It appears something else that isn't tolerated at the ultra-left-leaning website Daily Kos is too much discussion about the extra-marital sexual escapades of Democrats the Netroots hold in high esteem.
At least, this appears to be the case given Saturday's banning of Lee Stranahan, a liberal blogger and video producer who's been writing diaries at DKos since at least April 2007, and has had his work featured at the Huffington Post.
My colleague P.J. Gladnick referenced Stranahan's HuffPo piece about Edwards back on July 27:
Ironically, it is liberal blogger Lee Stranahan, writing in todays Huffington Post, who presents some compelling reasons why this alleged scandal is worthy of coverage in the media.
Stranahan has posted four articles on this subject at DKos. However, as he alerted his readers Sunday, four times wasn't a charm:
About a week ago, I posted a piece on the Huffington Post called Say It Ain’t So, John. I didn’t think it would have much more impact than my usual posts…maybe a dozen comments or so, a couple of people linking to it. I cross posted on DailyKos, which is probably the best known and biggest progressive blog. I’ve been posting at Kos for a long time. As more news about Edwards has come out, I followed up with more posts which were also the subject of a large number of comments. All of them looked at the Edwards situation from my point of view; that is, a liberal who is concerned about the implications this story may have in November.
Now I’m banned. I can’t write about ANYTHING at Kos. Can’t comment, can’t post a non-Edwards piece. Nothing.
As there are always two sides to these kinds of stories, I look forward to receiving some nasty e-mail messages from Markos Moulitsas telling me how I've completely misinterpreted Stranahan's excommunication. Stay tuned.
—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters. Follow him at Facebook and Twitter.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
2 Sides
August 3, 2008 - 16:13 ET by geoff.galeApparently at the Daily Kos, there are some stories that have only one side - stick to it or else.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
- Edmund Burke (1729 - 1797)
www.conservativeboot...
Right. And Markos "Screw
August 3, 2008 - 17:07 ET by motherbeltRight. And Markos "Screw them" Moulitsas will decide what that side is.
Yeah...
August 3, 2008 - 22:26 ET by RickTaLife...and that's usually his back-side. :-P
Bungholes on the right as well.
August 4, 2008 - 09:33 ET by ArcherBWhile I'm not trying to defend KOS, I will point out that this sort of thing is not limited to the left. Take a look at LittleGreenFootballs and read some of the "Evolution" threads and look at how many comments are deleted and members banned for disagreeing with or pointing out ideas that are different than the groupthink. LGF has turned itself into a mirror image of The Daily Kos.
Granted, the forum owners are free to do with they wish on their sites, but don't pretend that it's only the left that does it.
"To send men to the firing squad, judicial proof is unnecessary." Ernesto "Che" Guevara
This is a bit beyond
August 4, 2008 - 10:43 ET by Dan The Man 2This is a bit beyond groupthink. I am not familiar with LGF but a dicussion of evolution and the scandal of a an also ran President canditate is very different. And there is probably a lot of dissention on evolution going on at LGF or at least I hope so. But it seems there is a total shutdown of ideas about Edwards not only at KOS but in teh MSM. A goose step is the order of teh day.
Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.
There are actually THREE
August 3, 2008 - 19:43 ET by RukusThere are actually THREE sides to every story.
His side. Her side. And the TRUTH! The left will avoid the 3rd side at all costs! Same 'ol same 'ol...
"Nuke 'em 'til they... oh hell, just shoot 'em!"
Banned from Kos?
August 3, 2008 - 16:14 ET by acumenAw c'mon Markos. Now where is Lee going to get his kool-aid?
Well now, talk about eatin'
August 3, 2008 - 16:16 ET by bigtimerWell now, talk about eatin' your own... isn't this typical of the leftists and the control they want over speech...reminds me of something recently.....
Oh yeah...Komrade Pelosi and her disallowing Special Order Speeches from the House floor Fri.
More to come if these control freakin' socialists (to put it mildly) gain more control.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
And Arianna Huffington
August 3, 2008 - 17:09 ET by motherbeltAnd Arianna Huffington claims that there are NOT two sides to everything; some things just ARE! (e.g. Global Warming.) She thinks that a lot of the problem with the media is that they feel like they have to present both sides of every story!
How's THAT for chutzpah!
mb... Hey good memory...I
August 3, 2008 - 17:13 ET by bigtimermb...
Hey good memory...I forgot all about that with good ol' Arianna...
Chutzpah indeed.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
"the media is biased to the Right"
August 3, 2008 - 17:54 ET by needle[Arianna Huffington] thinks that a lot of the problem with the media is that they feel like they have to present both sides of every story!
I have heard that there are a considerable number of Leftists who think [amazingly] that the media is biased to the Right. I am guessing that Arianna's view is a representative example. I hope that there are at least some Leftists who are embarrassed by this.
Impunitas semper ad deteriora invitat.
Ahhhhh, the American
August 3, 2008 - 16:21 ET by BlazerAhhhhh, the American progressives. Tireless champions of free speech and heroic defenders of differentiating opinion and discourse everywhere............yea.
"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious. "
- Ben Kenobi on Liberals, and the MSM.
" The Cake is a lie."
Blazer, you are the first
August 3, 2008 - 16:41 ET by ConservativeRexBlazer, you are the first one I have seen name these fascist for what their heritage is, congratulations! They call themselves progressives, in fact they are proud to call themselves progressives while shunning the liberal label. Make no mistake however, they are fascist.
They are not classic liberals. Their ancestors in this country are named Woodrow Wilson, and FDR. They, over a period of years, have turned the word fascist into something it never was, vis a vis, right-wing. Fascism has never been right-wing.
Markos at the DailyKos owes his views more to Hitler than Mussolini, in how he conducts his website. Scratch George Soros, and you will find a fascist, long before you find a communist, although it is hard to differentiate the two at times. Research the antecedents of these people, and then you'll see who we are dealing with.
Markos said 4 years ago
August 3, 2008 - 20:08 ET by kgMarkos said 4 years ago that they would overtake the Democrat party. I guess it is Mission Accomplished. The main stream media will not allow Edwards scandal to see print. It looks like now the media is taking their orders from Markos.
"Forget change, I want improvement!"
delete
August 3, 2008 - 20:20 ET by motherbeltdelete
"Markos said 4 years ago
August 3, 2008 - 20:21 ET by Blazer"Markos said 4 years ago that they would overtake the Democrat party."
And when he said "they", he meant Communists.
"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious. "
- Ben Kenobi on Liberals, and the MSM.
" The Cake is a lie."
Truth
August 3, 2008 - 21:27 ET by River City"And when he said "they", he meant Communists."
Ain't it the truth. We will not make progress over these folks unless we are ready to call them what they are and stop trying to be so darned polite (PC).
"Money is the scourge of the men who attempt to reverse the law of causality--the men who seek to replace the mind by seizing the products of the mind." Ayn Rand
Yet another example of free
August 3, 2008 - 17:47 ET by stratmanYet another example of free speech and the tolerant ProgressNots.
The DNC implosion is building to critical mass. Let the resulting black hole suck up Pelosi, Reid, Schummer, Clinton's, Murtha, Rosie, Behar, Penn, Streisand, Kos Kiddies, and the rest of the gang.
This will get worse before it gets better. The country needs a good incision and drainage of the pus that's formed.
I guess it's a good thing
August 3, 2008 - 17:50 ET by marvlI guess it's a good thing the Daily Kos is not the government. When Alexander Solzhenitsyn wrote a critical article about the USSR, he was banned to the Gulag for 8 years. Lee Stranahan was only banned from the Daily Kos itself, which, unlike what happened to Solzhenitsyn, is actually good for his health.
But, what the heck, he should go ahead and blame his misfortune on George Bush anyway.
Liberals love diversity..yeah right
August 3, 2008 - 18:12 ET by jefflebowskiThey espouse diversity in all things. What that means is that they expect everyone to embrace their beliefs while they ridicule everyone elses.
Jeff Lebowski
www.angrywhitedude.c...
Hey jeff, didn't you get
August 3, 2008 - 18:18 ET by BlazerHey jeff, didn't you get the message. The first amendment is only supposed to protect free (liberal) speech. Thats why the fairness doctrine would be so totally kewl.
"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious. "
- Ben Kenobi on Liberals, and the MSM.
" The Cake is a lie."
If I may ask
August 3, 2008 - 19:23 ET by cheesegraterDoes anyone know if the resurgence of the KKK in America in the 1920's was a reaction to the policies of the Wilson administration and that the explanation of "white racism" is wrong?
cheesegrater..interesting
August 4, 2008 - 00:13 ET by ConservativeRexcheesegrater..interesting question. The KKK resurgence in the 1920 wasn't a reaction to Wilson's policies, it went hand in hand with Wilson's policies.
The Klan and Wilson both represented the democrats. Both were considered progressive. Wilson had no argument with the Klan and vice verse. They both represented the democrat party's view on how the country should be run. The fascist, of whom Wilson was one, like today's democrats, needed a crisis to show the "common" man that the government would take care of them. That we were "all in it together". They didn't want any of this individualism crap going on in the country. Wilson did all he could do to stifle any individualism from happening here. There could be no debate on WWI, there could be no debate on how the Klan handled their business. Because in Wilson's eyes, and leading "progressive" democrats as well, the Klan's business was America's business.
To illustrate what I mean by Wilson and his ilk being fascist, which they certainly were, he did have at least one European admirer who thought that the way Wilson went about running America was exactly how things should be run, and that was Benito Mussolini.
ConservativeRex
August 4, 2008 - 04:21 ET by cheesegraterThanks for the history lesson.
ahem
August 3, 2008 - 22:30 ET by candanceAllow me to pre-emptively explain what Markos will tell Noel...
I don't who this person is and it's news to me that they've ever posted anything on my website. I don't read my own website every day to assure the content is to my liking and I don't keep any contact info for those who post.
So I went to my editorial board and they informed me that Stranahan willingly banned themselves for unknown reasons and then lied about it on another website.
If you want any proof of this story it's up to you to find it - but I won't let you investigate anyone on my admin board, I won't release any documentation of when the account was locked, and since I've already said that Stranahan is a liar I won't accept anything they tell you.
Now excuse me while I go back to covering The Most Open and Ethical Congress Ever.
Love, Markos
can
August 3, 2008 - 22:48 ET by Noel Sheppardcan,
You have access to my inbox? :-)
Yeah, I'm sure it's going to be something like that. Or he was automatically banned because his last post received so many negative feedback hits. What's weird is that if you look at the comments to Lee's last post, you'll see that two posters knew he had gotten banned. There isn't anything in his diaries that reflects he's been banned. It's not like NB where when someone gets banned, you can tell by clicking on the SN. ns
LOL-Actually, I know exactly how Stranahan feels.
August 3, 2008 - 22:30 ET by R D Helm:-^)
The truth is insensitive. - Neal Boortz
Local Paper Bans Ann Coulter's Piece on Edwards Scandal
August 3, 2008 - 23:10 ET by Birch BarlowHere in Springfield, Illinois - home of the country's least popular governor - the State Journal-Register refused to print Ann Coulter's column about John Edwards.
Editors Note: Ann Coulter's column will not appear today. The column uses as its basis an unverified and unsourced story reported in the National Enquirer. Additionally, the column contains a quote that would be offensive to many readers. Pending review of the content, her column is scheduled to resume next week.
Ted Rall's column ran as usual.
you know birch
August 3, 2008 - 23:12 ET by candanceIf Ann has simply replaced John Edwards with John McCain then switched it back right before print, the paper would prolly have ran it.
Is there any way for you to look back and see if they printed AP articles about the McCain rumors back in April/May?
Candace...
August 3, 2008 - 23:42 ET by Birch BarlowHello Candace. I know the John McCain story was published, but without paying to research their archives, I don't know how many articles were published or if they were AP stories. I assume they were.
I read the Ann Coulter column online. It clearly states that it is the National Enquirer breaking the story. I guess 'We report, you decide' is too much to ask from the SJ-R.
Well now BB.... Doesn't
August 3, 2008 - 23:17 ET by bigtimerWell now BB....
Doesn't that just figure.
No bias...no hypocrisy.
NO PROTECTION for another 'D'.
No agenda here...
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
"Additionally, the column
August 3, 2008 - 23:26 ET by Blazer"Additionally, the column contains a quote that would be offensive to many readers."
In other words Coulter put a (D) in front of John Edwards, when she wrote about him in her column. Shame on her. She should know better -sarc
"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious. "
- Ben Kenobi on Liberals, and the MSM.
" The Cake is a lie."
THINKING WITH THE WRONG HEAD...
August 4, 2008 - 08:34 ET by danybhoyBirch,
That's nice to hear, but will they explain to their readers about why 2 of the biggest jerks in politics who were lawyers who were touted either as serious presidential candidates or as Att.General have been snuffed out by sex scandals? We have the Breck Girl/Silky Pony/the guy in the patio awning ads cheating on his wife, who is fighting cancer & fathering a child with another woman, busted by the Natl.Enquirer. Then we have Elliot Spitzer in New York, paying waaaaay too much for his harlots.
As sad as it is far the families of these 2 phony bastards, America has dodged 2 bullets because Edwards & Spitzer lacked the morality to understand what it means to be faithfull to the woman you married & had children with.
The fact is the Natl.Enquirer has their story down, they caught Edwards with his pants down, & Coulter is reporting on that. The paper ed.board probably likes Edwards politics, hates Coulter's opinions, & has no respect for the Enquirer. But sometimes even the Enquirer beats everyone to the punch on a big story, & gets the story right. This looks like 1 of those times.
"...it's still We The People, Right?" Megadeth
The National Enquirer's
August 4, 2008 - 09:16 ET by ahussershtick is celebrities and muckity mucks and their hijinks and the Edwards story falls right into that category. In that sense it is a scandal sheet but IMO other than its narrow focus and lack of "serious news" it probably is very factual and I am sure the story was verified because every celeb is always gunning for these "newspapers" through their lawyers with lawsuits at the ready. I am sure the Enquirer is very careful about what they print. Defamation and libel suits can be very costly. I believe the SJR was 1. being snobbish and 2. protecting a Dim.
How typically liberal...
August 4, 2008 - 07:56 ET by c5thenTalk about and write about the politics of diversity and accepting all points of view, preach that there is no right answer or wrong answer just differing opinions about almost any issue. Then, when someone writes something that you don't like, ban them from the site. How progssive.
George Orwell is grinning somewhere.
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.
KOS KOOKS...
August 4, 2008 - 08:08 ET by danybhoyThis must be the sort of thing that the book "Liberal Fascism" by Jonah Goldberg & "Exspelled" by Ben Stein are about when you think about it. You have freedom of speech as long as it agrees with the libs. To be fair, it is his website, & he can control the content, but it seems that pointing out a news story that looks like it's true should'nt be a problem. Then again, Tony Snow dies, & his site & other lefty sites have thousands of posts saying how happy they are at his death & they hope he's in hell. Go figure.
"...it's still We The People, Right?" Megadeth
I post extensively on the
August 4, 2008 - 10:40 ET by NL207I post extensively on the left-wing blogs.
DU and DKOS simply ban conservative posters regardless of their level of decorum.
All of DKOS, DU, realclimate and Huffpost routinely censor or edit posts they don't like or disagree with. Conservative posters are routinely ridiculed with ad-hom attacks these people will not tolerate directed at themselves or liberal posters. Conservative or Repuiblican political figures are routinely slandered and excoriated with vitrol these same people censor whenever it is directed at leading Liberal politicians and public figures. Their hypocrisy is shocking.
MediaMatters does not censor or edit posts that I have seen. I have not seen them block or delete posts, but they will ban posters they dislike if they get rude enough. Their hit rate is in sharp decline, which leads me to believe they have become hungrier and more tolerant.
None of the lefty sites will let just anybody create content like NB did for a long time in the forum. The only places I have seen that are the conservative sites. It one of the reasons the 9-11 truthers used to come here regularly. They don't rerceive a warm welcome in many places, not that their welcome here was all that warm.