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Meet Mike Doogan, another of Alaska's proud Public Servants. He used to be a journalist. Perhaps that is why Alaska's premier political blogger, AK Muckraker of Mudflats, infuriated him so much that he outed her.
After the Democratic representative was taken to task by Mudflats for sending rude emails to his constituents, he spent some state time digging, before using state resources to publish an article in his newsletter:
"Anonymous Blogger Anonymous No More
The identity of the person who writes the liberal Democratic Mudflats blog has been secret since the blog began, protected by the Anchorage Daily News, among others. My own theory about the public process is you can say what you want, as long as you are willing to stand behind it using your real name. So I was interested to learn that the woman who writes the blog is Anchorage resident ______.
Best wishes,
[signed]
I'm not linking to the newsletter, because it contains the blogger's name, and though almost all the toothpaste is out of the tube, there might still be enough in there for a couple of bicuspids.
Yes, actually, Mr. Doogan, a private citizen should be able to publish anything but actionable libel about a politician. You took on the burden of being a public figure when you ran for office. The woman who incurred your wrath has a right to her privacy, especially on the Internet, which can be a dangerous place. Moreover, she took you to the woodshed for your own stupidity and rudeness, but it's hardly reason to stalk and expose her.
Why are you even spending time on this narcissistic self-indulgence when your state is such a mess? You have remote villages with no sanitary facilities and makeshift schools, you have a volcano whoopsing on your oil tanks, and you waste your time on this?
That was part of an email I sent to this third-rate Jimmy Breslin, along with a promise that the minute he was primaried, I'd be sending a check to his opponent.
Should anybody wish to support Mudflats' creator, here you go:
Ph: (907) 465-4998 Or (800) 689-4998 Fax: (907) 465-4419
AK State Capitol Rm #112 Juneau, AK 99801
doogan@akdemocrats.org
" ...But I knew some things about her, and her policies and positions that others might not be able to find out so easily. I decided to write my opinion...."
ReplyDeleteSo there's a problem outing a private citizen when that citizen claims to "know" things that "others" may not have access to, intimating the access is special and priviledged.
She may be writing opinions, but she claims she is stating facts.
IMNSHO, if you claim special access, priviledge and expertise, and then even come anywhere near the line of libel, expect to get outed.
Mr. Haamster:
ReplyDeleteIf you claim access to "a fact," then you forfeit your right to privacy? Is it really that black and white on your island?
Anyway, you may have missed/ignored the larger point: this is more about the dignity of the office. Imagine:
Anonymous Fashion Advice Columnist Anonymous No More
The identity of the person who writes the stylistic Fashion Advice column under the pseudonym "Ms Fashionista" has been secret since the column began, protected by the Daily Newspapers that run it, among others. My own theory about the fashion advice columns about is you can say what you want about my clothes, as long as you are willing to stand behind it using your real name. So I was interested to learn, then reveal without her consent, that the woman who writes the fashion advice column is an Anchorage resident and my own constituent ______.
Best wishes,
[signed]
Is the stupidity a little clearer now?