(Although there is a thinking that this issue should be allowed to decompress some, I am promoting this post to the front page for a very specific reason: to serve notice on any concerned that while John Odum may be rendered (hopefully temporarily) silent, GMD is larger than any one man, and cannot be silenced through threats or intimidation. Like the Hydra of myth: cut off one head, and two more take its place. Nota bene. – promoted by kestrel9000)

Thanks John for putting Vermont’s “Democratic wing of the Democratic party” on the national emerging media map.  Seeing Front Pagers here at GMD recognized for their insight at DKos as well as having GMD providing a Vermont home at MYDD is a source of pride. 

Below the fold – kestrel9000

To all the folks reading this, notice what John said about  “drawing blood.” John has the decency of giving us an honest explanation of why he is stepping out.  I think he owes us that much just as we owe him our appreciation. However, John is far too classy, and as we’ve come to see over the past year far too loyal a person to let us know WHERE the blood was drawn.  In fact, I don’t even see in his post an express mention of who drew the blood.

Sure Thomas Naylor wrote a smear job against John.  Still, I question whether the rambling and generally unnoticed delusional ravings of a truth-cripple drew any blood.  Ever since the fact-addled relic Naylor stumbled to his mailbox to deliver a fact challenged a press release, his natural allies have understandably faded into the woodwork.  Don’t blame them.   Explaining Naylor’s charges, even Tony Snow or Ari Fleischer would be reduced to blushing as they spouted off a string of “that factual scenario is no longer operative” excuses.  

The fact is Naylor et al. threw a little hissy fit about their connections with bigoted revisionist Southerners who glorify the slaughter of Americans by treasonous Confederate insurgents who sought to destroy the United States solely to protect their ability to commit crimes against humanity through slavery, lynching and genocide.  Nice folks.  As Mr. Robinson famously said to Benjamin in The Graduate, Mr. Naylor “You’ll forgive me if I don’t shake your hand.”

In the grand scheme of things, Naylor et al. are gadfly piss-ants hidden in tire treads on Vermont’s political runway.  I don’t say this gloatingly either.  Admittedly, some of these folks espouse a pipe dream that is extremely attractive — as are all pipe dreams.  Also, there is a modicum of intellectual heft behind SVR.  

So why do I suggest that Naylor — a fact-addled piss-ant-non-factor in Vermont political conversation — did not necessary draw blood, at least directly?  Read this portion of his press release:

The insidious lies disseminated by the anonymous blogger are hyped by VNRC staff member John Odum on his Green Mountain Daily (GMD) website, and by members of the Green Mountain Collective. Odum (whose e-mail address – (coincidentally? – contains the phrase “poetworld”) is a Democratic Party political hack who used to work for Bernie Sanders and is vehemently opposed to peaceable secession. [snip]
Whether Odum’s Green Mountain Daily (GMD) website is subsidized by VNRC is unknown to us. However, it is surprising that VNRC Executive Director Elizabeth Courtney appears to allow Odum to publicly engage in character assassination activities against an organization like SVR, whose basic principles  . . . [are] not dissimilar to those professed by VNRC.

Aside for the fact that there is enough hogshit in that snippet to overflow the  largest fecal lagoon in pig country, Naylor is obviously trying to get someone else to exercise influence over Vermont’s political discourse that is unimaginable to him.  Who has the indirect influence that Naylor never had, does not have and never will have?  Read: “[I]t is surprising that VNRC Executive Director Elizabeth Courtney appears to allow Odum to publicly engage in character assassination activities against an organization like SVR.” Hmmh. 

GMD is a spare-time project of a father, husband and person who toils at a day job like the rest of us.  This story has stirred the emotions of a few on the fringe, but like every outliner dustup, it will soon be forgotten.  Similarly, Naylor is a soon to be forgotten harmless old crank gasping for media oxygen whenever and wherever he can get it and is no individual threat to anyone.  VNRC has nothing to do with GMD but it is everything to John.  VNRC is John’s BLOOD. 

Here, John creates a forum for discussion, we discuss, GMD exists — that’s the basic formula.

Until this soapy operatic, I confess that I did not know where John worked.  Many people I’ve discussed this with, political junkie friends, colleagues who work in/around the Statehouse and others who work in non-profits/advocacy groups here in the Montpelier area where I live, have raised the specter of the Chris Graff affair.

I disagree that this is similar to the Chris Graff affair.  Chris Graff was fired from his job for doing his job.  Naylor is neither the AP nor VNRC and GMD does not employ John, VNRC does.  The analogy is just too tenuous for me.  Naylor’s press release implicating Elizabeth Courtney is, however, a seeming attempt by him to play puppet-master over John’s employer.  If the powers-that-be at VNRC have their strings pulled this easily, the analogy still won’t work but the result will be the same.

If VNRC caves, the effect of this is no different than any of us having our employers receive threats or harassment due to letters to the editor we write in our spare time.  What John is doing by cultivating a discussion forum and liberal Democratic blog for citizen journalism is old-fashioned good-citizenship.  This is something we need much more of these days.  Sadly, however, our employers can affect whether we use our citizenship talents.  If I am correctly reading between the lines here, Naylor is trying to get Elizabeth Courtney to throw cold water on John’s spare time community citizenship contributions.  What’s next, our employers telling what to (not) say at Town Meeting?

This brings me back to my point about this relative insignificance of this story.  While no one will remember this soapy operatic in a few days, no one will forget if John is “Graffed” or gagged by his employer.  I hope I am wrong about my “reading between the lines here.”  Obviously John is laying all the blame at heat generated by the blogespheric SVR controversy and not at his workplace. 

Still, I keep thinking about that statement about “drawing blood.”  Just as Deep Throat suggested that we “follow the money” I suggest that we “follow the blood.”  John’s metaphoric blood is his day job.  I could not be a good parent, husband or a good citizen without a job.  My job is my metaphoric blood and I know it.  John has found a way to give back to his community and make a valuable citizenship contribution through GMD. 

I, as a fellow citizen, would feel better knowing that John is taking a break from the understandable stress of this ridiculous distraction.  On the other hand, if his employer is caving to associates of people who glorify terrorism, genocide, slavery and the violent upheaval that came close to destroying the United States, then I don’t see this story going away for a long time.  SVR’s mouse-that-roared press release is an asterisk attached to a footnote about story that is a non-event.  Vermont’s most successful new media political blog having its founder pressured by his employer from being a contributing citizen is a story with long legs and an elephant’s memory, however.

It is obvious to all that come here that there is no relationship between VNRC and GMD.  Were there a relationship with any outside single agenda groups, even ones with which we may have philosophical propinquity, I doubt any of us would want to be a part of this community.  This blog is about Democratic & democratic politics and progressive liberal policy.  I hope we readers of GMD will receive a signal from VNRC that they are not tampering with John’s spare time citizenship activities. 

Call me presumptuous, but I believe I have a right to the benefits of folks in my community exercising acts of good citizenship, in their spare time, without their employers pressuring them to shut up rather risk giving the vapors to hooded wingnuts.

slainte,
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