(Sen. Norm) Coleman Staff Makes Changes To Wikipedia Bio

[sabra]

http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_030225400.html

Coleman Staff Makes Changes To Wikipedia Bio

(AP) WASHINGTON Sen. Norm Coleman's staff made revisions to his biography in an online encyclopedia, putting a different spin on his record.

Wikipedia, an encyclopedia that relies on volunteers to post information, featured Coleman's biography as one of a half-dozen that had been edited by Senate employees. Although the Web site did not specify who edited them, Coleman's chief of staff, Erich Mische, confirmed that the senator's staff had done so.

He said the editing was done to correct inaccuracies and delete information that was not reflective of Coleman, a Minnesota Republican.

...

Among the changes made by Coleman's staff, according to a side-by-side comparison on the Web site:

--Coleman was described as a "liberal" back in college; Coleman's staff changed that to "activist."

[JI7]

1. how old is he ?

a lot of chickenhawks in their younger days pretended to be liberals to avoid the draft such as David Horowitz. when they were safe from having to serve they revealed themselves to be the chickenhawks they are.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

4. another report here earlier today said...

several house members had their staff "fix" wikipedia entries to remove negative info, whether it was correct or not.

[rodeodance]

11. words have meaning.

[GemMom]

32. Roll Call story

I believe it was on Roll Call where I read a story about Wikipedia blocking the House servers IPs from their site, because of the abuses that were going on (both sides of the aisle).

[Canuckistanian]

16. Is THAT why there are so many neocons?

That explains a lot.

[Not_So_Right_Wing]

24. that is the most plausible

seems to be a chicken hawk to me!

[darkism]

2. So they admit to putting a POV on an article?

Perhaps said article should be reverted and locked until the spinning cretins go away.

[Bozita]

3. Nothing about Norm (jackass eating cactus) Coleman surprises me

The term "activist" reminds me of Repug staffers banging on doors and windows during the Florida recount in 2000.

They did OK, didn't they? I'm surprised Norm wasn't among them.

[AzDar]

5. How about adding some ''before" and "after" photos of his Godawful

Coleman Chompers ( I suspect not paid for by Normie himself...cynical? What can I say? These bastards never seem to pay for ANYTHING themselves), for a REAL visual aid. *Shudder*

[Eugene]

6. Staffers polished politicians' images on the taxpayer's time.

They not only violated the ethics of Wikipedia, they probably broke
several rules about the use of House and Senate resources.
Mische doesn't seem to get the point that the power to edit
was meant to be used responsibly and ethically.

My Congresscritter, Marty Meehan, was caught too, and the local papers
were on his case yesterday as noted in this DU thread, making the exact
same points. I hope the Minnesota press holds Sen. Coleman to the same
standards.

[BiggJawn]

9. "Responsibly and Ethically"?

We *ARE* discussing ReTHUGs here, don't forget!
;)

When somebody tells me they are a ReTHUGlican, I figure that either they're a fucking "moran" who'd name their kid Rush, or they're they kind of bastard who'd steal a blind beggar's tin cup.

[zwielicht]

7. Wikipedia Bans Congress, House, Senate IP ranges

GD thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2418106

Congressional staff actions prompt Wikipedia investigation
Wikinews article, links to lists of abusive wikipedia edits (thousands of them)
http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Congressional_staff_actions_prompt_Wikipedia_investigation

Wikipedia Bans Congress
http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/topnews/wpn-60-20060130WikipediaBansCongress.html

Congress caught making false entries in Wikipedia
http://news.com.com/2061-10796_3-6033082.html


I'm really curious if this will become "official news", it really shows how corrupted the public-relations-"democracy" is

[GemMom]

33. From the webpronews story - excerpt

News of the egregious Wikipedia edits by Congressional staffers came to light when a Massachusetts newspaper, the Lowell Sun, reported confirmed abuses of Wikipedia by staffers under House member Marty Meehan (D-Ma). From the article:

Matt Vogel, Meehan's chief of staff, said he authorized an intern in July to replace existing Wikipedia content with a staff-written biography of the lawmaker.

The change deleted a reference to Meehan's campaign promise to surrender his seat after serving eight years, a pledge Meehan later eschewed. It also deleted a reference to the size of Meehan's campaign account, the largest of any House member at $4.8 million, according to the latest data available from the Federal Election Commission.

[Ian David]

8. Just updated the Senator's Wikipedia entry

<snip>

On January 31, 2006 it was revealed by Associated Press that Norm Coleman's staff were making revisions to the senator's Wikipedia entry. Coleman's chief of staff, Erich Mische, said that the editing was done to correct inaccuracies and change things that didn't reflect the image the Senator wanted to project. For example, Wikipedia originally said, Coleman was a "liberal" in college, but Coleman's staff changed that to "activist."<10>

More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norm_Coleman

[NoSunWithoutShadow]

10. Excellent work! Thank you. eom

[tanyev]

15. Ooh! Add this:

Sydney Herald: Revealed: ambassador tried to kill US hunt for AWB bribes

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2075965
The AWB investigation was ultimately dropped, despite the US Government having information that an AWB wheat contract might have been inflated to cover kickbacks to Iraq. This information included a report, seen by the Herald, from the US Defence Contract Audit Agency.

Mr Thawley met Norm Coleman, chairman of the Senate permanent sub-committee on investigations, in the weeks before the Australian general election on October 9, 2004.

[Ian David]

12. The vandalism to Coburn's page was kinda funny

Furthermore, in 2005, Senator Coburn was voted the most annoying Senator by his peers in Congress. This was due to Senator Coburn being a huge douche-bag. In the August edition of Roll Call, the senator was voted "most likely to get his arse kicked by hill a hill staffer over recess". He gladly accepted this honor saying "I completely expect to get my arse kicked because I suck at life".
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Coburn&diff=prev&oldid=32138561

[madaboutharry]

14. That is really funny!

I was feeling so low down and blue this morning. Thanks for making me laugh.

[Puglover]

13. About tens years ago we were doing the Mpls/St Paul

aids walk and as I was trudging along who did I come upon? Ole Normie walking by himself in suit pants and a white shirt. Subtlety not being one of my fortes I asked him, "What on earth are you doing here?" He looked surprized and answered "I support the fight against AIDS." Right or wrong I said back "Spare us your fucking support."
Sadly I do think the man was sincere. He just seems clueless. Reminds me of what they would say about Reagan. He would give the shirt off of his back to a homeless person and then walk in the WH and sign legislation making more people homeless.

:eyes:

[calmblueocean]

18. I've seen it before

I just wanted to say that I've found that to be the fundamental problem with a lot of conservatives I know. They can be tremendously kind and generous on a personal level, but when it comes to policy, they don't see anything beyond their own checkbook. They don't make the connection between policy and real people's lives, even their own lives sometimes. They will vote for people who will ruin their own schools, their own communities, their own children's future. They'll help anyone who's suffering in front of them, but the minute the suffering is out of sight -- hidden in statistics, unpopular media stories, or the future -- they just switch off.

If we can come up with a way to connect policy decisions to actual people, I think more people like this would understand and vote Dem.

[Pacifist Patriot]

21. It creates a vicious cycle

It's faster to give a man to fish than teach him how.

It's cheaper to give a man a fish than to give him the supplies with which to fish.

It's simpler to blame the man for needing the fish than to find out why he needs it in the first place.

So the fast, cheap, simple way out breeds an atmosphere of resentment on both sides.

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

17. And people wonder why I don't consider Wikipedia a reliable source.

For some scientific information, it is okay. For this kind of stuff (biographies, social information, etc...), not a chance.

[Pacifist Patriot]

22. I will not let my students use it as a reference source.

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

27. Excellent!

Wikipedia wasn't a source when I was in college.
Now if only we could stop people here from relying on it...

[NJCher]

38. comparison

Didn't someone study the Wikipedia vs the Encyclopedia Britanica and come up with the conclusion that the Wikipedia was just as reliable? Ah yes, they did and here is the article, from nature.com:

http://www.nature.com/news/2005/051212/full/438900a.html

Forbid the Wikipedia in classes and the students would find it all the more attractive. Fruit of the forbidden and all that.




Cher

[NJCher]

39. The Encyclopedia of What Politicians are Sensitive About

Somebody ought to simply track the changes and publish an entry on what politicians are sensitive about--in other words, what did they change? We can see that Normie Coleman is squirming over the fact that he was once a Dem now that he's hanging out in repuklican circles. We can see that he thinks the word "activist" is preferable to that of "Democrat."

An article like this would be a goldmine of data when election time rolls around!




Cher

[lagavulin]

19. Why not just swap Garrison Keillor's testament to Norm for the Wiki one?

(Edited to fix broken link)

Keillor masterfully sums up Norm's lack of character in his famous reply to Norm's Senate victory (in the wake of the Wellstone memorial debacle)....

Empty victory for a hollow man How Norm Coleman sold his soul for a Senate seat. - Nov. 7, 2002 By Garrison Keillor

Also, on a personal note: I once saw the Dalai Lama speak in Minneapolis, where he was introduced by Norm. I can't even describe the impression of seeing a man with so much real Being side-by-side with {then Governor) Coleman. Keillor's description of Norm as a "hollow man" could not have been more apt....he appeared to be all surface, with nothing real underneath, and with no self-awareness of himself or the situation he was in. It was just another photo-op as far as Norm was concerned.

I was actually quite embarrassed for him, on a deep level.

[dad]

25. you linked to free republic

Anyhow, can someone explain this:

"Everyone knows that his family situation is, shall we say, very interesting, but nobody bothered to ask about it, least of all the religious people in the Republican Party."

[HopeFor2006]

28. Coleman was never governor

He was mayor of St Paul

[dflprincess]

30. Coleman was never governor of Minnesota

he was mayor of St. Paul. He ran for governor in 1998, the year Ventura was elected. Just as in his senate race, he did not carry the city of St. Paul in the governor's race. Not even his own precinct.

I wonder if I could add something to his bio about his well known zipper problem?

[DemonFighterLives]

37. Welcome to DU!

I'm glad you brought the Hollow Man piece. I picked it up on Black Flag rather than Freepland though.
I'll link to this thread in MN forum if no one has yet.
:hi:

[Minnesota Raindog]

20. Does it mention his East Coast-West Coast "marriage?"

Or his babysitter?

[snappyturtle]

23. I haven't heard...

can you enlighten me?!!! My avatar says it all as far as coleman goes. He's a flu-a-dub. I always get the dumbest of replies from him. Yuck!!

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

26. Turns out Zipper Normie's wife is an "up and coming" star in Hollywood

So she spends most of her time in California, with Norm spending most of his time in Washington D. C.
The kids are, I believe, being taken care of by grandparents in Minnesota.
And the local gossip columnist received a rage-filled phone call from Mrs. Coleman a day or two after
she wrote a column in the Star Tribune saying that Mrs. Coleman was "visiting" her children in Minnesota recently.
(Even though she was.)

Also turns out that alledgedly, Norm Coleman likes the ladies. And isn't shy about expressing his appreciation for them.
But that's just rumor and speculation. You didn't hear it from me.
I seriously don't know anything about his "babysitter".

[PVK]

29. Mrs. Coleman has a very weak filmography. And she's 50.

Doubtful that she is "up and coming".

Probably stays in California to escape Norm. And I can say that with some knowledge. I live in MN and I've met this little shit.

[snappyturtle]

40. Thank you. I didn't know any of this! nt

[Zookeeper]

34. Someone very close to me....

knows lots of Mpls./St. Paul restaurant people and has heard from several women (host/servers) about being propositioned and/or groped by Normie. It's about the best known secret in the Twin Cities.

[mitchum]

31. Did they take out the part about his being cuckolded by his "actress"...

wife? I guess that would be embarrasing for Ol' Norm.

[autorank]

35. U berry berry bad. Gotta link;)

[DemonFighterLives]

36. That worthless bastard coleman

He sold himself as a democrat and then switched. Just like his tooth job, he will do anything to polish his corrupt image.
:freak:

[zwielicht]

41. NPR: Wikipedia Bans Access from Capitol Hill Computers

The online encyclopedia Wikipedia, which allows users to edit entries on a wide range of subjects, has banned Capitol Hill computers from the editing process. The reason? Hill staffers tend to write glowing entries about their bosses. Alex Chadwick talks with Andrea Seabrook about some of the worst offenders, and just how far-ranging the problem is becoming.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5182883


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Staffer_Edits#United_States_Senate -> click "contribs" -> "diff" -> !!!