The story about John McCain privatizing veteran health care, while at the same time rationing VA benefits to only combat related health concerns, won't seem to fade quietly into the night. Two days ago I wrote briefly about it.  I never even mentioned plastic cards or privatization, but I got the sentiment across at least.  The war hero who got shot down over Vietnam is a sell out to the ideology of "draft-dodging coward" George Bush.

Lots More Below

[Update] Note:  I support Elizabeth Edwards in every aspect of recent events.  I in no way intended to disrespect her.  Love makes people do many things.  My comments were only snark, and not meant to be offensive.

The trolling here has become so pathetic and unentertaining that I thought it would be a good idea to give a few pointers.

Remember, though McCain points are fleeting, a true master of trollery can become immortal in the eyes of the DK community.

I was just reading a diary, walking in my own little boxed in space when I read something someone posted that made me go...

"Hmmmm"

Ok, maybe that is the edited choice of words.

I do not swear, here nor in "real life"

But if I did, my reaction would be something along the lines of:

"What the Blankety Blank Blank did he just blankety blank blank"

But what came out was more like:

"Rather, I say, what is that chap trying to say?"

<more after the break>

Somehow,  I published my dairy and the only person who could see it was me (because I put a "tips flames" up which showed up in my comment.) So here it is, sort of; anyway, this was my question:

Earlier today, I found a particularly evil piece of paranoid propaganda in a magazine editorial. My first reaction was to write about it here and say something to the effect that the campaign needs to deal with this. The editorial implied it did lots of research and found secret facts. Then I got paranoid. I thought that my bringing it up here could give it legs and some troll would pick it up and try to run with it.

This is just a simple observation, but I've seen two diaries posted in the past few days that attack John Edwards for infidelity, based on some right-wing smear. The first diary I saw stated that Edwards was wearing a "blue dress" as he tried to enter the hotel secretly. The second diary, entitled "I am STUNNED" referred to John Edwards as "Jon Edward" in one sentence. Both were based on a recent article in "The National Enquirer," which as everyone knows is factually based and a trusted source of political information. Both reported having previously been fans of John Edwards, but because of the article they had lost faith in Edwards, and simply wanted to point out to us all what a douchebag Edwards truly is.

Some weeks ago, a colleague of mine shot me an e-mail which included, inter alia: "Did I hear you say you were an ‘Obama-Mama?’  Sure hope you were kidding!"

Now, this came totally out of left field.  When not talking shop, my buddy and I usually hold forth on The Essentials Of Life: horses, dogs, Harley Davidson’s, and good beer.  We had only touched on the political when discussing the various feasances, (mis, mal and non) perpetrated by the current administration of Our Great State.    So I was quite surprised when, in response to my, "Nope.  Not kiddin’", he offered to debate positions.  Seems his previous debating partner had been transferred to another department, and he was jonesing hard for some political discourse.  Over the next weeks, I began to realize something wondrous and dreadful was happening.  Ladies and gentlemen,   I have my very own Personal Troll.

Trolls on your marks.  Get Set.  Counting down: 3, 2, 1.  Go.

John Ashcroft thinks it's okay to torture members of the United States Armed Forces.  However, Mr. Ashcroft sometimes has problems with facts and reality.  It seems unlikely that he would approve of the use of waterboarding on his own person.  Perhaps waterboarding would help change his mind.

A special shout out to Michael Savage.  The "brats" aren't faking autism.  In Michael's case I'd say he's not faking stupidity either.

Just for the record, in case anyone gets confused, I'm voting for the candidate who works out (That's bad, Nutz?).  He's a strong man, both physically and of character.  You may have heard of him.  His name is Barack.

Number of times I wanted Ron Paul to run the show: -1000
Number of insane things Congress has done:  I lost count.
Keep your head down, this bazooka has a hair trigger.
Onward.

Having been viciously attacked as a dried up old hag a few minutes away from the grave at Clintonistas for Obama, I changed my blogger identity. Absolutely no one insults me like that unless they spent 9 months in my body:)

Instead of a sweet picture of me with my grandson, I have a wedding picture of me and my sexy English husband, one month older than Obama. My success at seducing my Mr. Darcy to give up home, job, friends,  and English citizenship to swim the Atlantic for me reduces my crone credibililty. The silver hair was false advertising.

I no longer give family details. I identify myself as a New York City writer. "Jane Austen is my patron saint and defender. My weapons are mordant Austen quotes such as "For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?" I am considering this warning on my blog sidebar: "I take serously my moral obligation to reduce net venom by deleting imbecilic insults with lamentable grammar and spelling. Jane Austen would have been a brilliant blogger.

Homer: Oh, that's it.  You insulted my honor.

Moe: Your what now?

Homer: I demand satisfaction!  (slaps Moe with glove)  I
challenge you to a duel!

Moe: Hey, a duel, I uh ... isn't that a little extreme?  Here,
here, have a free beer.

Homer: Really?  But you never given anyone a free beer.

Moe: Yeah, I ain't never been slapped with no dueling glove
before, either.
 

In the 1960's a group of communications specialists and psychotherapists were looking for an answer to the causes of schizophrenia.  They theorized that there might be a pattern in the communication between parents and their schizophrenic children which might contribute to their illness.  This group was called the Palo Alto group and included noted communications expert the late Gregory Bateson, the family therapists, Virgina Satir and Jay Haley, Don Weakland, etc...  Neuro linguistic programming would grow out of the thinking of this group.   Bateson also consulted with the intelligence community on these theories.

They did not find the cause of schizophrenia, which we now know is biologically based.  But they did discover something else.  Crazy-making communication patterns.

The process by which people became schizophrenic was described in this way.  Parents of these children seemed to communicate in "schizophrenegenic" ways...or crazy-making...ways.  The crazy making pattern always included the following:

It has long been a Republican tactic to infiltrate, divide and conquer. DKos is not exempt from this sort of stealth attack. This guide will help you to recognize and deal with the most stealthy and damaging of all trolls, the "Cheney Troll"!

From Atrios today:

So Predictable

This past week gave us a look at how things will be going forward. The McCain campaign will inject a narrative, and the donut & BBQ loving press will dutifully type it up, completely making up facts to do so if necessary.

And we're going to have to start creating 360 degree shitstorms around them when they do.

The problem is that so many on this progressive/left/democratic blog have been so distracted helping the media do this, or heck, even inventing controversies, that we're missing the reason why we're here -- to help elect democrats.

I have noticed a number of brand new posters with no diary history and only negative things to say about Obama injecting themselves into conversations in recent days.

I urge everyone here, when a comment seems so off the wall that you are pulling your hair out....pause....calm yourself, and CHECK THE HISTORY of the poster.

Early penicillin was made from a special kind of mold that grew on rotting organic material.  We have to transform the rot that they bring here into an antidote.  We have to be very skilled in spotting them and calling them out to the community......

It has only just begun.  The real internet infection has begun. Rovus syphilliticus.

This is too delicious.

"Buck Smith" has been posting on Burnt Orange Report, claiming to be a liberal who had concerns about Democratic candidates.

Except he's really David Beckwith, who works for Senator John Cornyn. Yup, the famous "Big Bad John."

To the Flipmobile!

I am writing this diary in the hopes that someone will troll rate me.  You see, I disagree with you.  I will not be supporting Obama with monetary contributions, nor with a donation of my time.

Am I a troll yet?

Hey ladies and gentlemen. This is going to be a short and frankly non-substantial diary for you all. What's the point in even making a diary of something substantial like I've been wanting to on topics that matter to me? They're all going to be hidden by the vast multitude of diaries that in one way or another are about FISA, and only 1/50 of them will even say something new, different, or interesting.

Note: If you are a long time Dem/Liberal/Kossack, but just so happen to be pissed off at Obama for his failure to oppose FISA, I am not talking about you.

Trolls are invading Kos.  While there is a legitimate debate amongst progressives here about the FISA bill and Democratic capitulation, new users have begun sprouting up whose only efforts consist of exploiting this division, encouraging rancor, and weakening support for the Democratic nominee for President.

Please don't feed the trolls.

Before engaging or recommending diaries/comments, please take a moment to look at their previous contributions.  The key giveaway is that they've registered or began commenting in the past week or so.  Intent is important here.  Even if you agree with them, we should not be encouraging trolls to come here and weaken our efforts.  More importantly, if you disagree with them, don't argue.  Simply call them out on their trolling, or flag them if it's warranted.

This diary is the result of a comment I posted on http://www.dailykos.com/... a troll's Diary.  That would be bethrsingleton who has finally been banned from this community.

Earlier today I had headed over to DK from the Dallas blog where I had been posting comments in response to some dumb racist right wingers on Obama.  I posted my comments and headed back here for some R&R after having been in the pathological wacko world of the right wingosphere.    However, when I noticed bethrsingleton’s diary above, for a split second, I thought I was smack back in wacko world.  The diary was very short and had little if any substance.  It was merely an attack on Barack Obama.

Retrieving my sledgehammer I posted the comment below in an effort to share my experiences in the right wingwackosphere with others in this community.  I hope others here will do likewise.    By sharing our experiences we may become more efficient in outing the trolls.