One can go to this 1999 portfolio page and see that the owner of Democratic Underground was already fully in bed with the Democratic Leadership Council. I believe it's thus fair to say that DU has been part and parcel of that triangulating focker from the get-go.
Online Workshop portfolio
*** END OF UPDATE ***
Markos Moulitsas of Daily Kos believes the CIA is a liberal institution with its heart in the right place. That means he is a fake lefty. The same can be said of the folks operating Democratic Underground. We have the paystubs to prove it.
It's not like the owners of DU want the general public to know this. It's not common knowledge they're an insidious organisation. While many have had suspicions, it's not easy to find proof of such. One needs the wayback machine (archive.org) to locate direct ties between DU and the DLC. One other bit of internet proof can only be located now through this blog. DU's registered agent used to be the right wing Law Firm of Howe, Anderson, and Steyer. I will cover both of these angles. I'll then wrap it up by briefly discussing DU's hypocritical selling of merchandise affiliated with sweatshop production.
Democratic Underground and the DLC
image via Brainshrub
Skinner and EarlG posing with Brainshrub
Skinner and EarlG are two-thirds of DU's management team. The third is Elad (Brian Leitner). Who are they? The following biographies are from the wayback machine.
DAVID B. ALLENIt's on the portfolio page, where the proof is these people are tied to the hip of the Democratic Leadership Council. Some of their clients were fancy photographers and architects. That doesn't concern me. Let's take a close look at their ties to mostly non-progressive Democrats and lobbyists.
President, Web Designer/Developer
david.allen@onlineworkshop.com
David Allen was introduced to website design as a Press Secretary on Capitol Hill, where he created and maintained a website for a senior member of the U.S. House of Representatives. In early 1998 he started Online Workshop, which offers Web design services primarily to small businesses and non-profits.
David has had a long-standing interest in both computers and design, going back all the way to junior high school, where he and three friends wrote an educational computer game for the Apple II. Later he won an invitation to study art at the Delaware Governor's School for Excellence.
David's professional background is in political communications. He has worked on Capitol Hill, and is a veteran of three U.S. Senate campaigns, in Delaware, Oregon, and Michigan. David has worked for a government relations and strategic communications firm, where he created a client development computer database.
He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University.
DAVE ALLSOPP
Web Designer/Developer
dave.allsopp@onlineworkshop.com
A professional musician since 1992, Dave created his first website in 1997 in conjunction with his record company to promote his band. As an avid computer user since the age of 8, he quickly caught the HTML bug and began designing sites for other musicians, both in the US and in the UK.
Through his belief that the best way to learn is by doing, Dave honed his HTML skills over three years by designing and maintaining a large number of websites for free. When he began to pick up contract work from local businesses he decided that the time was right to move into a full-time career in web design.
Dave was educated at King Edward VI College in Stourbridge, England - the city in which he was born and grew up. He moved to the US in 1998.
BRIAN LEITNER
Programmer
Brian started programming computers at age 15, teaching himself the C programming language through books, trial and error, and guidance from more experienced programmers. Not long after, he opened an online interactive gaming system written in C, and continued to hone his skills over the years.
Taking a deep interest in computer technology, Brian studied hardware and software issues, networking, and system administration, and succeeded in obtaining the Microsoft Certified System Engineer (MCSE) award for Windows NT 4.0.
After working as a contract consultant for various technology firms, Brian accepted a job offer at a Linux consulting company, which unfortunately went bankrupt shortly thereafter.
Brian went on to learn C++, Perl and PHP programming languages, and continues to further his computer education however he can.
I haven't a big problem with them, from what I've seen. I am just using this as an example that the people running Democratic Underground are not regular guys. In fact, let's jump straight to the damaging connections between the corrupt DLC and Democratic Underground.
I am now wondering if DU is an arm of the DLC. Skinner's company is called Online Workshop Inc.. If you go to their current homepage, there's nothing there but the message, "Online Workshop Inc. is not taking new clients at this time. Thank you for visiting our website."
That wasn't the case a few years ago. One of their clients was indeed the Democratic Leadership Council.
They put out the following magazine.
They were the New Democrats Online. Skinner's company is called Online Workshop. Hmmm. Keep in mind the phrase Progressive Policy Institute seen in the upper right corner of NDOL's logo. It shows up on another client's website. Compare that with the logo for NewEconomyIndex.org.
Defining the third way. There's your paystub. Democratic Underground has been part and parcel of the Democratic Leadership Council for years. I believe Skinner scrubbed his website, because this connection exposes them as being manipulative frauds. They are neither democratic nor underground. Real progressives need not apply. DU is basically in bed with Republican-lite politicians. The reason why democratic processes has evolved primarily into lesser of two evil voting is precisely because of triangulation. DLC is clearly a nasty term. Democratic Underground doesn't want you to know they have been part and parcel of it. Thus the scrubbing.
It's Worse Than Even That
Until an anonymous asked if connections could be made between DU and right wing ideology and power, I had put my awareness of such proof to the back corner of my mind. I've known about this schtuff since 2008. The question jarred my memory. I took a quick look around to see what's still out there in the zeitgeist for this story. There is next to nothing. As we saw above, the strong ties between DU and the DLC are not easy to find. Google around for yourself. There's not much to be had.
One tidbit I became aware of a few years back was that DU's registered agent was Potomac Programs, Inc. run by the law firm of Howe, Anderson, and Steyer. The old link proving this is gone. The only website mentioning it has a conspiracy freak article up titled, DUGATE, AN EXPOSE OF CRUELTY TO CHILDREN AND CORRUPTION IN POLITICS. They claim DU appears to be a Tavistock production and perhaps guilty of child abuse. The article links to conspiracy websites and even links to thoroughly discredited Wayne Madsen. It's some crazy stuff, if you're looking for a bit of tinfoiltainment.
There's next to nothing else on the net about Potomac Programs, Inc.. Even at the law firm's page, there is not much more info than that the program exists. So why am I taking a risk by claiming Howe, Anderson, and Steyer were the registered agent for DU? It's not like there is any "proof" except for some kook page. The url showing it was the truth is no longer available, not even through archive.org. But you see, there's something in the cybersleuth business called screenshots. Back in 2008 I took one. Last night I found it. Here you go.
You're probably muttering, "What's the big deal?" Basically, Howe, Anderson, and Steyer aren't even right wing Democrats. These guys are right wing tools. If it should shock people that Markos Moulitsas Zuniga applied for a position with the CIA, it should certainly raise a red flag that DU would have such people as the faces behind their registered agent.
Richard Steyer has made contributions to George Bush and Rudy Giuliani.
link
In 1998, The Washington Business Journal listed James Anderson at the top of the list for "movers and shakers" of "key players in a business that spends $13.2 billion in the greater metro area." Not only that, guess who James Anderson used to work for? Perhaps he's shared some time at the pub with Ted Gunderson or [/giggling] Hal Turner?
...Among the isues handled by Anderson are contracts, employment, taxes, real estate and matters related to advocacy and government relations.These are not regular guys. These aren't the kind of attorneys who care anything about us common peasants.
Anderson, 56 and a former FBI agent and prosecutor, also does some pro bono work for association executives with employment problems.
link
These guys go to bat for corporations.
These guys have lobbied on behalf of bankers in regards to bankruptcy laws.
They've promoted exorbitant retirement packages for CEOs. This link will take you to the story of Roy B. Evans Jr receiving over $400,000 from the PCMA Education Foundation. James Anderson was PCMA's counsel and said, to paraphrase, forgetaboutit.
If you don't think that might have been dirty, perhaps this pdf showing Howe, Anderson, and Steyer litigating on behalf of a coal company a bit harsh on the lungs.
I begrudgingly give a hat tip to John Dean for the above links concerning the Law Firm of Howe, Anderson, and Steyer. If that name sounds familiar, he used to be Bev Harris' pitbull. No, he's not the other John Dean of Watergate infamy. The thing is, John deleted all of those links. Thus, it's hard to give him too much of a hat tip. Ugh, I hate even mentioning his name. That guy has been involved in a lot of internet convolution over the years. I used to think he was a good guy, just like his friend Brad Friedman of BradBlog. Sometimes, or perhaps more often than one would like, you end up in someone's corner, only to find out later on there was a bad stench beneath the facade of their promoting positive social change. That's how we end up falling for people and blogs like Brad, DU, Daily Kos, and a myriad of internet posers. Better late than never, however, to eventually figure shite out.
Democratic Underground and Their Hypocrisy on Sweatshops
I'll willingly give the hat tip for this closing segment to irregulartimes.com. They are the ones who exposed DU for selling goods associated with sweatshop labour. They sent Skinner a letter asking him wtf was up with that.
DU never responded. The hypocrisy of this was to be found in a 2004 posting, in which DU took Bob Boudelang to task for having received shirts made from sweatshops.
"You Can Take My Bush Sweatshirt From My Cold Dead Hands, So There!"
March 20, 2004
By Bob Boudelang, Angry American Patriot
DU should change their name to DH, Democratic Hypocrisy. Get your bullshite radars working, good people. If something walks and quacks like a duck, you know it. Put your energy into people and causes that are worthy of your good intentions to promote social and environmental justice.
FLA and Hanes: Partners in Sweatshop Crimes!
Campaign Launched: June 10, 2008
related reading:
Children Found Sewing Clothing For Wal-Mart, Hanes & Other U.S. & European Companies
14 comments:
Wow, I'm looking through the 1999 version of onlineworkshop.com and am amazed that DU's people were already in bed with triangulation and the Democratic Leadership Council. The DLC's strategy was all about demonising George Bush. Apparently right after the 2000 election was stolen, the DLC established DU as the public forum by which to astroturf that objective. What could have been easily done through academics and reflection, DU went the disinfo route. They did not want a true progressive movement to form. They were going the "third way" from the start. This makes it obvious Democratic Underground has always been a rigged forum. Basically, DU=DLC. PERIOD!
So what does it mean that Potomac Programs is the registered agent for Democraticunderground? What does the Registered agent actually have to do with the creation of DU? Are they the operating force behind it? Or the legal guys?
Yes, Howe, Anderson, and Steyer are or were the legal guys behind DU.
The big news out of my entry is the direct connection between DU and the DLC, dating back to at least 1999.
This is not a scoop per se. It is more like hidden knowledge.
Whoever makes donations to DU or most other websites is gullible.
Has anyone done any research as to what corporate entities are donating $$ to DU? Does George Soros have links or ties to DU similar to those he has to moveon.org? That could help explain why so many liberals are being systematically banned from DU. (I myself have been banned w/o warning and was not told what rules I broke even though I asked several times.)
What was your username at DU?
From your recent comment on this thread, I'm sensing you don't believe in anthropogenic global warming.
I started to google for Soros and the search engine suggested "george soros nazi collaborator." One of the top links leads to a LaRouche article claiming Soros was part of the Jooooish sector of the Nazi Party. Here's an excerpt.
In his 1965 memoir of the wartime, Masquerade—Dancing Around Death in Nazi-Occupied Hungary, George Soros' father, Tivadar Soros, devoted an entire chapter to the Jewish Council, and his son's involvement.
"When systematic persecution of the Jews began," Tivadar Soros wrote, "it was carried out not by the Germans, nor by their Hungarian lackeys, but—most astonishingly—by the Jews themselves. One of the first things the Germans did was to form a so-called Jewish Council, consisting of the leaders of the Jewish community. Council members were made personally responsible for the implementation of the various German measures relating to the Jewish population. As a reward, they, their families, and those who worked for them were exempted, at least at the beginning, from these restrictions... The Jewish Council carried out the German wishes far more conscientiously than the Germans could themselves."
That's classic right woos left schtick. That's what you sound like, and why you were probably banned from DU. Why won't you share your DU username? I'm not saying I support George Soros. I haven't really looked into Move On.
gotcha, and I thought so. after 20,000 posts and being on DU for so long I finally asked them to delete my acct. the whole place has been taken over by DLC apologists and warmongers. I had a feeling. thanks for the info.
Hi Marianne, thanks for the post.
Even if we can't prove DU is a DLC front, we know for a fact that the owner worked for them and hired a right wing law firm to take care of their paperwork.
It's a cash cow with all those donation drives and gold stars given for annual contributions. They appear to sell their space to anyone who wants to astroturf, while moderators censor and ban anyone who expresses his or her right to free speech to contradict posted lies and other forms of troll provocation.
Then out come the formulaic "websites are private" and "start your own blog" as standard responses for whatever isn't outright deleted.
Daily Kos is owned by someone who applied to the CIA and in 2006 called it a liberal institution with its heart in the right place. In my opinion, DKos and DU were the two biggest lefty forums that emerged in the 2000's. They preyed on any of us who naturally had a dislike for the Bush Administration. They are both mere shells of what they once were, because only so much lipstick can be applied to pigs.
Yes, It is very apparent that DU takes marching orders from the DLC, and tolerates no criticism of DLC positions.
From the Great Gay Purge of 2009, to the banning of Union members this week, Skinner is a hypocritical lackey of the DLC.
I regret ever donating to him - DU does MORE HARM for progressive causes than good.
I had heard of the "gay purge" and here's a link on it.
I don't spend much time at all at DU anymore, so I hadn't heard of this new union member purge. I don't doubt any of it. I did some googling and see it had to do with the Blanche Lincoln story.
While reading a few threads, I stumbled across one saying their signature had been censored. It was anti-Pentagon. I guess there's a rule against speaking badly of servicemen and women. But that's the Military Industrial Complex. DU is clearly a fake left blog. If I had to guess, it is a DLC front. The grifting would be a form of plausible deniability.
They only allow progressives, because that's part of their voting base. But they only allow them to stay if they don't come out against Democratic Party policies that are status quo, Republican-lite.
Democratic Underground is run by scumbags for scumbags and dupes, and anyone who is good who posts there is missing the truth that they are being used to promote a kinder and gentler Republican Party. Politics is a bitch. One guy I would bet the farm on is a paid poster is that high fructose pron whatever. Those are the types who spew about freepers and Agent Mike. That's like Mike Rivero talking about cointelpro. We saw the enemy and it is us. That's a line from Platoon maybe the Bible. I forget.
I had been a member of DU for several years.I'm a Democrat from Alabama and my user name was downindixie.I'm sure I had less than 100 comments posted.
Then nearly two years ago I was notified that I had been banned and not given the reason why.I had not ever been warned or had a post deleted.
I have sent several requests to the admin of DU asking to be re-instated and for the the reason for my being banned.DU has never responded to me.
This is very flustrating for me and DU is not being very Democratic as I can tell!
Hi Jim, I just googled your posts at DU. You actually made 321 of them. One of your first ones said you would vote for Al Gore if he ran as an independent.
Are you sure you don't know why you were banned? Even if it was unfair, you must have an inkling why they did it.
I'll try to check out some of your other posts and see if I have an opinion why they gave you the boot. Of course with the way DU makes wholesale deletions, it might be difficult if not impossible to figure out what happened. Thanks for your comment.
I think I know why you were banned as downindixie. I don't think it was because you didn't type in spaces between sentences, as annoying as that is. It appears it was because you made racist posts.
When I took the exam for the Police dept
There were two blacks who were working as temporary officers,they both failed the test! They kept taking the test for several years,but never passed.They were eventually just given the position by the mayor and the civil service board.This was in the late 60's and the city felt it had to have minorities on the department to evade federal action.I saw nothing on the test we were given that would indicate that the test were rigged for whites.I also learned that these two were given copies of the test by the chairperson of the civil service board and they still kept failing the test.Both of the guys were really dumbasses and really corrupt.By the way,I grew up with blacks and ran around with them.I knew a little about racism,but it didn't matter to me they were my friends.Yes,I live in Alabama and spent most of my time in Hobson City,Al.Look it up!
That was on July 22nd, 2009. It appears that you started at DU in late 2007.
If I have to guess, I'd say you were banned for racist comments made on threads concerning the dumbass arrest of Professor Gates.
From a thread titled "Sgt. Crowley lied in police report, fabricated conversation with caller"
Your response to "He was trying to justify his arrest. What a manipulative little jerk."
Here is a prior statement from professor Gates-
"As always, whitey now sits in judgment of me, preparing to cast my fate. It is your decision either to let me blow with the wind as a nonentity or to encourage the development of self. Allow me to prove myself."
You wrote that on July 27th, 2009. I think that was the final straw breaking that got you canned.
Days earlier on a thread titled I Am Truly, Truly Alarmed At The Mindset of Some DUers Here Re The Gates Incident, you wrote:
Gates was not in his home when he was arrested-
Once he came outside he was in the public view.I hope that the officer can prove that Gates was wrong.As a retired police sergeant I have seen people accuse the police of discrimanation,when there was no evidence of it.I'm not saying that discrimanation doesn't exist,I know it does.
DU is not democratic. I agree. But sometimes a troll is a troll. They made the right decision in this case to toss your alleged bacon ass onto the blogospheric pavement.
This guy doesn't even know how to spell discrimination nor comprehend a basic rule of grammar or whatever. It's quite ironic that downindixie was making fun of blacks failing a police entrance exam yet exhibited many examples of not being too bright himself. This could be a paid fake, the proverbial freeper troll trying to wedge African-Americans from having solidarity with the Democratic Party.
Here's some irony. Some website called oldelmtree has linked to this thread a few times and to the one on Annette Appollo.
When I tried to sign up for their forum, I wasn't allowed. Jeff Wells is allowed, but I'm not. I signed up to confront him on what at first looked like neutral turf. It isn't.
After a bit of snooping around, I noticed that OldElmTree is just another Tinoire-like blog. It is similar to Progressive Independent before the hardcore commies showed up.
And I'm not saying it's just similar to PI. It was actually started by the same people. There were a lot of threads proving this. I think they've been scrubbed.
They were located in a section called the crisis or chill-out time or something stupid. There one could see many of the same bunch of losers hanging out at PI like Chlamor or however that fake commie's name is spelled. One of the founders of OldElmTree is a Tinoire buddy. OldElm Tree was on his server. OldElmTree has the same cult-like atmosphere of many blogs that break off from big ones yet keep talking about them. There was nothing major in this entry on DU that was a struggle to figure out. The only thing I had that wasn't available to anyone else was the screenshot linking Democratic Underground directly to the right wing Potomac Programs.
Ok, I'm proud of some of things I figured out through cybersleuthing. However, this isn't rocket science. I never said it was.
F*** OldElmTree. To quote the Talking Heads, "Same as it ever was."
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