Fraud, Deception, Theft: American Politics & “Climate Change”
Originally published at Quantum Matrix Scribe. Please leave any comments there.
I’m at work and can’t post the links now, but the Heartland Institute-a quasi-libertarian think tank in Chicago-is reporting that someone stole confidential documents and posted them on the web, along with faked and altered documents. They’re also threatening legal action (civil lawsuits and criminal proceedings) against both the perps and bloggers who posted them (or about them) without bothering to contact Heartland, thus setting up some possible privacy and reputation damages suits.
I’m no legal expert, but I think it’s questionable whether or not they’ll succeed. Then there’s the “well you did it too!” argument, which seems childish but could stick (though personally I think there’s a giant gulf between leaking the identities of anonymous donors and forgery intended to damage the reputation of a group, and leaking emails that expose the secretive processes of very public scientists.) But I don’t care. I want them to push ahead, because ClimateProgress-part of ThinkProgress, the blogging arm of the left-wing Center for American Progress-has posted the documents and basically laid down a challenge.
It would be epic.
And I would love it if they sued the pants off ClimateProgress and CAP (and with Soros around, it’s not like they’ll be hurting.) I admit it, I’m juvenile and I really hate organizations that advocate for bigger government and just want them to close. I’ll admit it.
And again. It would be epic.
Edit: I am home now, so here are some links.
- Heartland Institute statement: http://blog.heartland.org/2012/02/heartland-institute-responds-to-stolen-and-fake-documents/
- ClimateProgress douchebaggery: http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2012/02/14/425649/heartland-documents-denial-group-koch-money-dupe-children-cultivate-revkin/
- FreeRepublic post that sums it up quite well: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2847432/posts