Major Garrett grills Gibbs: Why are people getting unsolicited e-mails from David Axelrod about health care? Update: See White House privacy policy
posted at 4:00 pm on August 13, 2009 by Allahpundit
He claims to have evidence that some entity — either the White House itself or The One’s army of cultists at Organizing for America — has now sunk to the point of spamming people about the glories of socialized medicine. I suspect Ace is right in thinking that this is the origin of the spam and that Garrett has his facts slightly wrong: It’s not Axelrod who’s spamming people, it’s Obama cultists acting at Axelrod’s behest by copy/pasting his post and sending it to friends. If Fox wants this charge to stick, they have to show us exactly what Garrett was forwarded (minus the “to” and “from” lines, natch). Frankly, given The One’s ubiquity on television and in print, the White House might as well go the rest of the way and start pushing e-mails at us too. The more talking points I hear, the more they blend together as noise and the easier it is to tune them out.
Now, if Garrett can somehow put the spam story together with this story, then we’re cooking with gas. Click the image to watch.
Update: A reader just forwarded me an e-mail her brother got Monday night. It is indeed the Axelrod post at the White House site that I linked to; it has a White House heading and a White House “from” e-mail address. It doesn’t appear to have been forwarded to her brother from any third party. He claims he doesn’t remember signing up for any WH e-mails. For what it’s worth.
Update: A second reader just e-mailed to say that he got the Axelrod e-mail too — and it’s not the first one he’s gotten:
I received this email this morning. This is the second email I received from this address. I started receiving these after I sent an email to the flag@whitehouse.gov address……
Is that what’s happening here? Conservatives are spamming the White House snitch line, only to find themselves signed up for White House e-mails? I thought Gibbsy told us they’re not collecting names or other identifying information from that account. Has anyone else who spammed the snitch line gotten any Axelrod e-mails?
Update: A third reader e-mails to say he’s spammed the snitch line half a dozen times and hasn’t gotten anything from Axelrod. Curiouser and curiouser.
Update: Another reader e-mails to say he thinks he has the answer:
After seeing this post on your web site, I can add some information on who’s getting the emails. Some time back, I went to the whitehouse.gov site and sent a congratulatory note by using the “contact us” link. One of the required fields on that form is an email address. I didn’t want to use my regular email address, so I used an old email address that I never use anymore. When I read this post, I became curious and checked that email address. Sure enough, there were seven emails there from whitehouse.gov, starting on July 14 and going up through the current David Axelrod “Something worth forwarding” email today.
I have sent an email to the “flag” address using my regular email address, but have not received any whitehouse.gov emails in return to that address.
So for me, it defintely seems to be dependent on my contact to whitehouse.gov, even though no notice is given that you will be placed on an email list at that site.
Why aren’t they notifying people?
Update: Tipster RLW finds the answer hiding in plain sight on the White House’s privacy page.
Collection and disclosure of information: To ensure we are able to communicate effectively with visitors to our web site, we collect some information that can be directly associated with a specific person. We call this “Personal Information,” and it includes, by way of illustration, names, addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses.
We collect Personal Information from eligible individuals who affirmatively request to receive e-mail or other services from us. We collect this Personal Information in order to provide these eligible individuals with timely information via e-mail regarding events, resources and issues.
It is our general policy not to make Personal Information available to anyone other than our employees, staff, and agents.
Er, which “agents”?
Blowback
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http://www.spamcop.net/
SpamCop.net
I highly recommend them.
Lourdes on August 13, 2009 at 8:23 PM
Conversely, Scott McClellan is saying “Damn, I was good in comparison.”
highhopes on August 13, 2009 at 8:28 PM
Too good. That’s why Obama is now our president. This is apparently the firm, or at least one of the firms, that Obama used. It was cited in the article in my previous post:
Strategic Telemetry
Selias said:
I refuse to visit Whitehouse sites, so can you tell us what heat maps are good for?
Potter on August 13, 2009 at 8:30 PM
I repeat: I’ve been receiving ongoing spam from the Obama White House AND I’VE NEVER ONCE CONTACTED THAT WEBSITE NOR EVEN VISITED IT.
I did visit the site during President Bush’s terms but never signed up there for anything, nor contacted the site otherwise, simply browsed it for purposes of reading content there.
Since O’s been in the White House, however, I’ve never visited it for any reason, nor contacted it.
The Spam I began receiving started in April 2009 and continued for several months and only appears to have stopped because I wrote a (very) public complaint about it on the internet AND because I began submitting their Spam emails to Spamcop.net .
In my case, as with many others I have also heard from who have received similar Spam from the Obama White House, they never (also or either) contacted “his” WH site nor signed up for anything there nor registered nor communicated.
But the Spamming began with the Obama introduction of the whole healthcare mess in the past Spring. Each email I received was about the healthcare issue and it was decidedly unsolicited.
They’ve obviously acquired email addresses from other sources and are using it to (harass) target those they deem are not submitting to their version of reality.
One thing I note is that I found many referrers in my site stats to dedicated posts I wrote about healthcare issues and about Spamming from various email addresses so it looks like Obama’s zombies just troll the internet, then forward site URLs they discover that they “object to” and then the other zombies coordinate a White House message to that site via whatever email address is published as contact.
All the Spam I received from “them” has been directed to the contact email address I make available on my website, so it’s really a case of them trolling for material and individual authors/sites they don’t like and then targeting them with Spam emails afterward.
Lourdes on August 13, 2009 at 8:31 PM
Subscribe the White House website to a bunch of well known spam emailers.
fossten on August 13, 2009 at 8:32 PM
To clarify: I found referrers in my site stats (and still do) from other email accounts (not identified but identifiable as email messages) to my site content.
In other words, Obama zombies comb through internet material, then email complaints about material they don’t like to each other to commisserate and then some coordinated zombie, for lack of a better word for them, then places that site’s contact email on their Spamming list.
Lourdes on August 13, 2009 at 8:33 PM
If you go to the White House website, at the very top right you can provide your email address and zip code to “Get Updates”. No other info is asked for. No privacy policy stuff revealed (or at least it wasn’t after I tried it and provided a non-existent email address and zip code. All I got was a “thank you”).
Easy peasy!
Buy Danish on August 13, 2009 at 8:33 PM
I’m glad Major Garrett is beginning to dig into Obama’s data collection, but he needs to investigate in more detail beginning here.
Potter on August 13, 2009 at 8:41 PM
I got the Axelrod email and I have not visited the White House web site since Bush was still President. Did the Obama Administration get to keep all of that data too????
azcop on August 13, 2009 at 8:45 PM
Let’s see if this is too long . . . my second email from the WH:
Dear Friend,
This is probably one of the longest emails I’ve ever sent, but it could be the most important.
Across the country we are seeing vigorous debate about health insurance reform. Unfortunately, some of the old tactics we know so well are back — even the viral emails that fly unchecked and under the radar, spreading all sorts of lies and distortions.
As President Obama said at the town hall in New Hampshire, “where we do disagree, let’s disagree over things that are real, not these wild misrepresentations that bear no resemblance to anything that’s actually been proposed.”
So let’s start a chain email of our own. At the end of my email, you’ll find a lot of information about health insurance reform, distilled into 8 ways reform provides security and stability to those with or without coverage, 8 common myths about reform and 8 reasons we need health insurance reform now.
Right now, someone you know probably has a question about reform that could be answered by what’s below. So what are you waiting for? Forward this email.
Thanks,
David
David Axelrod
Senior Adviser to the President
P.S. We launched http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck this week to knock down the rumors and lies that are floating around the internet. You can find the information below, and much more, there. For example, we’ve just added a video of Nancy-Ann DeParle from our Health Reform Office tackling a viral email head on. Check it out:
8 ways reform provides security and stability to those with or without coverage
Ends Discrimination for Pre-Existing Conditions: Insurance companies will be prohibited from refusing you coverage because of your medical history.
Ends Exorbitant Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Deductibles or Co-Pays: Insurance companies will have to abide by yearly caps on how much they can charge for out-of-pocket expenses.
Ends Cost-Sharing for Preventive Care: Insurance companies must fully cover, without charge, regular checkups and tests that help you prevent illness, such as mammograms or eye and foot exams for diabetics.
Ends Dropping of Coverage for Seriously Ill: Insurance companies will be prohibited from dropping or watering down insurance coverage for those who become seriously ill.
Ends Gender Discrimination: Insurance companies will be prohibited from charging you more because of your gender.
Ends Annual or Lifetime Caps on Coverage: Insurance companies will be prevented from placing annual or lifetime caps on the coverage you receive.
Extends Coverage for Young Adults: Children would continue to be eligible for family coverage through the age of 26.
Guarantees Insurance Renewal: Insurance companies will be required to renew any policy as long as the policyholder pays their premium in full. Insurance companies won’t be allowed to refuse renewal because someone became sick.
Learn more and get details: http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/health-insurance-consumer-protections/
8 common myths about health insurance reform
Reform will stop “rationing” – not increase it: It’s a myth that reform will mean a “government takeover” of health care or lead to “rationing.” To the contrary, reform will forbid many forms of rationing that are currently being used by insurance companies.
We can’t afford reform: It’s the status quo we can’t afford. It’s a myth that reform will bust the budget. To the contrary, the President has identified ways to pay for the vast majority of the up-front costs by cutting waste, fraud, and abuse within existing government health programs; ending big subsidies to insurance companies; and increasing efficiency with such steps as coordinating care and streamlining paperwork. In the long term, reform can help bring down costs that will otherwise lead to a fiscal crisis.
Reform would encourage “euthanasia”: It does not. It’s a malicious myth that reform would encourage or even require euthanasia for seniors. For seniors who want to consult with their family and physicians about end-of life decisions, reform will help to cover these voluntary, private consultations for those who want help with these personal and difficult family decisions.
Vets’ health care is safe and sound: It’s a myth that health insurance reform will affect veterans’ access to the care they get now. To the contrary, the President’s budget significantly expands coverage under the VA, extending care to 500,000 more veterans who were previously excluded. The VA Healthcare system will continue to be available for all eligible veterans.
Reform will benefit small business – not burden it: It’s a myth that health insurance reform will hurt small businesses. To the contrary, reform will ease the burdens on small businesses, provide tax credits to help them pay for employee coverage and help level the playing field with big firms who pay much less to cover their employees on average.
Your Medicare is safe, and stronger with reform: It’s myth that Health Insurance Reform would be financed by cutting Medicare benefits. To the contrary, reform will improve the long-term financial health of Medicare, ensure better coordination, eliminate waste and unnecessary subsidies to insurance companies, and help to close the Medicare “doughnut” hole to make prescription drugs more affordable for seniors.
You can keep your own insurance: It’s myth that reform will force you out of your current insurance plan or force you to change doctors. To the contrary, reform will expand your choices, not eliminate them.
No, government will not do anything with your bank account: It is an absurd myth that government will be in charge of your bank accounts. Health insurance reform will simplify administration, making it easier and more convenient for you to pay bills in a method that you choose. Just like paying a phone bill or a utility bill, you can pay by traditional check, or by a direct electronic payment. And forms will be standardized so they will be easier to understand. The choice is up to you – and the same rules of privacy will apply as they do for all other electronic payments that people make.
Learn more and get details:
http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck
http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck/faq
8 Reasons We Need Health Insurance Reform Now
Coverage Denied to Millions: A recent national survey estimated that 12.6 million non-elderly adults – 36 percent of those who tried to purchase health insurance directly from an insurance company in the individual insurance market – were in fact discriminated against because of a pre-existing condition in the previous three years or dropped from coverage when they became seriously ill. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/denied_coverage/index.html
Less Care for More Costs: With each passing year, Americans are paying more for health care coverage. Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums have nearly doubled since 2000, a rate three times faster than wages. In 2008, the average premium for a family plan purchased through an employer was $12,680, nearly the annual earnings of a full-time minimum wage job. Americans pay more than ever for health insurance, but get less coverage. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hiddencosts/index.html
Roadblocks to Care for Women: Women’s reproductive health requires more regular contact with health care providers, including yearly pap smears, mammograms, and obstetric care. Women are also more likely to report fair or poor health than men (9.5% versus 9.0%). While rates of chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure are similar to men, women are twice as likely to suffer from headaches and are more likely to experience joint, back or neck pain. These chronic conditions often require regular and frequent treatment and follow-up care. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/women/index.html
Hard Times in the Heartland: Throughout rural America, there are nearly 50 million people who face challenges in accessing health care. The past several decades have consistently shown higher rates of poverty, mortality, uninsurance, and limited access to a primary health care provider in rural areas. With the recent economic downturn, there is potential for an increase in many of the health disparities and access concerns that are already elevated in rural communities. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hardtimes
Small Businesses Struggle to Provide Health Coverage: Nearly one-third of the uninsured – 13 million people – are employees of firms with less than 100 workers. From 2000 to 2007, the proportion of non-elderly Americans covered by employer-based health insurance fell from 66% to 61%. Much of this decline stems from small business. The percentage of small businesses offering coverage dropped from 68% to 59%, while large firms held stable at 99%. About a third of such workers in firms with fewer than 50 employees obtain insurance through a spouse. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/helpbottomline
The Tragedies are Personal: Half of all personal bankruptcies are at least partly the result of medical expenses. The typical elderly couple may have to save nearly $300,000 to pay for health costs not covered by Medicare alone. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction
Diminishing Access to Care: From 2000 to 2007, the proportion of non-elderly Americans covered by employer-based health insurance fell from 66% to 61%. An estimated 87 million people – one in every three Americans under the age of 65 – were uninsured at some point in 2007 and 2008. More than 80% of the uninsured are in working families. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction/diminishing/index.html
The Trends are Troubling: Without reform, health care costs will continue to skyrocket unabated, putting unbearable strain on families, businesses, and state and federal government budgets. Perhaps the most visible sign of the need for health care reform is the 46 million Americans currently without health insurance – projections suggest that this number will rise to about 72 million in 2040 in the absence of reform. Learn more: http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/assets/documents/CEA_Health_Care_Report.pdf
ranger549 on August 13, 2009 at 8:45 PM
Same here, I never signed up and I’ve been getting this stuff for a while.
4shoes on August 13, 2009 at 8:47 PM
Barry also data mined info with the Change.gov website, where during the transition gullible citizens were invited to a “seat at the table”, to “join the discussion”, and participate in a “citizen’s briefing book”
Buy Danish on August 13, 2009 at 8:48 PM
This is another great tactic to slow down the Obama agenda – ankle bite the hell out of him with investigations. They did it to Bush – we do it to him.
And he’s giving us many juicy reasons to investigate!
HondaV65 on August 13, 2009 at 8:52 PM
The plot thickens. My husband has been getting emails from the WH and has never signed up for anything at their site, or requested anything from them, or gone to the snitch site, or donated to Obama. BUT he did donate money to HILLARY’s presidential campaign and has gotten email from them ever since. Do you suppose they merged the mailing lists? My hubby got the axelrod email and found it hilarious.
I hope hubby is not the only person getting those emails and getting ticked off by the effrontery of the senders. It is all pretty eerie, if you ask me.
moderate on August 13, 2009 at 8:55 PM
SEIU and ACORN of course you silly…
doriangrey on August 13, 2009 at 8:58 PM
How come Gibbs can’t answer a simple question?
“How did the White House get those E-Mail Addresses?”
“Who sent those E-Mail Addresses to the Whte House?”
“Why is Axelrod sending unsolicited communications?”
BigMike252 on August 13, 2009 at 9:03 PM
He doesn’t even rate being called Dick.
Mr. Grump on August 13, 2009 at 9:06 PM
BigMike252 on August 13, 2009 at 9:03 PM
I don’t know . . . Maybe he wants to steal the world record for spam away from emails that begin with the words “penis pills” or some modification thereof?
Ryan Gandy on August 13, 2009 at 9:08 PM
BigMike252 on August 13, 2009 at 9:03 PM
I don’t know . . . maybe he wants to steal the world record for spam away from emails beginning with the words “pen1s pill5″ or some modification thereof?
Ryan Gandy on August 13, 2009 at 9:09 PM
The President of the United States of America, the most powerful and influential human being on the planet is a common f-cking spammer. God help us all.
TheBigOldDog on August 13, 2009 at 9:13 PM
Poor Gibbsy, doesn’t know what he’s talking about. At all.
marmaran on August 13, 2009 at 9:15 PM
Axlerod’s letter left out how they will pay for healthcare reform!
WE NEED JOBS. Why is the White House sending letters about healthcare when WE NEED JOBS NOW!
TN Mom on August 13, 2009 at 9:18 PM
good question…anyone?
Ozprey on August 13, 2009 at 9:21 PM
Ragspierre is noticeably missing from these comments on this and other articles. I always enjoy him. Where is he???
redslippers on August 13, 2009 at 9:23 PM
Can’t be. Didn’t you read AP’s post. It’s all innocent and easily explained. He swears. See? You must have sent him a congratulatory email or something and secretly gave him that email address and permission to spam you. /sarc
TheBigOldDog on August 13, 2009 at 9:23 PM
This was the Bush version:
But then Obama came and… Change!
Seixon on August 13, 2009 at 9:26 PM
I have an e-mail address that I set up specifically for e-mail from the DNC–or anything lefty. I have received several e-mails about the health care debacle, but none from Axelrod.
Bob's Kid on August 13, 2009 at 9:32 PM
Like many others, I received Axelrod’s e-mails although I have NEVER contacted the White House! Hmmmmm!
americanfrenchie on August 13, 2009 at 9:35 PM
Wow. The White House, by law, can’t give information to outside groups, no?
TN Mom on August 13, 2009 at 9:44 PM
Surprise Surprise, I have a spam email from Mr. Axelrod and they only what they got that email address from when I sent an email to flag@whitehouse.com.
JeffinSac on August 13, 2009 at 9:51 PM
Funny, I had the same thought today as I listened to Gibbs pausing long between his words, searching frantically for the right ones to say…and coming up short.
Minorcan Maven on August 13, 2009 at 9:55 PM
Obviously these dems just aren’t to good with the truth, or answering a question, or realizing that we the people put them there. It is amazing how Pres Czar Gibbs, who just might be the dumbest guy on the planet, likes to belittle people when they ask a question he can’t or won’t answer. This guy needs to buy a clue! I also can’t believe that Major Garret let him get away with making remarks to his as if he was a child. Gibbs is a CLOWN!
shawno on August 13, 2009 at 9:59 PM
Take him and Pelosi and lock them into a closed mall with an abandoned Macy’s in it. He can play cashier and she can pretend she’s on a shopping spree. Friggin morons. Sorry I’m so mad I’m numb.
johnnyU on August 13, 2009 at 10:08 PM
David Axelrod is a government employee. I don’t believe this is legal. Certainly it is far more political in nature than anything Karl Rove did while the entire Democratic party screamed about him.
rockmom on August 13, 2009 at 10:19 PM
Typo alert! That should read “Piracy Policy”.
LegendHasIt on August 13, 2009 at 10:28 PM
That about sums it up. And the folks who are heading to the town halls based on his spams (carrying their Nazi signs as instructed, of course!), are the same idiots who give their bank account information to the spammers from Nigeria, and then just wait and wait and wait for all that “free” money to be deposited into their pitiful little accounts, and they’re shocked to learn later that all $116 of their life savings has been stolen.
Rational Thought on August 13, 2009 at 10:30 PM
Look who’s concerned about internet privacy vs the white house? The freaken ACLU ??
Government Proposes Massive Shift In Online Privacy Policy
kurtzz3 on August 13, 2009 at 10:36 PM
OK, Garrett was just on Greta and said he got permission from the people who forwarded the e-mails from him to give to Gibbs and as of this hour has had no response. curiouser and curiousier ….. ?
Willie on August 13, 2009 at 10:36 PM
I never signed up for anything from Barry and I got two e-mails from Axelrod today. It came from David Axelrod, The White House . The closest thing I ever did online for BHO was look at Change.gov ONCE to see where all those three letter words j-o-b-s jobs were. Very freaked out.
margategop517 on August 13, 2009 at 10:37 PM
So is 8 some kind of magic number now? I wonder what the symbolism is.
misslizzi on August 13, 2009 at 10:40 PM
Isn’t spamming illegal? I think charges should be in order, if people’re being targeted for unsolicited e-mails from unwanted parties, and these unsolicited e-mails are being splashed all over the country like a bucket of vomit (or, ‘a bucket of regurgitated talking points’). This is precisely why there should be Joe Average town hall debates; occasions where an ordinary person (or even a small panel) talks to a politician, and they have to face these questions. Being caught on camera and YouTubed, LiveLeaked and MySpaced would give a couple of these shameless bureaucrats pause. I’m sure at least 1 or 2 of them still have a sense of shame, and others would just outright hide from the event, which would be just as informative as the politicians that are uncooperative after showing.
Virus-X on August 13, 2009 at 10:51 PM
Must resist the temptation to subscribe the White House “flag@whitehouse.gov” address to the Nigerian get rich quick scam emails and every nutritional supplement / Canadian meds website on the planet. Must resist the temptation.
viking01 on August 13, 2009 at 10:56 PM
I also visited the whitehouse.gov website when W was president, and sent him an email through a link. I’ve gotten every last email “the One” has pushed out since he ascended the throne. :( Luckily it winds up in my junk box. I’m sure that is what Major Garret got too. The last one was from Axelrod himself, and it was the exact same one others here got.
Mini-14 on August 13, 2009 at 11:04 PM
Because 6 6 6 would be too obvious? /
coldwarrior on August 13, 2009 at 11:12 PM
Resistance is futile.
Besides, ya know ya wanna….
Indulge yourself. :-)
coldwarrior on August 13, 2009 at 11:14 PM
“It is our general policy not to make Personal Information available to anyone other than our employees, staff, and agents.”
—————————————————–
The “West Wing” website estimates that 3,366 people work in the White House. So, what’s the big deal, right?
Dopenstrange on August 13, 2009 at 11:25 PM
Hmmmm Wonder what would happen if a couple of million people on the spam list would set an autoforward rule that all incoming axeldouche spam be forwarded to flag@whitehouse.gov ?? An autoreply probably won’t work because the reply to is probably a dead end. However, a couple of million autoforwards would give them a huge wedgie.
bullseye on August 13, 2009 at 11:26 PM
coldwarrior on August 13, 2009 at 11:14 PM
But then I’d probably start getting all sorts of spam from that sleazy Homeland Security Czar Napolitano.
viking01 on August 13, 2009 at 11:31 PM
Get Firefox…spam stops.
I’ve sent/forwarded dozens of items this past week. Most with huge attachments. No response. And as for the DHS thugs, no knock on the do
coldwarrior on August 13, 2009 at 11:35 PM
I never “affirmatively requested” to receive anything from the White House. I used the contact form when Obama first took office, but did not request any further contact. Then a couple of months ago I started receiving emails from them. After the third or fourth one, I requested to be unsubscribed. I haven’t received anything since.
Maggie45 on August 13, 2009 at 11:37 PM
How does the flag address even work? I don’t understand it; do they send out emails just to the person who went to the flag address??
For example, if I told someone on the left something about the health care bill(s), if they went to the flag address, and they didn’t know my email address, what would happen to my inbox?
My impression of the idea is to find the people spreading “misinformation” and ‘teach’ ‘em right.
I can see the original sender getting emails from the WH, but how would they find out about me?
Can someone explain this to me? I don’t get it.
B Man on August 13, 2009 at 11:37 PM
I miss Pierre Salinger .
borntoraisehogs on August 13, 2009 at 11:39 PM
btw, I’ve sent a “thank you” email to the Bush WH and I’ve never gotten any thing back from the WH at all.
If this WH is sending out Axelrod emails to people who have sent emails in the past, my spam blocker or ISP maybe blocking them? I don’t know.
Just another “creepy” thing to add to the tall pile of creepiness.
B Man on August 13, 2009 at 11:43 PM
How NOT to win friends and influence people:
Send a ton of unsolicited emails which no one reads and/or goes to junk email and raises more questions about the procurement of private email addresses, than the content (healthcare reform) of the letter!
Boy, that sure is one crackerjack administration! HAhahahaha!
Epic Fail.
TN Mom on August 13, 2009 at 11:46 PM
coldwarrior on August 13, 2009 at 11:35 PM
Thanks. I’ve used Firefox for years.
I have virtually no problems with spam to any of my email addresses. What I usually do is have everything for an email acct. initially sent to the spam folder by default then approve each non-spam address for the Inbox.
********
B Man on August 13, 2009 at 11:37 PM
They could either use “reply to sender” or add an originating email address to their “favorites”, “contacts” , “connections” or any of the many buzzwords for the same sort of thing. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of Zero’s thugs would use the FBI’s national security internet tracking to snoop on political opponents; hence my suggestion of potential harassment of same by Napolitano and her henchpersons.
viking01 on August 13, 2009 at 11:52 PM
Oh swell.
I learn about this after using the e-mail account I normally use.
Chaz706 on August 13, 2009 at 11:57 PM
But how do they know about you if they’ve never gotten an email from you?
That’s what I don’t get.
I know about reply to sender and all that, but are they trying to spam people who are spouting ‘misinfo’? How would they send me emails if I hadn’t ever emailed the WH?
I’m not stupid when it comes to emails or computers, but usually you have to send an email in to some place to get spammed.
But if they don’t know your email, how can they spam you?
Is that what’s going on? People minding their own business getting WH spam, without emailing the wh?
B Man on August 14, 2009 at 12:02 AM
Are they just sending out emails with their talking points to people who do the flag address?
And they’re saying “tell your messed up right-wing nazi friend the truth”? Is that what the point is?
B Man on August 14, 2009 at 12:05 AM
I think you’re missing the point.
The Whitehouse must save all transmissions to and fro. So all of the email addresses should be saved by law.
It’s the forwarding of “fishy” emails to the Whitehouse by their requests and them turning around and using to make a list of people to send “information” to.
If they keep the emails of “reported” people they are abusing the law and if they purge the emails sent to them they are breaking the law.
They brought this on themselves by requesting people to report other Americans even if their intentions were not sinister.
LeeSeneca on August 14, 2009 at 12:19 AM
Yes We Spam!
Jim Treacher on August 14, 2009 at 12:22 AM
B Man on August 14, 2009 at 12:02 AM
A lot of spam originates the same way bad hackers used to find dialup: They would set up a program to dial phone numbers thus: 1234 , 1235, 1236 etc until they got a ring and a modem handshaking tone from the other end. Spammers do the same thing with ascending series of letters and numbers and punctuation and filter out the undeliverable addresses and keep the ones which didn’t bounce back or received a reply. A lot of such nefarious emails are designed to tempt the recipient to open them. That is how the “I love you” Valentine’s Day virus of several years back managed to spread like wildfire.
Given Zero’s shady Chicago politics background and various sleazy operators it would not surprise if he’s getting or buying email lists from shady organizations or political supporters in the computer business to be given a pass or government stimulus for voting “his way.” They could also be hacking databases of political opponent’s blogs and their participants. That is why whenever I sign up for a blog or newsgroup it is through a carefully isolated third party email account such as hotmail.
One of the reasons I oppose socialist health care isn’t just the health dangers bureaucracy presents. It is their access to a wide variety of personal health, prescription, family history and contact information which could be used against political opponents and shared with ACORN, ACLU and other unscrupulous activist cartels. Remember how Palm Beach tried to blackmail Limbaugh with prescription records and medical records leaked to the Liberal activist press? Extrapolate that to personal level government attacks inspired by Marxist’s end justifies the means philosophy.
Back to Fahrenheit 451 and Guy Montag’s peril for questioning The State and and any departure from government ordered behavior or communications.
viking01 on August 14, 2009 at 12:23 AM
Some light reading for Mr. AxelTurf:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/business/ecommerce/bus61.shtm
(Yeah, yeah, I know: They’ll argue they’re government and not a business. But they’re clearly trying to peddle a product — hard — and if you can’t trust the freaking govt. not to spam you, why bother expecting as much from businesses?)
NoLeftTurn on August 14, 2009 at 12:23 AM
I received the e-mail —just one of many I have received from this administration. I first suspected my sister, who is a big Obama koolaid drinker. Now I am not sure how they got my e-mail. I started getting these e-mails before I ever sent them anything from my e-mail address. I usually send it back with some comment, but am not sure this is a monitored mail box. It makes me feel better anyway.
ILUVTX on August 14, 2009 at 12:25 AM
Don’t expect slippery Eric Holder to enforce any laws inconvenient to Zero and the DNC. Such is the danger of electing Zeroesque / Clintonian con men who appoint Attorneys General guided by a vision of opponents as religious compounds to torch and Elian Gonzalezes to raid, then deport.
viking01 on August 14, 2009 at 12:27 AM
This is literally jaw dropping to me.
That they would abuse something like that so blatantly.
Words fail me.
B Man on August 14, 2009 at 12:30 AM
Next book title from Emperor Obama (Obama the Unclothed)…
“Words Fail Me”
coldwarrior on August 14, 2009 at 12:39 AM
Talk about unethical…..holy sh*t.
B Man on August 14, 2009 at 12:42 AM
This reminds me of what Honda said a couple days back: The Democratic party is at war with the American people.
It sure looks like that doesn’t it? Son of a BITCH.
Coincidentally, this is kind of funny, my ISP just made my family change a couple of our email settings, to protect us better against spam.
Not a moment too soon. And they were filing unethical complaints against Palin??
B Man on August 14, 2009 at 12:48 AM
This reminds me of Honda’s post a couple days ago: The Democratic party is at war with the American people.
It sure looks like that doesn’t it? Son of a B*TCH.
And they filed unethical complaints against Palin??
B Man on August 14, 2009 at 12:52 AM
Good One.
Geochelone on August 14, 2009 at 1:11 AM
I had an email from the DCCC titled 1993 about a week ago and can guarantee that I NEVER signed up to receive anything from them and have never been to their website. I wrote them back demanding to know where they got my email but crickets are chirping.
Someone is sharing email addresses with the Democrats.
Gibbs is so arrogant at these press conferences and most of what he says is useless information. Never thought someone would make Scott McClellan look good but Gibbs has managed to do just that!
PhiKapMom on August 14, 2009 at 1:22 AM
I thought I read somewhere that anybody who reads all these new Obama White House adhesion contracts was just a “crazy right-wing conspiracy theorist.”
I’m trying to think of who said that, Allahpundit, but for some reason I just can’t quite recall.
logis on August 14, 2009 at 1:25 AM
I remember a long time back I was teaching an intro to computers college class. Mostly young girls. I was demonstrating the wonders of the then new, algore invented, internet. I decided to show them the whitehouse site.
Well, stupid old me typed in whitehouse.com instead of .gov and got a pron site. I didn’t turn around to look at the image on the board and was wondering why everyone was giggling as I explained how the whitehouse was communicating with the citizens. When I saw what I had put up I explained “Oh, sorry, that’s bill’s personal site”
bullseye on August 14, 2009 at 1:29 AM
Fight back against email spam. Most of the spam comes from China, and is very difficult to stop. There are websites that specialize in this stuff, so I will leave them to that challenge (there simply comes a time when you have to abandon your beloved email address and create another).
However, with with emails that come from “legitimate” sources (ie., they have a website and list other email addresses for various departments and/or phone numbers), here’s what I do: (Side note: spam email is a pet peeve of mine, and I basically turn into a huge A$$H%lE when I get it.)
1st, I simply reply to the offending email address and tell them to stop sending me emails or else they will regret it.
2nd, If that doesn’t work, I reply with a few links– usually to porn sites.
That usually works, but I’ve had to go to step 6.
Step 3: By now they have blocked my email address. I create as many Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc, email accounts as necessary and bombard them with as much video in the emails as possible and I CC any other email accounts I can find that’s associated with the company.
Step 4: I always start each email with “I’ve have asked you nicely to stop sending emails to” (then I list my email address) I’ll ask you again to stop sending emails. If I get another, the phone calls will start.
Step 5: I research the email and the company for their phone number. 800 number are really great, but any number will do. Just call collect. It won’t be the receptionist who’s sending you the spam emails, but she’ll know who to complain after she’s recieved 50 of my phone calls.
Step 6: keep at it.
I work from home and I’m always on the computer and I rarely get spam email. BTW, I have had the same email address for over 5 years.
ConservativeTony on August 14, 2009 at 1:35 AM
I’ve reported fishy information twice and haven’t heard back from The One or any of his cultists…
Keef Overbite on August 14, 2009 at 1:40 AM
Going back to the problem of the whitehouse spam, I think the one way to shove it back up their keister is to autoforward the incoming whitehouse spam to flag@whitehouse.gov.
If the cause is touted enough, then the more people they spam, the more they will flood their ratfink@whitehouse.gov mailbox.
The rule would be pretty simple
if sender = ________ and
if subject = __________
then forward to flag@whitehouse.gov
The effect would be like the bozo who fires an antitank rocket with a brick wall right behind him. He’ll only do that once.
bullseye on August 14, 2009 at 1:42 AM
Keef, I think you may have to email directly to The One.
theone@iwon.com
ConservativeTony on August 14, 2009 at 1:43 AM
Oops meant to say recoiless rifle
bullseye on August 14, 2009 at 1:44 AM
bullseye,
Good advice, but if you’re going to go that far, may as well forward the spam to as many email addresses as possible.
dnc dot com, dncc dot com, wh dot com, etc.
ConservativeTony on August 14, 2009 at 1:47 AM
http://www.aarplies.com
Definitely fishy. Better report it immediately. Spam be damned.
CAConserv on August 14, 2009 at 2:16 AM
LOL, I tried to register a email alert with Google. My search terms were “Obama Sucks” and it was to send the emails as the happen, of course to flag@whitehouse.gov, I got an error
WoosterOh on August 14, 2009 at 3:28 AM
Well, I got one email account to work, I sent the alerts to obamasucks@whitehouse.gov
WoosterOh on August 14, 2009 at 3:30 AM
One of the best song about resisting all our dumbass Federal Government’s laws (there are a ton of them) and their fake wars.
Spathi on August 14, 2009 at 5:10 AM
…of the man of course
errr errr *facepalm*
alohapundit on August 14, 2009 at 5:35 AM
Get your popcorn for tomorrows briefing.
B Man on August 14, 2009 at 5:46 AM
misslizzi on August 13, 2009 at 10:40 PM
Because 6 6 6 would be too obvious? /
coldwarrior on August 13, 2009 at 11:12 PM
Hmmm…..you two might be on to something.
yoda on August 14, 2009 at 6:57 AM
Gee – you think like me only eviler :)) Yeah, that would work because most forwarders allow you to forward to multiple addresses. As a practical matter, I would probably limit it to 10 or so.
Also, the people on AOL or AOHELL should hit the SPAM button every time they get a whitehouse spam. AOL is notorious for blocking mail. That would impact the whitehouses attempts to spam to AOL folks.
bullseye on August 14, 2009 at 7:39 AM
maybe a stupid question, but isn’t it illegal to campaign inside the whitehouse or to use whitehouse stuff for such purposes…i know this is not a campaign in the truest sense, but still, it just seems odd for all of this to come out of the WH directly….it seems ‘fishy’
cmsinaz on August 14, 2009 at 7:48 AM
Glenn? Is that you?
Ronnie on August 14, 2009 at 8:09 AM
They all do it. I gave money to Fred! and after he dropped out I started get emails from the McCain campaign.
Everybody does it.
Jaynie59 on August 14, 2009 at 8:24 AM
I was thinking the same thing…which is sad since I’ve never wished anyone bad will before.
DeoGratias on August 14, 2009 at 8:28 AM
I just sent this email to David Axelrod:
David,
You have sent me two emails. How did you get my email address? Was it from my post to flag@whitehouse.gov?
Is this the way you convince the American people that you will not use their confidential posting of “fishy” behavior? Is this the way you convince the American people that the Obama administration is not preparing and maintaining enemies lists?
What other lists am I on now? To what other uses do you intend to put these lists?
Do you have any clue why people find you and this administration unworthy of our trust in managing 17% of our economy?
I am flagging you to Linda Douglass.
MochaLite on August 14, 2009 at 8:36 AM
I didn’t get anything back when I asked if the obamacare plan would cover the electrolysis sushi and malaria will need when michelle’s mustache starts to grow on them.
LtE126 on August 14, 2009 at 8:39 AM
I get it now! A few weeks ago on MM.com, she published senators and representative email addresses and the WH email address and like a good doo-bee, I wrote to everyone on the list whether I’m a constituent or not . . . including to the WH to voice my dismay about the pending Health Care Bill . . . that’s it! I’ve been fried! Hee-hee!
ranger549 on August 14, 2009 at 8:44 AM
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