O'Malley Blames GOP Plot For Rumors,Ehrlich Fires Aide Over Affair Gossip

[Rose Siding]

Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley yesterday accused agents of Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s administration of spreading false rumors that he had an extramarital affair, and Ehrlich responded hours later by dismissing a longtime employee.

The mayor, a Democrat considering a bid for governor in 2006, said he believes that the widespread and persistent rumors were part of a "concerted and orchestrated and sustained" effort and called on the Republican governor to apologize to his wife and children.

"I don't think any of us run for office expecting that this sort of hurt will be heaped on our kids or our spouses," O'Malley said.

Ehrlich said an apology was premature and denied any personal involvement in spreading the rumor. He then asked for and received the resignation of Joseph Steffen, a longtime aide working in state government. Steffen confirmed yesterday that he had discussed the rumor on a popular conservative Web site and in private e-mails, which were given to The Washington Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9313-2005Feb8.html

[Frances]

2. I guess Ehrlich is afraid of O'Malley

I hope O'Malley keeps hammering Ehrlich.

[Nancy Waterman]

3. Great headline!!

It puts Ehrlich and the GOP scum on the defensive. Ehrlich knows O'Malley will be strong competition for the 2006 race.

[tabasco]

4. Scumbag republicans.

This is just SOP for them. Character assassination of honorable men. O'Malley is very popular in Baltimore and Ehrlich knows it. Glad to see O'Malley fight back.

We need to give Ehrlich the boot here in MD, and the folks in NY and CA should do the same.

[countmyvote4real]

5. GOP can’t run on policy, so they must default to character assassination.

In this case the assassination is about character, but they have and will go farther to achieve their goals.

I don’t know much about MD politics, but I applaud the Baltimore mayor for fighting back. And like you, I wish more Dems would do the same.

[kodi]

6. I'm shocked, shocked there's politics going on.

But now, with this internet thingie, you can find a lot of finger prints quickly.

[Penndems]

7. Ehrlich Aide Fired Over (Baltimore Mayor) O'Malley Rumors (FR involved)

E-Mails Link Aide to Affair Gossip

By Matthew Mosk
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 9, 2005; Page A01


Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley yesterday accused agents of Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s administration of spreading false rumors that he had an extramarital affair, and Ehrlich responded hours later by dismissing a longtime employee.

<snip>

"I don't think any of us run for office expecting that this sort of hurt will be heaped on our kids or our spouses," O'Malley said.

Ehrlich said an apology was premature and denied any personal involvement in spreading the rumor. He then asked for and received the resignation of Joseph Steffen, a longtime aide working in state government. Steffen confirmed yesterday that he had discussed the rumor on a popular conservative Web site and in private e-mails, which were given to The Washington Post.

Steffen discussed the rumors on the conservative Web site FreeRepublic.com during the summer of 2004. He posted them under the name NCPAC, a reference to one of his early employers, the National Conservative Political Action Committee.
*********************************************************************
More (The Washington Post):
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9313-2005Feb8.html

[salin]

Anatomy of a political hit job

he goes "undercover" (eg anon name) and starts a lie. Repeats it using the same language again and again until others start repeating it, using the same language - so that it is no longer directly tied solely to him. Goes to a place where people can easily be encouraged to act on information (thus the ongoing calls going to local media) until the stories are constant and relentless. All on a lie. This is how it appears to have unfolded according to the WaPo. Insidious.

[DoYouEverWonder]

Here's a link with a bunch of threads he started on FR

This one only shows the recent stuff:

http://209.157.64.201/focus/user-posts?id=130752

The cached version goes back to Sept:

http://216.239.57.104/search?q=cache:Plm3nRLAlrwJ:209.157.64.201/~ncpac/in-forum+NCPAC+FreeRepublic&hl=en&client=firefox-a

[burythehatchet]

8. another Rove in waiting; the promotion should be coming soon.

[Cha]

9. I guess the good news is that

the asshole was fired..that was a shocker to me.

[Jack Rabbit]

10. Let's salute Governor Ehrlich for doing the right thing

When it comes to ethics, Republicans need all the positive feedback they can get nowadays.

[Stinky The Clown]

13. The only salute I'd ever give my governor is this one

[mitchum]

11. I guess this frees up Steffen to find a job in the private sector...

that he and his fellow wingnut asses love so much

[Penndems]

12. Check out the last paragraph: He got his info from the Freep Creeps

If I was paying taxes in Maryland, I'd be MAJOR pissed that he was doing this with my money.

[dray178355]

14. bump...

Has anyone found the postings at FR? I'm afraid of that place. Don't wanna' get my cookies dirty.

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. I found his bio over there

A libertarian/conservative; a staunch state's rightist and individual who believes in political "process" and the rights of the individual against collectivist and communitarian nightmares. I never allow emotions to interfere with political decisions and, thusly, I am as opposed to social engineering from the right as I am to social engineering from the left. I believe a true conservative allows society to engineer itself without interference from any form of a nanny "we know better than you do" government.

Anti-tax, pro-gun, pro-premptive defense measures, pro-free speech, pro-state's rights: That's me, a social darwinist with a Jack and Coke in one hand and a hand rolled smoke in the other. My nicknames in political campaign circles are "The Prince of Darkness," "Doctor Death," and "Doctor Ice." (as in ice water in the veins). When I am involved professionally in a campaign, I play hard. I play to win. Period.

I'm 45 years old and have worked in professional politics (both campaign and government side) for 20 of the past 24 years - mainly in strategy, targeting, communications, spokesman, political (including speech) writing. Some of those for whom I have worked for/with in one regard or another include: Reagan (1984), Richard Viguerie, Terry Dolan, Brent Bozell, Pat Buchanan, Marshall Coleman, John Chichester, Haley Barbour, Gerald Ford, R. Karl Aumann, J.B. Jennings, Ken Holt, Bruce Bereano, Chris McCabe, Chip DiPaula, Bob Flanagan, Jim Ports, Paul Schurick, Linda Chavez, Russ Schrieffer, Rachel DiCarlo, Al Redmer, Michael Murphy, Craig Shirley, Stan Parris, Wyatt Durette, Martin Mayfield, Tom Bliley, Roberto D'Aubission, J.D. Hayworth, and MD's Governor, Bob Ehrlich, and Lt. Governor, Michael Steele. I love this life.

I vote for the most Reaganesque libertarian/consrvative candidate in Republican primaries, but always vote "R" in the general - no matter how the "R" stacks up against the "D." As a numbers man, I know it's always the more "R's" the better.

Lastly, to me a RINO is a someone who claims to be a Republican - but who will vote for someone other than a Republican because he/she may disagree with some of the views a given Republican candidate supports. Other definitiions of "RINO" are disingenuous at best.

http://216.239.57.104/search?q=cache:e6ccSKdwP6AJ:www.freerepublic.com/~ncpac/+NCPAC+FreeRepublic&hl=en&client=firefox-a

Unfortunately it's the cached version. Seems FR deleted the one of their site already.

[silvermachine]

18. Roberto D'Aubission

Whoa....death squad leader. And he's proud of this???

[FreeStateDemocrat]

15. Ehrlich is dirty and deserves no salute, covers it up with a fall-guy.

Let's get realistic and look at the way dirty politics is played:

Ehrlich associate targeted O'Malley
Confronted on rumors, state employee resigns; Web site postings on marriage
By David Nitkin and Andrew A. Green
Sun Staff
Originally published February 9, 2005

(snip)

House Speaker Michael E. Busch said last night that he had never met Steffen but knew him by reputation, referring to him as "The Turk" - a National Football League term for a team official dreaded during training camp because he delivers the news that players have been cut.

"It's a new low in government," Busch said, referring to how Steffen operated in various agencies. "It's a Gestapo-like mentality that becomes instilled in government. ... It sends a chilling message to people who have dedicated their life to public service."

Told that Ehrlich had accepted Steffen's resignation, the speaker said: "Clearly his sin was not crossing the line.

"Clearly his sin was getting caught."



http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-te.md.resign09feb09,1,7604723.story?coll=bal-home-headlines

[librechik]

19. GOP Aide Fired For Spreading Lies

I like this version better. Love to see it fer real about 10,000 times!

[displacedtexan]

16. MSNBC just took a swipe at Mayor Martin!

They took his metaphor (After our cities were attacked on 9/11, we never expected the president to propose a budget that is also an attack on those same cities") and Carol Whatshername shook her head and sighed, "What a misguided statement."

Mayor Martin is a good Democrat, who will also call GOP bastards into the alley and beat the shit out of them.

That's why they're attacking him now, in an effort to damage him before he mounts a viable campaign against Ehrlich.

[FreeStateDemocrat]

17. Ehrlich campaign dirty trickster since 1994.

I've had enough of this bullshit from the a pure repuke Nazi like Ehrlich:

Gerry Brewster, a Towson Democrat who ran against Ehrlich in the governor's first congressional election in 1994, said Steffen was well known as "the dirty tricks operative" of Ehrlich's campaign.