Rosemary Lehmberg: "Terry Keel May Not be Actively Campaigning for Montford"

Wow! (2.00 / 2)

An anonymous Internet news story turns out to be completely false?

I'm shocked I tell you!  Shocked.

That's all I've got time for now, I've got to complete a transaction with the Central Bank of Nigeria.  I'm about to be rich!

Signed,
Jobu, another anonymous Internet dude

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by: Jobu @ Thu Apr 03, 2008 at 14:49:42 PM UTC

Integrity lesson (1.50 / 2)

Phillip Martin, you made this comment

and didn't back away from it in that thread even when it was shown to be false.

Just because the person who eventually came up with the proof turned out to be a jerk doesn't mean he wasn't right - and you show integrity better by addressing the fact that you were wrong rather than complaining about how he attacked you in other comments.

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by: m1ek @ Thu Apr 03, 2008 at 15:04:54 PM UTC

Let's Be Clear (3.50 / 2)

I wrote the story not Phil.  Second, it passed my personal two source standard. Neither source was involved in either campaign and therefor I thought it was reliable. Clearly it wasn't.

You can continue to attack Phil because of a comment, or you can blame me for spotty reporting.

Help build a progressive movement in Texas. Join Progress Texas.

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by: Matt Glazer @ Thu Apr 03, 2008 at 15:39:30 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I put the comment here first by accident (0.00 / 0)

Was intending it to be on Phil's post; which I later did.

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by: m1ek @ Thu Apr 03, 2008 at 15:47:42 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

You're right (3.00 / 1)

(replying here as well as my post)

To be real fair, at the time I wrote the comment, I hadn't seen anything directly from Lehmberg. Late last night, someone forwarded me the e-mail her campaign sent out with that attack.

This is the first time I've been on my computer since then, so now that I am, I'll say that I should have looked into whether or not Lehmberg had sent anything out before I made my statement. Sorry about that.

Now, a very great man once said that some people rob you with a fountain pen.

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by: Phillip Martin, Progress Texas @ Thu Apr 03, 2008 at 17:29:27 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

The truth is coming out (0.00 / 0)

I'm sure everything that has happened the past couple of days between the Capitol Annex, the BOR, Kelly Fero and Lehmberg campaign is a complete coincidence.

From the Statesman:

The fiery Texas House parliamentarian, a former prosecutor, sheriff and legislator, was irked by the link to a Democratic race. He began investigating the source of the report on AustinPoliticalReport.com, which on Tuesday was disseminated in an e-mail by the campaign for Rosemary Lehmberg, Montford's opponent in the April 8 matchup.

Turns out, Keel says, AustinPoliticalReport.com is registered to Kelly Fero, an Austin political consultant retained by Lehmberg to work on her campaign.

Keel is threatening a libel lawsuit against Fero, who did not respond to e-mails or phone calls for comment.

http://www.statesman.com/news/...

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by: Jobu @ Thu Apr 03, 2008 at 15:57:35 PM UTC

interesting (0.00 / 0)

One thing for political junkies to consider is that it's not beyond the realm of possibiltiy that the whole thing was a setup.  On the local scene, who inspires more revulsion in active Travis County Dems than Keel?  Nationally, Rove?  It was too good to be true . . . very attractive bait.

Would anyone like a videotape of a debate performance?

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by: JUICE @ Thu Apr 03, 2008 at 16:59:23 PM UTC

really disappointing (0.00 / 0)

not exactly a bell you can unring.

smart strategy to say "it may not be true" and keep the rumor alive.

pretty scummy tactic. with so many legitimate issues and positions to debate, this is the lowest common denominator.

now we hear that fero owns the website in question? if that is true, this is professional malpractice in the worst way.

fero apparently didn't respond to news inquiries, perhaps someone here could get in contact with him or his partner.

Please refer to KT's signature.

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by: colin @ Thu Apr 03, 2008 at 17:02:04 PM UTC

Friday Update (0.00 / 0)

So the Statesman is reporting that Kelly Fero was involved in Lehmberg's Internet operation but had no knowledge of the e-mail citing his own web site going out.

We're also supposed to believe that Lehmberg had no knowledge of any of these shenanigans.

So this weekend anonymously sourced reports linking Montford to Lehmberg come out.

On Monday, Lehmberg goes negative on TV linking Montford to lobbyists and Republicans.

On Tuesday, Lehmberg's campaign cites the anonymous internet reports in a blast e-mail going negative on Montford.

Those reports also get cited in places like the BOR and the Austin Chronicle.

Are we really supposed to believe that all of this just happened or does it seem like a coordinated smear campaign.

I don't think the Chronicle and BOR were involved, but I do think they were used by Fero and Lehmberg's campaign.

A consultant to Travis County district attorney candidate Rosemary Lehmberg attacked her opponent, Mindy Montford, anonymously on a political Web site. The Lehmberg campaign then recirculated the attacks to voters without identifying the consultant.

Keel is filing a criminal complaint today questioning whether Fero violated a state law when his identity was not disclosed in campaign materials.

Keel's lawyer, Jason Nassour, said he is filing a criminal complaint with Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle but would seek a special prosecutor because Earle has endorsed Lehmberg.

Nassour cited election law prohibiting the "misrepresentation of identity."

The law says "a person commits an offense if, with intent to injure a candidate or influence the result of an election, the person misrepresents the person's identity ... in political advertising or a campaign communication."

http://www.statesman.com/news/...

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by: Jobu @ Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 13:05:58 PM UTC

How much is true on BOR? (0.00 / 0)

All of this makes me wonder how many of the other posts on this blog are based on bogus information...

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by: Frijoles y Papas @ Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 16:21:45 PM UTC

Well our names are signed to our writing (1.00 / 1)

For what that's worth to folks.  

Please read the Community Guidelines and How to Rate Comments.

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 20:17:37 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I received a negative mail out from the Lehmberg campaign (0.00 / 0)

The Lehmberg mail out quotes Capitol Annex, Austin Political Report, and Burnt Orange Report along with the Texas Observer and the Statesman. All the quotes try to link Mindy to republicans and to lobbyists. It includes a somewhat unflattering picture of Mindy Montford and does not say a single thing about Lehmberg except in the tiny print informing the rader that indeed, it is a political advertisement paid by her. At least one could identify an author for the Texas Observer and AAS quotes- but the other quotes are from blogs or responses to blogs that could have been written by any anonymous person (such as myself- gee, maybe I'll get quoted on a mailout and my quote could be listed as "Burnt Orange Report").

I am sort of shocked that the Lehmberg campaign went negative like this. I have been excited about the prospect of a new and more positive (hopeful) tone in politics (Perhaps naively- I believe that an Obama vs. McCain election would remain issues focused). Point being- makes me wonder why the Lehmberg campaign would not rather focus on exactly how Ms. Lehmberg would more effectively lead the DAs office than rumors and innuendo about Ms. Montford's being beholden to the GOP and big business.

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by: politics4me @ Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 20:23:38 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

BOR Not Anonymous (0.00 / 0)

As K-T pointed out above, BOR's posts are not anonymous.  The bloggers for the site sign their names to their posts.

"In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican." - H.L. Mencken

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by: PI Lawyer @ Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 20:38:52 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

a blog on BOR may not be anonymous... (3.00 / 1)

but replies to blogs can be anonymous. It seems any political candidate could put "burnt orange report" in quotes and pull anything off any of the pages they wish. Maybe I am not aware of some "rules" of quoting websites that insist that only signed main page blogs are quoted and not just any questionable response that may occur on the page.

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by: politics4me @ Sat Apr 05, 2008 at 01:57:51 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Good point (0.00 / 0)

If someone knows the "rules" for quoting websites, please enlighten. What are our community standards in this area if no formal rules exist?

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by: ssuits @ Sat Apr 05, 2008 at 02:29:11 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

What is worse for a Democratic Primary candidate? (0.00 / 0)

Being supported by Terry Keel and friends or being called a liar and a "possible drug smuggler"?

One candidate for Travis County Constable was attacked in a couple of blogs as both a liar and a "possible drug smuggler" during this year's primary. Hopefully the practice of quoting anonymous blog posts in political mailers and mass emails will not become an accepted political practice in Austin.

We are ready have enough of a problem with some questionable endorsements made by some local political groups that get touted in both political mailers and mass emails by the endorsed candidates.

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by: ssuits @ Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 21:31:17 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Our Quality (0.00 / 0)

We post retractions... like the one you are responding to.

I personally work on a two source standard and have been both a freelance writer and trained journalist.  Doubt me or the site if you want, but we hold ourselves to a high enough standard and are more than transparent.

But since you only created your user name on March 28th, you may not be totally familiar with this site and our very extensive policies.  We appreciate your comments and hope you will become more familiar with the site, our writers, and our diligent efforts to report both original news and news around the state.

Help build a progressive movement in Texas. Join Progress Texas.

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by: Matt Glazer @ Sat Apr 05, 2008 at 04:01:57 AM UTC

[ Parent ]