This is being discussed on DU here, but merits a separate post to get into research and connections:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1438787&mesg_id=1438787Outstanding research by Robin Hamman of cybersoc.com has shown that the trolls- for-hire outfit Netvocates is part of Griffin Strategy Group, LLC. See here for details:
http://www.cybersoc.com/2006/05/behind_netvocat.htmlThe head of Griffin Strategy, Charles P. Griffin of New Hampshire, has been affiliated with the right-wing Heritage Foundation, and he couldn't be more deeply associated with right-wing causes and candidates. Political donations by Charles P. Griffin of New Hampshire:
http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?city=Pembroke&st=NH&last=griffin&first=charlesDCI PAC $2,500 on 9/6/05
http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?city=Suncook&st=NH&last=griffin&first=charlesThomas Dale DeLay $1,000 on 10/21/04
http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/committees/dci_pac.asp?cycle=06Political Candidates Receiving Contributions from DCI PAC:
Candidate Name Office Party State $ Dollar Amount
ALEXANDER, LAMAR SENATE Republican TN 2,100
BLACKBURN, MARSHA MRS. HOUSE Republican TN 2,000
BURNS, CONRAD SENATE Republican MT 2,100
BYRD, ROBERT CARLYLE SENATE Democrat WV 500
CUBIN, BARBARA L HOUSE Republican WY 1,000
ENSIGN, JOHN ERIC SENATE Republican NV 2,000
FEENEY, TOM HOUSE Republican FL 2,000
KENNEDY, BRIAN M F HOUSE Republican IA 2,100
KING, PETER HOUSE Republican NY 1,000
KRAMER, DAVID JOSEPH SENATE Republican NE 1,000
KYL, JON L SENATE Republican AZ 2,000
LEWIS, RON HOUSE Republican KY 1,000
MOLLOHAN, ALAN B. HOUSE Democrat WV 2,000
O'DONNELL, RICK HOUSE Republican CO 250
PORTER, JON SR HOUSE Republican NV 2,000
SHAW, E CLAY JR HOUSE Republican FL 2,100
WOLF, FRANK R HOUSE Republican VA 1,000
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Chip Griffin has been at this for some time. The following article froom the Washington Post of 9/7/1997 shows that he was Web site director for the right-wing TownHall (can't link, this is from a Lexis-Nexis search):
The Washington Post
August 07, 1997, Thursday, Final Edition
SECTION: STYLE; Pg. C05; STYLE PLUS; THE NAVIGATOR
LENGTH: 574 words
HEADLINE: Swerving to the Right
BYLINE: Linton Weeks, Washington Post Staff Writer
BODY:
Just when you thought the Web was full of nothing but pedophiles and pornographers, along comes the Heritage Foundation.If you want a tour of conservatism today, just stop by Town Hall -- a joint creation of National Review magazine and the Heritage Foundation designed for conservatives who want to conserve conservatism. In other words, this is the right site.
Launched on CompuServe's online service in 1991, Town Hall waltzed onto the Web in the summer of 1995, with Bob Dole and Newt Gingrich signing on for the kickoff ceremony. Working out of the Heritage Foundation building in Washington, a staff of six pulls together information from socially conservative folks such as the Family Research Council and fiscal conservatives such as the Citizens for a Sound Economy.
"Town Hall is one-stop shopping for conservative news and information," said the site's director, Chip Griffin. "Our forums and chat rooms allow the grass roots to get in touch with the policy makers."A hundred people a day rotate through the online Rush Limbaugh and Oliver North rooms, says Griffin. "People have been generally surprised at how active and interested the audience has been. Our user base tends to be an older, more mature audience. I think the stereotype is that it's mainly college kids who are on the Web. The people who visit Town Hall are consistent with the voting population."
And through the Links Page, they are introduced to a wide -- well, not that wide -- range of conservative spots...
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