As the tags suggest my coverage of the Leopold, TruthOut train wreck has become personal after receiving threats from one Leopold's admitted sockpuppet email addresses.
These threats were followed up by Larisa Alexandrovna editor of Raw Story adding her own brand of insinuation and intimidation right here on kos.
Even though this story is about as over as any credibility the people involved had I am posting the latest obscene violation of journalistic standards to come from the assholes at TruthOut.
Join me on the flip.... Or don't, nothing has really changed. But, a train wreck is a train wreck so let's go...
The Post's Curious Interest in Leopold and TO
By Marc Ash,
Wed Jun 21st, 2006 at 06:42:38 PM EDT :: Fitzgerald Investigation
On Sunday, The Washington Post published an article titled, "My Unwitting Role in the Rove 'Scoop'" by Joe Lauria. It's a hit piece, plain and simple.
For the record, Jason Leopold is not acting alone on the Rove indictment story. All of TO's senior editors are participating in interviewing sources, verifying facts and vetting every sentence published before the story goes live.
Snip
A Rather Backhanded Assault
The Post published Lauria's article as an opinion piece, but Lauria used that platform to present fact - fact without documentation. In reference to our report that a grand jury has returned an indictment of Karl Rove (a report that we do stand by), Lauria writes, "The report set off hysteria on the Internet, and the mainstream media scrambled to nail it down. Only ... it wasn't true." He is stating - as a fact - a premise that he does not even attempt to document or substantiate, and the Post is a willing host.
The basis for Lauria's complaint is that Jason Leopold reportedly used Lauria's name to get Karl Rove's spokesman Mark Corallo on the phone ... according to, you guessed it, Corallo. For the record, I think Mark Corallo is doing a brilliant job of representing Karl Rove's best interests as his interface with the media. I also think it's fair to say that The Washington Post is being way too cooperative - unless they, too, are beholden to Mr. Rove? Everybody hold your breaths waiting for a response from the Post's ombudsman on that one.
snip
We urge The Post and Lauria to meet the same standard that we have been held to these past weeks - account for your statements, please.
So Leopold why do you need to threaten your critics?
From Armando at Swords Crossed
[And indeed I have been contacted by one of the bloggers I debunked
regarding the Rove indictment story where this blogger promises to
write about my personal circumstances. This same blogger also promised
to reveal his sources if his story was wrong. He has not done that so
it is possible he won't write about me either.]
Here is what Leopold sent me yesterday.
From: harrison shepard <harrisonshepard@yahoo.com> Signed-By: yahoo.com | Mailed-By: yahoo.com
To: s n <anonymousarmy@gmail.com>
Date: Jun 20, 2006 1:38 AM
Subject: Re: You are about to be exposed
you are going down and it's going to be painful. You're toast buddy. Fucking toast.
Just in case you didn't click the Leopold link above, this from TNH, courtesy DHinMI.
Since I am on a roll here. I might as well out myself and say that, yes, I am the "harry shep" that posted comments here that were inflammatory and rude and obnoxious and mean and crude and were directed toward some of the people who run this site. It was a cowardly thing to do and I apologize. I acted impulsively because I had interpreted some of the analysis to be a direct "hit" on one of my stories. However, it became obvious to the people who run this site that my pseudonym was not a good cover because the IP address revealed my true identity. It was a total immature reaction and there was truly no excuse for it. So to the people who run this site I sincerely apologize for being such an immature, thin-skinned prick. I hope you can forgive me.
Posted by: Jason Leopold | March 29, 2006 at 22:32
So if I don't post a diary trashing these assholes everyday be very, very worried they "got me".