NRA Prags' Phoenix Becomes Chicken: No Dissident Opinions Allowed at Blogfest, Even if They Have to Shut Down the Registration Process To Do It.

Courtesy of David Codrea.

The Prags, it seems, are freaking out. Read David Codrea's post at War on Guns here.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Looks Like Some of Us Won't Be Going to the 2A Blog Bash?
Interesting "coincidence" here.

The following topic opened just yesterday in our Examiner.com Google discussion group under the title "Would the Gun Rights guys explain this to me?" It was posted by one of their conservative columnists in Arizona:

I recently signed up to attend the 2nd amendment blog bash thinking it would be a good opportunity to network with other AZ bloggers as well as bloggers interested in gun rights, and learn more about the issue.
Because I'm not a dedicated gun rights blogger, I was asked to provide my bona fides, and so gave them links to my resume and main website. Even though I've been a blogger since 2003, live a mile from the AZ border, worked on the Marine base for three years and spoke at Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum Council in 2005, I was still denied access.

Their reason?

They think poorly of Examiner gun rights guys, so therefore I can't be counted on to behave myself in public. Sheesh!

Since the Gun Rights Examiners I've read all seem to be decent people, I really don't get this. So maybe some of you can give me the skinny on this direct -- don't want to bother the main list with my petty issues.

THX!

Imagine that! They think poorly of all the GREs? There are now 14 of us, you know, all of us our own people representing our own views. Do they even think poorly of the GREs repeatedly invited back to Cam & Co.? Or just of me? And they'll take that out on one of the writers in any of 60 venues across the nation because of it? Talk about guilt by association.

Besides, since when have I been known not to behave myself in public? The Bashers have never met me in person.

Wanting to get to the bottom of things, I went to their site and registered. And wanting to go with a friend of mine, I got Mike Vanderboegh to register. That was this morning.

Imagine my surprise when I invited another friend to register and we found that in the ensuing moments since Mike and my registration, the sign-up form had... disappeared. What you get instead is an "Error 404 – File not Found" message.

And imagine my surprise when I noticed the following new announcement (that does not yet appear on the home page I just took a screen shot of):
2009 Registration Closed

Registration has now been closed. Following the Mitt Spammers, Sarah Stalkers, and an email I received warning me that people were asked to submit fake registrations, I have been forced to close it early. The demands on the server and my time to sort out the real from the fake are just too high.

Really? And it just now came to a head? And I shouldn't take it personally, despite what a complete stranger to me said on our Examiner board? What a relief!

But no one else from this point forward will be admitted, right? They don't have time even for people they know are real? I mean, Mike and I have the receipt from our apps--they know we're not Mitt Munchers or Sarah Spitters or whatever they call them. And we got ours in before they closed the gate.

Look, I never go where I'm not welcome. If they don't want me to attend, all they have to do is say so. But what about the innocent AZ Examiner who got her application in before the conveniently sudden decision to stop taking applications--and was summarily rejected because I'm thought poorly of? What's the deal with that?

Maybe Bitter, who is running this, would like to weigh in? Assuming the demands on her time to sort through some questions and comments here aren't just too high?

Now David is quite correct. Both of us registered and received our robo-confirmations at what must have been mere minutes before they panicked and shut the whole process down. Coincidence? Well, being a bit suspicious of the process, the moment I received the robo-confirmation I sent this back to the hostess, one self named "Bitter Bitch", the paramour of Sebastian of Snowflakes in Hell, NRA Prag Paladin Par Excellence.


Subject: Re: Submitted Blog Bash Registration (copy), confirmed receipt>
Date: 4/29/2009 8:29:19 A.M. Central Daylight Time
From: GeorgeMason1776
Reply To:
To: organizer@2ablogbash.com
CC: dcodrea@hotmail.com, bloviate@hotmail.com

In a message dated 4/29/2009 8:18:39 A.M. Central Daylight Time, organizer@2ablogbash.com writes:

Name Mike Vanderboegh

Email GeorgeMason1776@aol.com

Home State AL

Family/Guest Name David Codrea

Preferred Name on Name Tag Mike "3%" Vanderboegh

Are you a... Blogger Online Presence Blog/Podcast/Other Name sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com URL

What year did you start your new media publication? 2008

Twitter Username

May we feature your Bash-related blog posts and tweets on a special page during the Bash? Posting Okay

Would you be interested in receiving more information from companies that work with new media publishers through Blog Bash events? Yes

Arrival Anticipated Arrival Date 13 May Hotel Name

Submit


Then David got the error message, and I spent the day writing a bit on Absolved and waiting for a response. Getting none, I sent this to the Bitter Bitch:


Subject: Bitter, please confirm my registration.
Date: 4/29/2009 9:39:43 P.M. Central Daylight Time
From: GeorgeMason1776
Reply To:
To: organizer@2ablogbash.com
CC: dcodrea@hotmail.com, bloviate@hotmail.com, Jeff@FirearmsCoalition.org

My dear Bitter Bitch,

Kindly confirm my registration in person. I understand that you are having a bit of a crisis and shut down the registration for blogbash but not until AFTER you sent David Codrea's and my auto confirmation. Ergo, I assume I'm coming. Kindly confirm that or explain why, as an NRA member, I cannot attend.

Inquiring minds want to know.

Mike Vanderboegh

You will note I copied this to a couple of my friends, also. As yet, I have had no response from the BB. Neither has David, as you will read by going here.

Money quote:

I've had two people independently contact me to tell me to approach Bitter in private about this.

Nuts to that. I decided posting a "Quick Note" was a better way. Although I understand why she would want to keep things quiet.

So far, it looks like the official position is to ignore. They learn well from Fairfax.

I can understand Bitter Bitch's reluctance to explain herself. David is a Life NRA member. I just rejoined after many years but my membership is not in doubt. How is it that they can keep from us attending an event we already received the auto-registrations on? The NRA claims to be a big tent, willing to unite people of all parties and beliefs behind the Second Amendment. Bitter's position puts the lie to that. Will Fairfax change her mind for her? And if they don't, why shouldn't we just consider the NRA to be some big false flag operation?

LATER: The blogbash is claimed to be a private party not-quite-affiliated with the NRA. If this is so, and the NRA has no hold over them, nor any commercial relationship with them, how is it that they get to use their logo? Certainly Snowflake and Bitter are megaphone-equipped cheerleaders for the NRA's slightest sleepy murmurings. See for example recent attacks by Sebastian on Pat Toomey and GOA. We will see, perhaps, in the fallout from this little prag panic attack, what that relationship really is.