First, the background from WaPo:<\/p>\n
Sometimes you have a headline that makes the rest of the story superfluous, but here’s the background. Actor Lance Baxter, otherwise known as “D.C. Douglas,” currently known as the man who informs you how much Geico can save you on car insurance, left a message last month with FreedomWorks in which he asked the group how many “mentally retarded” people it had on staff and what it would do when a tea partyer “killed someone.” On April 14, FreedomWorks put his voicemail online. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n
My sympathy level for this guy was low, but then it plummetted when I read his twaddle at his blog<\/a>. When I first got my 12.3 minutes of internet fame<\/a>, some asshole thought it would be appropriate to take my name, my actual name mind you, and get a yahoo account with that name, and then splash across the internet “my” search for underage boys to fornicate with. Then Media Matters put up some bio thing of me that contained so many inaccuracies that I sent them 4 emails to get them to correct it, they never did. <\/p>\n
Now, bear in mind I never maligned a group of people, I never called anyone retarded, never suggested anyone would be killed etc. Actually, in watching the video again, I still think I was painfully polite. Nonetheless, I got hit from about 60 angles. Some folks where saying that I wasn’t even an Iraq vet. That should suprise no one, since I never once claimed to be.<\/p>\n
My point is this, there is very little in the way of private\/public distinction, and this knucklehead learned that the hard way. I do VERY little to hide my identity, but every now and again some punk comes along to “out” the real me, and some suggest contacting my employer. NEWSFLASH: This blog is *ME*, private me, not suit and tie at work me. The left seems incapable of that distinction.<\/p>\n
Now, do I think the guy should have been fired? Honestly, don’t know, don’t care. I have Geico, and I am now torn between cancelling it to voice my disgust with this jackass, and keeping it since they fired him. Either way, that is the companies problem, not mine. Just as it is my employers’ decision, and your employers decision etc. I believe in the private\/public distinction, and try to “do unto others” etc, even though no one has shown me the same respect. Luckily, I have a great employer. <\/p>\n
But I am wondering what you guys think. If the tables were turned, what would you say. If it was Flo the Progressive Lady and she called MoveOn and asked how many ri-tards were injured coming up with the General Petreaus ad, should she be fired? And what, if any, is the responsibility of Freedom Works not to put the voicemail on line? I would argue none, but curious what you guys think.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"