Finally, the Chattanooga Times Free Press wrote an article on the gwb43.com story. It took the CTFP, only three weeks since Dan Froomkin first wrote about it in the Washington Post. Their article did not focus on the use of an outside server to circumvent the Presidential Records Act; instead, their article focused on Coptix's photoshopped picture of Karl Rove carrying a Coptix brochure under his arm and how the blogosphere was duped by it.
Last weekend, Keepwe's blog on Rove personally connected to email scandal speculated about the photo of Rove visiting Porker's Barbeque restaurant in Chattanooga and carrying a Coptix brochure under his arm. I commented, as did several others, that we thought the photo was a fake. I also added, I did not think Coptix even had brochures because they are quite small. However, we now find out Coptix worker or co-owner, Josiah Roe, is responsible for the photoshopping and controversy.
"It's easy for people to plant disinformation and misinformation out there," said Josiah Roe, executive vice president of Coptix, based in St. Elmo.
Mr. Roe said the company altered the photo and placed it on the Internet after bloggers implied that Coptix was involved in a "vast right-wing conspiracy" because the company -- along with another local firm, SmarTech -- provides an Internet service for the Republican National Committee.
He also added:
Mr. Roe said his firm altered the photograph as a humorous way to get exposure for Coptix, which also does work for the Chattanooga Times Free Press Web site. But at least two widely read blogs accepted the doctored photo as fact.
A blogger on the Daily Kos blog wrote that "it's unlikely to have been a Photoshop job," while a blogger for Wonkette wrote that the photo "proves without doubt that Karl Rove is illegally running all the White House e-mail through a private company."
Josiah Roe is rebuked for this by Carol Darr of George Washington University for his use of dirty tricks. I should add, Josiah Roe, is a Covenant College graduate and a sort of Jonah Goldberg wannabee, only a little heavier. His use of dirty tricks should get him a White House job, 'cept fer he can't keep his mouth shut.
Carol Darr, director of George Washington University's Institute for Politics, Democracy & the Internet, said the doctored image is really a "dirty trick."
"You're putting something out there that is deliberately deceptive (and) ... you know that people who are in on the joke will catch the significance," said Ms. Darr, 55. "It is just simply a lie."
The Times Free Press brought up a little bit on the external use of servers by the White House. Here's a nice piece:
Internet bloggers also have alleged that Chattanooga-based SmarTech is involved in the case of e-mails sent on a nongovernment account that relate to the firing of the eight U.S. attorneys.
Jeff Averbeck, president of SmarTech, said the company hosts a server for the RNC that translates Internet domain names into numerical addresses. He said Coptix also holds an additional copy of that information -- which he said is like a "telephone book" -- for the RNC.
Mr. Averbeck said his firm does more for the RNC but he declined to elaborate, citing client confidentiality. But he said that SmarTech does not have access to RNC e-mail records.
Mr. Roe, with Coptix, said his company also does not have access to that RNC information.
RNC spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt said the committee "is not a client of Coptix."
The RNC's spokesperson added this priceless bit:
Ms. Schmitt, of the RNC, said Tuesday that, "as a matter of course, the RNC provides server space and equipment to certain White House personnel in order to assist them with their political efforts."
Glad the CTFP wrote on the RNC email scandal; however, I wish the blogosphere had not been marginalized by stupid Josiah Roe. Hopefully, there will be more articles about getting this story out into the mainstream of America and this is just the beginning of the White House downfall.