From: owner-roc-digest@lists.xmission.com (roc-digest) To: roc-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: roc-digest V2 #60 Reply-To: roc-digest Sender: owner-roc-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-roc-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk roc-digest Monday, February 2 1998 Volume 02 : Number 060 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 2 Feb 1998 10:31:58 -0600 (CST) From: Subject: CAS: FARAH: The creep in the White House (fwd) - ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 02 Feb 1998 10:24:43 -0600 From: Bill Nalty To: cas@majordomo.pobox.com Subject: CAS: FARAH: The creep in the White House WorldNetDaily Monday, February 2, 1998=20 The creep in the White House=20 =20 By Joseph Farah The conventional wisdom, these days, is that if President Clinton turns out to be guilty only of taking advantage of a 21-year-old White House intern and lying about, then his presidency will=20 not be threatened. No resignation. Certainly no impeachment.=20 Personally, I believe there is much more to Tailgate than sex, lies and audiotape. But let's assume for the moment, that's all Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr finds. Let me tell you why I think it's scary that Clinton might be let off the hook for such misconduct.=20 Since when is it acceptable behavior for a high-ranking, powerful elected official - let alone the highest-ranking and the most powerful official - to accept sexual favors from young women barely out of school? Mayors, senators, corporate executives, teachers, candidates, even presidential staffers, have all been forced from their positions in recent years for less abusive, less degrading escapades than those the president stands accused of participating in with Monica Lewinsky.=20 Remember Bob Packwood? Remember Wilbur Mills? How about John Tower? Gary Hart? And, more recently, Dick Morris? If Bill Clinton, the president of the United States, is held to a lower moral standard, then America is, consciously or unconsciously, dumbing down our cultural tests for right and wrong behavior.=20 There's a long rich tradition in this country of demanding higher expectations from our leaders - morally and ethically. If Bill Clinton slithers through yet another scandal pitting his word against mounting evidence of arrogant, sleazy bad judgment and lack of character, it will mark a turning point for American values.=20 What an example the nation's political leader will set for the next generation of Americans. Think about it. This scandal is a topic of discussion in schoolrooms all across the country - right down to the elementary school level. Is the message we want to send these kids that promiscuity and adultery is acceptable behavior if you accumulate enough power and influence? Or should it not be the other way around - that we demand a higher standard and more accountability from our top public servants?=20 Scrap all those sexual harassment laws that forbid the use of power to procure sexual favors, because that's just what went on here - whether the actions were initiated by Clinton or by Lewinsky, whether they were welcome or not.=20 What is it about this guy that seems to make him impervious to even the most basic rules of decency. It's not just Lewinsky, either. Kathleen Willey, another White House volunteer coming to see the president about getting a paid position, testifies that Clinton groped her on the very day her husband committed suicide. When she protested, "We shouldn't be doing this," he continued, explaining, "I always wanted to." Whatever happened to "No means no."=20 Then there are Gennifer Flowers, Paula Jones, Dolly Kyle Browning, Connie Hamzy, Sheila Lawrence, Susan McDougal, Sally Perdue, Lencola Sullivan, Elizabeth Ward Gracen and a host of others dating back to his days as Arkansas governor and continuing through his White House tenure. We have a sexual predator in the White House - an out-of-control fiend who makes a mockery of his marriage vows and the institution of monogamy.=20 Let's be clear about what happened here: Clinton selfishly used Lewinsky. Time and time again, he encouraged her to get down on her knees and sexually service him. When he was done using her, he helped secure her a job, at taxpayer expense, of course, outside the White House. When he was found out, he not only lied, but also not-so-subtly insulted Lewinsky before the entire nation, referring to her as "that woman." No wonder she refers to Clinton as "the creep."=20 Before you dismiss this kind of behavior as part of Clinton's "private life," imagine your daughter in that situation.=20 Rush Limbaugh's wife, Marta, the editor of Vent Magazine, hits the nail right on the head when she postulates that Clinton is making Americans comfortable with and secure in their own weaknesses. Why bother to strive for righteousness and virtue when we see licentiousness and vice condoned if not rewarded. While we once looked up to our leaders, Clinton has lowered the office of the presidency to the gutter.=20 There must be a cost for such irresponsibility. And there are serious implications to sweeping this little episode under the rug as the president and first apologist Hillary Clinton would have us do. It would mean tearing down more of the guardrails of personal responsibility necessary for the maintenance of a free society.=20 For 30 years, America has been, as Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan once said, defining deviancy down through its social and government policies - making it acceptable to flout cultural norms, 5,000-year-old traditions of morality, not to mention good, old-fashioned common sense.=20 Can America now afford to permit its chief executive to begin openly, and without apology, defining debauchery down?=20 Joseph Farah is editor of the Internet newspaper WorldNetDaily.com and executive director of the Western Journalism Center, an independent group of investigative reporters.=20 =20 =A91998, Western Journalism Center =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D This mailing list is for discussion of Clinton Administration Scandals. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send electronic mail to majordomo@majordomo.pobox.com. In the message body put: unsubscribe cas - - ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 2 Feb 1998 12:17:18 -0600 (CST) From: Subject: CAS: TOP SECRET/CODEWORD ATTACHMENTS (fwd) - ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 2 Feb 1998 12:16:35 -0500 (EST) From: CharlesSmith To: cas@majordomo.pobox.com Subject: CAS: TOP SECRET/CODEWORD ATTACHMENTS One of the documents sent by the Clinton National Security Council, in response to a Softwar Freedom of Information request (FOIA), is marked "TOP SECRET/CODEWORD ATTACHMENTS". The document was written to Brent Scowcroft in November of 1991 during the Bush administration. The subject was the then proposed Export Administration Act (EAA), a piece of legislation before Congress, transferring authority over encryption exports from the State Dept. to the Commerce Dept. The Bush National Security Council foresaw major problems with giving encryption export control to the Commerce Department. In fact, the main section of this still heavily classified three page memo is titled "Why Commerce Can't Do It". I have placed a scanned JPEG image of the full document on the Softwar web site. Several members of the Bush NSC agreed that the Commerce Dept. could not control such exports. "Commerce, by virtue of it's mission and the pressures to which it is subject, is far less able to resist demands for decontrol of this technology." So the Bush administration opposed the EAA and the law died in Congress. One member who agreed "Commerce" couldn't do it was Richard Barth. Today, Dr. Barth is an executive at Motorola. However, in 1991 Barth was then a member of the Bush National Security Council under Brent Scowcroft. In 1991 Barth initialed the Top Secret with Codeword document, opposing export powers for the Commerce Dept. Interestingly, after Bush lost the 1992 election Barth would continue working for the National Security Council in the Clinton White House. By 1993, Barth's Clinton connections included now CIA Director George Tenet, former NSC Presidential Advisor Tony Lake and a host of high ranking officials in the Commerce Dept. Barth left the Clinton administration in the summer of 1993 to take a job at Motorola. There he would get paid big bucks to lobby his old pals back inside the White House for the huge electronics firm. Curiously, Barth returned to serve the White House even though he was employed by Motorola. Barth contracted in 1993 to free-lance for the Clinton Administration, writing encryption policy papers for Tenet while he was still employed at Motorola at the same time. In late 1994 Barth wrote a letter for Motorola to the State Dept., requesting a waiver for the export of several hundred million dollars worth of encrypted radios to communist China. The correspondence between Barth and the State Dept. shows that State was reluctant to issue such a waiver. So, Barth choose to go over their heads and wrote another letter to the Commerce Dept., with copies going to George Tenet inside the White House. Barth's correspondence is quite clear. He noted that his overseas contacts had informed him the United Kingdom had already allowed similar technology to be exported to China. In fact, he claimed the UK's intelligence agency, GCHQ, had given it's okay for the British high tech exports. Barth's inside information about US spy vs. UK spy included a personal quote from an unnamed source in the US National Security Agency (NSA). Barth claimed the NSA said Motorola deserved a "level playing field" for exports to communist China. Barth also noted that a satellite joint venture set up by Motorola, called IRIDIUM, would also need similar approval for encryption exports in the near future. Yet, how accurate was Barth? Is the Commerce Department an easy target for big bucks, and political pressure? Did the UK's GCHQ approve advanced technology for China without consulting the US? Did NSA say Motorola deserved a "level playing field"? Is there a silent trade war between former allies? If results are any measure of accuracy then please note - Motorola got the waiver and Communist China got the advanced encrypted radios. 1 if by land, 2 if by sea. Paul Revere - encryption 1775 Charles R. Smith SOFTWAR http://www.us.net/softwar Pcyphered SIGNATURE: 5329DD70135194D930EA8E1C8C6D10566BC540C97986164049DE861546B6AA59 E673D5E51FCCA50EE484FE54C8F574F90138D537F7BB900C9C400DC3912A6713 893257BA02C0AA60 ========================================================================== This mailing list is for discussion of Clinton Administration Scandals. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send electronic mail to majordomo@majordomo.pobox.com. In the message body put: unsubscribe cas - - ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 02 Feb 1998 10:51:32 -0800 From: Jack Perrine Subject: Size is not everything....Very Funny I think The current Bagehot Page in the ECONOMIST is entitled Size isn't everything. It explains how Tony Blair gets along with so many fewer workers in the official residence than the Clinton's Granted my sense of humor often finds humor where others do not. So with that caveat I thought the last line of the second paragraph which was about as funny as anything I have read for a long time From here on is from the current Economist Forget sex, lies and audiotapes: to a British observer, the extraordinary revelation in the coverage of the Bill Clinton affair was the report that the White House employed 250 interns. With so may competitors for the president's ear, no wonder some of them are alleged to focus on other parts of his anatomy. Number 10 Downing St has interns too, There are three of them, the first to ever work there; they were hired after Hillary Clinton persuaded the Blairs on the glories of the White House interns programme on a recent visit. Perhaps the First Lady pointed out the great virtue of interns--they can do all the little jobs that busy people just do not have time for Jack Perrine | Athena Programming | 626-798-6574 -----------------| 1175 N Altadena Dr | -------------- Jack@Minerva.Com | Pasadena CA 91107 | FAX-309-8620 - - ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 2 Feb 98 15:07:45 XXX From: TM@nra.org Subject: Long live Loboazul To freedom lovers everywhere, It was with great sadness that I learned on Friday night that Jim Bohan, otherwise known to many as Loboazul, passed on. For many on the internet he was one of the architect's of the DF8 campaign in 1994. To me he was a good friend and fellow freedom fighter. He told me once that the Clinton Gun Ban was his epiphany, the experience that turned him from one of those who complained about the state of freedom in this country, to an energized super-activist. But many never knew that he was a brilliant philosopher, an extremely well educated man, and extremely gifted writer. He had written two un-published novels and was working on his third. The first two had been read by most of the mainstream publishing houses and each copy that was sent to the publisher came back dog-eared, not one publisher to date was willing to tackle the politically incorrect themes (including gun ownership) that he covered. He had close friends in the highest levels of government as well as friends in the local beer joints. He was that kind of guy. He drove a beat-up blue pickup, but owned a Mercedes. He could tell raunchy jokes with the best, yet he cared about abused women and children passionately. He would tell you what he thought in no uncertain terms, but he was a hell of a good listener. To all his friends, acquaintances and those he trashed, the world is poorer place without Loboazul. So I raise my glass in a toast to a great American, a true patriot and very good friend. Goodbye, Jim, we will always love you and will miss you terribly. :-( Tanya K. Metaksa February 2, 1998 - ------------------------------------- Name: Tanya Metaksa E-mail: TM@nra.org Date: 2/2/98 Time: 3:07:45 PM This message was sent by Chameleon - ------------------------------------- - - ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 2 Feb 1998 21:25:49 EST From: ABA001@aol.com Subject: Long Live Loboazul >I was informed earlier this evening that LoboAzul passed away from us >yesterday afternoon. I am told that he had a massive heart attack while in >front of his computer. Condolences and personal letter wired to family this date by Mike Foster, Governor, State of Louisiana. Al - - ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 2 Feb 98 18:06:41 PST From: roc@xpresso.seaslug.org (Bill Vance) Subject: Re: Lobo As sent to cajunaussie@xroadstx.com. Tim; Thank you for the timely notice of Jim's passing on. While we've never met, I take this opportunity to beg a favor of you. If you will, please print out as many copies of the following as you feel necessary, for Jim's family and friends, from those of us who can't be there to say it in person. I realize it's long, but I'm not sure it could have been done any other way. Thank you. Bill Vance - ------------ snip ------------------------------------------------------ To: The Bohan Family and Friends. As I'm sure you are aware, Jim was very active in politics of the sort calculated to support and defend our rapidly eroding Rights and Freedoms. While no one of us can adequately express our sence of loss, we, (his friends and colleagues in this effort), must render this tribute. As this is all on short notice, many have yet to respond, being rendered temporarily speechless or are on the road to various functions Jim would not want us to interupt, and thus are temporarily are out of contact. They, I'm sure will add to this over the coming days, but for now, this will have to do. Following is the post that notified me of Jim's passing on, the comments of many of Jims colleagues, and finally, in that it seems to be one of the few that seems, (to me at least), to have a sense of closure, the post I sent out to pass the word. Some of these are from those who knew Jim but a short time, requesting more info, and the replies of those who knew him better. After this comes the text of two magazine articles mentioning Jim and some of his efforts, courtesy of pwatson@utdallus.edu, of which you may or may not have been aware. As many of us cannot be there to say our goodbyes, we hope that this expression of our loss, our eulogy, our tribute, finds you well, and is acceptable to you, and his posterity. William A. Vance Date: Sat, 31 Jan 1998 01:00:03 EST From: ABA001@aol.com Subject: Blue Wolfe howls his last It is with deep sadness and a loss for words that I bring this news to you. I was informed earlier this evening that LoboAzul passed away from us yesterday afternoon. I am told that he had a massive heart attack while in front of his computer. Respects can be paid at: Buffington Funeral Home Yoakum, TX Sun. from 1 till 9 and Mon. all day. More information is available from: Tim Richard 915-267-6658 cajunaussie@xroadstx.com I hope one of you can find more eloquent words than I, to post for those not fortunate enough to have known Jim Bohan on a more personal basis. Jim would have told all of us to throw back a few cold ones for him, and to move on. It may take more than a few. We have lost a great fighter, a dedicated campaigner, a true present day PATRIOT! Goodbye Lobo, GOD speed. Al Alcock From: Richard Monckton Subject: Re: Blue Wolfe howls his last The Old Wolf has only moved away from his terminal here. He will watch us and help us with the counsel he gave while he was with us in the flesh.. I was to have my first face to face meeting with Lobo this week as he was going to be near where I am now on business. Unfortunately I was robbed of that pleasure by fate. I will miss him greatly. I will miss his counsel even more. We have suffered a loss, but we must not slow down in our fight. I think I will rent American Graffitti so I can see the Old Wolf once more. Thank you Jim, you were an inspiration to many. With greatest respect and sorrow. Dick Monckton Monck From: "Posthill, John B." Bill, What terrible news about Jim! I so enjoyed his emails over the years. At least he died with his boots on, so to speak. BTW, how old was Jim? Fran is on the road today, I was going to call her tomorrow about other stuff, but why don't you let her know via email. She is at: HAGA@sassette.uncp.edu All the best! John Posthill From: neil@jove.geol.niu.edu (Neil Dickey) Subject: Re: Blue Wolfe howls his last Al Alcock gave us the sad news: >It is with deep sadness and a loss for words that I bring this news to you. > >I was informed earlier this evening that LoboAzul passed away from us >yesterday afternoon. I am told that he had a massive heart attack while in >front of his computer. He howls yet in our memories. He died at his post. God speed you to you rest, Lobo; we shall remember you when we have won this, our fight. You will be sorely missed. With great respect, Neil Dickey From: jaspar Subject: Re: Blue Wolfe howls his last >I hope one of you can find more eloquent words than I, to post for those not >fortunate enough to have known Jim Bohan on a more personal basis. It's hard to be eloquent when one is so shocked and saddened. Last week, I snail-mailed Jim a copy of our local (So. CA) newsletter, because I respected his opinion, and wanted his feedback. On Wed., 1/28, he wrote back: "Got it, today. Nice work. The cover is particularly effective." I needed that encouragement, and he was always there to give it. Always. Above all, for me, Jim was a superb mentor. Whenever I posted or wrote, I'd ask myself, "What will Lobo think of this?" Jim kept me focussed, because he was so bright, and his standards were so high. Well, I know that Jim's still looking over my shoulder, from where he is now, and he's telling all of us to give 'em hell. What a man, what a patriot. My God, he will be sorely missed. From: Chris823@aol.com Subject: Re: Blue Wolfe howls his last It is horrible news indeed that we have lost such a great friend. I never met him personally, but he always responded as a friend when I wrote to him. Right now I have tears in my eyes over our loss, and I cannot express how stunned I am. Noban will never be the same, but our cause will continue. Chris Ciccone Pittsburgh, PA From: "John Maio" Subject: Re: Blue Wolfe howls his last Other than reading some posts, as a relative newcomer I don't know who Jim Bohan was. Anyone care to write a short obituary so we can all understand better what we've lost? From: ZANE159@aol.com Subject: Lobo I had the priviledge of meeting Jim at the first annual 2nd amendment gathering at the Reflecting Pool in DC some years ago. When introduced, I said "How do you do?". Jim replied, "Well, I've got a hangover that would kill a lesser man!" Later, after the rally, we had a few drinks together along with Bernie, Larry and some others. He was quite a character and quite a man. Jim had a brilliant mind and the soul of a poet. I corresponded with him regularly and confess to having had a bit of a crush on the big cuss. To say that I will miss him doesn't cover it! Sharon Zane From: Joe Sylvester Subject: Re: Blue Wolfe howls his last At 02:22 AM 1/31/98 -0500, you wrote: [snip] > There are others who will miss him too. Anyone got Fran's addr? Last I have for her is: "Fran Haga" BTW I want confirmation before I'll believe Lobo is truly departed, and not just on a run south of the border. OTOH, if he is gone, I suspect the extreme pleasure at Clinton getting his wank in the crank may have been a factor. The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution. ---Doug McKay" Joe Sylvester Don't Tread On Me ! From: jaspar Subject: Re: Blue Wolfe howls his last >Other than reading some posts, as a relative newcomer I don't know who Jim >Bohan was. Anyone care to write a short obituary so we can all understand >better what we've lost? Fortune Magazine http://pathfinder.com/fortune/magazine/specials/infotech/right/right.html "TO FOLKS in nearby Yoakum, Texas, Jim Bohan is just another struggling rancher. But to his compatriots on the Internet, he is Lobo Azul, Spanish for Blue Wolf, and a master of the new world of cyberpolitics." For samples of his wonderful humor and brilliant writing, just go to YAHOO, and type in "Jim Bohan," or "Loboazul." God rest his soul. What a man, what a patriot. From: larry ball Subject: Re: Lobo Gentlemen, Whe I read of Jim's heart attack I thought it a joke. I just now got home from a two day anniversary trip with my wife. It is a shock, and I am saddened by Jim's demise. El loboazul, it was a pleasure to serve the last four years in cyberspace with him. Larry Ball lball@inetnebr.com From: tuck@cstone.net (Tuck Landry) Subject: Re: Lobo DAMNIT! From: Carl Reimann Subject: Re: Blue Wolfe howls his last On Saturday, 31 January, jaspar mentioned: > Fortune Magazine > http://pathfinder.com/fortune/magazine/specials/infotech/right/right.html This article is a travesty, describing "militias" as something dark and sinister akin to child pornography. The author, Ann Dowd, urges that protection from the evil aspects of the Internet is needed but without undermining the democratizing aspect. Only a mainstream journalist could trip herself so badly. Carl From: Richard Monckton Subject: Re: Blue Wolfe howls his last John Maio wrote: > > Other than reading some posts, as a relative newcomer I don't know who Jim > Bohan was. Anyone care to write a short obituary so we can all understand > better what we've lost? LoboAzul Was the Alpha Male of the Noban list. He was the leader of the pack. He was a friend to many , a spirited adversary to others. He could wade into a flame war and prevail, or he could counsel caution and concern and it was accepted. He was an unelected leader without trying. He was an instigator and he tried to stir things up at times , and he succeeded ( That's how we got NOBAN) . He was our friend and we will miss him .. We should all go outside and enjoy a moment of silence as his ashes are spread over his favorite fishing hole.. The least we could do. Dick Monckton From: TSBench@aol.com Subject: Re: Lobo Just signed on to congratulate Wolfman on winning our bet on the Clinton over/under. Had some pretty funny lines to bust his nuts. I can't remember any of them now. Adios. Regards, Walker From: neil@jove.geol.niu.edu (Neil Dickey) Subject: Re: Blue Wolfe howls his last John Maio wrote: > Other than reading some posts, as a relative newcomer I don't know who Jim > Bohan was. Anyone care to write a short obituary so we can all understand > better what we've lost? Jim did a lot of things with his life, but what I most remember is his way with the language. He generally knew what he was talking about, and was a formidable adversary in a debate. He could say more in a sentence than most people can with a page full of words, and had a wit that could flay the hide off a rhinoceros. At 1000 yds. Some of us learned that the hard way. ;-) But we liked it, and we respected him, even if we didn't always agree. The opinions which I have expressed herein are entirely my own, unless other- wise noted. No-one else should be held responsible for what I think. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | D. N. Dickey | Virtuous motives, trammeled by inertia and | | Research Associate | timidity, are no match for armed and | | Northern Illinois Univ. | resolute wickedness. | | neil@earth.geol.niu.edu | - W. S. Churchill | | **Finger for public key** | | - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: BMichael@aol.com Subject: Re: Blue Wolfe howls his last >I hope one of you can find more eloquent words than I, to post for those not >fortunate enough to have known Jim Bohan on a more personal basis. > >Jim would have told all of us to throw back a few cold ones for him, and to >move on. > >It may take more than a few. > >We have lost a great fighter, a dedicated campaigner, a true present day >PATRIOT! > >Goodbye Lobo, GOD speed. I'm not the one to write the "eloquent words"... and we never met in person. But Jim's sharp wit and way with words on this list quickly won the respect of _this_ "fellow Texan". We got to corresponding "off-list" on several topics, especially his beloved Macintosh. (I'm a Mac programmer - he could defend the Mac to PC types just as well as he could defend RKBA to the, um, "other" PC types. He usually copied me on any flame wars he got in "over there".) I've got an unpublished manuscript of a book here that he wrote; my understanding is that he was trying to get a publisher to take it on, but was having trouble due to the plain-speaking, not-politically-correct, just-plain-Lobo-ness of the work. I guess I won't send the book back with my comments now... But I think the rest of tonight should be spent with a Shiner Bock in one hand and his manuscript in the other... Adios, mi amigo grande. Adios. Bill Michael From: Joe Sylvester Subject: Re: Blue Wolfe howls his last At 09:01 PM 1/31/98 -0500, Richard Monckton wrote: > >LoboAzul Was the Alpha Male of the Noban list. He was the leader of the >pack. He was a friend to many , a spirited adversary to others. He >could wade into a flame war and prevail, or he could counsel caution and >concern and it was accepted. He was an unelected leader without trying. >He was an instigator and he tried to stir things up at times , and he >succeeded ( That's how we got NOBAN) . He was our friend and we will >miss him .. We should all go outside and enjoy a moment of silence as >his ashes are spread over his favorite fishing hole.. The least we >could do. Somehow I think he would prefer being set adrif in a burning longboat. The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution. ---Doug McKay" Joe Sylvester Don't Tread On Me ! From: BludyRed@aol.com Subject: Re: Blue Wolfe howls his last >>I was informed earlier this evening that LoboAzul passed away from us yesterday afternoon. I am told that he had a massive heart attack while in front of his computer.<< There is much to be said, none of which would do justice to what he DID for the cause of FREEDOM in America. One word can describe Jim Bohan----RIGHT. Above all he was a GENTLEMAN I am saddened beyond words. VAYA CON DIOS, LOBO If anyone has his obit, I would appreciate it if you would post it. He had many friends on AOL. Dennis Baron From: "Kevin McGehee" Subject: Re: Lobo Tuck Landry wrote: >DAMNIT! Succinctly and aptly put. I'm still in shock myself. Kevin McGehee North Pole, Alaska mcgehee@mosquitonet.com http://www.mosquitonet.com/~mcgehee/ ************************ Nunca lunchum liber est ************************ From: David Gonzalez Subject: Re: Blue Wolfe howls his last On Sat, 31 Jan 1998, Richard Monckton wrote: > slow down in our fight. I think I will rent American Graffitti so I can > see the Old Wolf once more. Thank you Jim, you were an inspiration to > many. There's at least one new NOBANner who will be puzzled by the reference above, so allow me to explain. Those of us (including myself) who never were fortunate enough to meet Jim Bohan could see what he looked like by turning to page 113 of the July 10, 1995 edition of *Fortune* magazine. (He told me later that he'd buzz-cut the mane off because it was too much to manage and besides, Yoakum gets *hot* in the summer!). But there was yet *another* way to see Jim: Although he didn't brag about it, in his younger days, Jim was a Hollywood actor. To see and hear what he was like then, watch *American Graffiti*. Jim plays the role of "Holstein the cop" and can be seen through the car window dressing down "John Milner" (Paul LeMat) for having a burned-out light bulb on his hot-rod. If the Second Amendment is the heart of NOBAN, then Jim Bohan is its soul. Such a delightful way to start my day. What Tuck said, thrice! David M. Gonzalez Wheeling, Illinois From: "Posthill, John B." Subject: Adios, Blue... Dear Members of the "Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy" (minus one): I am saddened deeply as well. I wish he would have lived to collect from TSB and to see the upcoming Clinton Crumble. I never met Jim, but will be sending a card of condolence to his Aunt at: Charlotte Keister Rt.4 Box 133 Yoakum, Texas 77995 Other nobanners may wish to also do so if so inclined. John Posthill (one can only hope that there will be a 21 gun -- or more -- salute as the ashes are spread.) From: Patricia Fosness Subject: Re: Blue Wolfe howls his last >>>I was informed earlier this evening that LoboAzul passed away from us >yesterday afternoon. I am told that he had a massive heart attack while in >front of his computer.<< > > There is much to be said, none of which would do justice to what he >DID for the cause of FREEDOM in America. > Amen! Jim Bohan was one of the best things that could have happened to the pro-gun movement and, off list, a friend. He was one of the best mentors I had in my early days as a pro-gun activist, and was a man of many talents that we didn't see here. Thankfully, I still have a copy of a script he wrote, for he was also active in the movie business (as a writer, and producer as well as actor). Oh, hell, I can't see the keys anymore the the tears. Why does God have to take the good ones? Regards, Pat Fosness NRA certified instructor: Pistol, Rifle, Personal Protection - -------------------------------------------------------------- "Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the Act depriving a whole nation of arms as the blackest" - Mahatma Ghandi - 1927 - -------------------------------------------------------------- Copyrighted material contained within this document is used in compliance with the United States Code, Title 17, Section 107, "for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching" From: pwatson@utdallas.edu Subject: God be with you my friend, Lobo, Jim Bohan I can't stop crying, I have lost one of my best friends. Jim Bohan was one of the first people I met both on Internet and later in person in 1993. He helped organize the DF8 internet list to get rid of Tom Foley. He helped Dr. Fran Haga get information for the House investigation into the Branch Davidians. He helped form a list NOBAN to repeal the gun ban law and we did get a house vote. He helped try and buy the Rules of Engagement Movie with a group of investors and Mike McNulty. He helped Suzanna Hupp get elected to office. He was an actor, producer, writer, and a Texan above all in the spirit of the men who died in the Alamo. He went around the country in his old beat up pickup truck supporting gun rights all over America. I had countless e-mails and phone conversations with Lobo. He grew up sneaking into black jazz bars listing to the early blues and was the only white kid in the whole area. He was a true character in the spirit of John Wayne and helped anyone who asked. His humor, wit, wisdom and friendship will be always treasured. People like Jim were one in a million. He was a true American patriot a man who loved America and everything we are about. He believed in freedom and liberty. And now he has gone and died. Truly amazing that he died at his Internet keyboard of a massive heart attack. He went out just like the way he lived. Jim always seemed to have the last word. Jim, I know you will help us and guide us on our journey back to freedoms road. I am glad I had the pleasure of knowing you, I miss you old friend. Regards, Paul Watson Dallas, Texas From: neil@jove.geol.niu.edu (Neil Dickey) Subject: Re: Blue Wolfe howls his last Al Alcock gave us the sad news: >It is with deep sadness and a loss for words that I bring this news to you. > >I was informed earlier this evening that LoboAzul passed away from us >yesterday afternoon. I am told that he had a massive heart attack while in >front of his computer. He howls yet in our memories. He died at his post. God speed you to you rest, Lobo; we shall remember you when we have won this, our fight. You will be sorely missed. With great respect, Neil Dickey From: "E.J. Totty" Subject: Re: Blue Wolfe howls his last Al, [...] I was informed earlier this evening that LoboAzul passed away from us yesterday afternoon. [...] What say, the warrier, who in his heart knows all manner of grief, sorrow, sadness? To look at today, and see tomorrow, and know there will be happeness. We here, saw his pain, and saw his fight; we here knew the words he spoke were true, were right, and measured ourselves in his light. No warrier dies in vein, and none can really know his pain, but we who live on can for ourselves, sustain his efforts, and turn his dreams into reality. Though our size now be numerically smaller, by our efforts and his knowledge, we can be intellectually taller. He has passed to that other place, let us pick up his standard and maintain our pace. If we look back, let us always see, the ole Blue Wolf prodding us on, to victory. Later, Jim. ET From: jaspar Subject: Re: Blue Wolfe howls his last >I hope one of you can find more eloquent words than I, to post for those not >fortunate enough to have known Jim Bohan on a more personal basis. It's hard to be eloquent when one is so shocked and saddened. Last week, I snail-mailed Jim a copy of our local (So. CA) newsletter, because I respected his opinion, and wanted his feedback. On Wed., 1/28, he wrote back: "Got it, today. Nice work. The cover is particularly effective." I needed that encouragement, and he was always there to give it. Always. Above all, for me, Jim was a superb mentor. Whenever I posted or wrote, I'd ask myself, "What will Lobo think of this?" Jim kept me focused, because he was so bright, and his standards were so high. Well, I know that Jim's still looking over my shoulder, from where he is now, and he's telling all of us to give 'em hell. What a man, what a patriot. My God, he will be sorely missed. From: handgnr@nwlink.com (Dave Workman) Subject: Re: rkba-list: Blue Wolfe howls his last Bill, All: We are diminished. Dave Workman From: dcoy@adrian.adrian.edu Subject: Re; Blue Wolfe howls his last Chris Ciccone eloquently expressed my thoughts about Lobo's passing from labor to eternal refreshment. Lobo, may the Supreme Architect of the Universe keep you safely. Bon Voyage. Dave Coy Adrian, MI From: BludyRed@aol.com Subject: Re: Blue Wolfe howls his last Patricia Fosness writes: >> Oh, hell, I can't see the keys anymore the the tears.<< The finest tribute you could have paid him. Truth be told, I paid in similar coin. >> Why does God have to take the good ones?<< Because He is God. Perhaps He has uses for Jim, of which it is not our business to know. Jim was here. He lives still. He will live a long time. If you do not believe me ask Tom Foley, or any member of the Democratic MINORITY in Congress. I am not very religious, yet I do believe there is a purpose for everything. I just do not understand what they are most times. In those rare moments of crystal clarity, I also understand that most times I do not want to know. It is almost time to move on. It is the way of the wolf. Best regards, Dennis Baron From: "Posthill, John B." Subject: FW: Jim Bohan-RIP Another eulogy from another rkba list.... > -----Original Message----- > From: Joseph R. Grenda [SMTP:70324.1036@compuserve.com] > Sent: Sunday, February 01, 1998 7:18 PM > Subject: Jim Bohan-RIP > > Recent info was posted to me about the passing of Jim Bohan, aka "The > Old Blue Howler." > > I had the privilege of knowing Jim personally, and the enjoyment of > hearing how he acquired his nickname! I considered him a true friend in > the short time I came to know him. > > Jim is going to be missed, and that is an understatement. I cannot > possibly begin to eulogize because there was so much to the guy; His > intellect, his talent, his creativity, his honesty about things, > especially his opinions. His humanly being able to admit nor pretend that > he did not have all the answers to every problem confronting this country, > or what's left of it. Sometimes I'd pose a question to him, and the reply > might come back, "gee, I don't have a clue about that." But when he did > have a clue, it proved to be significant. > > Blue's contribution to RKBA was national in scope. He was a real > motivator. He'd be the first to correct anyone trying to give him the > bulk of the credit, but Tom Foley and Jack Brooks are retired today not > because of a powerful, "gun lobby", but because Jim Bohan wanted to do > something about it and did it. He set some some lofty standards for > grassroots activists. Mike Foster is Governor of Louisiana because Jim > got involved with other dedicated folks. I think a national magazine did > a piece on his ability to use this discipline, energize and motivate RKBA > interests. He also had the fortitude, discipline, and keen political > skills necessary to remain above the fray and allways keep the big picture > in focus, and hold together people who shared the common goal of > preserving what's left of the RKBA. > > I really can't fathom how many it will take to fill his shoes. This > plaanet is a lot emptier with Jim's passing. > > So long, Loboazul. There will be a bottle of uncorked Corvo kept in > your memory, always within reach. From: William Gray Subject: Re: Blue Wolfe howls his last Damn. And double damn. I drive over 40 miles each way to work, about half of it through the largest Interstate construction project in America. (There cannot be any other freeway construction going on in the US because all the road crews are in SLC.) It's raining--trying to snow--Utah drivers are so bad that Hollywood stunt drivers come here to drive the freeways for practice. So I log in to get cheered up and I find this. I share the sorrow others have expressed at losing our friend and comrade in arms. I have an interest in screenplays, and Jim very kindly offered me encouragement and informed guidance. He even sent me copies of two of his screenplays to examine for certain features we had discussed in e-mail. I never heard his voice nor saw his face. But I often took his counsel and we corresponded offline on matters of substance. It fair to say that the measure of our devotion to our friend will be found in how well we rally round and press on in our campaign to be free. He would be less impressed with our tears than our resolve, more impressed with our keeping cadence than in faltering in our march. One of us has fallen, boots on. As someone else observed, he died at his post. And now it falls to us to carry on. Farewell, my friend. Bill From: David Phillips Subject: Re: The history of noban In message Mon, 2 Feb 1998 09:43:13 -0500 (EST), pwatson@utdallas.edu wrote: > HOW NOBAN STARTED Many thanks to Paul Watson for posting the history of NOBAN. Now, for those of us that didn't have the privilege of knowing Jim closely, can anyone tell us how he got the nickname 'El Lobo Azul'? - -- David V. Phillips sasdvp@sas.com SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room. Don't Tread on Me. DVC 35* 47'N 78* 47'W From: Chuck Scanland Subject: Jim Bohan, adios mi amigo I don't have the words. I'm remembering the beer boycott. And the stories of Goliad and San Jacinto. I always intended to get out to Yoakum and visit. Guess it'll have to wait. whuf! Goodbye Lobo 'nuff said Chuck Spring, Texas From: Subject: Re: God be with you my friend, Lobo, Jim Bohan (fwd) >From the producer of "Waco the Rules of Engagement" - ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 2 Feb 1998 00:28:04 EST From: COPS555@aol.com To: pwatson@utdallas.edu Subject: Re: God be with you my friend, Lobo, Jim Bohan Double that for me, Paul. Regards, Mike McNulty From: berg stephen erik Subject: Lobo I, too am greatly saddened by our loss. I was hoping to point the bike down there to Yoakum this summer to meet Jim in person. Looks like I will have to wait on that for a while now. While I did archive most of our correspondence, I never did get to find out how he got his nickname. Would someone in the know, kindly post this? Also, while we of the DeKalb contingent sent a plant to the funeral, where can we mail our condolences? Steve z931086@corn.cso.niu.edu From: Subject: Re: God be with you my friend, Lobo, Jim Bohan (fwd) - ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 2 Feb 1998 14:05:22 EST From: Fran Haga To: pwatson@utdallas.edu Subject: Re: God be with you my friend, Lobo, Jim Bohan > > Amen, to everything you said, Paul. > > Fran > > > > > Fran, I don't know about you but it did me some good to write up this > eulogy. Can I talk you into doing the same some time and posting it to > Noban. > Regards, > Paul Watson > Dear Paul, Sure, go ahead and post this to noban. I still don't know what to say besides the obvious. The man MEANT to die in bed surrounded by good company, so somewhere he's suggesting to St. Pete that the computer keyboard IS NOT the next best thing. :-) Fran From: JT McBride Subject: Blue Monday I know the day must come for all of us, but I'm still in shock. We owe Jim Bohan a great debt for the efforts he put forth in DF8 and in starting this list. I think the best tribute we could ever give him would be to use this list to effect some real change, such as the change embodied in the list name: No Ban! I'm going to rent American Graffiti tonight on the way home. And if the rights to it can be sorted out, I'd sure like to see his book published. Perhaps as a cyberbook, ala "The Gray Nineties" ? Jim Bohan - you're better connected than any of the rest of us now. You know how this whole parade will end. I hope those of us still standing along the route can turn the course for the better. Jim The "Assault Weapons" ban is drive-by legislation. The target: Crime; the victimized innocent bystander: the lawfully armed Citizen. ~*~*~ Tyranny Insurance by Colt's Manufacturing Cos. ~*~*~ From: "R. Craig Peterson-Mainstream" Subject: Re Lobo Azul I couldn't bear to remove him from the email lists, so I've set his subscriptions to postpone mode. May he find the eternal rest he so deserves. May God help us all, Craig. - ------- Start of forwarded message ------- Date: Mon, 02 Feb 1998 09:08:52 -0500 To: "R. Craig Peterson-Mainstream" From: David Hubbs Subject: Re: unsubscribe Craig, All of loboazul's email subscriptions have been set to postpone. David At 12:31 PM 2/1/98 -0500, you wrote: >Would you set loboazul's email on the NRA and NOBAN lists to POSTPONE >from ACK? > >Thanks, > >Craig. - ------- End of forwarded message ------- From: Subject: The history of noban HOW NOBAN STARTED Updated: Fri, May 2, 1997 at 4:59 PM E.S.T. (GMT-5) INDEX * Jim Bohan a.k.a. El Lobo Azul's Account * DF-8 Campaign (Tom Sowa - Spokesman Review - Aug. '95) * Fortune Magazine Article - June 1995 * Subscribe to NOBAN mailing list JIM BOHAN A.K.A.EL LOBO AZUL'S ACCOUNT Date: Fri, 02 May 1997 10:16:57 -0600 From: "Howlin' Blue" Reply-To: loboazul@bluewolf.com To: tuck@cstone.net, richard hartman , skip leuschner Subject: Re: History of NOBAN NOban evolved out of a series of telephone and email discussions between Richard and I. We were looking for a means of keeping pressure on the congress to effect AWB reversal. Skip was involved in some other things at that time and couldn't play. To do so, we wrote a letter "To Our Friends in Congress", the subject was (referring to Foley) "We Did It Once, We Can Do It Again." In it we told Newt that if he didn't keep his promises we'd throw his ass and those of his leadership friends out at the next election. Rich, Mary and I signed it and called on twenty or thirty other gun orgs to join us. We posted the letter netwide. First thing that happened was that Tanya read the letter and offered to take it to Newt, to put it in his hand, if we wished. She had a meeting with him in about two days. We wished. Newt read the letter aloud to the group of R leadership and said they (us) are like a wife who's husband just quit drinking. They're glad he stopped but are afraid he's going to start again at any minute. He wrote a letter to Tanya acknowledging us, saying that if we'd give him a hundred days to effect the Contract with America he'd get the AWB repealed in the second 100 days. We agreed. About four or five days before the AWBrepeal vote was to happen, OKCity blew up, reelecting Clinton. Ultimately, the AWBan was repealed by the House but the Senate never took it up, which is why we didn't campaign for Dull. Richard, as I remember, that's the way it happened. Make any corrections you like. From: noban@xpresso.seaslug.org (Bill Vance) Subject: Blue Wolfe howls his last A sorrowful Duty indeed to pass along this news. Having earned the respect of us all in his various ways, he will be sorely missed. Aside from all the reasons we all have to miss him, he's the only person besides myself that I know of, who could use playing cards like shuriken, so our fellow Martial Artists have an extra reason to miss him, as he can no longer pass along a rare art. There are others who will miss him too. Anyone got Fran's addr? EYES RIGHT!!!!! Review friends, troops long past review. . . . . TAPS - -- - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath no weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his hand = Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy a on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus Christ - ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- El Lobo AZUUUUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOoooooooouuuuuuuullllll ! (wolf howl) Magazine Articles Courtesy of pwatson@utdallas.edu. Article 1. BEGINNINGS IN THE DF-8 (DE-FOLEY-ATE) CAMPAIGN by Tom Sowa - Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Wash. - Aug. 1995 At a recent convention of political consultants in Washington, D.C., the hot topic was the Internet and its likely role in shaping the way candidates get their messages to voters. Debates raged over its positive and negative effects. But the consensus was that candidates had better get on the Net and use it or risk being squashed by their opponents. Gathering a good share of the attention were two unlikely cyberspace gurus from Spokane, Wash.--Richard and Mary Hartman, co-founders of De-Foley-Ate Congress (DF8), who attended the conference to share what they'd learned from running what many consider the first real Internet political-action committee. The Hartmans hardly fit the role of visionaries. Neither had any previous experience in organized politics and neither claimed to be an Internet expert. Instead, they represent what happens when good timing is matched by hard work. DF8 now gets credit for helping knock off Tom Foley, former Democratic congressman from Washington and Speaker of the House--the third-highest elected U.S. official. DF8's arrival last fall drew attention from the traditional media. But it also rattled some veteran Netters who saw it as a tattered mob of anti-government diehards who misused Internet standards of etiquette and fairness in getting their message across the country. Because the DF8 system worked in arousing several hundred people to give money and help defeat Foley, pundits have announced the arrival of cyberpolitics. Although attendees at the conference of the American Association of Political Consultants came away talking about electronic politics, many of them agreed that Internet use is not wide enough to make it a major part of every campaign. California political consultant Jeff Adler is among those who are looking around, waiting for the next DF8 to help clarify the tactics of using bulletin boards, e-mail campaigning, and hosting online candidate forums. Said Adler, who is a partner in the Adler Wilson Campaign Service in Laguna Hills, Calif., "It's murky. But everyone seems to be talking about getting ready to use the Internet." Analysts have reached a few points of agreement: The Internet can reach great numbers of people across the country quickly, and it gives everyone an equal opportunity to sound off. To many people, that impact will be beneficial. "The role of this will be like the small presses and the pamphleteers such as Tom Paine during the colonial period," said Adler. "The Internet, if nothing else, will give people a place to bounce their ideas off one another and realize they can band together." Hartman, a 35-year-old software engineer for a printer manufacturing firm, said the bouncing of ideas was one of DF8's bigger successes. He began the effort strictly on a dare, having been challenged by someone in a Usenet newsgroup to make some form of statement against Foley, who had irritated Hartman by voting for the Clinton Crime Bill and thus supporting a ban on assault weapons. In three weeks, mostly by sending queries to people he found on various newsgroups, he and his wife created a two-tier system to make that statement. A core group in Spokane, Wash., would post messages about the campaign to the Net and then send some of those messages by e-mail to a support group of about a dozen volunteers across the country. The volunteers then distributed the messages to more than a hundred newsgroups and bulletin boards, creating a digital version of the old telephone tree. Some of the postings were informational--attacks on Foley or summaries of the positions of Foley's opponent George Nethercutt. Others were requests for money. By the November election, DF8 had raised almost $30,000. Most of the money was used to buy radio and print ads, and none of it went to the Nethercutt campaign because of federal regulations. Because DF8 was a new group and lacked a formal organization, bickering broke out in its ranks. Some members of the second group complained at times that the Hartmans were reaping the glory while the volunteers down the line did most of the work. Said Richard Hartman: "All I could do was remind them that the whole point was defeating Foley, and that afterwards this effort would disappear, which it did." By the time of the election, DF8 probably involved more than 70 people across the country posting remarks, finding items to send back to the Hartmans, offering advice, or simply sending the occasional $25 check. The Hartmans acknowledged that gun control opponents, term-limit advocates, Libertarians, and anti-government devotees looking for a cause were drawn to the group because Foley was a big enough target to make people outside Washington state work against him. The loose organization also created some problems. Some cross-posters sent DF8 messages widely and indiscriminately in newsgroups. Hartman said this was a reflection of DF8's grass-roots zeal and was outside his control. If Foley had lost by a wide margin, it would be harder for DF8 to boast. But the Speaker lost a squeaker, and Hartman claims that the money DF8 raised and the heat generated on the Internet played a critical part in unseating him. After the new Republican majority took office, the Hartmans and associate Jim Bohan announced a new Internet-based activist group called NOBAN, which seeks the removal of the assault gun ban passed last summer. "Don't repeat the mistakes of former members like Foley and [Texas Representative] Jack Brooks. Don't force us to look elsewhere for proper leadership. And no one in the current House leadership is nearly as difficult a target as Foley." the group wrote members of Congress. Consultants who are digesting the impact of DF8 and several other statewide races that used the Internet say that some of the Hartmans' success is not easily repeated. The people from East Washington who formed De-Foley-Ate Congress now have a new project, called Self Defense Network. It's a Net-based effort to generate stories of Americans who use guns in self defense and in stopping crimes. The goal, say its organizers, is to offer a counterview to the media=D5s bias on gun incidents, which they say is always to find the negative, harmful effects of guns. According to Phil Noble, a Washington, D.C., political adviser, DF8 worked largely because the Hartmans were lucky and were at the right place at the right time. "They took advantage of the technology, and what happened was the guy they supported won. I give them credit for doing that," he said. Some strategists suggest the Internet may work well for arousing and focusing the discontent of voters who feel left out of the political mainstream. It may not be as effective a tool in changing the minds or swaying the votes of people who use a variety of information sources and see the Net as just one avenue to explore ideas. On the other hand, consultants like Adler expect innovative tactics to emerge. "It's possible we'll see home pages on the Web that grab people's attention the way cable television can program its content in 30-second hits and that make the channel-surfer stop long enough to get the point," he said. Beyond raising money and building a nationwide coalition of volunteers, the Hartmans see DF8's coup in discovering information other media had missed during the campaign. DF8 supporters twice found anti-Foley items in distant parts of the country and relayed them to Hartman, who made sure they were featured in radio talk shows. One item was a detailed tax assessment for Foley's $620,000 home in Washington, D.C. Sent to Hartman by an Internet user in the area, the information was not helpful when Foley was trying to portray himself as a fiscally cautious man who needed to build a house in D.C. because rents had skyrocketed. The second item was a memo filed in 1993 by Foley in a tangled set of legal arguments after voters in Arkansas had adopted a term-limit law. Foley was in hot water in his home state because he had filed suit with others after Washington voters in 1992 had approved a similar term-limit law. Foley had said in public campaign debates that he joined the Washington state lawsuit to move the issue through the courts to the Supreme Court, where its constitutionality needed to be decided. He never said anything about memos he had filed in Arkansas. The Arkansas filing, which was submitted in support of the court brief, argued that the decision over its legality needed to be resolved at the state level and not be moved directly to the Supreme Court. The statement was the opposite view asserted by Foley during his Washington campaign, Hartman said. If nothing else, the DF8 postmortem suggests a candidate facing an opponent using the Internet needs to get online to counterpunch and go on the offensive. Foley, who had won 15 consecutive elections, had no staff members reviewing DF8's activity or offering replies online. Said consultant Adler, "If you don't fix something fast, it's going to become a problem." Article 2. From: Subject: Fortune 1995 article on Jim Bohan Accession Number 01055492 Author Dowd, Ann Reilly. Title The Net's surprising swing to the right. Source Fortune. 132(1): 113-115; European 87-89. 1995 Jul 10. Subject Headings Internet. Users. Politics. Abstract The Internet is revolutionizing politics in America. It provides a truly national forum for public debate on everything from gun control to a balanced budget to free speech. With access to up-to-the-minute news and in-depth analysis, this medium may have the potential to give life back to a democracy grown weak from voter apathy and 60-second sound bites. However, there is a dark side, as the Internet is also a forum for pornographers and white supremacists. For the moment at least, conservatives appear to have an edge in the battle to dominate cyberpolitics. David Winston of the Heritage Foundation estimates that of the approximately 35 million people that use the Internet, about 1/2 are Republicans, only 1/4 are Democrats, and the rest are independents. Moreover, most are men between the ages of 25 and 45 with high levels of education and income, and a strong libertarian cast. Full Text TO FOLKS in nearby Yoakum, Texas, Jim Bohan is just another struggling rancher. But to his compatriots on the Internet. he is Lobo Azul, Spanish for Blue Wolf, and a master of the new world of cyberpolitics. Last year, motivated in part by anger at the Democratic Congress for passing the 1994 assault-weapons ban, Bohan, along with Spokane software engineer Richard Hartman and retired Rear Admiral Skip Leuschner, whom he met surfing the Net, raised $27,000 from fellow Netnoids--and more than enough hell--to help unseat Speaker of the House Tom Foley. Now Bohan and Hartman are managing NoBan, a cybercampaign of some five million people dedicated to repealing the provision. This time, Foley's replacement, Newt Gingrich, is listening. After a National Rifle Association lobbyist read him the opening of a letter from Bohan and Hartman pointing out that many of the Congressmen who supported the ban were defeated, Gingrich promised to bring the divisive issue to a vote again. Just as the printing press made the Reformation possible, and faxes and tape recorders helped bring down the Berlin Wall, the Internet is revolutionizing politics in America. Suddenly everyone with a computer, a modem, and about $20 a month for a hookup has a political voice and platform. It amounts to publishing without editors, broadcasting without regulators, lobbying for everyman--and all in real time. There is a dark side. Point your mouse and click for bulletin boards filled with child pornography and bestiality. Click, click for mayhem manuals replete with bomb recipes. Click, click, click for white supremacists selling hate. By using the Internet and other high-tech communication techniques, racists like Canadian rocker George Burdi have revitalized a once moribund neo-Nazi skinhead movement in the U.S. From only 1,000 activists in 1987, the movement is now four times that size, according to estimates by the Southern Poverty Law Center in Alabama. But there is also a bright side: a truly national forum for freewheeling if sometimes raucous public debate on everything from gun control to a balanced budget to free speech. Add to that access to up-to-the-minute news and in-depth analysis, and you begin to understand the potential of this medium to give power back to the little guy--and maybe, just maybe, life back to a democracy grown weak from voter apathy and 60-second sound bites. For the moment at least, conservatives, including angry ones like Bohan, appear to have an edge in the battle to dominate cyberpolitics. David Winston, an information technology expert at the conservative Heritage Foundation, estimates that of the 35 million or so persons who regularly use the Internet, about half are Republicans, only a quarter Democrats, and the rest independents. Moreover, most are men between ages 25 and 45 with high levels of education and income, and a strong libertarian cast. Says Ed Miller of Luntz Research, a GOP polling group: "These folks are a natural part of the just-leave-me-alone coalition of gun owners, the religious right, property-rights activists, small businesses, and tax-and spending-limitation advocates who fueled the GOP takeover of Congress in November. The Internet offers Republicans a great opportunity to expand that coalition." That's exactly what Gingrich had in mind when he launched Congress into the Information Age by putting all congressional legislation as well as the Congressional Record online through Thomas, a new site on the Internet's World Wide Web named after Thomas Jefferson. The Heritage Foundation and National Review magazine will soon start a Website called Town Hall (http://www.townhall.com), where conservative surfers can tap into a treasure-trove of right-wing analysis. Participants include the Heritage Foundation itself, plus the Progress and Freedom Foundation --which produced Gingrich's video history course--and such advocacy groups as Jack Kemp's Empower America, the Family Research Council, the American Conservative Union, and Americans for Tax Reform, a conservative grassroots lobby that pushes the flat tax. Some of the Websites offer their own brand of interactivity. One invites users to try their hand at balancing the federal budget. Another, set up by House Majority Leader Dick Armey, gives users a form that lets them compare their current tax bill with what it would be under Armey's flat tax. And Americans for Tax Reform is developing a program to build support for privatizing Social Security by allowing people to figure just how much more they'd get at 65 by stashing away 15% of their wages in an IRA rather than paying Social Security taxes. But while conservatives have the juice on the Net, they are by no means the only success stories. Take the National Association of Graduate and Professional Students, a low-budget operation with one part-time lobbyist based in Wilmette, Illinois. Using its E-mail list of some 20,000 students, teachers, and administrators, the group generated 1,500 letters to Congress, helping to unravel Gingrich's plan to cut student aid. Recognizing the potential of the new medium, Democratic congressional leaders are rushing to catch up. Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle has set up a special committee to help Senators get their messages out over cable TV, talk radio, and the Internet. Meanwhile liberal activists from the AFL-CIO to the Sierra Club and NOW have been generally less aggressive than conservatives in building cybercoalitions. On the other hand, liberals can boast one of the hottest sources of opposition research: Democratic consultant Matt Dorsey's NewtWatch (http://www.cais.com/newtwatch/), There, under a catchy graphic of Newt talking to Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole and a pasty extraterrestrial, you can find lists of the Speaker's contributors, his key votes since 1981, and texts of ethics committee complaints and other alleged improprieties. You can also send a nasty letter to Newt--or a donation by credit card to NewtWatch. BUT WHOEVER IS ahead today can't bet he'll be there tomorrow because the Net is growing at such an explosive pace. Experts believe Microsoft's new Windows 95 software, which will make it easier for users to go online, plus the increased Internet connectivity of commercial services such as Prodigy and America Online, will double Internet traffic over the next year. In another two to four years, information technology consultant Jimmy Crum-Jones predicts, most American households will have Internet access, as well as many libraries and schools. "At that point, the demographics of the Net will look more like the population as a whole." What then of the dark side? Congress is hot to regulate it out of existence. After the Oklahoma City bombing, the Senate unanimously passed an amendment to the antiterrorism bill that would make it a felony to teach or disseminate bomb-making material with criminal intent or knowledge. In mid-June, it voted overwhelmingly (84 to 16) to ban obscenity and restrict access to "indecent" material on the Internet. Would these measures do the trick? The anti-bomb-making amendment does little more than apply existing law to the Internet. Fair enough. But the indecency provision sets much tougher standards for cyberspeech than for print media. That's troubling, since what's really needed is a way to shield society from the worst excesses of this new medium without undermining its great potential as a democratizing force. (Copyright Time, Inc. 1995) ISSN 0015-8259 Document Delivery Fulltext online. Photocopy. Photocopy available from ABI/Inform. UMI Article Clearinghouse Number: 1128.00. - - ------------------------------ End of roc-digest V2 #60 ************************