I have to apologize to everyone. Earlier this week, I suggested that Mr. Independent, Ryan O'Donnell, aka Rylock, of the very independent, Lehigh Valley Independent blog, is a partisan Democrat. I was wrong. He's actually a paid Democratic operative.There's a shocker.
According to Open Secrets, this very independent blogger was netting $946 every two weeks from the very nonpartisan and independent Democratic Party of Pennsylvania during the 2008 election cycle. After the election, he got $1,984, or a bonus of about $1,000.
Late yesterday, I learned that this very independent blogger was, until very recently, a paid Pawlowski operative.
Isn't that nice?
This very independent blogger probably should have disclosed that when he created his very independent blog.
To be fair, he denies he's being paid by the Callahan Crusade. ... Yet.
He must be auditioning.
Like Monkey Momma says, "Ya'll look about as independent as a Canadian goose in V-formation." It's increasingly apparent that LV Independent is actually the LV Democratic Party Line. Nothing wrong with that, and I wish them the best. I'd encourage them to keep it up. But they could have been a little more honest.
Saturday Update: Allentown watchdog Lou Hershman has gone through Pawlowski's campaign finance records to determine that between 7/1/09 and 11/2/09, Ryan O'Donnell was paid $2,930 for "consultant services." I am unaware whether O'Donnell received any of the $8,000 distributed to workers on election day.
29 comments:
Signed.
Sealed.
Delivered.
Powned Rylock.
Ryan was a field organizer for Barack Obama. He worked about 80 hours a week for 6 months. Bernie you are making it sound like Ryan is some sort of high up Harrisburg guy.
He was one one of 4 field organizers for Northampton County.
Large campaigns have staff.
Surprise Surprise
Full disclosure Bernie, I worked for Ed as well for a few months part-time.
Sounds like someone is afraid of competition.
Why don't you disclose your pay from Angle? We all know he bought you a new computer and flip cam. I am sure he has bought and paid for other things for you.
What about Dent? You give him so much support he should be disclosing the in-kind contributions on his campaign finance reports.
Anon (7:05) said:
"Sounds like someone is afraid of competition.
Why don't you disclose your pay from Angle? We all know he bought you a new computer and flip cam. I am sure he has bought and paid for other things for you."
Suffice to say, BO makes a good point about how the blogger mentioned should be more forthcoming (use of "Independent" moniker), but good points are made by you and others about BO's obvious tendency toward Cunningham, Dent, Angle.
My advice to you Anon. is don't argue with someone who buys printer's ink by the drum.
VOR
VOR,
I freely admit my bias.
I do like certain officials and dislike others, in both parties. But I'm no paid Democrat pretending I'm an "Independent." I think it's important people know that.
The claim that Angle bought my computer or flipcam is a vicious lie being repeated here in the hope it sticks.
I am almost ashamed to admit I am a registered Democrat after some of the outrageous things I have witnessed including pulling people off the streets in Allentown and paying them by headlight out of some slush fund so this does not surprise me at all.
This is the Lehigh Valley where dirty deeds are done dirt cheap and people hide behind bushes and under trees,if you have a comment at least have the heart to fully disclose who you are and voice your biased opinions!
And turn the heat up Bernie,I am cold..LOL
this is news? why do bloggers have to blog about other bloggers? It comes off the same as Paris Hilton calling Britney Spears trashy.
Ryan's a good guy, Bernie. He worked extremely hard as the Bethlehem coordinator for Obama in '08 and worked many more hours than he got paid for. He was a big part of Obama's terrific showing in Bethlehem. There's lots of actual badguys to pick on in LV politics so keep going after them -- Ryan doesn't deserve any whacks.
- Don Miles
I think Bernie's right to note the connection. A blog that calls itself "independent" has one writer who was paid to work for Obama(?) in '08 and now, for Pawlowski. Their refusal to state who they are is troubling. That's what's dangerous about the Internet. When I read an article about someone, I think I have a right to know the agenda of the person who is telling the story, but that's often hard to discover in the Internet.
Don, Ryan strikes me as a good guy, too, and I am pleased to see his effort. I especially like to see young people who take an interest. But I also think these writers could have been a little more open about who they really are.
Those guys are definitely off to a flying start.
Got Transparency?
You don't like it, then don't read it. I for one like the ballance, your not the only game in town anymore.
Never was. That's the beauty of the Internet. The more, the merrier.
In Bernie's first post on this matter, Ryan O'Donnell wrote:
"Independence means that, while we have preferences, we are not beholden to a party and will support good government and progressive policy."
I would say collecting a paycheck from a political party is part of being beholden to them. But, I'm sure Mr. O'Donnell would want to then argue the meaning of the word beholden. But I'm still stuck on defining independent.
In my book, if you take money from someone, you're not independent from them.
The internet is full of folks who call themselves things they aren't...nobodies say they are somebodies, republicans say they are fair and balanced and democrats claim to be independent. If the good folks at LV Independent want to play in the blogosphere, they'd better get used to all kinds of folks holding them accountable for their words. After all, that's all we have to judge on a blog, and so far, LV Independent looks pretty biased and occassionally deceptive.
I wish them luck, and a good blog controversy is always fun. I think it would be weird if Bernie didn't comment on the absurdity of their blog title, but that's just me.
Good Job Bernie.
I have no problem reading Heritage Foundation material nor MoveOn, but I don't appreciate not have full disclosure as to where their backgrounds come from.
I'm sure Ryan (who has not been bashful) will respond. However it would have been nice to disclose this in his profile. It was bound to be disclosed eventually anyway.
Because of this lack of forth coming information it's calls into question the validity of such point of views as someone who truly is independent.
I look forward to Ryan's response on this matter.
monkey momma you said it best when you said, " if you take money from someone, you're not independent from them."
Ahh, now we scared Mizter Independent away.
I would like to ask him what he, as an independent, thinks of the fact that polls in MA are showing that 65 percent of Independents are voting for the Republican candidate, Scott Brown?
As a staunch Independent, I was hoping that Ryan could explain the compelling appeal of someone like Scott Brown for Independent voters.
Because, you know, Ryan says he's Independent and not a Democrat Party carnival barker.
Oh, well.
Are Senator Sanders and Lieberman disingenuous when they call themselves independent? You have STILL not answered the question. I gather you do not because you understand your position is ridiculous and just want to smear a competing blog (one that opposes your GOP pal, Charlie Dent).
I'm wondering if you have ANY context whatsoever to make these judgements? To be "independent" to you means never having voted or worked for either party's candidate? Is an independent never allowed to work for a candidate? What do you call your published ass-kissing of Dent? Is it because you are paid in laptops and not cash that you are somehow more independent?
I like this blog but this attack is senseless.
The claim that Angle bought my computer or flipcam is a vicious lie being repeated here in the hope it sticks.
You've admitted as such. Now it's a viscous lie?
What is happening in Massachusetts is a disgrace!
That is Ted Kennedy's seat.
That is the Democrats seat.
vicious
I think Bernie's right to note the connection. A blog that calls itself "independent" has one writer who was paid to work for Obama(?) in '08 and now, for Pawlowski. Their refusal to state who they are is troubling. That's what's dangerous about the Internet. When I read an article about someone, I think I have a right to know the agenda of the person who is telling the story, but that's often hard to discover in the Internet.
Senator Sanders caucuses with the Democrats. Does that make him NOT an independent? Let's think people.
Bernie Sanders is another partisan Democrat to anybody who pays attention. He's done nothing independently. It buttresses the point that names may be misleading.
Bernie Sanders is another partisan Democrat to anybody who pays attention. He's done nothing independently. It buttresses the point that names may be misleading.
Anybody that pays attention would know that Sanders is actually a partisan socialist who calls himself an independent because the Democratic party is TOO conservative. It doesn't buttress it at all.
I'd say many of us on the left feel Obama has governed too conservatively amid red-faced diatribes on the right. We are still in Iraq. Gitmo is still open. He escalated the war in Afghanistan. Is being left of those policies being a partisan or an independent?
According to the Washington Post Bernie Sanders votes with the Democrats 93% of the time and has never deviated on a crucial Democrat Party litmus test issue.
That does not make him an Independent IMHO.
According to the Washington Post Joe Lieberman votes with the Democrats 91% of the time, but has deviated from the Democrat Party on some key issues notably the War on Terror -- which makes him a sane man trapped inside the Democrat Self-Annihilation Asylum.
IMHO, even though Lieberman has deviated at times from the orthodoxy of his party -- he's still a Democrat politician.
I would point out to the Scrutinizer that Sanders is about as liberal as Barbara Lee of California and she proudly calls herself a Democrat.
Wow!!! Are we done beating this dead horse yet? Seriously. Get a life.
Anon 6:27 PM
So it takes voting against the Democrats and for the Republican position to make one an independent?
How ludicrous.
Anon 6:27 PM
So it takes voting against the Democrats and for the Republican position to make one an independent?
How ludicrous.
No -- it takes being willing to buck your party every once in so often to be considered an independent.
Were you born a vegetable or did you have an accident?
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