AKMuckraker, the anonymous blogger who was one of the first to discuss Sarah Palin’s weaknesses as both a governor and a vice-presidential candidate, has been outed by an Alaskan Representative (D), Mike Doogan, in what appears to be an act of revenge. AKM is a progressive and registered as a Democrat.
You’ll note in the contact information below that Doogan is also a Democrat. AKM calls things as AKM sees them without respect to party. What may have initially wedged Doogan’s britches was criticism about email etiquette. (No. I’m not kidding – as AKM might say – you can’t make this stuff up.) AKM’s post about email etiquette is here. AKM has posted initial thoughts on the outing. There are some difficulties accessing the site due to the high volume of traffic.
As an active participant in The Mudflats community, as a person with strong feelings about the right to express a personal opinion, and as a semi-anonymous blogger, I’m outraged.
Here’s what AKM had to say about posting anonymously in her response to the outing:
It said in my “About” page that I choose to remain anonymous. I didn’t tell anyone why. I might be a state employee. I might not want my children to get grief at school. I might be fleeing from an ex-partner who was abusive and would rather he not know where I am. My family might not want to talk to me anymore. I might alienate my best friend. Maybe I don’t feel like having a brick thrown through my window. My spouse might work for the Palin administration. Maybe I’d just rather people not know where I live or where I work. Or none of those things may be true. None of my readers, nor Mike Doogan had any idea what my personal circumstances might be. But that didn’t seem to matter.
Shannyn Moore, another Alaskan blogger, has expressed her thoughts on the matter .
Please feel free to contact Representative Doogan:
Mike Doogan: CONTACT ME
Ph: (907) 465-4998
Or (800) 689-4998
Fax: (907) 465-4419
doogan@akdemocrats.org
Representative_Mike_Doogan@legis.state.ak.us
Be forewarned, he doesn’t believe there is any such thing as email etiquette.
In the interest of full disclosure, I should state that I’m one of the volunteer moderators/administrators of The Mudflats Forum which is the community associated with the blog. I didn’t know who AKM was even though we chat now and again.
I have lots of reasons for maintaining my anonymity on the ‘net and ain’t nary a one of them anyone’s business, but my own. This whole thing stinks to high heaven and even more so in consideration of the abuse of power.
W. Va. Fur and Root: edited for clarity and to clean up links.
W. Va. Fur and Root 
Who owns the list of email addresses Rep. DingDong used to broadcast AKM’s ID? According to the blog entry, he sent the info out in his “legislative newsletter”; it seems to me that by doing so, he may have misused state resources to further a personal vendetta and thus have left himself or the state open to lawsuit.
As I replied to you elsewhere, I am still steamed about this. He’s got his head so far up his ass, he can read his own mind — and it’s all pictures.
This for the contact info, BTW. I sent him this, earlier:
=======
Subj: Conduct unbecoming the office of State Representative
Representative Doogan:
I find your action in publicly revealing the identity of the owner of the Mudflats blog reprehensible. It was uncalled for, unjustified, and smacks of the sort of thing a little boy would do, scrawling on the tiles of a gradeschool bathroom stall.
It is not the sort of thing a public servant, called to serve the public good, should do. It is not the sort of thing an adult would do.
You are the *employee* of the people of Alaska. It should not come as a surprise that they should contact you on state matters. If you cannot handle such correspondence, you should not have accepted the job.
One suspects that your time in office will not go beyond your current term.
And here’s the message I sent the Alaska Democratic Party through their comments form:
=======
I would like to voice my extreme displeasure at Democratic Rep. Mike Doogan’s recent actions in making public the ID of the owner of the Mudflats politifcal blog.
That a member of the Democratic party, let alone an Alaskan State Representative, would stoop to something so juvenile reflects poorly on the party, and on the caliber of people in the state government.
Beyond that, if Rep. Doogan used state or party resources — such as his Legistive Newsletter email list — to either gather or distribute this information, he may have left the State or the Party open to legal action.
The party should censure Rep. Doogan’s actions at the very least. I will be contributing money to whomever runs against him in his next election. Hopefully, that will be in the Democratic primary, as it pains me to donate money to a Republican candidate.
But I’ll bite that bullet if I have to.
Hello – Just wanted to check in since mudflats is currently FLOODED and it seems the forum is inaccessible. I am glad we know where to find each other on other blogs in the meantime. I will be posting something this evening and hope a few folks will stop in and visit – THANK YOU TRCONNIE for your wonderful words on the topic of the unveiling of AKM’s identity. I saw a few familiar names at Shannyn Moore’s site so hope we will all gather around the virtual campfire to have a visit sometime soon.
WfAK
Hey WFA — good to see you. And you too Owhole. Mudflats is experiencing heavy traffic, but ServerGuy is handling it. I suspect the load will continue considering what time it is in Alaska. And I wanted a quiet Friday at home. Sheesh.
I’m just heartsick. I can’t even begin to express my thoughts and feelings….
I hope AKM is alright.
MonaLisa: I don’t know. I haven’t talked to AKM or anyone who has. But I suspect, besides outraged, our leader is fine.–C
Forum’s back up. New, and very interesting, article from Poe on the blog.
I’m going home. Good night/weekend all — just remember that the tomorrows keep coming whether you want ’em to or not. 🙂
Jim
OK, Unhappy Campers, I’m told the forum is back up. It’s late for me and I’m toddling off to bed.
If traffic heats up again, there may be additional problems.
I got up to this this morning, and it made me want to cry. But I think I am too angry. I tried several times to get on The Forum last night and I couldn’t. Now I know why. I gave AKM a donation, and I will be more than happy to give money to whomever runs against Doogan next time. I hope it’s another Democrat, but I might hold my nose and give it to a Republican.
I am so outraged about this. One spiteful, petty little man could do damage to someone who has been so respectful while writing honestly and without spite.
I’ve been reading all the links, so I’m not sure what else I can add, but I am truly saddened that this has happened.
I plan on contacting Doogan, but I don’t think that will really matter to him. But if enough of us contact him, he might dimly get the message.
I am outraged, but the initial fury is morphing into something that may be more productive. I think AKM is a strong person and will weather this with style and grace. –C
Hello, and nice to meet you from another semi-anonymous blogger in WV and an avid Mudflats fan. I’ve linked to your post at the bottom of the latest one of my own on the subject, which essentially is an open letter to a certain AK Democratic representative.
I’m still absolutely furious about the ‘outing’ and the reasoning behind it. May a good lawyer make a great case out of this.
I’ve read your stuff on Mudflats! Welcome. (And thanks.)
I’m hoping this all works out for the good. Right now, I’m fixin’ to nap (it was a long night) and collect my thoughts. I’ll check your blog in a bit.
BTW, it’s been suggested that instead of emailing Doogan, we email the legislature asking for reprimand/censure. That may be a more effective strategy.–C
Pingback: A Sad Day- Mudflats is Changed Forever « Mamadance
Hey folks – Mudflats is undergoing a maintenance mode – they’re buying up more bandwidth to handle the load of hits that have been swamping the server. The new bandwidth is gonna cost, but as the conservawingnuts like to say, Freedom isn’t free – and the ability to protect and use our freedom of speech is often not free either. We either pay monetarily or we pay with the loss of that freedom. Doogan may be a registered Democrat but he’s nothing more than a political terrorist – a tinhat version of Dick Cheney. 8 years of that terrorist is enough – Doogan just unleashed a firestorm that will make Mt Redoubt look small.
Correction: Mudflats is up and running on a brand new zippy server! There are paypal links on both the blog and the forum. As for Cheney – he’s in a class all by himself. –C
Thank you, C!