Susan Collins needs to apologize!
By John Amato Tuesday Aug 14, 2007 3:50pmCollins has a very troubling man---Director of Internet Strategy, Lance Dutson running her operation. Jamie highlighted his post here...FDL responded in a press release....
I'm deeply offended that Senator Collins would speak about professional women in such a degrading and offensive manner," said Hamsher. "It is well beneath the dignity becoming a sitting Senator to engage in such coarse and misogynistic rhetoric."
Christy Hardin Smith, featured FDL blogger, said: "The sexist undertones used on Sen. Collins' blog are appalling ? the use of "fem-blog" is erroneous and dismissive. Citizens in this country have a right -- an obligation -- to hold those who ask us for our votes accountable. Women have just as much right as men to speak up for their country and their families, whether Senator Collins likes that or not."
Tom Allen can use your support....Full release below the fold:
COLLINS CAMPAIGN IN SEXIST ATTACK ON LEADING BLOGGER
Firedoglake Calls for Apology and Firing of Collins Campaign Blog
WASHINGTON, DC AUGUST 15, 2007 - On the same day that Susan Collin?s Senate reelection campaign chief of staff Steve Abbott was pronouncing that "we have long prided ourselves on our efforts to maintain a civil level of discourse over the course of spirited political campaigns,? Collins? Director of Internet Strategy, Lance Dutson, launched a false and offensive attack against the highly respected blog, Firedoglake (http://www.firedoglake.com), best known for its groundbreaking liveblogging of the Scooter Libby trial.
Firedoglake?s founder, Jane Hamsher demanded an apology and the firing of Dutson for his characterization of the blog as ?the foul-mouthed fem-blog FiredogLake.? (http://www.mainewebreport.com
"I'm deeply offended that Senator Collins would speak about professional women in such a degrading and offensive manner," said Hamsher. "It is well beneath the dignity becoming a sitting Senator to engage in such coarse and misogynistic rhetoric."
Christy Hardin Smith, featured FDL blogger, said: "The sexist undertones used on Sen. Collins' blog are appalling ? the use of "fem-blog" is erroneous and dismissive. Citizens in this country have a right -- an obligation -- to hold those who ask us for our votes accountable. Women have just as much right as men to speak up for their country and their families, whether Senator Collins likes that or not."
Firedoglake is one of the leading progressive blogs with over a half million readers per week. In addition to publishing the political commentary of Jane Hamsher and Christy Hardin Smith, it also features the work of male bloggers Trex and Pacachutec, as well as guest posts by an additional 4 women and 6 men. Firedoglake received critical acclaim with its in-depth coverage of the Valerie Plame case culminating in the blog?s live gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Scooter Libby trial ? coverage that drew applause from leading journalism professionals. The New York Times, in a page one story noted that ?the Firedoglake ?live blog? has offered the fullest, fastest public report available. Many mainstream journalists use it to check on the trial.?
Highly engaged in the political arena, Firedoglake joined with Crooks and Liars, Digby's Hullabaloo and Down With Tyranny, to launch the Blue America Pac, which raised half a million dollars during the 2006 election cycle. FDL features weekly interviews with candidates and recently hosted online conversations with presidential candidates Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Chris Dodd.
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I keep clicking on the links to mainewebreport.com but it looks like their server is down.
Oh well. I'll just keep on clickin'.
The link did not work for me, either.
What is these people's problem with democracy?
Really. . .thats it?? I'm not a regular reader of FDL, but I've heard it often characterized as a blog w/ a strong feminist view. . .just like americablog would be a pro-gay blog, though thats not all they post on by any means. Susan collins is a bush shill. . .hit her with something harder??
SK @ 4:
It's not a "femblog" - they have many male writers as well. The FDL statement above goes into that in more detail. The main subject of their posts are usually about Republican hypocrisy, trashing of the constitution, and the lawlessness of this administration. And, of course, they distinguished themselves in their coverage of the Plame scandal and Libby trial coverage which was far superior to that of the msm. In the several months I have been reading it, I think I've come across 2 - 3 posts on women's issues.
The only complaint I have about their site is that their moderators are somewhat hypocritical and arbitrary in their censorship and "calling people out" which alienates commenters and potential contributors.
Susan Collins is like a tuna flopping on the deck surrounded by Japanese
guys with knives.
First off she is from the bluest red state in the country. Secondly if this is her reaction to something this early in the campaign.. well time to dust off the resume dear Susan, cuz your toast
Dang, they need to stop hitting the shift key when trying for the forward slash.
Sorry, but it's kind of annoying.....
FDL has some female bloggers who are smart and don't take any B.S. So, OF COURSE that threatens right-wingers. So be it. FDL rocks. These people are grasping. Pathetic
These people are forgetting the old adage, there's no such thing as bad press. Daily Kos's traffic increased because of O'Rielly. I hadn't read Kos in months and now I'm back on a daily basis. Duh. And NOW I'm headin' on over FDL. Geez. Keep it up Collins. We love the attention. AND we've got nothing to hide. PS CNN is saying that number of people killed in Iraq yesterday has risen to 500.
Timmy, it's a common formatting error, they were doing quotation marks and some other miscellaneous punctuation.
"Really... that's it??"
Isn't that enough?
Do you not get it, and the inherent irony?
The comment is all about marginalizing anyone with a dissenting opinion, especially one based on facts. This is a textbook example of an ad hominen attack, does it really belong on a Senator's web site?
Is the irony that Susan Collins gives a nod to silencing women's voices (setting aside for a moment that FDL has female and male contributors) while holding a position of power and influence herself completely lost on you?
This is much like Kay Bailey Hutchinson admonishing (other) women to stay home and cook, while somehow she is not expected to be held to her own (insane, anachronistic and mysoginistic) standards?
I often think about how American's in general (myself being one) are not very handy with nuance and subtlety - however, this was neither subtle nor nuanced... and the fact that this inanity was doled out by LANCE speaking on behalf of SUSAN is even more humorous.
Sort of like how the "conservative" group known as the Concerned Women of America is run by... you guessed it... MEN.
I suppose I can understand your point of "that's it?" when I stop to consider that we are lied to and misled by these sociopaths on the "right" side of the aisle so constantly, every day, and in that this is all very much par for the course.
Pete @ 11:
How do you know they're not into women's underwear?
Yeah! Women are too uppity to be involved in politics! We need to revoke their right to vote!
[/sarcasm]
"Susan Collins needs to apologize!"
other acceptable headers:
1- Susan Collins needs to resign!
2- Susan Collins needs to take responsibility for sleeping on the job while america fell apart (and then resign)!
Pete @ 11:
Pinenut, I had read that on the FDL response (not really fem blog, w/ men bloggers), but kinda got lost behind the misogynistic and sexist calls by FDL. And I do generally agree that this is an example of the ad hominem attacks so common of the right. However, I just don't see this as appealing to anyone who wouldn't vote against Susan collins a/w. Is it any worse than what half the congressmen say in congress??
It just seems petty compared to wtf is going on in our country, and what SC has directly had a hand in.
Smith and Hamsher are great writers. What they've accomplished with FDL is really amazing.
Their legion of Heathers are likewise as obnoxious.
But Collin's attack upon them is merely part of the same, orchestrated barrage of misinformation that Bill O'Reilly served with his attack on KOS. The GOP is terrified of greater blogdom (and, no, I didn't invent that term). And their campaign to impugn and destroy has only just begun.
You know who's foul-mouthed? Rape Gurney Joe Lieberman, that's who. Telling people he'd hold Katrina investigations, saying no one wanted the war over more than he did, telling Democrats they criticize their commander in chief in a time of war at their own peril: that's some foul mouthing off. Susan Collins continues to enable this foul-mouthed Nutmegger by having him raise money for her re-election!
Susan Collins needs to fire her internet honcho, apologize to the proprietress of Firedoglake, and make it clear Lance doesn't speak for her.
[...] 8/15/07, 2:22 PM: C&L’s John Amato weighs-in on the Collins [...]
Dutson is/was a Media Bloggers Ass. board member, and he designed their site. Don't know how MBA can let such a journalistic hack have anything to do with them. Maybe some pressure on Cox would help.
The good news is that the people from Maine don't think much of Collins, either. Even my historically GOP family is stoked on Tom Allen; with a little help, Collins is history.
Susan Collins has sat there in the Senate like some twitterpated, addledheaded Harriet Meirs while her "dear leader" has shredded the Constitution, abolished Habeus Corpus, condoned if not actually ordered the torture of prisoners against all Geneva protocalls, trashed the environment, ignored the infrastructure, degraded our public schools, impoverished more Americans, and run up the deficit on a credit card that will take generation to pay back if at all.
Susan Collins is an ENABLER to the WORST PRESIDENT in the history of our country.
Susan Collins is like Eva Braun, catering to her man; standing with him. She must be challenged. She must be taken down.
But the person to do it is not Allen. He is catering to the Unity 08 type of mentality. What we need here in Maine is a person with some GUTS to take her on, to take aim at her record of Bush support. Rethuglican support.
We need a living wage, one-payer health care, the abolishment of NAFTA and other trade agreements that destroy the middle class. We need an active Union presence in the workforce and laws that will make it easier to organise. We need equal rights for EVERYONE regardless of race, gender or sexuality. We need to start taxing religions that try to encroach onto the political arena. We need a Dept. of Peace. And we need to get out of Iraq NOW.
Longtooth@16
"...they are terrified of blogdom..." is the operative phrase. It's becoming clear pretty quick that the GOP is starting right now to define these blogs as fringe and dangerous. Its the only defense they have. The blogosphere is nimble, smart and motivated, and they are very afraid. So expect a lot more of this from every talking point bobble-head in GOPville. They are not going to let up.
[...] Clark Contact the Webmaster Link to Article hillary clinton Susan Collins needs to apologize! » Posted at Crooks and Liars on [...]
Long tooth at 16, what do you mean by Smith's and Hamsher's "Heathers"?
[...] House Contact the Webmaster Link to Article scooter libby Susan Collins needs to apologize! » Posted at Crooks and Liars on [...]
Jeez! I'm a big fan and occasional participant on FDL. But I'm XY and straight, earned Ph.D., decades of experience teaching college. Can I still qualify as a "Heather"--that is, a homicidal high school girl?
Seriously, though, if it's OK for a woman to be a senator, then how can it be wrong for a woman to be a blogger? BTW, Collins, no law degree, entire career spent as a politician. Christy Hardin Smith, practicing lawyer. Whom ya gonna trust re matters legal?
naschkatze: By Heathers, I refer to FDL's assemblage of hard-core commentators, and the gatekeepers who censor those who take civil exception to their ever present, ass kissing, buzz of the day.
I am hoping that mainewebreport.com comes back up so honest people can see how much good ol' guy Lance was trashed on their own blog. Sweet indeed. While most of the firepower at refuting the nonsense that the Collins campaign regurgitated from O'Reily was from DKos defenders, there were many who also had nothing but positive FDL inputs. Nice to see the PR go out. Just keep whacking away at the Republican trash pile. Collins is toast!
f*** the apologies ....
We're always demanding that somebody apologize for some perceived transgression.
Screw that. All you end up with is an insincere apology.
I'd rather have no apology.
Collins collins collins...what can i say other than I've been helping to try and get her out of office for awhile...is Allen a better choice? Well... i'm getting sick of both sides of the aisle...although Collins counterpart Snowe isn't all that bad (she's actually responded to my useless letters vs Collins) But we are trying in this age of frustration
the offending article, copied and pasted
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Published August 14th, 2007 in Maine, Maine Politics, Maine news, Maine Democrats, Tom Allen, Maine Senate Race, MoveOn.org.
UPDATE: A lot of press about this:
Bangor Daily News - “Collins to Allen: Call off tracker”
Portland Press Herald - “Collins says ‘tracker’ got in her face”
MPBN- Audio clip from Maine Things Considered
AsMaineGoes.com
MaineToday.com - Comments on Comments
Politics 2.0 - Alex Hammer
Markos Moulitsas’s hate-site The Daily Kos, the foul-mouthed fem-blog FiredogLake, and other ‘netroots’ extremists like MoveOn.org, have become the dominant fundraisers for Tom Allen’s senate campaign. This may be good news for Allen financially, but allowing these fringe fanatics to take over his campaign is creating a political atmosphere that will undoubtedly be rejected by Maine voters come next November.
Tom Allen’s involvement with these groups, particularly his participation in the website The Daily Kos, came onto the radar screen of Maine voters recently, as national media exposed a pattern of hateful, vulgar, and anti-semitic postings on the site. Now Allen’s extremist friends have landed on the ground in Maine, and are engaging in the same childish bullying campaign tactics that made Connecticut voters reject their attempts to unseat Senator Joe Lieberman in 2006.
The Waldo County Democratic Committee’s website published a call to action from MoveOn.org on August 10:
Can You Be “On-Call” to Bird-Dog Your Pro-War Member of Congress This Summer?
As Congress heads home for the summer, they know that the American people want to see an end to the war in Iraq. However, your Representative and/or Senator has been consistently voting to support President Bush’s disastrous policies — and that needs to change if we’re ever going to get our troops home.
Working Assets has joined with other great groups like US Action and Moveon.org to create a coalition called Americans Against Escalation in Iraq. That coalition has launched the “Iraq Summer” campaign to turn up the heat on these pro-war legislators. Over the summer recess, Iraq Summer field staff will be organizing in-district “bird-dogging” opportunities to protest these pro-war legislators everywhere they go and let them know in person that the American public wants an orderly and safe withdrawal from Iraq.
What exactly is ‘bird-dogging’? Here’s a quote from BirdDogger.org:
Bird-dogging isn’t just about asking questions. It can also take other forms such as street theater, pranks, or even a simple protest. The important aspect is: Does it get a response from the politician or his/her staff? If it does, that’s half the battle. The idea is to be creative. Maybe play good cop/bad cop, maybe agree with the candidate (rather, appear to agree) on a controversial issue in order to draw out a response that will be damming later on for the politician. Think creatively — but do something that gets a response. Responses mean you can use the information later on and it means that the media will pay attention. It all results in helping create real change in our electoral politics, from the people running for office to the media reporting the stories to the cynical public which thinks none of it matters…
The people of Waldo County got a glimpse of a variant of bird-dogging this past Saturday, during the town of Stockton Springs’ 150th birthday parade. Senator Collins was invited to participate, and I was there along with members of her staff. At the beginning of the event, we noticed an odd-looking person lingering around Senator Collins as she spoke to a group of Girl Scouts:
Rick Redmond Tom Allen
He inserted himself into the parade, and began filming Senator Collins from as close as 1-2 feet away. I was at the parade to get some video footage for use on her campaign website, but was often blocked from filming because this guy was getting in my way. When another junior cinematographer inserted herself between Senator Collins and the people she was attempting to interact with, we realized that these two must be part of the MoveOn ‘bird dogging’ campaign:
The woman asked several questions about the Iraq War, Senator Collins answered courteously, and then she went away. But the other gentleman kept right on marching along. He continued to film Senator Collins from point-blank range for the entire parade, about 35-45 minutes. She wasn’t scheduled to speak or give any type of presentation where she might make some kind of gaffe, or do whatever it is opposition researchers might want to get on tape . As the parade continued and he persisted with his close-range filmwork, it became apparent that the Allen campaign and MoveOn were not interested in a half-hour’s worth of parade video. And, contrary to the concept of ‘bird-dogging’, there would be no attempt to get her on record with any particular statement. It seemed the overall goal was simply to intimidate Senator Collins, or to cause some kind of disruption.
Once the parade ended, he even filmed the license plate of the person who gave Senator Collins a ride back to her car. The people I spoke with afterwards were stunned at what had occurred, and such an obvious intrusion into both the parade and Senator Collins’ personal space was a tactic that was untenable to those that observed it.
When put into the context of what these ‘netroots’ fanatics have been saying online lately, the attempts to intimidate Senator Collins during such a benign event are troubling. It’s disturbing enough to hear Tom Allen’s MoveOn and DailyKos friends writing things like ‘Joe Lieberman should be gassed’ , or to hear them talk about killing politicians in their internet rants. But when they begin showing up in Maine, hovering over Girl Scouts and baby carriages, and following people around like this, it makes the disturbing rhetoric much more alarming.
The people of Maine would be well-served if Tom Allen would show some leadership and tell his miscreant benefactors to respect the mores of this state. Trucking in gangs of hoodlums and foul-mouthed demagogues will do nothing to further the discussion of issues that are so critical to the people of Maine right now. Regardless of who wins this election, the process needs to be respected so that the voices and concerns of Maine citizens are heard, and this type of goon-squad politics will do nothing but harm that process.
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Dutson ASSUMES, mistakenly, that it was a blogger who 'tracked' Senator Collins. It was an employee of Allen's campaign - as explained here: http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=127279&ac=PHnws ,
who was playing hardball.
As one of Collin's constituents, I think she deserved what she got. Collins and Snowe have been nothing but spineless rubber stampers for Bush's disastrous policies, including the FISA vote on the eve of their vacation. They need to realize they will answer for their failure to represent Maine's people.
what I quoted is between
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just to clarify
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