Google Wars (Ongoing...)

The NY Times picks up on the effort by lefty bloggers to manipulate Google and promote negative stories about Republicans in key races across the country:

If things go as planned for liberal bloggers in the next few weeks, searching Google for “Jon Kyl,” the Republican senator from Arizona now running for re-election, will produce high among the returns a link to an April 13 article from The Phoenix New Times, an alternative weekly.

Mr. Kyl “has spent his time in Washington kowtowing to the Bush administration and the radical right,” the article suggests, “very often to the detriment of Arizonans.”

Searching Google for “Peter King,” the Republican congressman from Long Island, would bring up a link to a Newsday article headlined “King Endorses Ethnic Profiling.”

Fifty or so other Republican candidates have also been made targets in a sophisticated “Google bombing” campaign intended to game the search engine’s ranking algorithms. By flooding the Web with references to the candidates and repeatedly cross-linking to specific articles and sites on the Web, it is possible to take advantage of Google’s formula and force those articles to the top of the list of search results.

So far, so good - per this Google search, the targeted Jon Kyl story (at number six) is the first news story to appear.  However, at number seven we see a TIME profile on Jon Kyl among America's Top Ten Senators, so it is not all gloom and doom for Kyl (not yet, anyway - it's when you are profiled among "America's Top One Hundred Senators" that you have a problem public relations opportunity.)

As for Peter King, good luck to the Google-bombers - apparently Peter King is a writer for Sports Illustrated, a saxophonist, a sculptor, and a database designer, not to mention a Congressman for Long Island.

The first news story is a Scarborough Country transcript which includes King defending Karl Rove in the Plame case.  The second story is a defense of Peter King against slanted coverage from CNN, and opens as follows:

THE media is engaged in a jihad against Rep. Peter King - a jihad in defense of Islamist extremists.

I don't think that is the story the left is pushing.

MORE:  On the Chris Shays front, the first news story is some Salon piece the ad for which I do not intend to endure.  The second news story under "Chris Shays" is this WaPo piece headlined "Shays Urges Iraq Withdrawal". 

Comments

[rjarango]

Gasp--you mean the lefty bloggers arent as smart as they thought they were? Jeez, TM--you shouldnt be giving them hints--Let them run smack into the law of unintended consequences.

[PeterUK]

“Peter King,” the Republican congressman from Long Island, would bring up a link to a Newsday article headlined “King Endorses Ethnic Profiling.”

That should help him pick up a few votes,it will only be negative re-inforcement to the liberal left.

[Sue]

Tom,

So far, so good - per this Google search,

Can you check your link? I'm not sure it is working.

[SlimGuy]

Update SOS webpage

http://stopoctobersurprises.blogspot.com/2006/10/next.html

Drudge links to
A NY Times story

It identifies a spokesman for HRC as David Smith

http://www.hrc.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Press_Room/David_M_Smith.htm

[Bob]

This will be just like everything else the nutroots deliver to the Democrats.

Let's see they got both Dean and Kerry elected rejected as President.

They'll get Lamont elected rejected in CT.

Bring it on Moonbats!

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

I posted this in the old thread, but can use all the prayers around.

Everyone say a couple of prayers -- the wildfire in Riverside County, CA, that has already killed firefighters and engulfed 400 homes, is bearing down on where my son works and coaches and is headed our way. The smoke is already so thick, I'm having trouble breathing inside my own home and it really stinks outside. The sky is thick like heavy fog. I don't think we will be at risk, but David's school is very much at risk right now. It is so windy though and this fire is moving so fast.

[Verner]

Good luck Sara. I'm thinking of you, and watching it live on Fox. So sad about the firemen.

[clarice]

Sara, good luck. Prepare to evacuate--you knoe get everything ready just in case.

[Rick Ballard]

Sara,

I'd grab all important docs (like insurance policies) and go for a drive. You know the Santa Ana winds are killers - don't wait.

[Sara (Squiggler)]

Thank you. I'm nervous. But, we Californians keep our emergency kits handy. Everyone knows to have a suitcase with all the essentials handy. I'm going out shortly to fill up my gas tank and get some cash out of the teller as a precaution and David and his ballplayers just got back from the field (San Jacinto) where they gathered up all their equipment and anything that was moveable has been secured. My son has the back of his truck loaded to the hilt with bats, balls, uniforms, even the bases off the field and all kinds of athletic equipment. They got flatbeds in to haul the bleechers out. I assume other departments are doing the same.

My home is about 12 miles due south of where the fire is right now. But when you hear Hwy. 79, think that 12 miles is straight down that highway as my home is about a block and a half east of the highway. The air quality is brutal. I just heard from a friend who lives in Hemet and she is having such breathing problems, she is packing up and going into San Diego to her daughter's to get away from it. Her son also lives in Hemet and raises snakes. He is getting out and having a terrible time getting his snakes moved. Yucky huh? My friend is really freaking out because they lost their home in the Tierrasanta fire of a couple of years ago and moved out to the Hemet area after that.

[rand]

"Absolutely, we're winning" says Bush of the Iraq occupation.

Two questions: Who is we? What are they winning?

[Bob]

Looks like the wheels are finally coming off Carter!

Dems Repudiate Carter Book

“It is wrong to suggest that the Jewish people would support a government in Israel or anywhere else that institutionalizes ethnically based oppression, and Democrats reject that allegation vigorously,” Pelosi wrote in a statement. “With all due respect to former President Carter, he does not speak for the Democratic Party on Israel.”

I guess they are starting to get tired of him too.... must be all the recent polling that's making them scared. Like Lieberman up by 18 points... I guess they need the Jewish vote more than they thought.

[clarice]

Maybe it's time to haul out the Convention Pics with Carter sharing guest of honor position with Michael Moore.
His sentiments have hardly been secret before. Cat had their tongues for so long?
PHEH

[Sara (Squiggler)]

Kansas City Election chief says ovr 40% of the 35,000 registration forms submitted by ACORN are forgeries, fraudulent and bogus. These are Dems trying to steal the Missouri election.

[clarice]

This is about the 5th or 6th time they've pulled this. It's time to start prosecuting ACORN and charging them for the extra work they caused the poll workers.

[Sara (Squiggler)]

I only heard the tail end of the report, but I think they said that someone has filed a formal complaint against ACORN.

[Sara (Squiggler)]

I put a post up last night about GWB's oval office press conference that is detailed by Michael Barone. Who knew that it would generate a whole lot of interest by the Bush haters. Specter is holding his own against an onslaught of Bush haters, but seems to be the only voice of sanity. Amazing to me the vitriol and misinformation the other side has.

[Rick Ballard]

ACORN link - it's only 15,000 "errors" so far.

Extraneous,

Here is another polling example for you:

SUSA crosstabs 1,000 RV sample, 411 LV respondents - perfect response rate. NY-26 Reynolds +5. Remember - Reynolds was dead meat on Oct. 10, according to RT Strategies, he was -16. Then SUSA had him at +3 on a slightly overstated sample and now he's +5 on a correctly weighted sample. SUSA also had him at +2 on September 26 and -5 on October 4. Zogby had him at -15 on the fifth.

That's a real Foleycoaster ride and it's a perfect example of the nutroots (Gay Squad) in action. If they ever get the Ready, Aim, Fire sequence correct they still will miss the target. This was a Barone 'leans dem'. Mr. Barone is going to have to update his list.

[Rick Ballard]

Walton hears memory expert testimony. It sounds as if he heard some arguments on exclusion as well.

[MarkD]

Isn't it time for the DOJ to prosecute and put some people in prison?

Am I not being disenfranchised when the dead and the illegal and the fictional and the felon vote?

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

15,000 is more than the 40% of 35,000 I heard in the news brief.

[clarice]

Yes, MarkD. I know some cases were brought last time around, and one state (Minn?) sued to make ACORN pay for the extra costs incurrred dealing with their mess.

Rick so the Elliott Ness with a law degree " got Loftus to acknowledge that a statement in one of her research papers was taken out of context and that a figure in one of her books was incorrect."
In the meantime he forgot that Armitage was the leaker.

Hope he enjoys this little victory.

[topsecretk9]

...Waxman blasts Justice on Harman

A top congressional Democrat called on the Justice Department to publicize what it knows about an investigation into relations between AIPAC and a Jewish congresswoman.

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), the ranking member of the U.S. House of Representatives Government Reform Committee, said in the letter sent Thursday that allegations of improper relations between Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee seem “absurd.”

Reports have alleged that AIPAC lobbied Democrats to keep Harman in her Intelligence Committee leadership position in exchange for Harman’s favorable treatment of classified information charges against two former AIPAC staffers.

“The Intelligence Committee has no jurisdiction over a Justice Department prosecution of AIPAC employees, and it is unlikely that she, as a Democrat, could tell this Republican administration what to do on this matter,” Waxman wrote.

He suggested the department was retaliating for Harman’s tough criticism of its zeal in prosecuting leaks. Waxman and Harman are both Jewish.

http://jta.org/page_view_breaking_story.asp?intid=5307

And

...Hastings is being promoted for the Intelligence Committee chairmanship by the 42-member Congressional Black Caucus. Choosing him could help Pelosi curry favor with a caucus upset by her decision to kick another black Democrat, Louisiana Rep. William Jefferson, off a committee after the FBI characterized $90,000 found in his freezer as a bribe.

"I don't think the CBC members will look very kindly on Mr. Hastings being passed over, especially since he does have the expertise and he is next in line," said Myra Dandridge, the group's spokeswoman.

Hastings, however, has his own baggage: He's an impeached federal judge. Republicans have already cited that in news releases warning voters against giving Democrats control of Congress on Election Day.

Defense contractors and policy analysts also are sounding alarms about jettisoning Harman, who has won allies through her expertise on intelligence systems and spy satellites, many of them built in her coastal Los Angeles County district.

Loren Thompson, a defense analyst at the Lexington Institute, said no one in the House understands intelligence matters and spy technology better than Harman.

"It seems as though Pelosi is making her political calculations based entirely on Democratic Party considerations rather than on broader national needs," Thompson said. "This is an awfully bad way for the Democrats to get started in proving their defense credentials."

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1153AP_Harman_Intelligence.html

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

That Kansas City election guy said that many of the registrations turned in have the same handwriting and are outright forgeries. It is a nightmare for them to sort out, since some of the registrations are probably valid, they can't just throw out the whole batch.

[lurker]

Hey, Gary Maxwell, Rick Ballard, PUK, what are the odds of the TX CD 22 for Nick and Shelley?

[topsecretk9]

Clarice

It appears that it took hours to get those damning admissions...do you think the head shaking was because it was absurdly long?

[clarice]

Waxman shouldn't pick on DoJ. The AIPAC allegations are silly. They were first made public by The Nation via Time online and surely came from Soroites who are battling AIPAC.

Rather like the Foley folly began with someone from HRC.

How long do they think they can play this disinformation game and get away with it?

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

Fire update - 4 firefighters dead, a 5th in critical condition and on life support. Homeowners and campers are trapped inside the fire ring and perimeters have been set up to try to keep them safe. There is no road access to get them out because of the fire. The smoke is black now and it seems like midnight at my house it is so dark and thick. The winds are fierce and blowing embers up to a mile ahead of the fire keeping it moving at a furious pace. Hundreds being evacuated.

This is a back country area with winding two lane highways into the mountains. Hundreds of homes threatened. Only 10% contained since 1:30 AM when the fire was deliberately set. Federal murder charges pending against the disgusting person(s) who did this. Santa Ana winds causing havoc in fighting the fire. They've named the fire the Esperanzo Fire.

[Rick Ballard]

Lurker,

TX-22 will send Sekula-Gibbs to Congress. Probably not until '08 though. Lampson is the classic one termer.

[Sara (Squiggler)]

The Johnstown Tribune-Democrat has endorsed Murtha. If this pisses you off as much as it does me, how 'bout sending an email to: cminemyer@tribdem.com. He is the editor.

[Sue]

Sara,

I am not familiar with that paper. Is there a particular reason it pisses you off that this newspaper endorsed Murtha?

[Sara (Squiggler)]

Yes, it is the hometown paper for the PA 12th and should know better by now. They've all but ignored Diana Irey's campaign. They are in Murtha's payoff pocket.

[clarice]

ts thanks for the JTA cite. I sent in a blog on that piece of Waxman nonsense.

As for why the audience was shaking its heads--it's AP. We can't be sure there even was anyone on the audience.

[Sara (Squiggler)]

I wrote to Minemeyer back in May to give him a heads up that Irey's campaign was a serious challenge and that she had the support of the Vets. He responded that a few disgruntled Vets didn't impress him. Veterans groups have raised 10s of thousands for Irey with contributions coming in from around the world.

If you really want to know about John Murtha, see: youdon'tknowjack.com and murthamustgo.com

If you haven't been keeping up, I think you'll be shocked to see what this man is really all about. Or look in The Squiggler's Murtha category. I don't cover everything, just highlights every so often.

[maryrose]

sara:
I am worried for you. Evacuate now and get to safety soon.
Irey will hopefully beat Murtha whose behavior this year has been deplorable. I hope the voters have taken notice.
It looks at this point that we in Ohio are set to get a dem governor. I'm still voting for Blackwell because he is the far better candidate.Too bad our large Cleveland and Cuyahoga county doesn't realize that better education is only possible with a repub. Our charter school survived a challenge in the courts and won. It will be close with DeWine and Brown.

[Sara (Squiggler)]

Hold off on deluging Minemeyer until I check something out. Just had a response and he says they have not endorsed anyone yet and that it must be the Tribune Review, a paper I've never heard of. Let me check my original source before getting the guy all hot and bothered.

[Sara (Squiggler)]

Maryrose, we are still pretty safe from fire, but I'm having a heck of a time breathing. My son took my car to work because he loaded his truck with stuff from the athletic dept. when they evacuated it. He said he just walked outside and my car is covered with fine black soot that is blowing down from the fire. I'm staying indoors with the house closed up tight. I've been to the store for supplies. Gotta have my Diet Coke, ya' know. But, the fire is still several miles from me. My friends up in the Hemet area are not so lucky. They have been evacuated. Fortunately, my girlfriend has grown children down in San Diego, but I have her two cats here since her grandson is allergic. My kitties aren't too happy with the invasion. I may be in more danger from a cat fight than the actual fire.

[clarice]

Allen just released sections of a novel Webb wrote.
Highlight from Drudge:
"WEBB NOVEL: 'The man grabbed his young son in his arms, turned him upside down, and put the boy's penis in his mouth'..." "

All that's going on the world and the election has come down to salacious IMs and novels..PHEH

[Sara (Squiggler)]

Via Sweetness and Light:

Witness grilled in CIA leak case

Posted on Thu, Oct. 26, 2006
MATT APUZZO

WASHINGTON - Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald took on the first witness in the CIA leak case Thursday, dissecting an expert witness until she acknowledged errors and misstatements in her research.

Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, hoped the hearing would persuade a judge to let him call a memory expert at his obstruction and perjury trial in January.

At the outset of the procedural hearing, U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton indicated that he was not inclined to allow a memory expert to testify at the trial. Still, he allowed Libby's lawyers to present a witness to bolster their claim that memory experts would help in his defense.

When it came Fitzgerald's turn, the veteran prosecutor launched into a nearly three-hour cross-examination of the witness - psychologist Elizabeth Loftus - that had some members of the audience shaking their heads.

It was the first public courtroom confrontation between Fitzgerald and Libby's defense team and foreshadowed a contentious trial.

Libby wants to use a memory expert to help argue that, when he made false statements to investigators about his conversations with reporters regarding CIA operative Valerie Plame, it was because of faulty memory. Prosecutors say he lied.

Loftus testified that many jurors don't understand how memory works and how unreliable it can be.

Fitzgerald challenged the validity of memory research. Citing footnotes in her publications, presenting conflicting statements and questioning her methodology, Fitzgerald got Loftus to acknowledge that a statement in one of her research papers was taken out of context and that a figure in one of her books was incorrect.

Libby's defense team had no comment after court.

Walton did not immediately rule on whether to allow the memory testimony at trial. He closed the courtroom to continue the debate over how much classified information Libby should be allowed to present at trial.

Libby is the only person charged in the leak case. Plame believes the Bush administration leaked her name to reporters as retribution for her husband's criticism of prewar intelligence on Iraq.

It this not truly hilarious?

Citing footnotes in her publications, presenting conflicting statements and questioning her methodology, Fitzgerald got Loftus to acknowledge that a statement in one of her research papers was taken out of context and that a figure in one of her books was incorrect.

[Sara (Squiggler)]

Was Libby's defense team asleep? Did they not participate in this hearing? Sounds like it was entirely one sided. What am I missing here?

[Rick Ballard]

MaryRose,

The RNC has canceled advertising for DeWine for next week. Keating 5 McCain's 'Gang of Seven' has lost one of its sharpshooters - and Chafee ain't lookin' any too healthy either.

I don't know that Kean is any improvement over DeWine (he would be over Chafee) but it looks like Kean will get some dough.

One smooth move has put the DeWine family out of politics. I wonder if Mike is going to send a Thank You card to Big John?

[clarice]

Sara, this is a pretrial hearing. Defense counsel just made a pro forma presentation to establish her qualifications as an expert--probably took minutes and an argument why they thought she should be permitted to testify .

The rest of the time was Fitz doing a dog and pony show to try to persuade the judge that she shouldn't be allowed in as an expert.

[anon]

Blogger behind StopSexPred identified, supposedly.

[Gary Maxwell]

TX-22 will send Sekula-Gibbs to Congress. Probably not until '08 though.

What he said.

If this were a fair fight, Nick Lampson or any other Democrat would not be calling this district his. But the ballot says DeLay and she must run as a write in candidate. She will still get 35 to 40 % and together with the contrary vote that say the hell with it I still want DeLay they will exceed Lampson I predict. But a plurality is all he needs and this one time he will get it.

[anon]

Seems like either Smithers or Gibbs needs to drop out of that race.

[SlimGuy]

name did not match zack
but sos blog links the radar online and says he will comment later
not confirming or denying yet

[anon]

SOS is being annoying. Wish he'd stop playing games and get on with it.

[Sara (Squiggler)]

Webb's novel excerpts go beyond icky. I liked this guy back when he was Secy of the Navy. He is the first one I ever heard talk about getting rid of our large standing army and replacing it with smaller, more mobile, special forces or specially trained units. I had no idea he was a raging sexist pig.

[Neo]

They promised this same sort of stuff with the TV domudrama "The Path to 9/11" but it came to nothing. These people are nothing.

I am the eggman, they are the eggmen.
I am the walrus, goo goo g’joob g’goo goo g’joob.
Goo goo g’joob g’goo goo g’joob g’goo.

[anon]

There was a Lane Hudson fron SC who was a delegate to the 2004 Dem convention. Don't know if it was the same person, but if it was he can't be brushed off as just some kid who wandered in off the street and did bad things.