GOP Senator's Top Staffer Busted Posting Comments Under Fake Name On Liberal Blog
This is fun: A campaign staffer for a leading GOP Senator has been busted posting fake posts on liberal blogs under an alias.
Burnt Orange Report, the premier state-level liberal blog in Texas, has discovered that commenter "Buck Smith" -- who claimed in the site's comments to be a liberal and who was critical of Texas Democrats and their candidates -- was in fact none other than David Beckwith, a top Texas Republican operative who works for GOP Sen. John Cornyn.
What makes this story funny is the way this joker managed to get himself caught.
Beckwith, who served as the top spokesman for Cornyn's 2002 campaign and is on board again this year, gave the same e-mail address at BOR as he did at a Web page for his high school class. Oops.
According to BOR blogger Matt Glazer, Cornyn campaign spokesman Kevin McLaughlin reacted sarcastically and shamelessly to questions about this:
What?!?! 'Buck Smith' isn't a real person?!?! Are you serious?? People blog under screen names?!?! I am shocked...next thing I know you'll be saying the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus aren't real either. What kind of world are we living in?!?!
Cornyn's campaign and Senate offices have not responded to our inquiries.
A fun footnote to this whole affair: One of the things "Buck Smith" said was that David Beckwith should get a raise.
Imagine that, I'm waiting for fogu and others on here to get outed for the same thing.
July 1, 2008 3:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
fogu2's ego gets to me...always states the "facts" and can't back them up...
I would enjoy seeing him busted!
July 1, 2008 3:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ah yes, and that Wallace troll too.
July 1, 2008 3:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dude, I seriously thought y'all were making that "paid staffer" stuff up...interesting.
July 1, 2008 3:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
If Wallace is an undercover troll, he's not very good at being undercover. On his profile he identifies himself as a Republican.
We don't have to agree with him, but we shouldn't run him off just because he's a Republican.
July 1, 2008 11:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Typical Cornyn hackery. What an embarrassment.
July 1, 2008 3:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe, but you gotta admit that it's pretty funny too.
July 1, 2008 6:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
OOOOooooo!
Busted.
July 1, 2008 3:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Too funny, big bad john . . . . branded.
July 1, 2008 3:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Texas Sized Fuck Up!
July 1, 2008 3:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is anybody surprised? Troll duty is probably required of all republican campaign staff.
July 1, 2008 3:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oooh... not been seein mucha SFCWallets lately. Prolly dubble-checkifyin fer dooplicatered e-mail addys mungst his stak of aliasses.
Phbbbt!
July 1, 2008 3:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dude, I've been here all day...
July 1, 2008 3:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
...and I don't pretend to be a liberal or use a fake name.
July 1, 2008 3:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
I, for one, actually enjoy your posts.
I hope you stay, and even more, I hope we can learn from each other.
Who knows, maybe eventually you'll see Obama will be better for America as a whole than McCain!
July 1, 2008 5:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree. SFC Wallace is my bud. Great posts and he makes you think. Also, he gives you a different perspective. Who wants an echo chamber. More posts please.
July 1, 2008 6:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
While we don't see eye-to-eye, I respect you for that.
July 1, 2008 7:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
We could identify the same hacks on this site quite readily. They're pretty transparent.
July 1, 2008 3:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Always the case, CarolBG. I've noticed that over the years the pattern never changes.
July 1, 2008 3:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
What confuses me is why the admins won't ban them. The trolling makes it hard to have conversations.
July 1, 2008 3:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
There are a lot of reasons I can see - can't speak for any admins myself, but there is a first amendment. And once you start policing comments, you become responsible for what's said, to a certain extent.
I like open boards myself. I think they're less conducive to an echo chamber effect.
July 1, 2008 3:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Tena:
The 1st amendment doesn't apply absolutely. Like, say, to a private enterprise. Like this one. And under no circumstances is a troll bent on polluting waters and interrupting discussion maliciously, like some of them on here are, entitled to 1st Amendment protection. No. Circumstances.
July 2, 2008 8:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
Cuz that is what the other side does. We don't book burn. Actually discourse, interaction and a bit of heresy adds spice to life.
July 1, 2008 7:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
this would be a good time for kozmik to come along and accuse everyone who's ever disagreed with him or obama of being undercover republican well-poisoners.
July 2, 2008 12:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Cornyn's people always bring the sprezzatura.
July 1, 2008 3:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, look, no troll comments on this post. I wonder why?
July 1, 2008 3:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Andrew Golis should get a raise
July 1, 2008 3:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
oops
July 1, 2008 3:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well played, sir. Well played :)
July 1, 2008 3:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
OMG! Troll Critic - speaking of someone who hasn't been around -
July 1, 2008 3:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Really. TC3000? Where have you been??
July 1, 2008 3:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, yeah - what were you saying about certain performers having utterly vanished?
Translates to one utterly bored critic when all of my favorite performers have abandoned their craft - you don't expect me to actually discuss the topic at hand for a change, do you? ;)
July 1, 2008 3:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Alas.
;)
July 1, 2008 4:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
that's so funny.
July 1, 2008 4:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
"They can write," said the TPM member?
"No, that's not writing, it's typing", said Truman Capote.
July 1, 2008 3:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
gotalife has been strangely absent....
July 1, 2008 3:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
As in vanished utterly.
July 1, 2008 3:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dude . . . The Billary campaign went belly up ad deep in debt.
July 1, 2008 7:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Funny part is not that he was trolling, but that he was stupid enough to get outed.
July 1, 2008 3:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
I know - it's delicious.
LOL!!!!
July 1, 2008 3:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
The proof is out there.
July 1, 2008 3:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
nsleib's comment from the other thread holds for this wanker as well:
If we can't dazzle you with brilliance (and trust me, we can't) then we'll baffle you with bullshit
July 1, 2008 3:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wherever did that doofus come up with that handle: Buck Smith, I wonder? That is one stupid handle. I think I remember seeing it at BOR.
July 1, 2008 3:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Buck Smith- sounds like a name for the Adult Industry...lol.
July 1, 2008 3:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
O shit - shades of JeffyJimJim or whatever the names were of that gay internet prostitute who got a press pass to the White House was....
July 1, 2008 4:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Jeff Gannon.
Good grief. Why does my brain retain triva like that?
July 1, 2008 4:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
I ain't surprised.
The only staffer's I haven't seen on lib blogs are the ones who working for- Vitter and Craig. They post on special websites, I guess.
July 1, 2008 3:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
hehehehehe, naughty boy, naughty, naughty boy..heee
July 1, 2008 3:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe he's also "Marginal Player." It's an accurate description.
July 1, 2008 4:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Would explain a lot of the concern trolls around here.
You know the "liberals" who actually hate all Democrats and bash them relentlessly.
July 1, 2008 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
... who claimed in the site's comments to be a liberal and who was critical of Texas Democrats and their candidates ...
To be fair, I don't think Buck Smith ever claimed to be a liberal, and it was pretty obvious to me at least he was working for John Cornyn. I even said so in this swing state comment.
July 1, 2008 5:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
This has become a Republican playbook activity. Other Repub Congressional aides have been found posting lies and disinformation on purpose re: global warming on actual science blogs.
July 1, 2008 5:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dude, there's no such thing as global warming.
(sorry, couldn't resist.) ;)
July 1, 2008 6:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
I like the spokesman's mock outrage.
"What, Republicans lie through their teeth? WHAT KIND OF WORLD DO WE LIVE IN"
July 1, 2008 6:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Personally, I salute David Beckwith. I've been trying for YEARS to find an employer who would pay me to surf the Internet.
Well played, sir!
July 1, 2008 6:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
My friends, there is nothing my wife and I like more then sharing a couple of sixers of the finest Anheuser Busch products and watching some old navy pilot movies like any other liberal couple but this scandal has soured my stomach.
We liberals are about to make a serious mistake in placing this untested young man from somewhere in the midwest in the most demanding job in the world. A job that requires more seasoning and experience than this young mans possesses. Surely there is someone with the skills it takes to safely parachute from a war plane that we can vote for.
July 1, 2008 6:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Melvo, I agree with you absolutamentary. Like you, I am a liberalite of the Democrat party, but I just don't see where Obama can get the job done. Where he can stay the course. Where he can stand up to the terrists who hate America. I hate to say it, but we progressivarians have misoverestimated Obama, and I'm gonna have to vote for McCain.
July 1, 2008 7:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Help me...laughing too hard...have seriously misoverestimated ability to laugh hysterically and breathe at the same time. Tell CN....
July 23, 2008 4:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hate to shock you all, but I am actually Lyndon LaRouche!
:)
July 1, 2008 7:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's true! Only Lyndon LaRouche would have the paranoid histrionic ego required to think that people would care!
July 1, 2008 10:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
gotalife is busy on HuffPost!
July 1, 2008 10:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's like walking through land mines. One misstep and you're hamburger. Republicans are bad enough but Congressional staffers doing the dirty from the office on government time is actuallu criminal and should be prosecuted. Even the president could be prosecuted for fund raising on government property.
Walk in the Capitol, and prepare to be shocked that actual politics is going on public property. One of the few places where staff doesn't try to shake you down.
July 2, 2008 9:37 AM | Reply | Permalink