MOULITSAS BACK FROM SUMMER VACATION: FOCUSED ON ELECTING LAMONT DEFEATOCRATS

Daily Kos Blogger Markos Moulitsas Zuniga Back From "Relaxing" Vacation:

Moulitsas Just Got Back From Summer Vacation: "I got back from El Salvador really early this morning, so I'm still catching up on the last week's news." (The Daily Kos Website, www.dailykos.com, Accessed 8/22/06)

• Moulitsas: "I'm still playing catchup after my very relaxing, very nice vacation." (Daily Kos Website, www.dailykos.com, Accessed 8/22/06)

But Moulitsas Wasted No Time In Attacking Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT):

Moulitsas Called Sen. Lieberman "Selfish" And "A Sore Loser." "I was annoyed to see not just that Lieberman is still a sore loser, but also that he is now coordinating efforts with one of the most endangered Republican congresscritters in Connecticut by using the same pollster. ... None of this is surprising given those of us who have seen the selfish Lieberman working for himself the last three years." (Daily Kos Website, www.dailykos.com, Accessed 8/22/06)

Now A Rested Moulitsas Is Focused On Electing Lamont Defeatocrats All Across The Country:

Daily Kos "Netroots August Fundraising Push Update #1": "Our goal is to amass 100 new contributions for each House candidate and 250 for each Senate candidate." (Daily Kos Website, www.dailykos.com, Accessed 8/22/06)

MOULITSAS' DAY JOB: OUT-OF-THE-MAINSTREAM BLOG DAILY KOS

Moulitsas Called "Liberal," "Angry," And "Vile":

"[M]arkos Moulitsas [Is] The Creator Of The Daily Kos, The Popular Liberal Political Weblog (www.dailykos.com)." (Anne E. Kornblut, "The Peculiar Power Of The Chattering Class," The New York Times, 4/2/06)

• Slate Called Moulitsas "Leading Liberal Blogger." (Torie Bosch, "WMD? Really?" Slate, 6/22/06)

• Moulitsas Was Called The "Most Vile Of The Angry Left Bloggers." (Donald Luskin, "America's Looniest Liberal Pundit," National Review, 9/26/05)

Moulitsas Provides Fellow Bloggers With A Regular Dose Of Hate And Division:

Moulitsas Denounced Four American Contractors Who Were Mutilated By Terrorists In Fallujah, Iraq. Moulitsas: "I feel nothing over the death of mercenaries ... Screw them." (Matthew Klam, Op-Ed, "Fear And Laptops On The Campaign Trai--," The New York Times, 9/26/04)

• Moulitsas Said He Did Not Regret His Remarks. ABC's Jake Tapper: "Do you have any regrets writing that?" Markos Moulitsas: "Absolutely not. The blogs are a raw, emotional medium. And they are what they are. And they're not measured conversation. They're not edited. They're raw." (ABC's "Nightline," 7/24/06)

Moulitsas' Posts On President Bush Include Profanity And Call Him A "Moron." "[T]he CIA wouldn't give Bush the rationale for war he seeked [sic]. So they made shit up, and now they're trying to pin it on the intelligence community. Bush lied, people died. Or, in the alternative, Bush is an incompetent moron, and people died." (Daily Kos Website, www.dailykos.com, Accessed 8/15/06)

• Moulitsas Has Called President Bush And Vice President Cheney "Evil." "Phew! I have been sweating rumors that Bush will replace Cheney with someone more exciting, charismatic, engaging, friendly, and, well, less evil. ... I want to believe. And seriously, Bush needs Cheney so he, himself, can look less evil." (Daily Kos Website, www.dailykos.com/, Accessed 8/15/06)

Moulitsas Blasted The American Public For Their Lack Of Concern For American Troops Dying In Iraq. "36 US killed this month already. 161 wounded. Too bad the media doesn't care anymore. Too bad the Republicans don't care anymore. Too bad the neocons don't care anymore. Too bad the American public doesn't seem to care anymore." (Daily Kos Website, www.dailykos.com/, Accessed 8/15/06)

Moulitsas Radical Position On War On Terror:

Moulitsas On Fighting Terrorism: "The French Are Right." "I know it's not the most popular thing to say, but the French are right. You don't win wars against terrorism on the battlefield." (Daily Kos Website, www.dailykos.com/, Accessed 8/15/06)

Moulitsas Called The People Who Work In The Pentagon "Idiots." "Will those idiots in the White House, Pentagon and State still claim that things are improving in Iraq?" (Daily Kos Website, www.dailykos.com/, Accessed 8/15/06)

Moulitsas Mocked The Significance Of Freedom. "Bush remains defiant, vowing to hold fast against the terroristic [sic] hordes ... 'Freedom has its enemies.' As political rhetoric, that simple phrase is brilliant. As reality, it's a complete joke." (Daily Kos Website, www.dailykos.com/, Accessed 8/15/06)

Moulitsas Also Provides Liberal Bloggers A Venue To Promote Their Own Extreme Messages And Ideologies:

"In October Of 2003 ... Moulitsas Transferred His Site Over To A Technology Called Scoop, Which Allowed Registered Readers To Maintain Diaries - Their Own Unique Weblogs." (Benjamin Wallace-Wells, "Kos Call: For America's Number One Liberal Blogger, Politics Is Like Sports: It's All About Winning," Washington Monthly, 1/1/06)

• "Soon, Moulitsas's Site Had Spawned Eponymous New Stars, Well-Read Diarists Who Carried Moulitsas's Crusades Forward When He Was Otherwise Engaged Or Asleep ... If They Were Good - Or Outrageous - Enough, He Promoted Them To The Main Site, Allowing Them To Share Space With Him And Exposing Them To An Audience That Was Growing By The Tens Of Thousands." (Benjamin Wallace-Wells, "Kos Call: For America's Number One Liberal Blogger, Politics Is Like Sports: It's All About Winning," Washington Monthly, 1/1/06)

Devilstower, A Blogger On The Daily Kos Main Site, Compares Republican Party To Hezbollah. "The Republican Party has become the Hezbollah of language, quite willing to bring a rocket launcher into the midst of stale phraseology, and willing to accept the risk this represents." (Daily Kos Website, www.dailykos.com, Accessed 8/21/06)

"One Diarist Labeled Israel 'A Destabilizing Force In The Region' And Saw 'No Difference Between Iran's Support Of Hezbollah And Hamas In The Form Of Finances And Even Arms And The United States' Financial Support Of Israel.'" (Dean Barnett, "Kos, Hezbollah, And Israel," The Daily Standard, 7/23/06)

• "[T]he Author Opened His Essay With The Declaration, 'Israel Is Showing The Entire World Why The Iranian President Was Absolutely Right To Suggest That Israel Cease Being A Sovereign State As Is.'" (Dean Barnett, "Kos, Hezbollah, And Israel," The Daily Standard, 7/23/06)

"In One Diary, The Author Labeled Israel's Actions As A 'Pogrom By Bomb.'" (Dean Barnett, "Kos, Hezbollah, And Israel," The Daily Standard, 7/23/06)

"[Maryscott] O'Connor [Posted A Blog On Daily Kos] Which Concluded With A Wish That Bush, 'After Contracting Incurable Cancer And Suffering For Protracted Periods Of Time Without Benefit Of Medication,' Go To Hell." (David Finkel, "The Left, Online And Outraged," The Washington Post, 4/15/06)

MOULITSAS' NEW JOB: CO-CHAIR OF THE DEMOCRAT PARTY

Moulitsas Has Become Important Player In The Democrat Party:

"[M]oulitsas ... Chats With Senate Leadership Aides Several Times A Week And Has Brainstormed With Democratic Operatives About The Fall Campaign ..." (Jonathan Darman, "The War's Left Front," Newsweek, 7/3/06)

• "[Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid] Has Worked Closely With Liberal Internet Community Sites Like DailyKos.Com - His Office Is In Near Daily Contact With Kos - And Other Web Logs, Internet Forum Sites And News Services To Build A Grassroots Base." ("Riding The Cyber Tiger," National Journal's CongressDaily, 5/27/05)

• "Every Third Week, Moulitsas Has A Standing Phone Call With Congressional Powerbroker Rep. Rahm Emmanud [Sic] (D-Ill) ..." (Benjamin Wallace-Wells, "Kos Call: For America's Number One Liberal Blogger, Politics Is Like Sports: It's All About Winning," Washington Monthly, 1/1/06)

"Moulitsas Has Become So Well Incorporated Into The Party Machinery That The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Uses Him To Recruit Candidates." (Benjamin Wallace-Wells, "Kos Call: For America's Number One Liberal Blogger, Politics Is Like Sports: It's All About Winning," Washington Monthly, 1/1/06)

Two-Thirds Of Democrat Leadership Fled To "YearlyKos Convention" Sponsored By "Left-Leaning Blog" Daily Kos:

"YearlyKos Is Sponsored By One Of The Most Popular Left-Leaning Blogs, The Daily Kos ..." (Lawrence Mower, "Dean Urges Bloggers To Seek Political Office," Las Vegas Review-Journal, 6/11/06)

• "[The YearlyKos] Drew Two-Thirds Of The Democratic Leadership ... And Several Potential Presidential Candidates ..." (Matthew Continetti, "Kiss Of Death?" The Weekly Standard, 7/17/06)

Moulitsas Is Critical Fundraiser For Liberal Democrats:

"Moulitsas, As King Kos, Sits In The Throne Overseeing The Largest Political Site On The Internet, With Substantial Power To Direct The Conversation And Raise Money." (Michael Scherer, "Not Just Bush-Haters In Bathrobes," Salon.com, 6/9/06)

• "In 2004, His Blog Raised More Than $574,000 For Political Candidates." (Anthony Martinez Beven, "Blogging For Bucks," Detroit [MI] Free Press, 2/4/06)

Moulitsas Is Supporting Next Generation Of Liberal Defeatocrats In Races Across The Country:

"Moulitsas Is Aggressively Talking Up The Party's Challengers In Senate Races In Virginia, Montana, Ohio And Nevada." (Jonathan Darman, "The War's Left Front," Newsweek, 7/3/06)

• "[Ohio Senate Candidate Rep. Sherrod] Brown's Candidacy Is Now Obsessively Promoted On Daily Kos." (Jonathan Darman, "The War's Left Front," Newsweek, 7/3/06)

• Moulitsas Is Backing Democrat Jim Webb's Virginia Senate Campaign. (Matthew Continetti, "Kiss Of Death?" The Weekly Standard, 7/17/06)

• Moulitsas Is Backing Democrat Jon Tester's Montana Senate Campaign. (Gwen Florio, "Senate Battle Begins," Great Falls [MT] Tribune, 6/8/06)

MOULITSAS' MISSION: TAKING OVER THE DEMOCRAT PARTY

Moulitsas Has Plans To Take Over The Party:

"Markos Moulitsas Zuniga Is Sitting On His Back Porch In Berkeley, Calif., Listening To The Hummingbirds And Explaining His Plans To Seize Control Of The Democratic Party." (Jonathan Darman, "The War's Left Front," Newsweek, 7/3/06)

• Moulitsas: "We're not sitting around waiting for the so-called professionals to give us power in the party ... We're taking it for ourselves." (Jonathan Darman, "The War's Left Front," Newsweek, 7/3/06)

Moulitsas In Fight With Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) For Soul Of Democrat Party:

"[I]n Late August Of 2005 [Moulitsas] Declared On His Site That He Had A Secret Plan To Destroy The Democratic Leadership Council." (Benjamin Wallace-Wells, "Kos Call: For America's Number One Liberal Blogger, Politics Is Like Sports: It's All About Winning," Washington Monthly, 1/1/06)

• Moulitsas: "No calls for a truce will bebrooked [sic] ... Appeals to party unity will fall on deaf ear ... We need to make the DLC radioactive. And we will. With everyone's help, we really can. Stay tuned." (Benjamin Wallace-Wells, "Kos Call: For America's Number One Liberal Blogger, Politics Is Like Sports: It's All About Winning," Washington Monthly, 1/1/06)

• "Three Days Before The Scheduled Unveiling, Moulitsas Wrote That He'd Changed His Mind." (Benjamin Wallace-Wells, "Kos Call: For America's Number One Liberal Blogger, Politics Is Like Sports: It's All About Winning," Washington Monthly, 1/1/06)

Moulitsas: "[The DLC] live[s] every day as though it is still 1992 ... They are definitely a relic of a bygone era." (Stuart Steers, "Top Dems To Gather In City To Formulate Party Strategy," Rocky Mountain [CO] News, 7/22/06)

Moulitsas Vehemently Opposed DLC Member Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) In Democrat Primary:

"[The Daily Kos' Markos Moulitsas Zuniga] Is Doing Everything He Can To Make That Primary Fatal For Lieberman - Rallying Other Bloggers, Ginning Up Money And Making [Ned] Lamont The Poster Child For The 'People-Powered Movement.'" (Jonathan Darman, "The War's Left Front," Newsweek, 7/3/06)

• "Markos Moulitsas ... Actually Appeared In An Ad For Lamont Earlier This Month And They Are Now Asking People To Donate More Money To Lamont's Campaign In Reaction To This." (CNN's "The Situation Room," 7/3/06) 

"Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, Founder Of The Liberal Website Daily Kos, Called On Reid To Strip Lieberman Of His Senate Committee Assignments ..." (Ellen Barry and Richard Simon, "To Stay In, Lieberman Faces An Uphill Climb," Los Angeles Times, 8/10/06)

MOULITSAS IS A FAT CAT LIBERAL BLOGGER FOR HIRE

Moulitsas Makes An "Excellent Living":

"[Moulitsas Achieved] Enough Success With Kos That He Says He Is Able To Live In Costly Berkeley, Calif., Entirely Off Its Ad Revenue ..." (Daniel Terdiman, "A Blog For Baseball Fans Builds A League Of Sites," The New York Times, 4/18/05)

• Moulitsas: "I make an excellent living. Absolutely." (ABC's "Nightline," 7/24/06)

• Ads On Daily Kos Can Sell For More Than $1.1 Million A Year.

o       Number One Ad Slot On Daily Kos Costs $4,200 A Week Or $218,400 A Year. (Blogads Website, w ww.blogads.com, Assessed 8/16/06)

o       Number Two Slot On Daily Kos Costs $2,800 A Week Or $145,600 A Year. (Blogads Website, www.blogads.com, Assessed 8/16/06)

o       Remaining Seven Ads On Daily Kos Each Cost $2,125 A Week Or $110,500 Each A Year For A Total Of $773,500 A Year. (Blogads Website, www.blogads.com, Assessed 8/16/06)

o       Two Daily Kos Classifieds Each Cost $75 A Week Or $3,900 Each A Year For A Total Of $7,800 A Year. (Blogads Website, www.blogads.com, Assessed 8/16/06)

Moulitsas' Former Business Partner Jerome Armstrong Was Investigated By SEC; Permanently Banned From Stock-Touting:

"[R]eports Surfaced That Jerome Armstrong, An Influential Blogger Who Coauthored A Book With Moulitsas And Also Started A Political Consulting Firm With Him, Was Being Investigated By The Securities And Exchange Commission For Allegedly Promoting A Stock Online In Exchange For Money." (Michael M. Grynbaum, "Bloggers Battle Old-School Media For Political Clout," The Boston Globe, 7/6/06)

• "[A]rmstrong Agreed To A December 2003 SEC Settlement That Permanently Bans Him From Stock-Touting." (Deborah Orin, "Stock Shock In Past Of Dem Hopeful's Aide," New York Post, 6/29/06)

• "Armstrong Also Signed A Court Agreement With The SEC That He Can't Deny - Or Let Anyone Else Deny - 'Any Allegation In The Complaint' That Accused Him Of Touting Worthless Stock For Pay." (Deborah Orin, "Stock Shock In Past Of Dem Hopeful's Aide," New York Post, 6/29/06)

Moulitsas Sent Out E-Mail To Fellow Liberal Bloggers Requesting The Jerome Armstrong Story "Be Kept Under Wraps":

"On The Plank, A Blog Hosted On The New Republic's Website, [Jason] Zengerle [Senior Editor For The New Republic] Posted An E-Mail Written By Moulitsas To An Online List Of What Zengerle Described As 'Elite Liberal Bloggers,' Asking That The Armstrong Story Be Kept Under Wraps." (Michael M. Grynbaum, "Bloggers Battle Old-School Media For Political Clout," The Boston Globe, 7/6/06)

• "'My Request To You Guys Is That You Ignore This For Now. It Would Make My Life Easier If We Can Confine The Story,' Moulitsas Wrote In The E-Mail. Zengerle Also Noted That Several Bloggers On The List Belonged To The Liberal Blog Advertising Network, Which Was Cofounded By Moulitsas." (Michael M. Grynbaum, "Bloggers Battle Old-School Media For Political Clout," The Boston Globe, 7/6/06)

Moulitsas Allegedly Hired By Howard Dean's 2004 Campaign To Keep Him From Supporting Other Campaigns:

"Howard Dean's Presidential Campaign Hired Two Internet Political 'Bloggers' As Consultants So That They Would Say Positive Things About The Former Governor's Campaign In Their Online Journals, According To A Former High-Profile Dean Aide." (William M. Bulkeley and James Bandler, "Dean Campaign Made Payments To Two Bloggers," The Wall Street Journal, 1/14/05)

• "The Partisan Democratic Political Bloggers Who Were Hired By The Dean Campaign Were Jerome Armstrong, Who Publishes The Blog MyDD, And Markos Zuniga, Who Publishes DailyKos." (William M. Bulkeley and James Bandler, "Dean Campaign Made Payments To Two Bloggers," The Wall Street Journal, 1/14/05)

"[Zephyr Teachout , The Former Head Of Internet Outreach For Dean's Campaign] Said The Campaign Never Explicitly Asked The Bloggers To Promote Mr. Dean. But She Said The Dean Campaign Wanted To Keep Them From Shifting To Rivals." (William M. Bulkeley and James Bandler, "Dean Campaign Made Payments To Two Bloggers," The Wall Street Journal, 1/14/05)

Moulitsas Criticized For Promoting 2008 Hopeful Former Gov. Mark Warner (D-VA) On Website After Partner Was Hired As Warner Consultant:

"[The New Republic's] Zengerle Also Echoed Critics Who Note That Moulitsas Began Promoting Former Virginia Governor Mark Warner On His Website After Armstrong Was Hired As A Consultant For Warner's Presidential Campaign. (Critics Charge That Daily Kos Did The Same For Other Armstrong Clients, Including Ohio Representative Sherrod Brown.) Zengerle Suggested Armstrong Was Charging Consulting Fees For Access To Moulitsas." (Michael M. Grynbaum, "Bloggers Battle Old-School Media For Political Clout," The Boston Globe, 7/6/06)

"Moulitsas Who Declined To Comment For This Article Vehemently Denied The Charges, Calling Zengerle's Assertions About The Advertising Network 'Ludicrous' And Denying That His Views Are Influenced By Armstrong's Choice Of Clients." (Michael M. Grynbaum, "Bloggers Battle Old-School Media For Political Clout," The Boston Globe, 7/6/06)

• Moulitsas: "Let me be crystal clear. I deny that charge completely." (Michael M. Grynbaum, "Bloggers Battle Old-School Media For Political Clout," The Boston Globe, 7/6/06)

Questions Surround Moulitsas' Switch Of Support From Ohio Dem Senate Candidate Paul Hackett To Opponent Sherrod Brown After Brown Hired Jerome Armstrong:

"A Number Of The Questions Centered On Ohio, Where Democrat Sherrod Brown Hired Armstrong In April 2005 For A Possible Run For The U.S. Senate." (Editorial, "Kos Meets World," National Review, 7/5/06)

"Moulitsas At First Preferred Insurgent Democrat Paul Hackett ... But Then Brown Decided To Run, And Within Days Moulitsas Did An About-Face, Writing That 'It Might Be A Good Idea For Hackett To Stand Down.'" (Editorial, "Kos Meets World," National Review, 7/5/06)

"The Question Is Whether Moulitsas's Tie To Brown Through Armstrong Played A Role In His Quick Change Of Support." (Editorial, "Kos Meets World," National Review, 7/5/06)