Senator Sock Puppet, This One's For You

I realize it's a bit of a challenge to know where to draw the ethical line when you've made your bones on behalf of an utterly corrupt regime, John Cornyn, but here's a quick and easy rule of thumb.

If you're going to have people who work for you go onto blogs and talk you up, they need to disclose who they're working for.

Otherwise, crap like this happens:

It's really not that complicated-well, unless you've been hanging out too much with Karl Rove, and think whisper campaigns are just peachy.

Once Bush was elected governor, Rove marginalized the Christian right's party chairman, Tom Pauken, denying him access to party money, and when Pauken ran for state attorney general, Rove quietly assisted the campaign of his primary opponent, John Cornyn, who now represents Texas in the United States Senate. Yet despite the low regard in which he held evangelicals, Rove recognized the importance of keeping them in harness with economic conservatives.

Elise Hu's blog augments the broadcast story, Cornyn's Anonymous Online Cheerleader, and aside from a little quibble about the difference between "anonymous" and "pseudonymous", it's very much on point, at the end asking the real question:

So... Is this kind of masquerade ethical when it comes to politics, if a paid staffer is anonymously writing about the very campaign for which he's paid?

The answer, of course is no.  If you're a paid staffer (or I'd say even a titled volunteer staffer), you need to disclose who you're working for before you comment on either them or any opponent.

And as for "Buck Smith speaks for himself", not when he's blogging from your Senatorial office, Senator.

Even a box turtle can understand that.

Crossposted at Texas Kaos
Poll
What should Buck Smith/David Beckwith's new sock puppet name be?
Buck Nekkid
Buck Tooth
Sock Puppet
S Puppet
Sock P Uppet
Socky
Puppy
David Beckwith

Votes: 7
Results : Vote Link : Polls

Display:


In honor of MyDD's Road to 60 (2.00 / 6)

I thought y'all might enjoy this latest installment of "John Cornyn can't be THAT stupid, can he?"

Many thanks for including Rick Noriega in your Road to 60 campaign.


Before you win, you have to fight. Come fight along with us at TexasKaos.
by boadicea on Tue Jul 01, 2008 at 10:18:19 PM EST

Re: Senator Sock Puppet, This One's For You (2.00 / 1)

Rec'd


by Can I Haz Moar Snark on Tue Jul 01, 2008 at 10:24:01 PM EST

Re: Senator Sock Puppet, This One's For You (2.00 / 1)

big bad buck

rec'd


by xdem on Tue Jul 01, 2008 at 10:33:18 PM EST

You made me laugh out loud (2.00 / 1)

with that one.  

I salute ya.


Before you win, you have to fight. Come fight along with us at TexasKaos.
by boadicea on Tue Jul 01, 2008 at 10:56:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Oh yeah. (2.00 / 1)

Mojo'd and rec'd.


No way. No how. No McCain!
by spacemanspiff on Tue Jul 01, 2008 at 10:42:56 PM EST

Re: Senator Sock Puppet, This One's For You (2.00 / 1)

once again, I state:

Cornyn is a joke, I hope Noriega kicks his ass.

[rec'd]


"Rankles and Rush Limbaugh, ruining the chaos brand since 2008."
by alyssa chaos on Tue Jul 01, 2008 at 10:45:15 PM EST

Poll added (2.00 / 2)

For your snarking enjoyment.


Before you win, you have to fight. Come fight along with us at TexasKaos.
by boadicea on Tue Jul 01, 2008 at 11:04:29 PM EST

I'd have gone with "Buck Nasty" (2.00 / 1)

But thats my taste.


M. It's like W, but flipflopped.
by warmwaterpenguin on Tue Jul 01, 2008 at 11:28:26 PM EST

Re: Senator Sock Puppet, This One's For You (2.00 / 1)

Senator Sock Puppet.  That's catchy.

With any luck, that might stick.


by hello world on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 12:32:43 AM EST

There's an amusing symmetry (none / 0)

In Senator Cornyn, so often been a sock puppet for the Bush/Cheney regime that every anal polyp has been mapped and charted, getting well deserved heat for employing (both on his campaign and our tax dollars) a sock puppet of his own.

Who then brags on his alter ego, and suggests a raise for himself...


Before you win, you have to fight. Come fight along with us at TexasKaos.
by boadicea on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 10:08:12 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Senator Sock Puppet, This One's For You (none / 0)

Thank for the info. I had not really followed this story. He sounds like one of those bastards that took Texas away for the Dems. You know that distinguished list that includes Rove, Delay, Huchison, bush etc. How many of them will we see indicted and convicted? Ah such sweet dreams can come true Dorothy...


"And I scream at the top of my lungs, what's going on?"
by Hollede on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 12:42:23 AM EST

Re: Senator Sock Puppet, This One's For You (none / 0)

should be from the Dems, sorry getting late and am tired...


"And I scream at the top of my lungs, what's going on?"
by Hollede on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 12:43:35 AM EST
[ Parent ]


You are not logged in.

In order to post a comment, you must be logged in. If you have a member account, please log in to comment.

If not, you can make an account right here. It's quick and free.