...what will surprise you is this comment from Ben:A lot of the conservative blogs are members of a group called the “Old Dominion Blog Alliance" [ODBA]. I usually just sit back and read the emails from that list with amusement…
Whether these emails are being forwarded to Ben via a mole in the group or one of the little noticed members of the group is actually him, this is perhaps the most unethical thing to have been perpetrated upon the Virginia blogosphere since its inception...
I'm not going to link to Ben - go on over to Virginia Virtucon and get to his blog via Riley's post. I have already been over there and expressed my disgust with Ben's unethical behavior. True to form, his echo chamber focused on a typo in my comment and my rather stilted and formal language instead of on the lack of integrity and honorable character which Ben displayed.
This started because Ben was outraged that members of the ODBA (conservatives, hel-LO!) were discussing strategies of getting a conservative, Jeff Evans, into the Virginia Senate, rather than the current incumbent, Roscoe Reynolds, who has shown a proven disregard and disdain for the concerns of his constituents:
Now, I don't care for character assassination from either side, and if any of my fellow ODBA members were to descend to that level, I would certainly call them on it. However, strategy discussions which I witnessed in NO WAY did that. Politics is a hard-hitting and frequently rough arena for people to play in, and if you can't take the heat, get the bloody hell out of the kitchen!
That's actually one of the reasons *I* haven't posted a lot of in depth political commentary: it's not my deepest passion, therefore it's not something I'm willing to fight about on a regular basis. But the base and underhanded way in which Ben received this information, the way he has twisted and slanted it, is simply beyond the pale.
It was disgusting, vile, base, unethical, dishonest and ignoble. And I would also apply those labels to the alleged ODBA member who may have forwarded that discussion, or given Ben access to our private list. I pray to God that is was a tragic bumble on that person's behalf, but current information suggests malicious intent quite strongly.
I confess that I almost wish we were in Victorian times, so that I might have the pleasure of giving Ben a slap on the face for behaving like a cad.
UPDATE(S): Other ODBA members expressing their scorn of Ben's actions:
- Leslie Carbone, who condemns him in exquisitely elegant words and then gives a lovely round up today
- SWAC Girl who notes that it's awfully quiet among those who like to talk "ethics" so much
- Kilo, who posts the e-mail which Ben twisted so dishonestly
- Jason Kenney posts some FACTS
- Jim Bowden reminds us that eavesdropping is not a virtue
- Scott, of Scott's Morning Brew, says that Ben went on the defensive
- Greg at BVBL isn't concerned - he states in the comments that the Yellow Dog group is pretty much radioactive in Roscoe's district (nevertheless, I'm still concerned about the breach of privacy)
- Over at Good Sense, Charlie asks why opposition research is so dangerous
(MORE UPDATES) MORE Virginians chime in:
- Ward Smythe (who's really ODBA anyway, IMO - thank goodness!) pokes at Ben's "I love me!" fest, and offers to hold him down for my slap.
- Now At The Podium says that Ben's got some explaining to do - um, d'uh?
- Virginia Oddsmaker has an amusing snark
Oh, and word comes to me that the mud is being tossed on me in Ben's comment section (oh, boo-hoo-hoo!). I haven't been over there since my second comment, so I really couldn't say. However, you note that none of the supporters of unethical behavior have come over here. I haven't gotten ONE hit from Ben's place (gosh darn!) from people looking to either see what the fuss is about OR to find out who I am and what my personal style is. I just love it when people make assumptions without doing even the most basic research...!
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