General

Anatomy of a cover-up

Central Ohioans Against Terrorism has the emails now as a result of his FOIA request and he’s publishing them. All I can say is yowza! Here’s one from Mayor Coleman staffer Michael Brown to (I think) the Franklin County Public Information Director. Although after this fiasco, she should probably be retitled to Public Director of Non-Information.

Hanna Greer,Sending a note on this blogger issue I read about. I’m seeing Step 2 in classic right wing “from blogs to news” strategy on this Mr. Arman issue, see message below … They were mildly successful in getting electeds to react to some nobody blowhard on WTVN, now they got a different blog to accuse you of not doing enough or covering up, damned if you do or don’t. This is the next to last stages of their facist-esque defamation “balloon floating” on this person … Either credible media will pick up or they won’t, if not it goes away.

Best strategy for responsible folks (in my opinion) is simple, factual defense from external validator. Have Don Brown or lower staff (not at request of Comm.) get short, clear statement from Sheriff, Police or Homeland Security folks on status of individual, good or bad … Not an investigation or hearing. You’ve already got something from DC John Rockwell of Columbus Police (one of the fairest and sharpest on Homeland Security in country). If accusations of blog don’t match reality from Safety folks, just sit tight until (if/when) credible media call. If that ever comes, then down staff folks simply hand over Safety official notes/statement … “oh yeah, the Sheriff looked into that accusation, it’s bs … ” No further comment by anyone aside from that.

As long as there’s no credible threat, We respect free speech of both sides, even if we don’t agree with either … We certainly don’t govern based on the paranoia and fear-mongering of divisive Republican operatives or their hench-persons at select blogs or talk shows.

The reality here is that this in the end won’t be about the individual, they don’t care about him, it’ll be about they use a reaction to tear you down. They’ll hit you if you make it serious in any direction… That’s why you need credible external source to demystify accusations.

I cc’ed Paula Brooks, as I know she expressed concern, and some of our team.

Be cautious.

Well, speaking for myself, it is about the individual. Is this guy, Abukar Arman, a terrorist sympathizer or not? But you can’t trust these jokers to tell the truth, they’re much too concerned about CYA to worry about petty issues like people who are trying to kill us.

UPDATE by Bizzyblog:

I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a blatant example of a government entity deliberately feeding information to an Old Media outlet for the express purpose of minimizing the impact of an impending New Media report…. and the Old Media outlet in question appears to have swallowed it whole.

…

I located the info in the previous two paragraphs in ten minutes of Googling. Did the Dispatch’s Barbara Carmen not read any of these or any other Arman’s writings herself? Apparently not, as she reports that “Poole ….. says that Arman, in his writings, has expressed support for the rule of the Islamic Courts Union in Somalia and for Youseff Al-Qaradawi, designated as a global terrorist by the United States.” Carmen herself cites no examples of what Arman has written. L-A-Z-Y.

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