The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

NATIONAL DAY OF BLOGGER SILENCE UPDATE: Remember Seth Allen

Posted on | June 8, 2012 | 78 Comments

FROM AN UNDISCLOSED LOCATION
On the morning of Thursday, May 17, I was planning to go to Camp David, 15 miles from my Maryland home, to cover the G8 Summit.

I had never even heard of Brett Kimberlin.

Then Aaron Walker published his 28,000-word post, “How Brett Kimberlin Tried to Frame Me for a Crime” and, after skimming over it, I made an executive decision: “Screw the G8.”

This story was more important. A convicted terrorist using lawsuits and other forms of harassment to intimidate bloggers into silence about his criminal history? Not on my watch, Mister.

When my reporting on the Kimberlin story resulted in harassment aimed at me and my family, I had no choice:

Many other people who have rallied to this cause, including my friend Ali Akbar, have suffered similar harassment, but we must remember that others have suffered far worse in the cause of liberty. My father was wounded within an inch of his life fighting the Nazis in World War II, and it would be a disgrace to his memory for me to back down from a vicious punk like Brett Kimberlin.

People who will not stand up for their rights will eventually discover that they have no rights. It was not the publication of the Declaration of Independence that made America free. Rather, it was the courage of the soldiers who were willing to fight.

Ace of Spades has called for a Day of Silence. Coincidentally, today is the day when this blog will record its 10 millionth hit. We will celebrate tomorrow. Today, we stand in silent solidarity, as Michelle Malkin asks: “Who will protect the freedom to blog?”

UPDATE: When Ace announced the Day of Silence, many bloggers were mystified: “Silence? Isn’t that what Brett Kimberlin wants?” Exactly, which is why every blogger participating in this protest — Andrew J. Patrick just joined our ranks — will write one post about the Day of Silence and nothing else all day.

The point is to call for congressional action, as Ace said: “They are our representatives; we would like some representation.”

My congressman is Republican Roscoe Bartlett. Perhaps some of my friends would care to call his D.C. office at 202-225-2721 and ask Congressman Bartlett’s staff when my representative will take notice of what has happened to his Maryland constituent.

UPDATE II: Well, look what we have here: A Memeorandum thread about the Day of Silence! This post will continue to be updated with links to other bloggers participating in the Day of Silence as we wait to hear from more members of Congress who, we hope, will join Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-Texas) in speaking up on behalf of our First Amendment rights.

UPDATE III: Ken at Popehat continues to urge that bloggers focus on the free-speech aspect of the Kimberlin case, rather than the tedious Left-vs.-Right partisan angle. It is important in this context to remind readers that all this began with a progressive blogger, Seth Allen, whose site is DFQ2 and whose Twitter handle is @Prepostericity.

To put it as mildly as possible, Seth is perhaps not a likely candidate for Sean Hannity’s “Great American” panel. Seth is emotionally volatile and his politics are way out there on the freaky far-left fringe.

Yet he seems to have a fully functional bulls–t detector, and when Seth whiffed the scent of bovine excrement coming from the direction of Brett Kimberlin’s tax-exempt hustle, he exercised his First Amendment right to start raising hell. Seth’s tale is told briefly in my American Spectator column today:

During his 17 years in federal custody, Kimberlin became a skillful “jailhouse lawyer,” filing more than 100 legal proceedings on his own behalf and, over the past two years, he has deployed those methods in a series of lawsuits and criminal accusations against his chosen targets. Another non-profit Kimberlin co-founded, Velvet Revolution, made headlines by offering rewards for evidence of wrongdoing by public figures including GOP strategist Karl Rove and U.S. Chamber of Commerce president Tom Donohue. And then a left-winger who used the alias “Socrates” began to speak out on a number of Internet forums, expressing his suspicion that Kimberlin and his Velvet Revolution partner, prominent liberal blogger Brad Friedman, were running a dishonest scam.
“Socrates,” it turned out, was an eccentric young Massachusetts resident named Seth Allen. Believing that Velvet Revolution’s frequent accusations of Republican election fraud and other right-wing crimes were a bogus fundraising gimmick, Allen started doing online research, discovered Kimberlin’s infamous history and persistently wrote about it, getting himself banned from several progressive websites in the process. In October 2010, Kimberlin sued Allen for more than $2 million, charging him with “defamation, libel, cyberstalking, and tortuous interference with business.” That lawsuit tipped the first in a series of dominoes that have been sequentially toppling with increasing rapidity ever since. . . . .

Please read the whole thing, which is a 1,500-word attempt to explain the craziest story I’ve covered in my entire career.

UPDATE IV: Jimmie Bise Jr. at the Sundries Shack:

The goal of Kimberlin and those who act like him is simple. They want you to be afraid, so afraid that you will not speak out freely and boldly in the public arena. Their message, so plain any reasonable person can see it is this: if you disagree with us in any way in public, we will make a spectacle of you. Kimberlin and his ilk have assaulted the First Amendment in a way we have not seen in this country in a very long time. They want our silence and, today, that is what they will get.

There are some disagreements as to the appropriate means of observing the Day of Silence, and Instapundit is the most prominent of the bloggers not participating, but is linking those who do. Professor Reynolds remarks, “Also, not to be too critical, but can we please stop scheduling PR stunts on Fridays? That’s not a good day for those, for obvious reasons.:”

Don’t get me started, or I’ll preach from the Gospel of Butt-Hurt.

Nobody ever asks for my advice, and when I volunteer advice, it’s always ignored, so I’ve stopped trying to tell other people what they should do — unless I decide to tell them go to Hell.

If people actually valued my ability, knowledge and experience, they would be offering to pay me for it.

Instead, I’m Not Good Enough for BlogCon, persona non grata, viewed by the Official New Media Elite as an unwelcome liability to the cause. God knows I don’t know anything about “media strategy” or how to succeed with this here “blogging” stuff . . . 

No “discretion,” either. But I won’t preach the whole sermon now.

UPDATE V: Having gotten that off my chest — Butt-Hurt is the New Black for bloggers — let’s keep linking back to some of the bloggers who, defying the authority of the Official Elite, have linked here today, beginning with Evil Blogger Lady, wo explains that “Freedom Isn’t Free.”

EBL got into a squabble with Wombat this past week over the whole FMJRA thing and I, up to my eyeballs in the Kimberlin story, didn’t have the time to referee the squabble.

In all such disputes, Rule One is, “The Wombat is always right.” Rule Two is, “If you think the Wombat is wrong, see Rule One.”

It’s weird how often arguments among bloggers turn into private resentments that fuel silent fueds that are waged secretly until, one day, it all blows up into a huge public drama with cataclysmic consquences. When did Charles Johnson first become resentful of Pamela Geller’s success? We don’t know, but we saw what happened when everybody tried to ignore it and hoped it was “just a blogwar” that would subside quietly.

Sunshine is the best disinfectant. People who piss me off (bad enough that I notice it) seldom have to wonder if they have pissed me off.

UPDATE VI: Fox News online reports on the story and includes the obligatory denial from the convicted perjurer:

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the incident and said the case had been referred to the FBI.
Frey said talks with nationwide experts suggested this was a case of SWAT-ing and says he and all previous victims had all written about activist and convicted felon Brett Kimberlin — about whom Erickson has also written.
Kimberlin said he has no connection to any of the attacks.
“I had never even heard of Erick Erickson until a couple of days ago,” he told FoxNews.com. “I have nothing to do with the SWAT-ing of anybody.”

Let me clarify a few things that should be obvious, but evidently are being overlooked by some people:

  1. This isn’t just about “SWATting,” but about a broad pattern of harassment by Kimberlin and his associates.
  2. We don’t know who was responsible for the alleged SWATtings of Patterico, Erick Erickson or Mike Stack.
  3. Nearly all the harassment being carried out online — we won’t name the website or Twitter accounts involved, nor describe the types of harassment involved — is being done under pseudonyms and we will not know who did what unless and until there is criminal prosecution of the persons responsible.
  4. Neal Rauhauser has previously described Kimberlin as his “client.” It is therefore entirely reasonable to suspect that Rauhauser is being paid (and may be paying others) to conduct an aggressive online assault against Kimberlin’s critics.

This is why Rauhauser’s role in the 2010 “TwitterGate” scandal is so important to keep in mind. If Rauhauser is running such an operation on Kimberlin’s behalf, and if that kind of intimidation campaign were being funded with proceeds from Kimberlin’s 501(c) non-profits, this would almost certainly be in violation of IRS regulations and other federal laws regarding the activities of tax-exempt organizations.

UPDATE VII: Chris Muir explains why Day by Day Cartoon went blank today.

Dan Collins writes a must-read: “My Letter to My Congressmen Regarding Convicted Domestic Terrorist and Perjurer Brett Kimberlin.”

Bob Belvedere of The Camp of the Saints manages to get himself quoted by Andrea Shea King at Radio Patriot and, though tempted to make a Rule 5 wisecrack, I’ll resist the urge.

UPDATE VIII: “Kimberlin’s Cronies Go After The Lid,” which is a pattern that we can expect to see repeated. It will almost certainly be alleged, for example, that Dan Collins is a “chubby chaser” and that I have been apprehended while driving at high speed in Livonia, Louisiana. However, in our defense, it must be pointed out:

  1. The enforcement of so-called “speed limits” is arguably a form of political discrimination against Appalachian-Americans, whose penchant for, um, rapid transportation is a widely recognized ethno-cultural trait; and
  2. Hey, chubby girls need love, too!

We will continue to ignore all vicious smears and half-truths purveyed by Kimberlin’s defenders: Satan is a liar.

– Robert Stacy McCain, Whereabouts Unknown

Category: The Kimberlin Files

Comments

78 Responses to “NATIONAL DAY OF BLOGGER SILENCE UPDATE: Remember Seth Allen”

  1. Datechguy's Blog » Blog Archive » …Speaking of 1st Amendment rights Let’s Talk Kimberlin & Co » Datechguy's Blog
    June 8th, 2012 @ 8:18 am

    […] that day comes bloggers like myself will continue to fight, as part of that fight many blogs on the right will be silent except for a post on this […]

  2. My Blogger Day of Silence/Brett Kimberlin Post « Andrew J. Patrick
    June 8th, 2012 @ 8:33 am

    […] Start with Stacy McCain. […]

  3. Don Surber
    June 8th, 2012 @ 8:39 am

    This should be a day of National Blogger Shouting. 

    Do not silence yourself. Scream -real loud and often. This should be a day of blogging and blogging and blogging some more. 20 posts!

  4. Mr. Luigi
    June 8th, 2012 @ 9:01 am

    This is no way to deal with the Weiner trolls.

  5. L’Audace: I Will Not Be Silent Today « The Camp Of The Saints
    June 8th, 2012 @ 9:05 am

    […] -Stacy McCain tries to make the case for observing NDOBS. […]

  6. Rob Johnson
    June 8th, 2012 @ 9:06 am

    I agree.  The answer to this harassment is not silence.  It is to become even more vocal.  We should have another “Everybody blog about Brett Kimberlin Day” again.  Rinse and repeat as needed, until he is no longer a problem.

  7. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    June 8th, 2012 @ 9:12 am

    I am posting on it. Freedom isn’t Free  Michelle Malkin and Ed Morrissey both have good posts up on it.  More to come.  

  8. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    June 8th, 2012 @ 9:13 am

    I miss you blogging.  

  9. ThePaganTemple
    June 8th, 2012 @ 9:19 am

    Aaaarrrggghhh in yer honor Bob The McCain me and me maties are goin ta take the day off from pillagin’ and plunderin’ too, that’ll show the landlubbin’ scuttlebutts in yonder villages.

    Now to see the results of this wanton terror figger what yer average number of readers for the day be, then divide that inta the population of US landlubbers, then ye’ll git the gist of the size of yer church choir ye won’t be preachin’ to fer the day whilst all the rest of the werld waits in breathless wonder, whut ones of them know who ye ere, that is. 

  10. The Marketplace of Ideas is Open For Business « threedonia.com
    June 8th, 2012 @ 9:20 am

    […] the truth — here is his very detailed breakdown — it’s bizarre. And finally, here is Robert Stacy McCain at The Other McCain who has been living on the road since Kimberlin called his wife’s employer and threatened […]

  11. ReaganiteRepublican
    June 8th, 2012 @ 9:24 am

    Linked

    NATIONAL DAY OF BLOGGER SILENCE

  12. Bob Belvedere
    June 8th, 2012 @ 9:29 am

    Dead solid perfect.

  13. Blogger Day of Silence: #BrettKimberlin | Nathan Martin
    June 8th, 2012 @ 9:31 am

    […] Stacy McCain reminds us what this day is all about: When Ace announced the Day of Silence, many bloggers were mystified: “Silence? Isn’t that what Brett Kimberlin wants?” Exactly, which is why every blogger participating in this protest — Andrew J. Patrick just joined our ranks — will write one post about the Day of Silence and nothing else all day. […]

  14. (Sticky for the day) National Blogger Going Dark Day – Speak Up For Free Speech! » Pirate's Cove
    June 8th, 2012 @ 9:37 am

    […] let’s not forget one of the recipients of Kimberlin’s terror, RS McCain, who writes in reference to silence: The point is to call for congressional action, as Ace said: […]

  15. Today is the National Day of Blogger Silence | The Lonely Conservative
    June 8th, 2012 @ 9:41 am

    […] More at Da TechGuy, Hot Air, Evil Blogger Lady, Obi’s Sister, Radio Patriot, and The Other McCain (who is blogging from an undisclosed location thanks to Brett Kimberlin and his evil tactics.) Be […]

  16. The Story of Brett Kimberlin… And Why You Should Care | The Radical Watchdog
    June 8th, 2012 @ 10:05 am

    […] UPDATE: Our parent site LibertyNews.com is shut down today for the National Day of Blogger Silence. […]

  17. Bob Belvedere quotes Patton: ‘We’re NOT digging foxholes!’ « The Radio Patriot
    June 8th, 2012 @ 10:20 am

    […] -Stacy McCain tries to make the case for observing NDOBS. […]

  18. NATIONAL DAY OF BLOGGER SILENCE « An Ex-Con's View
    June 8th, 2012 @ 10:29 am

    […]   Share this:FacebookTwitterRedditStumbleUponTumblrDiggPinterestMoreLinkedInPrintEmailLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. […]

  19. WyBlog - Standing up for Free Speech: National Day of Blogger Silence
    June 8th, 2012 @ 10:32 am

    Standing up for Free Speech: National Day of Blogger Silence…

    Perhaps National Day of Blogger Silence is a misnomer. We won’t be silenced! But we will be focused. Focused like a laser on the nefarious antics of Brett Kimberlin and his demented army of thugs. And not, as our political associates would like, on th…

  20. No Silence Here | Daily Pundit
    June 8th, 2012 @ 10:51 am

    […] NATIONAL DAY OF BLOGGER SILENCE : The Other McCain FROM AN UNDISCLOSED LOCATION On the morning of Thursday, May 17, I was planning to go to Camp David, 15 miles from my Maryland home, to cover the G8 Summit. […]

  21. Don Surber
    June 8th, 2012 @ 11:04 am

     Miss you too. One of my favorite readers.

  22. PaulLemmen
    June 8th, 2012 @ 11:15 am

    Linked at the Ex-Con’s View: NATIONAL BLOGGERS DAY OF SILENCE: One and done. Not a word written. http://wp.me/p27DAO-pN

  23. Dark Silence | Nicholas Fitzgerald
    June 8th, 2012 @ 11:34 am

    […] The Other McCain […]

  24. The latest on the Brett Kimberlin saga… | Roderic Deane
    June 8th, 2012 @ 12:26 pm

    […] The Other McCain: “National Day of Blogger Silence, UPDATE: Remember Seth Allen” […]

  25. Mike Rogers
    June 8th, 2012 @ 12:45 pm

    Keep it up, and GodSpeed Ali and the ACLJ!
    Linked:
    http://granitegrok.com/blog/2012/06/national-bloggers-day-of-silence-free-speech-under-threat

  26. Bloggers protest bizarre court ruling in Walker case, SWATting « Hot Air
    June 8th, 2012 @ 12:52 pm

    […] The Other McCain Tags: Free Speech, swatting document.write(''); […]

  27. pdxnag
    June 8th, 2012 @ 1:00 pm

    Remember Molly Norris?

  28. Today Is “Free Speech Friday”: Shine the Spotlight on Those Who Suppress Expression
    June 8th, 2012 @ 1:07 pm

    […] Stacy McCain has his entry up for the day, and Andrew J. Patrick did a mini-roundup for your […]

  29. Zilla of the Resistance
    June 8th, 2012 @ 1:08 pm

    I like Seth, he’s not a bad guy and some of the stuff he writes is pretty funny.

  30. Halei Long
    June 8th, 2012 @ 1:16 pm

    Senator Saxby “Even a Blind Squirrel Finds an Acorn on Occasion” Chambliss is one of my senators. Later today I will pen a letter to Senator Johnny Isakson and ask him to join Chambliss in demanding an investigation by the DOJ. Be safe, Stacy, out there in parts unknown – and know that us non-bloggers are standing with you all! 

  31. Screaming on The Day of Silence | his vorpal sword
    June 8th, 2012 @ 1:18 pm

    […] we now have a possible  ”key” courtesy of that same Odium: Next he [John Stacy McCain, who has infamously moved with his family into the middle of the night, claiming to fear for his […]

  32. National Bloggers Day of Silence « Nice Deb
    June 8th, 2012 @ 1:45 pm

    […] RS McCain: NATIONAL DAY OF BLOGGER SILENCE UPDATE: Remember Seth Allen […]

  33. My Letter to My Congressmen Regarding Convicted Domestic Terrorist and Perjurer Brett Kimberlin
    June 8th, 2012 @ 1:48 pm

    […] Robert Stacy McCain […]

  34. Rob Crawford
    June 8th, 2012 @ 2:07 pm

    The “tedious partisan angle” is the key to the whole thing.

    But never mind. Keep deluding yourself that the New Party/Working Families Party/Occupy left give a shit about free speech.

    (Or, as they call it, “oppressive tolerance”.)

  35. jr .
    June 8th, 2012 @ 2:36 pm

    We are with you and have posted as much at http://bearingdrift.com. 

    I am also pleased to report that Congressman Bob Goodlatte of Virginia is signing onto the letter being sent to the Attorney General.  He writes: 

    “Any time First Amendment rights are jeopardized it should be of great concern to the American people.  As a member of the Media Fairness Caucus, I am concerned that some bloggers are being targeted unfairly because of their political affiliation.  I signed on to a letter today to Attorney General Holder concerning the growing threat of “SWAT-ting” and demanding that he review each of these cases to determine whether any federal laws have been breached and prosecute those crimes accordingly.  I will also encourage the House Judiciary Committee to conduct oversight of this matter and continue to monitor the situation.”

  36. blaster
    June 8th, 2012 @ 2:38 pm

    It’s beautiful today in Bethesda.  Kimberlin’s place looks, umm, artistic.  (okay, I didn’t focus before shooting)

    http://tinypic.com/r/oszepw/6

  37. Conservative bloggers are saying… « The Radio Patriot
    June 8th, 2012 @ 2:57 pm

    […] Moderate Voice, The Radical Watchdog, The Other McCain, Little Green Footballs, Right Wing News, The Jawa Report, Wake up America, “The […]

  38. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    June 8th, 2012 @ 3:05 pm

    I thought Ace was going to do one post today.

  39. I Could “Go Dark” To Promote Free Speech… « Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog
    June 8th, 2012 @ 3:06 pm

    […] Stacy McCain […]

  40. richard mcenroe
    June 8th, 2012 @ 3:18 pm

    I’m being silent… in my fashion… http://tinyurl.com/c4yq3n

  41. National Day of Blogger Silence to support Aaron Walker and protest SWATing | Fire Andrea Mitchell!
    June 8th, 2012 @ 3:18 pm

    […] of Spades Michelle Malkin The Other McCain Day by Day Cartoon Obi’s Sister Evi L. Bloggerlady Little Miss Attila American […]

  42. richard mcenroe
    June 8th, 2012 @ 3:19 pm

     Nice place.  Excellent lines of covered and concealed approach.

  43. blaster
    June 8th, 2012 @ 3:56 pm

    Glazers?

  44. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    June 8th, 2012 @ 4:42 pm

    Dispute with Wombat?  I am not in a dispute with Wombat.  I know Wombat is right.  Wombat will give the FMJRA award to whoever he deems worthy and whether I like it or not, I will just have to shut up and take it.  Given what a shameless blogwhore I am, I do not have any reason to complain anyway.  

    Because Wombat is always right.  

    And I did win it once.  It is like my own personal Stanley Cup-Super Bowl ring, rolled into one.  So I have that going for me.  

    I did not realize the rules of today were no linking or updating.  I thought the rule was one post.

  45. Mark Goluskin
    June 8th, 2012 @ 4:53 pm

    It is done and up. See it here. http://minx.cc/?post=329977

  46. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    June 8th, 2012 @ 4:53 pm

    Of course, Bob B. told me back a ways to email Wombat for FMJRA award credit.  On the weekly totals I am rarely credited even though I link TOM at least half a dozen times a week (typically).  So this week I emailed Wombat each link I made to TOM.  I think Wombat might have gotten pissed off when I sent him the 15 or 16th email.  

    Which of course will benefit Bob B. who will rush in and sweep up the coveted FMJRA award.  

    But it is all good.  

  47. Mark J. Goluskin
    June 8th, 2012 @ 5:00 pm

    I have not been as up on this as I should have been. Have had my own medical issues. But OK now. However, I AM in total solidarity you all of you that have been involved in this saga. I finally got around to writing about it last night. http://www.rightviewfromtheleftcoast.blogspot.com/2012/06/no-more-blog-posts-until-saturday.html. And I am participating today and only have linked the epic post Ace just posted on Ace of Spades.
    But this is exactly a tactic of the left. It is Alinsky writ large. But none of us, and that even goes for those on the other side, can let this continue.
    I am in the fight with you.

  48. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    June 8th, 2012 @ 5:08 pm

    http://ace.mu.nu/archives/329977.php  Ace’s Post of the Day

  49. NATIONAL DAY OF BLOGGER SILENCE strongUPDATE/strong: Remember Seth Allen « That Mr. G Guy's Blog
    June 8th, 2012 @ 5:13 pm

    […] NATIONAL DAY OF BLOGGER SILENCE strongUPDATE/strong: Remember Seth Allen. […]

  50. blaster
    June 8th, 2012 @ 5:40 pm

    Some action! Visitors or something. When I first saw the black Impala I thought it was the police but the woman who was parked in the driveway was clearly not a cop. And the young lady was clearly a minor so won’t post the pic.