Sibby Online

Tony Dean the talk of Mount Blogmore

I have made Tony Dean the talk at a Mount Blogmore post. Here is a comment a made:

[Charley House: Do not read this post. It is just another one of those history lessons.]

Mr. Wiken,

Thanks for your comment [#17]. If you were a woman, even one that is as ugly as you are now, I would hunt you down and kiss you right on the lips. Thanks for pointing out that Tony Dean is just like you; a far-left extremist who cares more about the cause of the environmental wackos than he does about the constitution of the United States. Now there is no way that Tony Dean can be confused with being a Republican. Tony Dean is way too much like Doug Wiken. But David Kranz reported on Tony Dean’s leadership of the "Republicans for Johnson" committee on August 20, 2002.

Then a month later, on the day before the NRA was to announce their endorsement for John Thune, David Kranz wrote on Tony Dean in his Sunday column (great timing by Kranz). Then on the next day, Tim Johnson held a press conference just before the NRA press conference (great timing again) that starred Tony Dean as he called the NRA liars. Instead Tony Dean called Tim Johnson a strong Second Amendment supporter. Tim Johnson, the guy who voted in support of the first Million Mom March supporters. The one whose emcee was Rosie O-Donnell. The Rosie who said hunters who think they have a right to own guns, should be thrown into jail. The Rosie who said that only law enforcement (and later her bodyguard) should be allowed to own a gun.

The Tim Johnson who voted against gun shows. A vote that caused a tie, only to be broken by Vice-President Al Gore. A vote that caused Al Gore to lose his home state of Tennessee in the 2000 Presidential race. Too many labor union members, the normal Democrat stronghold, that were also gun owners decided to vote for GW. If Gore had taken his home state of Tennessee, Florida would not have mattered.

So by 2002, Tim Johnson needed some camouflage for his anti-gun votes. So enters Tony Dean. The controversy could have been dissolved if the South Dakota MSM had done its job and presented Tim Johnson’s voting record. But they did not, and many sportsman went to the polls misinformed in an election that Johnson won by only a few hundred votes. If David Kranz had disclosed the above voting record that I sent him in early October 2002, Johnson might have lost. And then Kranz’s college buddy would have lost his spot as Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate!

Then after the election, David Kranz wrote on how masterful Johnson’s campaign handlers performed. Twice he praised Tony Dean for being a key factor as he neutralized the NRA. I doubt Tony Dean could have pulled it out without David Kranz holding back on Johnson’s anti-gun voting records. And twice Kranz announced Tony Dean’s plan to run as a Democrat in 2004.

But in 2004, Tony Dean was no where to be found. I emailed David Kranz and told him the readers of the Argus Leader should be enlightened on Tony Dean’s silence. After all, it was David Kranz who set him up to run as a Democrat in 2004. David Kranz never did answer my email, or inform the readers of the Argus Leader on what caused Tony Dean’s absence and silence.

In 2002, Tony dean was a major factor in the Senate race, but in 2004 he was no where to be found. Doesn’t anybody think this would be an interesting story? Was this one of the many reasons Daschle lost to a guy that Tim Johnson defeated? What impact did Sibby Online have? Oh just a minute, Sibby wasn’t paid by the Thune campaign, so the impact of bloggers in last week’s MSM reports did not mention him. What’s with that?

Now we have Charley House claiming that the story on the 2002 Senate race in regard to the constitutional right to keep and bear arms is a ‘non-issue’. What do you think, Kevin Woster? You got in the crossfire between Tony Dean and myself in late October 2002. Your anti-NRA column back then only tells me that you probably would not want to give this story a fair report. The Argus Leader certainly doesn’t want to get into this problem, as Randell Beck’s pledge to cover voting records in a February 2002 column did not happen.

And people wonder why I have an attitude about the MSM.

Public education needs more money

Here is why public education needs more money for new programs such as this one:

An organization opposing a new sex-education curriculum in a Maryland school district has posted online part of the videotape that will be shown to 10th-graders this spring: a young woman putting a condom on a cucumber while giving her pupils helpful tips.

Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum features an excerpt from the seven and a half minute video on its website. The group is fighting a decision by the Board of Education of Montgomery County, Md., to show the video, entitled "Protect Yourself," to students as part of its new sex-education curriculum.

"Remember to use a condom for oral, anal and vaginal sex," the young actress says, noting that if the condom is accidentally put on inside out, it must be discarded for a new one.

Perhaps if kids were taught how to read, they could figure it out.

Of course, if Monica had this training, there would have been no stained dress.

FEC regulating bloggers?

Roll Call ran a report on the FEC’s plans to regulate the blogosphere. Here is the introduction:

Amid a growing hysteria sweeping the Internet over the idea that the Federal Election Commission intends to crack down on bloggers, some FEC officials say they are open to creating an exemption for those who maintain Web logs to ensure they are in no danger of being caught up in the agency’s regulatory framework.

"People have images in their minds that the FEC has black helicopters ready to sweep down on people sitting in their pajamas at their computers. I assure you, we have no intention" of doing anything like that, said Ellen Weintraub, a Democrat who sits on the commission.

Weintraub said in an interview Wednesday that she’s been doing her utmost to calm the tattered nerves of those who fear that the FEC’s upcoming plans to conform campaign finance regulations to a recent judicial ruling would wreak havoc on political bloggers.

The uproar occurred following the publication last week of an interview with Republican Commissioner Brad Smith on CNET News.com, a Web site that covers technology-related issues.

In that interview, Smith warned that because of a judicially mandated ruling related to the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act "it’s very likely that the Internet is going to be regulated" by the FEC unless "Congress is willing to stand up and say, ‘Keep your hands off of this, and we’ll change the statute to make it clear.’"

Smith suggested the agency could begin targeting such activities as "any decision by an individual to put a link [to a political candidate] on their home page, set up a blog, send out mass e-mails, any kind of activity that can be done on the Internet."

Here is more from the Democrat, Weintraub:

Weintraub said she is "completely open" to the option of "carving out an exemption" for bloggers and said there have already been internal discussions to that effect at the agency — though she doesn’t think the agency had any intentions of regulating blogs anyway.

"I think what the court wanted us to do was rethink the issue of having a total blanket exemption for Internet activity," the Democratic commissioner explained.

Weintraub agrees with Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly that the FEC regulations providing a blanket exemption for Internet activity is "perhaps overbroad," but insists it "doesn’t mean we want to go whole hog on regulating the Internet."

Why do Democrats say they are not going to do something, and then say they are? Here is a very disturbing statement by Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.):

Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), the ranking Member on the House Judiciary Committee, was so concerned about the possibility that he’s been circulating a letter among his colleagues calling on the FEC to carve out an explicit exemption for Web reporters.

"Given the emergence of this new method of reporting and Americans’ increasing reliance on it for their political information, it is critical that BCRA’s press exemption should be clarified to apply to those who are reporting on the Internet," Conyers wrote in the proposed letter.

"We urge you to remove any ambiguity and make explicit in this rule that a blog would not be subject to disclosure requirements, campaign finance limitations or other regulations simply because it contains political commentary, or includes links to a candidate or political party’s website, provided that the candidate or political party did not compensate the blog for such linking."

So if a blog is compensated for running an ad, how is that different from a newspaper or TV station being compensated for running an ad? Looks like the Democrats are using a double standard in applying the BCRA’s press exemption. Anything to give advantage to the Democrats’ MSM.

The Godfather VII, Epp joins the Dean gang

Todd Epp announced this:

Instead, whether you like Tony or not (and I do, very much), you should admire his willingness to speak out on the issues and on behalf of Sen. Tim Johnson. He is willing to enter the fray.If anyone in our midst knows anything about the importance of the environment, wild places, wildlife, the future of hunting and fishing, and conservation, it is Tony Dean.

Keep telling it like you see it, Tony.

Don’t you just love it when things come together. In Godfather II, I explain the Tim Johnson, Tony Dean, David Kranz, Randell Beck connection. In Godfather III, I discuss the Randell Beck, Todd Epp connection. Now we have Todd Epp (in his own words) present the Todd Epp, Tony Dean, Tim Johnson connection.

Perhaps Epp should have the whining hypocrites of his Democrat Party, that questioned Jeff Gannon’s credibility for not using his real name, answer this question:

Why does Tony Dean have the same Pierre address and phone number as Anthony & Darlene DeChandt?

The Godfather VI, Sibby jailed!

Yes, there was a warrant issued for the arrest of Sibby for having a BIG HEART! I turned myself in today and posted $1,000 bond that will help fund the greater South Dakota Muscular Dystropy Association that benefits over 500 families.

This is a great cause as it takes care of those who are truly disadvantaged due to no fault of their own. I ask fellow conservatives to make a pledge of their own. And to the Demcorats who think that others should pay to support the disadvantaged through the government? How about doing something yourselves with your own money? Here is what you all can do:

Email Sibby ([email protected]) with the amount of your pledge.

Include your name, address and phone number.

Specify which group you belong to, the Republicans or the Democrats.

Send payment to MDAUSA, 4120 South Elmwood Place, Sioux Falls, SD 57105; reference "Sibby Online pledge"

At the end of Friday, I will determine who are more generous, Republicans or Democrats. Right now the Republicans lead $1,000 to the Democrats $0, thanks to my donation.

More on Godfather IV

I put my Godfather IV post up on a comment at Mount Blogmore. Kevin Woster responded with this:

After those two constructive critiques came a typically accusatory note from Steve Sibson, who pointed out that I had failed to do my job as an objective journalist by not making the connection between Epp and the Daschle campaign. Well, I thought I’d pretty much said that by describing Epp as a liberal-leaning Democrat. That certainly suggests - to me - that he would be a Daschle supporter. But Sibson was right. I should have stated the obvious in print and even explored that connection in greater detail. As Sibson pointed out, I could have done that with a simple Google search.

I wrote the Epp-bloggers piece second, on a Sunday, and I was tired. I never thought of it. But I should have.

I was told that the west-river audience did not fully know the background of the east-river Todd Epp. Again, let’s take a look at Woster’s statement about Epp:

"Epp, a former newsman who once covered the state Capitol for South Dakota Public Broadcasting, is now a lawyer by training and a liberal-leaning blog watchdog, he says, by necessity."

Woster said Epp was a "liberal-leaning blog watchdog" who was a "former newsman". The report did not say "liberal-leaning Democrat". The report does not make it obvious that Epp was a "Daschle Leadership 2000" participant, former board member of "Daschle Democrats," and was on the Sen. Tom Daschle Legal Team monitoring Moody County on Election Day in 2004.

The west-river folks who read the report have been misled about Todd Epp. Kevin took a big step to admit the mistake (are you listening Randell Beck) and I have much respect for Kevin Woster. We all make mistakes and it takes a big person to admit it. But what is the RCJ going to do to correct this?

UPDATE: More on Godfather IV from Ryne McClaren:

Sibby is dead on when he says that he and I don't fit into the idiotic conspiracy theories that they've cooked up. Many bloggers contributed to the DBA, and only two of them have received any attention in this particular matter. Guys like Sibby, Quentin Riggins, Wally Waltner (and yes, even me) have probably never been contacted by writers working on hammering out a couple hundred words on this story. Why not? What do they have against Steve and Quentin and Wally and I? Why doesn't anyone want to hear what we have to say? It's undeniable that Jon and Jason did the most work, and (along with Sibby) probably deserve to receive the lion's share of the credit. But why hasn't anyone asked us what we think? We busted our blogging asses off to inject fact and opinion into the race, yet we've been shut out when it comes to setting the record straight. (I'm speaking for myself here of course, and none of those other guys. Just letting you know.)

Because we ruin the fairytale, that's why. Nobody wants to hear about Quentin working hard to make sure that DBA conference last August ran smoothly. Nobody wants to think about a couple of ex patriate South Dakotans who blogged the election during their spare time. And they damn sure don't want a piece of Sibby. And they don't want to know about how we did it for free, and would do it a hundred times over.

What a shame, in a way, that all of us are far more transparent than the media, and more honest than any of Jon and Jason's critics. I'm not sure it's supposed to be that way, but it is.

Ryne McClaren has a fantastic web site. I go to it often and find very interesting stuff. I often wonder how in the heck did he find it. And he talks about a lot more than just politics. I find his writing style very entertaining. In summary, Ryne is just great people.

The Godfather V, The thin-skinned whiners

Todd Epp is whining about an anonymous letter that he received. Epp is so thin-skinned that he blames all conservatives for the actions of one. Let’s not forget about Epp’s approval of the anonymous Blog Watch Man, who also shows his disapproval of my viewpoint by calling be "Silly" and "nutty". Whining hypocrisy is just another standard operating method of the Democrats.

The Godfather IV, Epp outs himself

Yes, Todd Epp admits he is a Democrat. As I said earlier, Todd Epp goes out to the mass media and claims he is not affiliated with a political party as he rants and raves about John Thune and Jeff Gannon. In the spirit of full disclosure, Epp instead should have admitted this (in his own words):

He is a former "Daschle Leadership 2000" participant, former board member of "Daschle Democrats," and has managed local campaigns and worked on the Al Gore, Jim Abbott, Tom Daschle, Tim Johnson and Dick Casey campaigns as a volunteer or consultant. He is currently a board member of Grassroot Democrats in Sioux Falls.

And then there is this (in his own words):

I have volunteered or worked for the Gore for President Campaign in 2000 in the Nashville HQ, Dick Casey for Congress in 2002, Jim Abbott for Governor in 2002, Kathleen Hill for Lincoln Co. Register of Deeds in 2002, Barney Roling for state house in 2002, Ralph Nader for President in 2004, and was on the Sen. Tom Daschle Legal Team monitoring Moody County on Election Day in 2004.

The above is not a list of Sibby’s "imaginary things". These are things that Epp has admitted himself, but did not admit last week when he was on a crusade in conjunction with the MSM to promote a conspiracy theory involving John Thune and Jeff Gannon. Don’t you think the above disclosure would have caused many to think that Epp is just one of Daschle’s sore losers, making something out of nothing?

Now we have the so-called objective, unbiased, and in-depth coverage of Kevin Woster who only disclosed this about Epp in his report:

"Epp, a former newsman who once covered the state Capitol for South Dakota Public Broadcasting, is now a lawyer by training and a liberal-leaning blog watchdog, he says, by necessity."

Those who have read the conservative blogs over that last couple of years know that bias has more to do with what is ‘not said’ than what is said. If Woster was doing his job as a so-called objective journalist, he would have disclosed the information about Epp‘s ties to the Daschle campaign. He could have found them with the same method that I used to find them…its called Google. It only took a couple of minutes. It would take more effort to find out how much money Epp gave to Democrat campaigns and how much he was paid to be a "consultant". If Woster would have done the job he claims he does, the disclosures may have shown Epp being a sore loser trying to make something out of nothing. That should have also given Woster's editors pause before they printed on the front-page of Sunday’s RCJ Epp’s conspiracy theory.

As the Democrats try to charge John Thune with paying bloggers, they ignore the admissions that they were paid to be "consultants". If they were paid to blog, then why did Thune not pay Ryne McClaren and Sibby? We blogged, certainly if Thune was paying bloggers then we would have been worth at least a few hundred bucks. The fact that McClaren and Sibby were not paid probably is the reason why the MSM did not report on our role in the 2004 Senate race last week. We just don’t fit into their conspiracy theory.

Democrats are NOT pro-choice

From Don Luskin (via Social Security Choice):

Has anyone stopped to consider what a stunning concession the Democrats have made in the battle for Social Security reform, even as they pretend to be strong? The position articulated by Ted Kennedy and Dick Durbin on the Sunday talks was that Democrats will negotiate on anything about Social Security reform except personal accounts. Tax increases? No problem. Benefit cuts? You got it. But personal accounts? Choice? Letting every American own his or her own personal Social Security lockbox? Over our dead bodies.

Single versus married women

From Rush Limbaugh:

Folks, it looks like something finally has happened that might get Bill Clinton to switch parties after this next round of heart surgery that he has. Did you see this little blurb from the editor of Playgirl magazine? Her name is Michele Zip. You didn't see this, Mr. Snerdley? (Laughing.) No, Dawn, you didn't find this, did you? I wondered how this ended up in the stack. Listen to this. "When it comes to sex and politics, Democrats are the more liberal, right? Not so fast. Playgirl editor-in-chief Michele Zipp explores 'down and dirty' politics and examines sexuality on both sides of the aisle. In the process she comes to a realization about herself and reveals for the first time she’s now a Republican."

…

So single women, lets not forget this, we got this from the last election, single women tend to vote for Democrats. Now, apparently, according to what I've just read here by Michele Zip this is because they're inexperienced in and out of the bedroom, single women are, and so they don't really know with whom they are dealing. Married women vote Republican. Do they know something that single women don't? When you look at Maureen Dowd and what she writes when she talks about her loneliness and her woe-is-me stuff, when it comes to relationships, it's clear. And you look at the guys that she's been dating, and they are not the horses that Michele Zip points out. So now the Democrats, folks, have another thing to worry about. First they found out the way they used the language is all fouled up. They're all taking crash courses on how to lie better about their positions from that guy out in Berkeley, George Lackoff, rhymes with. Now they need to go out and lie to women to get in better positions, if you take my meaning. Democrats not only need to lie to get elected, they've got to come across as something they're not in the bedroom now in order to really -- what a story. What an absolute story and something I've known all along.

You know, I've been so amazed over the years when feminists have told us that the model of the real man is Alan Alda or Michael Kinsley, and I'm saying, "No, that's not true." It may well be in the feminist circles where you can boss these guys around. They have them on a leash basically, but that's not the country. That's inside the Beltway, and the New York, Boston, liberal corridor. But you get out there in the red states where men are men and women are women, and you find out with whom women have the best time. It's conservative Republicans. And this last line, you just have to love this. "The Democrats of the sixties were all about making love and not war, while a war-loving Republican is a man who would fight, bleed, sacrifice, and die for his country. Could you imagine what that very same man would do for his wife in the bedroom?" This from the editor of Playgirl, Michele Zip.