This is the first tweet about the controversy that I saw in my timeline: @catsrimportant: OMG. So there's a @UniteBlue and a @UniteRed and they're both owned by the same consulting firm-ready for the astroturf wars! #UniteBlue #p2
Which lead me to this: One Hashtag To Rule Them All? http://t.co/3copPFsCmX v @karoli
I directed this tweet to UniteBlue & 140Elect to get their side, I did not get a response: @LtlRedX: @140Elect @UniteBlue What do u have to say for yourselves? How do you answer to the charge you are playing us against ea other? @UniteRed
The rest of the tweets & links posted were found in no particular order but all contain related information:
@Karoli: Here's my problem. If #uniteblue stole @EileenLeft's #CTL list, why would anyone give them posting access? http://t.co/dRxfcNQ0qj
http://ow.ly/1SP2wH
http://ow.ly/1SP3zG
Article linking @140Elect to Buddy Roemer:
http://140elect.com/content/140electroemerpressrelease.pdf
I will be updating this post as I locate more posts, links & information regarding this subject. To reiterate, this blog post is intended to be a way for me to sort thru the information coming to light regarding the controversy between UniteBlue & ConnectTheLeft. If it aids others in forming opinions, that is a side effect.
Update: Now having been suspended twice in 2 weeks after this controversy began, I am becoming more suspicious. After my initial suspension, I gave in and joined #UniteBlue. Was this a mistake? Maybe. I have since been suspended a second time within 2 weeks of the first. Fortunately I have a backup account, @LtlRedX2 BUT this backup account is also now in the UniteBlue database. Will I have to start from scratch I rebuild my Twitter profile? Time will tell. The backup account has a fraction of the followers of my main account.
Cut to today. My suspicions led me to Google UniteBlue & I came up with this article from Politicol: http://www.politicolnews.com/the-unite-blue-debacle-on-twitter/ It seems I have been caught in a spider web.
Update (don't remember the date): @UniteBlue has listed me on multiple lists. Why? I tweeted to the account & asked. I have not received an reply to date.
Update 4/28: Noticed the @UniteBlue twitter account unfollowed @LtlRedX, interesting.. Found this article on Google
Is #UniteBlue trying to Unite Red?
http://insuremekevin.com/2013/03/28/is-uniteblue-trying-to-unite-red/
Referencing my previous posting about being listed, I still have not received a reply to my question but I did find this post thru a Google search on the subject: UniteBlue’s Lists: Are They a Progressive Pyramid Scheme? http://rmuse.p2blogs.com/2013/04/06/unitblues-lists-are-they-a-progressive-pyramid-scheme/
And this post from Daily Kos: #UniteBlue on Twitter. What's the controversy all about? http://m.dailykos.com/story/2013/04/03/1198853/--UniteBlue-on-Twitter-What-s-the-controversy-all-about Which is an invitation for input leading up to an interview with Zach Green. I noticed one of the commenters (scroll to the bottom of the post to find it) linked a screen shot of 140Elect advertising their willingness to sell a database of Democratic voters. Presumably referring to UniteBlue: It does look like he's trying to sell the database http://screencast.com/...
I agree that it may not be particularly valuable since many twitter users don't provide real names or emails but some do so it's likely to be worth smth.
FG Apr 3, 11:35a
As mentioned above, my main Twitter account @LtlRedX has been suspended multiple times in the last month or so, disturbing to say the least but I know I'm not alone in this. And I have discovered in twitter conversations with others that it seems to be an ever increasing trend. Here UniteBlue addresses the issue:http://uniteblue.com/info/suspendedI have 2000+ followers on twitter and as mentioned have been suspended multiple times so it appears their data is either out of date, wrong or completely made up.
5/2/13: Publicly tweeted to UB asking for explanation as to why they both unfollowed & listed me. No reply but they have re followed me again. They're apparent unwillingness to answer my inquiries increases my concern with being listed. Latest inquiry: https://twitter.com/ltlredx/status/329942701128708098
5/31/13: Bill Talley aka @Politcal_Bill Twitter activist & (reported) Unite Blue member has been convicted of Child Pornography & that conviction has been upheld by the US Spureme Court. I add this to my timeline here simply to keep track of the information. I do not believe Unite Blue as an organization has any hand in his conviction. Organizations often draw members from all walks of life and those members non-organizational activities are not necessarily known to noe by the organization. Mr Talley had 10s of thousands of followers, making him a pretty heavy hitter as Twitter goes and his membership in Unite Blue is probably related to those follower numbers. So IMO that connection justifies his being included here.
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130529/news03/305290148
AMENDMENT: Bill Talley aka @Political_Bill was on Unite Blue's board! Of course everyone is innocent until proven guilty in America but having someone like this on your BOARD is never a good idea. It goes beyond a simple 'fly in the ointment' so to speak, it associates the leadership of your entire organization with this behavior. And I feel I must emphasize that according to the article Mr Talley was originally associated with drugs in 2005 and he's plead GUILTY to child pornography. I am in no way a reporter or an investigator so I rely on the investigations of others for my information. In my attempts to verify the above information on Mr Talley's board membership, I came across the following blog post which included several tweet screenshots, lending credence to its claims: http://www.osborneink.com/2013/04/the-william-talley-burn-notice.html
And a link to a YouTube video of what appears to be tweets by Zach Green that prove his much disputed association with RightWing groups & candidates: http://youtu.be/EKGvinJmlAs for me the Michelle Bachmann tweet is both disappointing & telling because I find her to be the epitome of all things TeaParty & RWNJ.
6/4/13: Another YouTube presenting "evidence" of Zach Green & @140Elect having actually worked for Republicans & specifically in this case, Herman Cain.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Au6dE7OcsE&sns=tw via @youtube
Some of the posts referenced above include Twitter handles of people I follow. Their 'names' being mentioned as associated with Unite Blue does not make me want to unfollow them, I tend to keep an open mind on 'he said/she said' matters and if the mentioned accounts have not trolled me personally I view the 'evidence' or their association with the trolling evidence with a grain of salt. So if in reading this blog post anyone chooses to judge me for being a follower, mutual or not, of some mentioned I ask that you do so as fairly as I have tried to be here.
6/5/13: I have come to a conclusion that will likely not make either side happy with me. I have seen evidence that people on BOTH sides have done/said things that is inappropriate. People on BOTH sides of this should be ashamed. My decision is to begin blocking people who are negatively obsessed with either supporting or destroying UniteBlue. Neither position is helpful. We as Liberals need to look to what is really important and that is the social issues that spurred us into activism in the first place. UniteBlue is a black hole of distraction whether by design or not & it must be pushed aside in favor of more productive & important issues. And so that is where I will be focusing my attention from here forward.
