Or, as some have pointed out in the comments, apparently Michael WAS a supporter before he was paid, but became TWICE the supporter he was once his pockets were lined. Before someone goes on another “it probably seems like a lot of money to a liberal” rant, the influence of the money on Michael’s posting patterns speaks for itself.

While money can’t buy you love, apparently it can buy you attack dog$ for right price.

“I couldn’t blog on Minnesota Democrats Exposed and work on a campaign. No campaign manager or candidate would allow me to continuing blogging on Minnesota Democrats Exposed and work on their campaign at the same time.”

If you did make the statement, please explain what has made you change your stance? It would seem that by simply getting paid by a certain campaign, you would be working for that campaign.

I want to say that I find the above quote to be a very honorable one, which is why I am asking the question.

In the end, Michael’s background and relationships are all that matter to our friends on the Left. It allows them, as they so often do, to avoid the painful facts.

`He’s just biased’.

Maybe. But what he says is the truth. And that’s more important.

This is exactly the point I’m raising. At what point does a blogger, of whatever political stripe, cease to become “independent”? How much do you have to get paid, or over how long, or how much volunteer time? Does it make a difference if you’re a paid staffer vs. a single work-for-hire or consultation gig?

I don’t think there’s a cut-and-dry answer, but these are all factors. I’m happy to bring up Ellison, even though it distracts attention away from your paid blogging for Kennedy, because I think we should discuss what really is fair for any political blogger.

I did a single work-for-hire ad for the Ellison campaign and disclosed that anywhere the ad was posted. Beyond that I’m not on Ellison’s payroll, so I don’t think it’s necessary to post a disclosure about the ad on unrelated, independent blog posts. If reasonable minds in the blogging community feel differently, I’m all ears.

Perhaps Kennedy isn’t comfortable with your tactics and smears (i.e. Patrick Timmons). Kennedy’s campaign provided you with transcripts of Timmons’ voicemail, for example. It’s that “joined-at-the-hip” level of involvement with Kennedy’s campaign that betray your blogging motives. You’re a paid attack dog for the Kennedy campaign on this blog – why not be open about it?

If not, I think the Kennedy campaign needs to start reporting this blog as an in-kind contributionm and then also amend all past FEC filings since you came aboard to make this correction as well.

Comment by Jeff Fecke — September 27, 2006 @ 9:38 am ***

Pointing out that the collapse of credibility is complete.

Chuck: did you get paid by ellison’s campaign to create an ad? why don’t you disclose that on your blog everytime you post on Ellison?

Well, that didn’t last.

I’m in for $100! I’ll check with Matt, but he’s pretty broke…

Hugs,

Jon-David

At the same time, the same bloggers are making excuses for Noah’s lawbreaking (despite Chuck’s best efforts to obfuscate the issue he did steal intellectual property and pass it on to a competing campaign). That kind of hypocrisy takes a lot of chutzpah, but it’s what I’ve come to expect from the DFL.

Hahaha..oh wait, wait..I get it.

The lefty’s are parsing the meaning of “This is a reminder that I am a part-time consultant to Mark Kennedy’s U.S. Senate campaign. Minnesota Democrats Exposed is not created, endorsed, sponsored, or authorized by any political party, candidate, or candidate’s committee.”

Ahhahahahaha!

I guess that depends on what the meaning of “This is” is…right? Right?

Bwaaahahahahahahaaha

Here’s a clue goofballs.

It wouldn’t matter if MDE was still a full time permanent employee of the GOP. The crimes, lies, treachery, deceits and pandering of the left that he publishes for the world to see are always eventually proven as facts.

He’s dropped a big steaming turd of your own making into your party punchbowl and you’re all twisting in the wind…I-LOVE-IT!!

After they exposed Michael’s name (hoping to silence MDE), this blog became a more popular and powerful tool against them.

Michael, keep your light bright and your convictions strong. You have exposed Democrat liberals for what they are: empty shells with loud mouths.

Read Rew’s article.

The big problem she raises is that – contrary to your claims upon being hired by Kennedy – your coverage of the Senate race doubled and you’re being fed private information by the campaign.

Essentially, there’s abundant evidence to show you’re not an independent blogger. Again, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, but your disclaimer rings false. Like Swiftee says, “the Kennedy campaign is getting a bargain.”

He is being honest about his affiliations. Just because he didn’t disclose his wage does not make him unethical. Half the liberal blogger out there don’t even disclose their name.

One day you’re shaking Karl Rove’s hand and taking the big money, and the next you find you’ll say anything to keep it coming.

Keep looking for a good story.

“Robin didn’t want to tip you off to the story’s content, but what she did disclose was accurate.”

What did you expect from either Robin Marty, or Fecke, or any lefty for that matter…really?

These are the kinds of people who stoop to hire private investigators to dig up dirt about their own fellow party members and then e-mail the results to the oposition.

These are the people who have made a religion of parsing the meaning of is….if you know what’s good for you you’ll not be taking ANYTHING they say at face value….remember what happened when you agreed to talk to the Dumpster Queen?

Keep ‘em at arms length, and stick to shredding them.

Here’s a clue dingleberries; in this world, you gets what ya pays for. MDE has a track record of shredding scumbags like Keith X Hakim-Ellison and Matt Entenza into bite sized bits.

The format that MDE uses, setting his hook by degrees, builds anticipation….it keeps people interested and coming back. Besides, is just good, clean fun to watch all of you lefty morons twist in the wind awhile…hahahahaa!

MDE produces positive results and also demoralizes his opposition which is why the Kennedy campaign is getting a bargain, and they know it.

But hey, really, don’t get me wrong…there’s nothing wrong with working at the SuperAmerica either. Keep that coffee fresh and someday you goofballs will all be managers!

Hahahahahahahaaaaaaa!

Let’s say I wrote post after post bashing private schools and proponents of vouchers. I did this all day long during normal work hours. And then after a few weeks someone caught wind that I worked for the Public School system. How could I honestly and effectively claim ‘independence’ when I have vested interest in the outcome, both personally and financially. I couldn’t, and no reasonable person could believe for an instant they could either. Why is that such a difficult concept for you?

You know what the real sad part is, we have to explain this to you and you still refuse to understand what is wrong here.

Flash

It’s also fair to ask all bloggers to disclose their relationships to campaigns. On Dump Bachmann, it’s pretty clear the message isn’t coordinated with the Wetterling campaign. In fact, I don’t think the Wetterling campaign is particularly fond of Dump Bachmann.

People are going after you, sometimes on thin logic? Well, that’s what you do to other people every day on this blog.

Get over yourself.

What I saw was stories that revealed the amount you were being paid, and questioning whether that influences your blog.

It’s a fair question and a fair conclusion.

You have no honor when it comes to ruining people’s lives for your political gain, and you poison the party you claim to represent.

I struggle with wearing different hats myself. I was paid (not much) to make an online ad for your best friend Keith Ellison, which I posted on Minnesota Stories and disclosed. Everything else I post is independent, though my bias is rather clear.

So I’m not sure what to make of Jeff’s comment. Speaking for myself, I try to be “fair and balanced” on Minnesota Stories while not hiding my heart of a liberal. On rare ocassions (once) I get paid to do something for a campaign that I already supported anyway. On New Patriot, the context is already a liberal blog and I feel free to be partisan there.

One other minor point – I think being a paid campaign staffer on an ongoing basis is ever-so-slightly different than a one-time paid consulting gig. Blogging is an ongoing activity and I think the campaign connection is indeed stronger and blurrier .

We’re definitely in a gray area, but I don’t think there’s anything unethical going on as long as you disclose who is paying you.

I mean ok it isn’t Harvard, but I did get an A in ethics, so I think I’d remember that.

Come on, Mike: you’d laugh me out of town if I was taking even $500 a month from Klobuchar for anything, and then writing paeans to Amy’s wornder and hit pieces on Kennedy. You’d never accept that my writing was independent. And you’d be right. (And guess what? If any Dems are trying to play the same game, go ahead and out them. It wouldn’t be right either way.)

That doesn’t mean you can’t blog independently–you can. But you’re trying to have it both ways. You’re trying to be a paid Kennedy staffer and an independent voice. That doesn’t work–especially when your output spikes after you start getting paychecks.

As far as I can tell, you’re being willfully obtuse. So let me make this incredibly simple: either be upfront and blog for Kennedy (as Mark Gisleson did with Blog for Bell) or blog on issues unrelated to campaigns you’re working for.

Anything else is unethical, because you’re lying to your readers, and claiming to be something–independent–that you cannot possibly be.

Don’t be discouraged by a couple of posts by a small group of people whose collective blog traffic only exists because you link to them.

While their mommies are letting them have blogger sleep overs, you are out earning a living.

That is a good thing, not a bad thing, no matter what the collectivists preach.

To you useless wannabe bloggers who write every day against the creation of wealth, don’t tell any of us about what you think a job is worth until you learn that Marx is dead.

It gets frustrating reading people of that name (and their friends) critical of the exact type of dialogue they take the name of.

I hope that your fussiness here stems from some unspeakable rash or something because you are not sounding rational to the rest of us!

MDE could state that the sky is falling and at what speed and over a specific DFLer and you cannot do a thing avout it. It is HIS Blog!!!!!!!!!!
He can collect aluminum cans and pay for this blog and his life if he wants to and it is NONE of your business.

So as they say on the Capitol One spots…
‘What’s in your wallet?’
Step up and tell us how you finance your life if you are going to post here buddy!!!! C’mon big guy!!! Who pays you what??? Show me the money! Or we will consider your comments tainted here too…which side of the bread and by who???
Or we won’t listen anymore!
Give it up!

It is incredible to me that Liberals (that used to be a good word) don’t see it this way anymore.

Stand your ground Michael. The fact that you disclose anything is not necessary and should be a bonus for these anti-liberals who criticize.

Speech and debate are healthy, always.

Lefties who defend nonanswers and outright lies fro Entenza, Hatch, Klobuchar, Ellison, Walz. . . do you want me to keep going?

You arrogant nuts want to be critical of someone for not going above and beyond?

The credibility of the Left is shot. Give it up.

“That just doesn’t wash. You can’t be a press consultant for Kennedy, paid more that his press secretary, and then go home at night and swap brains and become Mike Brodkorb, private citizen. It doesn’t work that way, and it’s–yes, Mike–unethical.”

Why is it unethical?

If you want to destroy people for a living, don’t start crying when they start doing the same to you. In the few times that we have talked, you never stuck me as the sort of guy who would run crying to mommy when people started calling you names.

You have ridden the wave of credible blogger for far too long. Now it is time for you to reap what you have sewn. If you are proud of what you have chosen to do for a living, you should have no problem dealing with the consequences.

But seriously, quit your crying. None of us care.

You were hiding out throwing mud and being anonymous. You were outed by some blogger who saw your name on a post you emailed to your blog.

You are a liar.

ROFLM(C)AO!!!!

Yeah, “right”.

MDE is the epitome of the collapse of credibility.

Mike, the question is not whether you’ve disclosed adequately–the answer, really, is no, but it’s beside the point.

The fact is that you’re being paid $4500 a month from the Kennedy campaign, and that you’re trying to claim independence from the Kennedy campaign at the same time. That just doesn’t wash. You can’t be a press consultant for Kennedy, paid more that his press secretary, and then go home at night and swap brains and become Mike Brodkorb, private citizen. It doesn’t work that way, and it’s–yes, Mike–unethical.

As for Robin’s horrid transgression–I fail to see it. You’re not owed a faxed copy of a story from a reporter just because it’s about you. Robin didn’t want to tip you off to the story’s content, but what she did disclose was accurate. And if you’re worth $4500 a month part-time, you should know that.