1

This just makes Tucker Carlson look worse.

2 So Ace, what is a blogger's gold mine worth these days?

3 Sounds like more of a compost heap than a gold mine...

4 Daily Caller has always been a borderline tabloid site but now we can officially move it into the "trash" column. 

5

Toki de la Vega?

 

Guy hit the mutli-national douchebag lottery with that name.

6 scum scum, scum, scum, scum, scum, scum. scum

Toki should get a desk at CNN, alongside Bashir

7 Leaker, meet petard.  Petard, Leaker.

8

Sorry, Ben, but it's going to take more than a happy meal and a hand shake to get me to betray someone's confidence.

 

 

How about a "hand-jo" to seal the deal?

9 I've got a Blogger's Gold Mine in my pants, IYKWIMAITYD

alert The Daily Caller

10
I wonder if Daily Caller made a better offer than Gawker.

11 I can't believe I passed on this!

12 Why didn't Ben publish this earlier?

13
And now the leaker tries to walk it back by saying he was "joking" to Ben and claims he released the tweets because he was "bored." Like that's better?

I need money I'm bored, think I'll go mug a granny.

14

Does anyone read the daily caller?

I used to go there to read Jim Treacher, but ever since he's gone to the caller and got hit by a car, his columns aren't very funny anymore.  also the formatting is awful and makes it hard to read as the columns are disjointed as a result of multiple ads.

15
Why didn't Ben publish this earlier?
Posted by: Temper Tantrum at May 24, 2011 11:53 AM

Now that DC has published the tweets, Ben is saying he had a crack at them months ago, wouldn't pay, and has been waiting since for them to come out elsewhere.

16 First! as in 'first sock puppet' I'll be playing the HQ for a couple weeks. Be sure to tip your blogger.

17
Tucker Carlson is a weasel... always has been since back in his CNN days on Crossfire letting all the lefties put their balls on his chin.

The DC now has a stench of Gawker to it.  Nice day's work there Tucker!!

18 I wonder if she discusses her thoughts on the latest "Curious George" book she read.

19 And now the leaker tries to walk it back by saying he was "joking" to Ben and claims he released the tweets because he was "bored." Like that's better?

I need money I'm bored, think I'll go mug a granny.

Posted by: arhooley at May 24, 2011 11:53 AM (wXkKE)

So being a crapweasel for money is less noble that being a crapweasel for fun?

Fascinating Theory

20 I can sell you the contents of Comment Number 12 for $300 and a ride to the arcade.

21 18 I wonder if she discusses her thoughts on the latest "Curious George" book she read.         I wonder if you would like to discuss my milky glutes?  Or would you rather just see them in action, Trollboy?

22
so it's Tucker Carlson's turn in the AoS barrel, today?

23 "Journalistic ethics?  But...we have a story about Christina Hendrick's big fat tits!"

24
DC is where [Mother, May I Sleep with] Treacher is, da?

25 oh and way OT, but did anyone see Megan McCain on Leno last night? I didn't watch the whole thing, but as I was flipping through I noticed her. I watched for a minute bcause I wasn't sure it was really her. She's ballooned up quite a bit.

26 Selling a story for money.  How despicable.  Toki should have done what I do; suck cocks for crack!

27 Amatuers.

28
if Chris Farley was still alive, he'd play Meghan McCain on SNL

29 28  if Chris Farley was still alive, he'd play Meghan McCain on SNL
            Pretty soon, Meggie McCheese will be living in a van down by the river!

30
Tucker says he will never reveal the true name of his source, code name: Deep Shaft

31 You should know Ace, that political gates, is an even more 'wretched hive of scum and villainy' than their original Trig Truther counterpart, Palingates.

32 Yeah, the only reason I went to the daily caller was to read Jim Treacher, but I agree most of his posts have not been stellar lately. Not bad, just not great.

33 Twitter is evil

34 Gee Sara Netanyahu looks terrible

35 Well I’ll give Netanyahu this, he speaks pretty good English and says “G-D Bless America” better and more convincingly than obama

36 That note to Ben Smith embodied the exact type and quality of person I perceive leftist comment trolls on sites like Politico to be.

On another level carefully reading his words was like looking into the black hole of a selfish, hate consumed, arrogant, and viscous man-child.  To me the ugliness contained in his email to politico is worse then any boring run of the mill bitchy gossip in his stolen twitter communiques.

But then I tend to disregard almost everything people tell me and let their assumptions and premises show me their real nature.  If that doesnt work I kick em in the nuts.

37

Yeah, the only reason I went to the daily caller was to read Jim Treacher, but I agree most of his posts have not been stellar lately. Not bad, just not great.

I can't think of the last time I read something by him and laughed out loud.

My guess is that comedy, for the most part is free flowing and not forced.  It's hard to be funny on a deadline.

He was funnier when he had his own blog and could write something when inspired. Now he probably has a quota.

38 14

Does anyone read the daily caller?

I used to go there to read Jim Treacher, but ever since he's gone to the caller and got hit by a car, his columns aren't very funny anymore.  also the formatting is awful and makes it hard to read as the columns are disjointed as a result of multiple ads.

Posted by: Ben at May 24, 2011 11:53 AM (DKV43)

I stopped reading thedc a while ago - on some networks with higher security, the format goes off the rails to unreadable.  Plus, I never could get signed up all the way with an account to comment.  Good thing, since their stories got old kind of fast.  A poor man's daily mail.  I never find anything new over there.

Treacher's been spotty - I still read his stuff, but it seems like he reposts the morning newsletter _{^{(which I get, even though I can't get a registration confirmation email...)}} a lot nowadays.

39 35 Well I’ll give Netanyahu this, he speaks pretty good English and says “G-D Bless America” better and more convincingly than obama

Posted by: nevergiveup at May 24, 2011 12:12 PM (i6RpT)

Not at all surprising given the fact that he believes in both while the JEF believes in neither...

40 I do not understand the outrage. At the guy who sold/gave away the messages, yes. At the DC for publishing them--I don't get it. This shows a person who, no, I never heard of before, but who they say is a high aide to Sarah Palin, and this person shows a) extremely poor judgment, b) egotistical conceit, throwing her weight around and saying what SP will/will not do, should/should not do, is/is not feeling, c) just downright disgusting willingness to trash-talk her own boss's daughter. It's "impressive" that a young girl who got pregger out of wedlock nevertheless loves her son? This person who messaged these things is a nasty piece of work. It is news that SP has a nasty piece of work as a "top aide."

I do not understand the outrage here.

41 I'm really trying to drudge up interest in this brouhaha. It's just not happening.

42 35 Well I’ll give Netanyahu this, he speaks pretty good English and says “G-D Bless America” better and more convincingly than obama

Posted by: nevergiveup at May 24, 2011 12:12 PM (i6RpT

Hell, Joe Stalin said it better and more convincingly than Obama.

43 Tucker lost me on that stupid Journolist roll out.  He should have dumped most or all of the messages.  Instead, he revealed a few juicy-sounding ones and assured us the rest were just people talking smack.  In a way, that was a whitewash.  Revealing a few mildly interesting messages that contained a little of what we expected was a tidbit to satisfy the dogs and make them go away.  Those people are his buddies, and there was no way he was going to let them look bad.  "Leaking" the messages to Tucker was probably actually via an understanding reached with Klien that this was a good way to defuse the issue.

I think part of what makes a good journalist is courage, and Tucker didn't show any on the Journolist story.  The whole thing had the reek of professional courtesy and insiders taking care of one other.

44 Wasn't the Caller the one that published an article accusing conservative blogs of getting paid? 

45 Dan Reihl, call your office.

46

Reading the comments at DC, I think someone on the staff is going to have to answer the question of whether or not they paid for the material.

They have a tease for a new article: NEXT: Mansour Lied to DC When We Called

... and some of the commeneters who I take to be regulars are asking the $ question.

47 Yeah, I wouldn't even bother reading The Daily Caller, but I've wanted to support Treacher.  Maybe he'll spring out of there to someplace better.

48 "Maybe he'll spring out of there to someplace better."

Let's all send him enough money to go back to Indiana and be funny again.  He can do a lot better than where he's at. 

49 I was more than pleased that the Daily Caller published the Journolist emails last year. This is different because its "our side"?

50 This is different because its "our side"?

Are you serious? 

It's different because the journolist thing was evidence of what we all suspected: that the media has been colluding in support of one political party/ideology over another, in violation of their ethical standards (and worse, actually). 

This recent thing is just about the petty, unprofessional behavior of a private citizen. 

51 Lauren...

You really don't see the difference between media contacts collaborating over what stories to push to promote Obama versus personal, private direct messages where a friend vents her personal feelings to another friend, who then goes and betrays that friend?

52 49 I was more than pleased that the Daily Caller published the Journolist emails last year. This is different because its "our side"?

Posted by: lauren at May 24, 2011 12:50 PM (ibCFU)

Well, because that revealed the so-called unbiased media was doing bias behind the scenes.

This is pure gossip from a partisan.  No comparison.

53 I do not understand the outrage here.

I don't feel outraged about the Daily Caller publishing these tweets or messages or whatever, and I agree with you that they reflect really badly on the staffer (and may give us some insight into Palin's organization), but I do think this story reflects badly on their publication.  It's pretty tabloidy.  But that's what a lot of their pieces seem to be. 

54 5

Toki de la Vega?

Not a bumblebee.

55 Wow.  "Toki de la Vega" is a remarkable scumbag.  And not just for doing what he did, but FOR THE FUCKING E-MAIL HE WROTE TO BEN SMITH.  "Sorry, Ben, but it's going to take more than a happy meal and a hand shake to get me to betray someone's confidence. Only freshly printed 100 dollar bills help me get over feelings of guilt."

What an unbelievable asshole. 

I guess my only interest in this kerfuffle now is how this fuckwit came to be selling this stuff.  Was he disgruntled?  A mole all the time?  Desperate for money to fund his crank habit?

56 I was not considering the content, only the fact that private emails were published for a price. I totally agree about the significance of the content. I was not clear.

57 By the way:

1.) The Daily Caller has one thing going for it, and that's Mickey Kaus.  Love that guy, even when he pisses me off.

2.) Ben Smith of Politico is one of the most straight-shooting print reporters in the DC area.  A solid guy who plays it fair.  I respect him far more than 99.9% of MSM reporters.

58 This other side of the story, this toki person's attitude, was very interesting.

Much more so than someone calling someone douchebag in private.

Why is dailycaller hiding the news?  Tucker Carlson must have picked that up from CNN, who also hid the truth about some bad guys in their quest to appear to be the best informed.

I don't like the Politico at all, but they just out scooped Daily Caller.  knowing what DC is all about is much more interesting than the Palin staffer's private thoughts.    This really makes the DC look awful.

59

Are you serious? 

It's different because the journolist thing was evidence of what we all suspected: that the media has been colluding in support of one political party/ideology over another, in violation of their ethical standards (and worse, actually). 

This recent thing is just about the petty, unprofessional behavior of a private citizen. 

Sure, it's a bit petty and not terribly interesting... but why shouldn't they have published it?

The messages originated with someone who is apparently very close to Palin.  They had the potential to reveal insider info that might be interesting or informative.  From what we've seen so far, the messages don't include anything especially interesting, but the possibility is/was there.

Much ado about nothing.  The person who went shopping out private messages to the highest bidder is a douche, but I don't get the animousity towards the DC for printing the story.

60 Much ado about nothing.  The person who went shopping out private messages to the highest bidder is a douche, but I don't get the animousity towards the DC for printing the story.

Posted by: Hollowpoint at May 24, 2011 01:25 PM (SY2Kh)

So if someone robs your house and I knowingly buy the stuff, its good to know we will still be buddies.

61 Is "toki de la Vega" a guy?  I'm not so sure.

62 @60
Actually, I think we're in basic agreement.

I don't feel outraged at the DC for using the tweets.  That's the nature of investigative journalism.  They use what they can get.  As long as it's not risking national security or breaking a law, they're free to go for it. 

I do think this is a tabloid-y story, which diminishes the DC to some extent.  The person in question is not paid by the public and the stuff she said is stupid, but not earth-shattering. 

I will say that it's somewhat newsworthy only insofar as it does reflect on the discipline and professionalism of Palin's staff. 


People are saying that it was a private communication, but if you are a real professional in that line of work (one in which you are paid to represent an executive or organization), you watch what you say in every interaction, except maybe with your spouse and close family. 

63 So if someone robs your house and I knowingly buy the stuff, its good to know we will still be buddies.

That's not really what happened.

She gave her 'stuff' (opinions) to someone else, who went and sold it. 

Look, if someone hacked Michelle Obama's private emails and published them - or let's put it a step removed from the POTUS and choose Michelle's mom's emails - I wouldn't even feign a weak level of outrage.  I'd be pleased as punch. 

64 @64
Actually, I should clarify.  I said hacked, but I really meant sold. 

This isn't really about hacking.

If someone hacked the POTUS' MIL's emails, I would at least pretend to be outraged. 

65 So this RAM person, replaced the person who wrote the tell all book that is coming out on tuesday? 

You know not withstanding all the moral issues that this incident has brought to the fore, don't you think that people are expected to behave in a professional manner.   I would think, if you work for a politician, especially one with the high profile of Sarah Palin, that you would innately know that your life is intrinsically entwined with your job? 

As an example, a friend of mine found out in the newspaper what case her hubby has been working on for two years.  Point being, she's married to him and he never told her anything about the case and she was fine with that. 

Everyone is missing the huge lapse in professionalism here. 

Sarah Palin is now between a rock and a hard place.  If she fires RAM then she risks another "tell all" book.  If she doesn't, people will question her ability to manage.

And, until yesterday, I had no idea of the direct correlation between those you call "the paulbots" and the "palinistas".   It seems there is virtually no difference between the two.  So that puts Sarah Palin in the Ron Paul category.  And I didn't really start looking all over the internet until yesterday.

66

So if someone robs your house and I knowingly buy the stuff, its good to know we will still be buddies.

Read, then comment.  That's how it works, FYI.  Nothing was stolen.

Reading the Politico article, it appears that the DC did not in fact pay for the messages, or at least they say they didn't.  The person offering the messages for sale sent Ben Smith a couple free samples, and he says they're identical to what the DC posted.

It sounds like the DC got as much as he was willing to offer for free and printed them.  I'd expect there to be more interesting material if there are indeed 122 messages he was willing to provide (for a price).

67 "
Everyone is missing the huge lapse in professionalism here. 

Sarah Palin is now between a rock and a hard place.  If she fires RAM then she risks another "tell all" book.  If she doesn't, people will question her ability to manage."

If she doesn't fire RAM, she shows she's the kind of leader who doesn't make hysterical over reactions.

I used to work in DC, and I met only a couple of staffers who were utterly unwilling to discuss their bosses with some degree of humor.  I recall you mentioned Hillary Clinton's staffers last night, which amused me because the ones I met were much harsher and loose than RAM has been.

This is not a big deal, and it doesn't reflect on Palin's management skill.  Huge lapse in professionalism?   Palin's pursuit of ethics reforms that went so far it was easy to ruin her ability to govern Alaska, or her husband's comments about Joe Miller... those are actual management issues.

"So that puts Sarah Palin in the Ron Paul category."

It puts some of her fanboys in the Ron Paul nutcase category, but you aren't being reasonable here either.  Sarah Palin has mainstream views, and Ron Paul doesn't.  Sarah Palin has fans largely out of a lack of faith in the other Republicans, and her ethics.  They can be ridiculous, but if you think Ron Paul and Sarah Palin are in the same category, I think you need to figure out what's really wrong with Ron Paul.  his annoying fans aren't the only problem he's got.

68

Reading the comments at DC, I think someone on the staff is going to have to answer the question of whether or not they paid for the material.

They have a tease for a new article: NEXT: Mansour Lied to DC When We Called

... and some of the commeneters who I take to be regulars are asking the $ question.

According to the Ben Smith article, Tucker Carlson said they didn't pay for it.

Smith said the Toki character sent him a few freebies in his failed attempt to sell the messages, and they're the same ones the DC posted.  That being the case, the DC claim that they didn't pay sounds credible.

69 Frankly, the worst thing she said was in response to Bristol marrying Levi after his awful behavior.  Of course she was stupid to do that.  It's a perfectly understandable private comment that, if a reflection at all, is a reflection that Palin's staff are not blind idiot yes-men.

You want some advice from critical thinkers, instead of automatons.

You can bet Romney and Pawlenty have staffers who aren't on board with them 100%, too, and even have conversations about it.  Heavens!

70 Be sure to tip your blogger.
That's what Ann Althouse said!

71 I need to get out more and by out I mean to read other places look at other things.  Came across this.  The get in your face palinistas will probably flood the guy's site now.

It looks to me that the very things I despise about "the campaign" and their "narrative" have been embraced by Sarah Palin and crew.  It's disheartening.  I thought she was all about not being Washington DC, being an outsider.  Instead she seems to have learned the Washington DC inside the beltway rules well and has employed them beautifully by hiring one RAM.

72 Traitors of all kinds

73 It's going to take more than a happy meal and a hand shake to get me to betray someone's confidence. Sorry, dude, but by shopping the messages around, you already did. Completing the deal isn't the badge of betrayal; you had that covered in offering the plunder.

74 Wait, the person who gave the emails is a "well know contributor to C4P?

75 Okay. If they didn't buy it, it's less of a credibility killer. The biggest douchebag in this story is definitely the toolsack who thought he was sitting on a goldmine. People confuse the blogosphere with the real world more and more often these days. Did the silly quiff really think people were going to fork over real money for a handful of peculated tweets? Lame-o mole of the year.

76 I'm reading a lot of places and the palinistas are really really upset.  Sheesh some of them are crestfallen, they really thought that Sarah was tweeting directly to them and to find out she wasn't is more than some of them can bear.  A wise poster has pointed out "get a grip, if you can't handle this, how are you going to handle a campaign?"

Another thing that is worth bringing up is the "journolist" thing.  Apparently DC caller figured prominently in that (I don't really remember it) and so many are saying "oh it's ok when it's the other side but when it's you then they are bad".  It's a fair point.

77 Uh, this actually is sort of a story. One of Palin's top aides is basically calling Bristol an embarrassment to the family? Wow.

78 I still can't figure out why I should give a shit what the DC says, or does. It's that irrelevant to me.

79 43: Why do you assume that Tucker had access to all the Journolist emails? I suspect he just got a handful and made the most of them. Of course he wasn't going to publish inane apolitical banter.

80 One of Palin's top aides is basically calling Bristol an embarrassment to the family? Wow.
Posted by: Compassionate Conservative at May 24, 2011 04:27 PM (qDPnZ)

These are old tweets. That one came from when Bristol and Levi announced they were engaged again on tv before speaking to the family.

81 " Of course he wasn't going to publish inane apolitical banter.

Posted by: Compassionate Conservative at May 24, 2011 04:41 PM (qDPnZ)"

Um, hello.  Read the post.  He publishes dumb crap all the time.

And yeah, Bristol marrying Levi after those attacks on her family was an indication she was stupid.  I bet Sarah said so privately.  I bet everyone did.

So what?  People have a right to express frustration in private. 

82 Look, if David Axelrod was stupid enough to send private messages to some alleged Obama supporter on Twitter, and in those private messages Axelrod insulted Hillary Clinton and her supporters and said that Obama's illegal immigrant aunt was an embarrassment to the family, and then this supporter sold those messages to the HuffingtonPost, THIS WOULD BE CONSIDERED REAL NEWS. And we would be cheering about the leak. The only reason people are giving the DC a hard time about this is because it hurts Palin. If it was about a Democrat, this would be a LULZ thread.

83 Take a look at these polls.

Sarah Palin may be using this firestorm as a graceful way to exit the field and continue impacting the process as a pundit. 

Michelle Bachman has way fewer negatives.

84 this has to be "by design" as it is continuing to be picked up.

85 Looks like they've decided to run with it.  link

86 Ok, so some broad named jebidiah who is new to fox and another broad named tammy bruce seem to form the triumvirate with RAM to get this out there.   Folks are saying she leaked her own stuff so that means this is a publicity stunt.  Heck folks are saying she's not a she.  Who knows?

But if this is a publicity stunt, then I might suggest that Sarah Palin is done.

87

"<i>Sarah Palin may be using this firestorm as a graceful way to exit the field and continue impacting the process as a pundit. 

Michelle Bachman has way fewer negatives.</i>"

 

Ahhh, I've taught you well, grasshopper.

88 Looks like they've decided to run with it.  link

hahahha well I'm trying to figure out why they are saying that this RAM character would deliberately leak these conversations.

89

curious, you are showing yourself to be a total idiot.  

1.  RAM did not replace the guy that wrote the tell-all piece of trash.

2.  I don't know whre you're digging up your so-called facts, but Palin's supporters know that RAM has her own tweet account, and Sarah has her own.  Nobody is upset, because they thought she was tweeting them personally.

3.  You are outing yourself more every day with the foolishness you are posting.

4.  I think you're getting your info from lefty sites, aren't you?   RAM would not be stupid enough to release this stuff herself.

I used to try to excuse some of your crap, but in the last few weeks you have shown yourself to be nothing short of ignorant.