Targeted Blogger Quits Edwards Campaign (Amanda Marcotte )

[seriousstan]

One of the chief campaign bloggers for Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards quit Monday after conservative critics raised questions about her history of provocative online messages.
Amanda Marcotte posted on her personal blog, Pandagon, that the criticism "was creating a situation where I felt that every time I coughed, I was risking the Edwards campaign." Marcotte said she resigned from her position Monday, and that her resignation was accepted by the campaign.

Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, demanded last week that Edwards fire Marcotte and a second blogger, Melissa McEwan, for remarks he deemed anti-Catholic. Edwards, a former North Carolina senator, called the messages personally offensive, but decided to keep Marcotte and McEwan on staff.

"No matter what you think about the campaign, I signed on to be a supporter and a tireless employee for them, and if I can't do the job I was hired to do because Bill Donohue doesn't have anything better to do with his time than harass me, then I won't do it," Marcotte wrote Monday night.


http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/02/12/D8N8H2D00.html

[orpupilofnature57]

1. Bless Edwards , Obama is MSM's Dave and Hill is Dan . AL

[More Than A Feeling]

2. Damn it, don't let Donahue win!

*sigh* Well, that's just peachy. Edwards goes out on a limb to keep her, and then she leaves anyway. Unless that was the plan all along. Edwards gets credit for standing up for her, and also doesn't have to deal with her anymore. :tinfoilhat:

[napi21]

7. I don't see this as Donahue winning at all!

If it's played right, he will be seen as an overbearing old fool who caused a young woman to quit a job she really wanted.

[More Than A Feeling]

8. He got what he wanted. He got her out of the way.

Who cares if he's seen that way? He's nobody. But nonetheless he was able to kick an amazing outspoken woman off a major platform.

[SweetGrass]

17. The "amazing outspoken woman"...

...was breathtakingly crude, actually (and for the record, I am not Catholic). I know most here disagree with me, but in my opinion, Edwards' campaign is better off without such a representative. I do definitely applaud her for putting the campaign first, if we can take this explanation at face value.

[napi21]

18. I agree. NO campaign needs any employees who would contribute DAMAGE!

I have no problem with anyone being "outspoken" and she very well may continue to be, she just won't be being paid by Edwards to do it.

This is similar to the Swiftboaters. They spewed their venom and did damage Kerry,wither you want to accept that or not, but they weren't DIRECTLY employed by the Shrub campaign, so HE wasn't DIRECTLY damaged by their lies!

[pnwmom]

34. Thank you, SweetGrass, and I agree.

[adigal]

47. I agree with you 100% - she would have hurt

the campaign with her offensive blogs from the past, and if one likes Edward, it is good that she is gone.

[TankLV]

55. She was breathtakingly HONEST and FRESH and TRUE in her JUSTIFIED condemnations

Did you see what that bastard spokesperson for the fucking church has said?

It makes his accusations against that poor woman look positively TAME by comparison.

The only thing that is good about this is that she put the campaign ahead of her personal interests.

But it's bad that a fucking HYPOCRIT and LIAR got what he wanted. Fuck the fat bastard...

[pnwmom]

53. I think it would have happened anyway -- and it would have done much

more damage to Edwards if she had spent another year making similar comments on her personal blog. Really, it would have been in Donohue's best interests to have waited. She would have gone on making her anti-Catholic comments on her personal blog, while working for Edwards on his. Eventually, the sh*t would have hit the fan and Edwards wouldn't have been able to say that he didn't know. After all, she was his employee. Personal blog or not, he would have felt the repercussions. And this could have all happened just before the primaries began.

He's lucky this is behind him now, actually.

[SweetGrass]

16. "Unless that was the plan all along."

I wondered that too, as soon as I read it.

[pnwmom]

33. It had turned into a conflict of interest issue.

Marcotte was continuing her blog and as recently as Monday made a Catholic-related comment. If a newspaper columnist goes to work for a politician, s/he doesn't get to keep the column going after taking the political job, because of conflict of interest. The same thing should apply here.

[muriel_volestrangler]

57. What was that Catholic-related comment? (n/t)

[SemperEadem]

3. The Catholic League?

Jeezus!! Didn't he choose the most appropriate name for his organization. I'm surprised his last name isn't Guise.

[Joe for Clark]

4. That has to be good news for Edwards.

I have no issue with Edwards - he is clearly a decent guy.

But this wasn't about Donohue - we catholics think he is a jerk, too.

Joe

[mrdemocrat78]

5. That's too bad

I hate to say it, but this is probably the worst thing that could have happened. Now you're gonna see all the Kerry comparrisons.
I KNOW!!!! I KNOW!!! Kerry should have won. I am just saying, you know how they are gonna spin this now. They're gonna say the Edwards is weak and that he caved, not that she quit on her own accord.

[Joe for Clark]

9. Nobody is gonna do that.

It is not that Gore shoulda won, that Kerry shoulda won - they did win. They got screwed.

Joe

[pnwmom]

35. What they, and she, SHOULD say

is that her desire to continue her own blog created a conflict of interest. She chose to continue her blog.

And more power to her.

[IndianaGreen]

6. Hollywood is run by secular Jews that hate God

Keith Olbermann's show had that gem of a quote by our illustrious head of the Catholic League, Bill Donohue.

Why do some of our Democrats always cede ground to rightwing kooks like Donohue and Dobson?

[pnwmom]

36. Just because Donohue says 2 + 2 = 4 doesn't mean

that 2 + 2 = (-4)

In this case, Donohue happened to be right -- some of Marcotte's earlier comments were ugly, and blatantly anti-Catholic.

HOWEVER.

What happened in the end is that Marcotte continue to post on her blog (including comments related to Catholics, although milder than before) even AFTER she was hired by Edwards. This created a conflict of interest -- just as it would have if a newspaper columnist had gone to work for a politician, and wanted to continue writing her newspaper column.

[Loge23]

10. Giving Catholics a bad name.

When I was just a little younger, I went to an all-male Catholic High School (phooey).
One of the best memories of this experience was a Vincentian priest, actually several Vincentian priests, who introduced me to the Catholic Worker movement. The organization was very active in those days spreading the word of peace in the midst of the horrors of Vietnam. It was, to me, the true essence of Christianity and Catholicism.
Well, all of those priests I refer to for their incredibly genuine kindness and care were transferred out of the school. It was the early 70's, and it was in Brooklyn NY for anyone who may know. Their headquarters was in Philadelphia - still is as far as I know.
I later attended the wedding of my favorite priest. He met and fell in love with the main housekeeper in Philadelphia! I was so happy for him and I wish him my heartfelt thanks to this day for his guidance and help wherever he may be. I think they threw him out of the church - nice. I no longer participate in any organized religion - partly because of the actions of the fascists who removed these true disciples of Christ.
Now, we have those same fascists embedded in the church. Now they do the bidding of the current corrupt administration and their followers.
Those were wonderfully committed men - committed to the teachings of Christ. No sexual deviants, nor blind flag wavers these. It seems like so long ago.
Please don't denigrate the entire organization. It's simply been overrun.

[Nite Owl]

11. I grew up in the same era

went to Catholic HS (all girls!) and the Church is responsible for me being a liberal today. They taught peace, the taught us that racism was wrong, they taught us to be caring and generous and to accept all. I haven't been to Church in many years now but what I learned back then made me what I am now.

[NastyRiffraff]

12. I too went to an all-girl Catholic high school

I got a great education (1st year of college was a breeze). Yes, some of the nuns were nasty pieces of work, but most were good women who emphasized good works.

I consider myself a lapsed Catholic, but I hate to see the entire religion denigrated because of a bloviator like Donohue.

Before someone says it, yes, I know the church has other problems...thte pedophelia scandals for one. However, like most if not all religions, it's multifaceted. It has liberals, conservatives...all across the political landscape.

[Joe for Clark]

14. I am constantly amazed that anyone could survive

more than a year or two of catholic shcool -

My hat is off to you!!

Joe

[pnwmom]

40. Did you go to one? They're all different. Just as all Catholics are different.

My Catholic high school -- the only Catholic school I went to -- was by far the best (and most fun) of the six K-12 schools I attended.

[Joe for Clark]

43. You bet.

Just two years. And until the day I die I will remember Sister James. She hit me so hard on my knuckles they swelled up.

Happiest day of my life was the day my parents sent me to public school.

Joe

[pnwmom]

44. My father had attended a school more along those lines.

60 students in a class or something like that. So they only sent me to a Catholic school after we moved near a wonderful one.

But one thing to keep in mind is that during the period of time when you hear all the horror stories about Catholic schools, you could hear plenty of horror stories about public schools. My mother-in-law has plenty to tell. And even I attended public school in a state where corporal punishment was still legal (it still is, in many states), and I remember the paddle hanging on the classroom wall.

[Joe for Clark]

46. They still had corporal punishment in school - in public

school when I was growing up.

I got paddled on my butt a few times - especially in PE - it is just not in the same league as getting a ruler to you knuckles. This is the 1960's I am talking about.

Tell you this - there were seven kids in my family (parents were good catholics) 5 had to go all the way thru catholic school. 2 of us got out of it. They didn't like school so much - I loved school.

Joe

[pnwmom]

39. I also had a wonderful experience in a Catholic high school.

Up till then I attended only public schools. The Catholic school was the best educational experience I had had by far -- loving, supportive, intellectually challenging and open minded. (And the nuns, in general, were more liberal than most of the students.)

Too many people here make broad brush smears against all Catholics. I'm getting tired of it.

[Joe for Clark]

13. I think I am just about as catholic as you -

Dude - they can't steal OUR church from us.

They ain't taking my church from me - not ever.

Joe

[pnwmom]

37. There are still many wonderful priests, and they've been sickened

by the events of the last several years.

[Psephos]

15. She is a victim, yes, but not of Donohue

A blowhard like Donohue comes along and huffs and puffs in her direction, and her reaction is to fold up her card table and moan that she's been tragically victimized by Bill Donohue.

The political world is full of Bill Donohue and his ilk, and always will be. That's the terrain of the game. The person who actually victimized Amanda is Amanda, who has just shown that she won't back up her own words...which makes it tough for anyone else to, either.

Next.

[Adelante]

19. Unfair to Amanda Marcotte

We don't know if Amanda folded up her card table for the benefit of the Edwards campaign because the Edwards campaign didn't want to take the flak; it's electoral politics, after all, not a civil rights campaign. We don't know if she was "allowed" to resign to save face before getting fired, which is usually how it goes in politics. We do know she was victimized by Donohue (as a way of getting at Edwards). Her job was the price she paid for her constitutionally empowered right to free expression, and ours. I happen to think she's way better off not being on anybody's payroll. She is free to "back up her own words" without any conflict with what's best for any political candidate. I give her credit, because she's come right back at them, filing against Donohue with the Internal Revenue Service. I don't know that she has a strong case, but, victim though she may be, at least she is a fighting victim.

[Psephos]

22. I see it differently

She seemed to have Jane Hamsher's gift for smart, vitriolic commentary, and was not afraid of smashing a few vases if necessary.

But where is the fire and the defiance when suddenly it's Amanda in the crosshairs? It's in such moments of scrutiny and stress that a person's true character emerges. Sorry, but given her brand of writing, victimhood doth not become her. We need stronger people in our political positions because those who oppose us have plenty of strong people.

Politics ain't beanbag. Apparently, Amanda needs a few more seasons in the minors before she's ready to take the heat in The Show.

My opinion, nothing more, nothing less. :-)

[pnwmom]

45. I'm sure she'll be Amanda again. She just couldn't be while she

was employed by Edwards. There was a clear conflict of interest, which she has now ended. She made the right choice.

[Psephos]

54. A thoughtful response

And I do agree with you, she made the right choice. She must feel relieved; I know I would.

[TankLV]

56. Yet Mann Coulter remains free to spew without any repercussions, aparently...

just fucking great...

[pnwmom]

38. I'm not sure she's a victim. She just made a choice. In the face

of a clear conflict of interest, she chose to continue with her blog, rather than to drop her blogging and devote herself full-time to the Edwards campaign.

[gratuitous]

20. First Galileo, now Amanda Marcotte

Jeez, it just never ends for the Catholics, does it? Having to fight all these heretics all the time, forever teetering on the brink of total collapse because of astronomers and bloggers. You'd think God would have chosen a more durable vessel for Immortal Divine Truth.

[pnwmom]

41. You're kidding, right? Marcotte as Galileo? Give me a break.

In continuing to write her blog -- even after she was hired by Edwards, Marcotte created a conflict of interest. She then had to make a choice, just as a newspaper columnist in the same situation would have to choose. You can't take a job with a political campaign and continue to write your own column on the side.

[gratuitous]

59. Maybe Marcotte was just emulating George Will?

After all, Will not only coached Reagan for his first debate against Jimmy Carter (using a briefing book stolen from the Carter campaign), then extolled Reagan's performance both in his column and in a subsequent television appearance.

But as I recall the last time this "controversy" was being discussed, I had some confusion about what specifically Marcotte had written about Catholicism that was so objectionable, and never quite got an answer. There was a post to a comment she made about Mary (a figure revered by certain Catholics, some Protestants and even Muslims), but nothing about Catholics. I'm still all at sea as to what horrible transgression Marcotte allegedly committed.

Of course, now that Donohue and the Catholic League have their scalp, we can be sure to hear more and more and more fake outrage from his corner. I breathlessly await his condemnation of serial adulterer Rudy Giuliani's candidacy. Although I shan't hold my breath waiting for that hypocrite to criticize a Republican.

[Ian David]

21. Edwards should replace her with John Avarosis or Michael Rogers. n/t

[OKNancy]

23. kick

[pnwmom]

24. CBS: Edwards Campaign Blogger Quits (Amanda Marcotte)

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/13/politics/main2468937.shtml

(AP) One of the chief campaign bloggers for Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards quit Monday after conservative critics raised questions about her history of provocative online messages.

Amanda Marcotte posted on her personal blog, Pandagon, that the criticism "was creating a situation where I felt that every time I coughed, I was risking the Edwards campaign." Marcotte said she resigned from her position Monday, and that her resignation was accepted by the campaign.

Kate Bedingfield, a spokeswoman for the Edwards campaign, confirmed that Marcotte was "no longer working for the campaign." She declined additional comment.

SNIP

Earlier Monday, Marcotte wrote on her personal Web site, "The Christian version of the virgin birth is generally interpreted as super-patriarchal, where ... women are nothing but vessels."

[saracat]

25. And Marcotte's post is offensive because of what? She is pointing out the truth?

"The Christian version of the virgin birth is generally interpreted as super-patriarchal, where ... women are nothing but vessels."

When did it become a dirty word to be a feminist? That is what they are using against her.Why are these bastards like Donahue so threatened by women? And why is this country so chauvinistic? I cannot believe that we are still talking about this in 2007!

[pnwmom]

26. I suspect, but this is just a guess,

that Marcotte didn't like the idea of either shutting down her personal blog or knowing that every utterance from now on would be analyzed.

When a person takes a job as spokesperson for a President, they ordinarily relinquish their other activities. Maybe she wasn't willing to do so.

[wellst0nev0ter]

27. Or She Didn't Want To Be THE Issue Of A Presidential Campaign

because a bunch of hatemongers are playing the media for saps

[madrchsod]

29. she should`t have told the truth

about one of the most corrupt institutions in the last 2000 yrs. when will someone ever stand up to these people?

[pnwmom]

30. I think the problem was in keeping her personal blog going.

It was always going to be an issue as long as she was involved in Edwards campaign communications.

[madrchsod]

50. did`t know that...

but i find it disgusting that the right wing christians have so much power in this country and it just pisses me off as a lefty christian .

[pnwmom]

51. I certainly agree with you there.

The fundies -- and people like Donohue -- make all the rest of us look awful, too.

Progressive Christians (including Catholics) need to keep fighting for our own view of Christianity.

[adigal]

48. Her post is offensive because...sigh...

(I can't believe people don't see this as offensive) she said that the Holy Spirit put his hot sticky seed in the Virgin Mary. So not only did she mock the religious beliefs of millions of people whose votes we will need, but she mocked them with an explicit sexual reference.

[saracat]

49. I took that she said that in response to the equally disgusting things they have

said about women.Two wrongs don't make a right but I do understand why she said it.

[pnwmom]

52. The issue is whether a person with that internet trail should be

working in the employ of a politician, not whether she was justified in any particular thing that she said.

John Edwards decided to accept her apology -- but then she went on to make another disparaging (though much milder) remark in her blog on Monday. She couldn't continue blogging and working for Edwards at the same time. She had a blatant conflict of interest, which she settled in favor of staying with her blog.

[muriel_volestrangler]

58. The context of that? A demolition of a lying Catholic booklet about contraception

in which they try to spread fear about cancer and infertility. There's endless sexual references in that piece, not surprisingly. There's also endless lies from a Catholic publication. And you think she should never mock them?

I'd be interested to know what the mechanics of the miracle of 'the Virgin Birth' were, however. Did it not involve semen? The Bible seems to draw a veil over exactly what happened. Is it so bad to imagine it was like all other conceptions there have ever been? Is there an official Catholic line that states no semen was involved? Do they state how Jesus got the necessary chromosomes to be born a man?

[ray of light]

28. Sad to see her go but good-on-her to take away conservatives decoy power.

[pnwmom]

31. She acted in Edwards' best interest.

This would have been a continuing distraction from his campaign.

[brentspeak]

32. Proof positive the RW smear machine still has total sway over the mainstream media

Manufactured controversies like this would never have gotten to the network news back in the days when the media wasn't run by corporations.

[pnwmom]

42. Columnists have never been able to take jobs with political campaigns

without discontinuing their own columns, because it creates a conflict of interest.

She decided she'd rather keep blogging. More power to her.