commentary on his success is the same thing as smearing Beau Biden for failing the Delaware bar. I am sure that hurt Beau, yet I hear no concern for him. Politics is subjective. What is unfair to you is a great critique to us and vice versa. Steve Newton can write lengthy treatises on personal attacks and insults and we can argue circles around each other on what is fair and who is the hypocrite.

    My only point in all of this is that there has to be a couple of lines that we do not cross. I crossed a line last year, in my “Round them up” comment. I was rightly condemned, and I apologized. Dave crossed a line this week, in trying to out a critic in retaliation for what that critic said about a friend.

    It is irrelevant what you think of what Kavips wrote. Consider Kavips to be the scum of the earth and Garrett the next Pope John Paul the Great, for all I care. That still does not make what Dave did right. Nothing Kavips wrote can justify the attempted outting.

    And that is my final word on that as well. I thought I had put you back on the blogroll. I will do so now.

  5. anon says:

    Time to repost the Universal Blog Complaint Form:

    *********************************************************
    Check all that apply.

    I am displeased with recent comments on your blog because:

    ( ) Your views differ from mine
    ( ) I have no other answer to your rebuttal
    ( ) I am offended by your abrasive tone
    ( ) Your profanity offends my virgin ears
    ( ) Your blog’s rules differ from mine
    ( ) You have insulted my family/friend/politician
    ( ) I fear being outed

    As a result I am taking the following action(s):

    ( ) Removing you from my blogroll
    ( ) Banning you from my blog
    ( ) Not commenting on your blog
    ( ) Not reading your blog
    ( ) Threatening to out you
    ( ) Threatening to publish embarrassing information about you
    ( ) Tearing down your childhood home and salting the earth beneath

  6. Delaware Dem says:

    LOL. That reminds me of a Simpsons episode where Homer takes flowers from Ned’s garden.

    Ned: Now Homer, I don’t mind you taking the flowers, but did you have to salt the earth so that nothing would ever grow there again?

    Homer: Hahahahaha…. yeah.

  7. Love it anon!

    I’m glad cooler heads have prevailed in the blog war. When you fight in the mud, all you get is muddy, IMO.

  8. Soooooooooo let me get this straight. You stupid liberals enjoy lying, calling people names, and being not only mean spirited but in my opinion disgusting and dispicable “human beings” and yet you cry when someone says your name? What the matter? Are you afraid to say these things in public? Oh I know, here in Delaware we have THOSE liberals that sit in their basement in their underwear and say whatever they want because no one will know what they “really” think in the outside world. You pansies. Grow up and be a man/woman. Stand up and admit your little Socialist fetish and stop hiding behind a computer screen and crying about being outted. Pathetic trolls.

  9. Rich Boucher says:

    Hey De Conservative Evan,

    My name is Rich Boucher.
    No fake name here.
    I don’t hide; my blogs all
    have my name on them.

    And I’m in my own apartment,
    not someone’s basement, and I’ll call you
    out unafraid to say it’s me, Rich Boucher,
    saying show some fucking brains, or tits,
    or GTFO.

    DEConservativeEvan/epicfail/failtard/evanisaretard/SUP, B?

  10. anon says:

    Oh I know, here in Delaware we have THOSE liberals that sit in their basement in their underwear and say whatever they want

    Ha ha, joke’s on you – I’m not wearing any underwear.

  11. Look, I consider David Anderson, despite our strong, vehement and mutual political disagreements, to be a good person.

    I don’t. anyone who can stand before lawmakers yapping away in the name of God and thinks he speaks for a majority while in our state’s capital to try and get a law passed that infringes peoples civil rights is a major league ass hole.

  12. MJ says:

    I linked over to David’s site and saw his post about the outing (and yes, David, my eyesight started to fail as if G-D was warning me about viewing a site like that – just kidding), and I appreciate him removing the posts. Guess my post on etiquette last week on the net went over some folks heads.

  13. Delaware Republican says:

    The BLOG world is perfect for cowardly lying liberals.

    Why use a fake name if you believe in what you are writing?

    Liberals think having a keyboard gives you a brain and a message when you have neither.

    Mike Protack

  14. anon says:

    Speaking of CRI… Who is Jason Patterson? He has been posting on the CRI blog as jasonpattersonde… actually his posts are pretty good. They are mostly fact-based, as opposed to the polemical partisan style of Garrett Wozniak’s posts. Oddly, Garrett hasn’t posted for a while – not since the DL series on CRI started. Hmmm….

    By the way, in keeping with the tenfold inreaase in coverage, I think DL needs to set up a “sticky” page that has all the links to CRI related articles. I know you can use the tags but most casual visitors don’t know that… for example, visiting MSM journalists looking for info on CRI.

  15. Jason Patterson is listed as the Treasurer. His online bio there says he’s an accountant w/Belfint & Lyons. ‘Bulo couldn’t find anything else about him. Any 501 (c) (3) needs a strong treasurer/accountant, and it looks like CRI’s got one.

  16. anon says:

    Nope, that’s “Jonathan” Patterson as Treasurer. Is he aka Jason, or is Jason somebody else?

  17. liberalgeek says:

    And for those of you that love you some Evan… He may be found on a ballot near you:

    http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/evan-queitsch.html

    It isn’t hard to find Evan on the net, and he is out there.

  18. anon says:

    The forum hosted on Evan’s website, on the other hand, has such well-known and identifiable citizens as “nvgirl,” “Angel,” “naver0x,” and “Irisheyes” … all spreading the usual lies about ACORN and health care under those names.

    Not to mention the original Glenn Beck tea party site, which includes well-known Delawareans like Nat Turner.

    Or the Georgetown/Castle videos by “William Dawes,” who is obviously a direct descendant of this man.

    Evan, go lecture those people on anonymity and courage.

    Fucking hypocrites.

  19. Ironic how Protack and his clan have a desire to out lying liberals that hide behind a thin veil of secrecy, but when it comes to trying to understand the big hands and interests behind his teabagging escapades he is fine with thinking they are grassroot campaigns.