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Firedoglake
Type of site
Political blog
Available inEnglish
Created byJane Hamsher
URLfiredoglake[dead link]
CommercialYes
Launched2004
Current statusInactive

Firedoglake(abbreviated asFDL) was an Americancollaborative blogthat described itself as a "leadingprogressivenews site,online community,andaction organization".[1]Established by film producerJane Hamsherin 2004,Firedoglakeserved as a platform for Hamsher, other writers and commenters to engage in debate andactivism.Hamsher shut downFiredoglakeon August 1, 2015, citing health reasons, and announced that all posts would be archived at theShadowproofwebsite, which was launched that year by former staff members.[2]Shadowproofdescribes itself as "a press organization driven to expose systemic abuses of power in business and government while developing a model for independent journalism that supports a diverse range of young freelance writers and contributors."[3]

History

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In December 2004, Hamsher founded the blogFiredoglake,naming it after her favorite activity at the time, sitting by the fire with her dog while watchingLos Angeles Lakersgames.[4]Then published onBlogger,[5]Firedoglakewon a 2005 Koufax Award for "Best Series" for its detailed coverage of thePlame affair,while being in close contention for "Best New Blog" and "Best Group Blog".[6]

In late 2005, Hamsher expanded FDL into a group blog, featuring such regular contributors as Christy Hardin Smith (aka "Reddhead" ),Marcy Wheeler(aka "emptywheel" ), "TRex", "Pachacutec", and "Siun", later joined by others, and she published it utilizingWordPress,enabling moderated and filtered commenting. In 2008, in a profile of Hamsher published in theWashingtonian,she stated that "FireDogLake has about 20 people who write for it, maybe a dozen site administrators who watch what's happening on the blog."[4]

Components

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Blogs

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  • Elections- blog by Jon Walker, FDL Elections is a blog about election coverage, political campaigns, and polling.
  • MyFDL- MyFDL is the community site of progressive political blogFiredoglake.Anyone can participate by writing a diary, commenting on diaries, or joining groups to find other people in their areas.
  • TBogg- Humorous/satirical blog written by Tom Boggioni, "A Somewhat Popular Blogger"
  • Pam's House Blend- blog on women's, LGBT, and religious issues written by Pam Spaulding along with Autumn Sandeen and other regular contributors.
  • Just Say Now- Just Say Now is a campaign for marijuana legalization, made of a transpartisan alliance of organizations seeking to reform our nation's drug laws.
  • Dissenter-Dissenteris aFiredoglakeblog curated by journalistKevin Gosztolathat covers civil liberties, digital freedom issues, including regular coverage ofWikiLeaks,Chelsea Manning,and the US government's prosecution of whistleblowers. According to their About section, "the name also stems from the fact that the right to dissent is one of the most important civil liberties to defend in this country. As dissent becomes more and more objectionable to a government and society, a country becomes less free".
  • Bytegeist- Launched in September 2012,Firedoglake'sBytegeistseeks to explore the intersection between politics, technology and laws.
  • La Figa- blog by Lisa Derrick exploring the intersection of politics and popular culture

Other components

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News Desk- News and analysis for the FDL community provided byDavid Dayen.

FDL Action

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Formerly known asCampaign Silo,FDL Actionis an explicitly activist portion of FDL which galvanizes readers for causes.[citation needed]

Blue America

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Not related to the similarly named campaigns byActBlue,Blue America attempts to recruit pro-single-payer health carecitizens to run in as many legislative districts as possible.[citation needed]

FDL Book Salon

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In 2006 Hamsher launched theFDL Sunday Book Salon,in which participants discuss recent books, usually non-fiction political books, with a standing invitation for the books' authors to take part.[7]For two weeks, in late August and early September 2006, the topic of conversation was the bookConservatives Without Conscience,and participants included its author,John Dean;political and legal blogger andSaloncolumnistGlenn Greenwald;and former AmbassadorJoe Wilson.[8][9]

Today, the Book Salons generally operate on Saturdays and Sundays from 5 - 7 pm Eastern time (2 - 4 pm Pacific). Book Salon guests and hosts have covered virtually the entire gamut of political, economic, and contemporary thought. Past Book Salons and scheduled future Book Salons can all be reviewed at theBook Salon Front Page

FDL Books

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On September 6, 2006, Hamsher announced a book imprint called FDL Books, later adding Vaster Books, in collaboration withMarkos Moulitsas,founder ofDaily Kos;its first release is a volume about theValerie Plameaffair byFiredoglakeandDaily KoscontributorMarcy Wheeler( "emptywheel" ) entitledAnatomy of Deceit: How the Bush Administration Used the Media to Sell the Iraq War and Out a Spy(Berkeley: Vaster Books [Dist. by Publishers Group West], 2007).[10][11][12]To finance the publication of Wheeler's book, Hamsher sought to raise $65,000 in donations atFiredoglake,[13]ultimately raising $29,000 throughPayPalcontributions, according to the hyperlinked "dedicated fund-raising page" tracking results.[14]

Regular features

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Firedoglakehas a number of daily and weekly posts from regular contributors within the FDL Community. Among these are:

  • Late Night- Posts nightly at 11 pm Eastern (8 pm Pacific) from rotating group of hosts
  • Late, Late Night- Posts nightly at 1 am Eastern (10 pm Pacific) Open thread for overnight comments where there is no set topic but the conversation travels where and how it may
  • Pull Up A Chair- Posts at 8 am Eastern (5 am Pacific) on Saturday mornings. Rotating hosts with the only rule being staying away from political talk
  • Sunday Talking Heads- Posts at 5 am Eastern (2 am Pacific) on Sunday mornings. Compilation post of guests and topics for the Sunday morning political talk shows.[citation needed]

Activism

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Libby trial coverage

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Taking turns withJeralyn Merrittof TalkLeft, Christy Hardin Smith (aka "Reddhead" ),Marcy Wheeler(aka "emptywheel" ), "Pachacutec", and Susan McIntosh (aka "egregious" ), Hamsher live-blogged theScooter Libby trialfrom the courtroom forFiredoglake,as she had applied for and been granted two press passes which they all shared to attend and report on the trial inWashington, D.C.[15][16]The New York Timesreporter Scott Shane observes: "With no audio or video feed permitted, the Firedoglake 'live blog' has offered the fullest, fastest public report available. Many mainstream journalists use it to check on the trial", and noted that "for blogs, the Libby trial marks a courthouse coming of age".[17]Online donors contributed to defray FDL's trial coverage costs, including travel expenses of the live-bloggers and rental of a Washington, D.C., apartment, nicknamed "Plame House", which they shared.[17]

U.S. Senate election in Connecticut, 2006

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Hamsher supportedNed Lamontin his successful run for theDemocraticnomination in the2006 U.S. Senate election in Connecticut,against ultimately successful incumbent senatorJoe Lieberman,who ran independently as athird partycandidate with the support ofConnecticut for Lieberman.[18]Although Hamsher was not on the campaign staff,[19]she was among several bloggers who traveled with Lamont's campaign, and she promoted Lamont's candidacy and helped raise money for him throughFiredoglake.[20]

After Hamsher posted an image depicting Lieberman in superimposedblackfaceembracingBill Clintoncreated from agraphically editedphotograph of Lieberman and Clinton in her guest blog inThe Huffington Post,she was publicly criticized by Lieberman's campaign and others for doing so.[20]The Lieberman campaign objected publicly that it found the image offensive and racist, with Lieberman publicly calling the use of blackface in the image "one of the most disgusting and hurtful images that has been used in American history, it's deeply offensive to people of all colors, and it has absolutely no place in the political arena today" and demanding that Lamont prohibit Hamsher from traveling with his campaign and to refuse any money that she might have raised for him.[20]

Questioned about the image and his campaign's connections to Hamsher, Lamont responded, "I don't know anything about the blogs. I'm not responsible for those. I have no comment on them", but a spokesman for Lamont was quoted inThe Washington Postas calling the image "offensive and inappropriate".[20]Hamsher removed the image after receiving a request from the Lamont campaign, later posting a statement onFiredoglake"apologiz[ing] to anyone who was genuinely offended by the choice of images", and criticizing Lieberman for using the controversy about the image to score political points.[19]

During the summer of 2008, as the U.S.presidential nominationconventions approached, Hamsher continued her opposition to SenatorJoe Lieberman's political aspirations in bothFiredoglakeand other venues, culminating in herThe Huffington Postentry emphatically stating her fear that he might be chosen by the Republican presidential candidateJohn McCainfor his vice presidential running mate: "Obviously, I have an elaborate nightmare where Joe Lieberman gets the VP nod, McCain wins, then dies -- and we're looking at a President Lieberman. At which point I and a host of others bloggers who supportedNed Lamontwind up inGuantanamo Bay."[21]AfterBarack Obamabecame President Elect on November 4, 2008, Hamsher unsuccessfully opposed Lieberman's staying in theDemocratic Caucus of the United States Senateand retaining his chairmanship of hisUnited States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs(both of which Obama ultimately supported), as a consequence not only of Senator Lieberman's priordisengagementfrom the Democratic Party, his support of the Republican presidential candidate McCain, and his failure to adhere to promises not to attack Obama during the campaign, but, also, more importantly from her perspective, of what she alleges to be Lieberman's "prevent[ing] Senatorial investigation into no-bid contracts and contractor abuse within theDepartment of Homeland Security",urging her readers to sign the" Just Say No to Joe "petition that she posted onFiredoglake.[22]

Timemagazine, November 21, 2007

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InFiredoglakeon November 27, 2007, Hamsher posted that she had determined thatPriscilla Painton,then Deputy Managing Editor ofTime,had edited a controversial column byJoe Klein,published on November 21, 2007.[23][24]According to Hamsher and several articles byGlenn Greenwaldposted online atSalon,[25][26][27][28]as well as articles inThe Chicago Tribune[29]andNational Review,Klein allegedly published false information regarding legislation that amends theForeign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA): Protect America Act of 2007,based mainly upon claims byPeter Hoekstra,aRepublicancongressmanwho opposed that bill.[30]After Klein had qualified central statements in his article, commenting "I may have made a mistake in my column this week about the FISA legislation passed by the House", Hamsher telephoned Painton and asked her "what the editing process was, and how a piece with so many errors made it into print", to which Painton reportedly replied: "That assumes there are any errors", ending the phone call.[23]In response to Hamsher's account of her telephone conversation with Painton, Greenwald questioned the integrity ofTimeand its editor Painton.[25]

Health care reform debate

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Hamsher is known as a strong advocate for apublic health insurance option.[31]In June 2009, she challenged theCongressional Progressive Caucus(CPC) to pledge to vote against anyhealth care reformbill that lacked apublic option.[32]Some of these pledges were videotaped.[33]TheCPCreleased their own letter shortly thereafter signed by 60 members, although the letter was vague as to whether it applied to theconference report.[34]Ultimately none of theCPCmembers honored their pledge.[32]Hamsher was one of the fewliberalswho opposed the bill until the end.[31]She co-founded anon-profit organization,Public Option Please, to continue the fight for apublic optionand more generally foruniversal health care.[35]

Hamsher and Rep.Anna Eshoohad an online debate in which Hamsher argued that proposed protections for so-calledbiologic drugswere too generous topatent-holders to the detriment of patients.[36]Hamsher also wrote anopen letterdemanding thatHadassah Liebermanstep down as a paid "Global Ambassador" forSusan G. Komen for the Curedue to her husbandSen. Joe Lieberman'sthreats tofilibusterhealth care reform.[37]Hamsher was criticized for appearing onFox & Friendsand asking viewers to sign her petition to "kill the Senate bill". Hamsher responded, "It scares the bejesus out of the D.C. establishment of both parties to think that the left and right might align against the corporate interests."[38]

Hamsher was frustrated thatliberalconcerns were not taken more seriously by theObama administration.[31]According to her, theadministrationhas corralled left-leaning interest groups in a virtual "vealpen ". Loyalty is rewarded with access andsinecures.Groups which stray from theadministration's message face adverse action on their other priorities and even loss of funding.[39][40]Within the veal pen there are what she calls "issue validators" such asPlanned ParenthoodandNARAL Pro-Choice Americawhose silence allowed the anti-abortionStupak-Pitts Amendmentto pass with little public outcry.[41]Hamsher launched the "One Voice For Choice" phone-banking campaign to call voters in districts of House members who voted for theStupak Amendment.[42]

Financial regulatory reform debate

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In December 2009 Hamsher teamed up withGrover Norquistto call for the resignation ofRahm Emanuelfor an alleged role in the collapse ofFannie MaeandFreddie Mac.[43]

Community

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Firedoglake,whose administrators often refer to their most frequent commentators asFirepups,has run into controversy within pro-Democratic Party circles, particularly in its criticism of President Obama's administrative shortcomings on progressive campaign promises. As a result, the derogatory termFirebaggers(a portmanteau ofFirepupsandTeabaggers,the latter of which is a derogatory term used by critics of theTea Party movement) has been applied to members of FDL to accompany allegations of seeking ideological purity within the Democratic Party.[44]Firedoglakeposters were explicitly happy when U.S. SenatorEvan Bayhannounced he was not running for re-election in 2010, referring to him as a "Democrat in Name Only" and stating it would be preferable to have a Republican taking his seat than a moderate Democrat, an outcome that did come to pass when Indiana elected GOP veteranDan Coatsin the midterm Indiana Senate race.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^"About us"FireDogLake website
  2. ^"After Firedoglake"Shadowproof website
  3. ^"About Shadowproof".Shadowproof.August 4, 2020.Archivedfrom the original on July 1, 2023.RetrievedJuly 5,2023.
  4. ^abGarrett M. Graff (August 13, 2008)."The Insider: Jane Hamsher".Washingtonian.Washingtonian Magazine, Inc. (Catherine Merrill Williams).RetrievedMay 26,2010.
  5. ^Jane Hamsher (December 2004)."Profile: Jane Hamsher"(Blog).Blogger(Google, Inc.).Jane Hamsher.RetrievedDecember 8,2008.
  6. ^Meredith Dwight (April 3, 2006)."2005 Koufax Awards -- The Winners".Wampum.Archived fromthe originalon September 23, 2008.RetrievedNovember 15,2008.
  7. ^Jane Hamsher (April 30, 2006)."FDL Book Salon Profile".Facebook.Jane Hamsher.RetrievedDecember 8,2008.
  8. ^Glenn Greenwald;et al. (August 27, 2006)."FDL Book Salon -- Conservatives Without Conscience, Week 1"(Blog).Firedoglake.Jane Hamsher.RetrievedNovember 24,2008.
  9. ^Glenn Greenwald;et al. (September 4, 2006)."FDL Book Salon -- Conservatives Without Conscience, Week 2"(Blog).Firedoglake.Jane Hamsher.RetrievedNovember 24,2008.
  10. ^ISBN0-9791761-0-7(10).ISBN978-0-9791761-0-4(13).
  11. ^Marcy Wheelerposts as "emptywheel" at bothDaily KosandFiredoglake.
  12. ^Cf.Marcy Wheeler(September 5, 2006)."Plame Was in Charge of Finding WMDs in Iraq"(Blog).Daily Kos.Markos Moulitsas.
  13. ^Jane Hamsher (September 6, 2006)."Announcing CIA Leak Investigation Book by Marcy Wheeler: We Need Your Help"(Blog).Firedoglake.Jane Hamsher.
  14. ^Jane Hamsher."CIA Leak Investigation Book by Marcy Wheeler".Firedoglake.Jane Hamsher.RetrievedNovember 18,2008.
  15. ^Jane Hamsher (January 16, 2007)."Three TimeLoserWinner "(Blog).Firedoglake.Jane Hamsher.RetrievedNovember 16,2008.
  16. ^scarecrow; et al. (August 2, 2007)."YKOS — Libby Trial Blogging Panel..."(Blog).Firedoglake.Jane Hamsher.RetrievedNovember 15,2008.[Series of reports on and by the press-accredited Libby trialFiredoglakebloggers.]
  17. ^abScott Shane (February 15, 2007)."For Liberal Bloggers, Libby Trial Is Fun and Fodder".The New York Times.
  18. ^Anne E. Kornblut; Jeremy W. Peters (November 7, 2006)."Lieberman Prevails Against Lamont in Connecticut".The New York Times.RetrievedNovember 24,2008.
  19. ^abJane Hamsher (August 2, 2006)."About That Graphic"(Blog).Firedoglake.Jane Hamsher.RetrievedFebruary 16,2007.I sincerely apologize to anyone who was genuinely offended by the choice of images accompanying my blog post today on the Huffington Post. It's also important to note that I do not, nor have I ever worked forNed Lamont's campaign. However, at their request, I removed the image earlier today.... Unfortunately,Senator Lieberman's campaign has used this in attempt to hurt Ned and score political points, mustering their own faux indignation in attempt to further distract from the issues important to the voters of Connecticut.
  20. ^abcdDan Balz(August 3, 2006)."Lieberman Assails Lamont Over Supporter's Blog Post".The Washington Post.p. A9.RetrievedNovember 19,2008.
  21. ^Jane Hamsher (August 19, 2008)."Rush Limbaugh Fears Lieberman for VP -- And So Do I"(Blog).The Huffington Post.RetrievedNovember 14,2008.
  22. ^Jane Hamsher (November 12, 2008)."Obama Wants Lieberman to Stay -- But at What Price?"(Blog).The Huffington Post.RetrievedDecember 6,2008.
  23. ^abJane Hamsher (November 27, 2007)."Time Magazine Circles the Wagons around Joe Klein"(Blog).Firedoglake.Jane Hamsher.RetrievedNovember 14,2008.
  24. ^Joe Klein(November 21, 2007)."The Tone-Deaf Democrats".Time.Archived fromthe originalon November 23, 2007.RetrievedNovember 15,2008.Correction appended: November 28, 2007.
  25. ^abGlenn Greenwald(November 27, 2007)."Demand Answers from Time Magazine".Salon.RetrievedNovember 14,2008.
  26. ^Glenn Greenwald(November 21, 2007)."Joe Klein: Both Factually False and Stuck in the 1980s".Salon.RetrievedNovember 24,2008.
  27. ^Glenn Greenwald(November 25, 2007)."Time Magazine's FISA Fiasco Shows How Beltway Reporters Mislead the Country".Salon.RetrievedNovember 24,2008.
  28. ^Glenn Greenwald(November 27, 2007)."Everything That Is Rancid and Corrupt with Modern Journalism: The Nutshell".Salon.Archived fromthe originalon January 14, 2009.RetrievedNovember 24,2008.
  29. ^"Corrections & Clarifications".Chicago Tribune.November 28, 2007. Archived fromthe originalon November 30, 2007.RetrievedNovember 29,2007.
  30. ^Peter Hoekstra(November 29, 2007)."Klein Kerfuffle, FISA Facts".National Review.RetrievedDecember 8,2008.
  31. ^abcKate Phillips (March 19, 2010)."Progressives, Public Option and Abortion"(Blog).The New York Times.RetrievedMay 24,2010.
  32. ^abJane Hamsher (March 17, 2010)."Dennis Kucinich Will Return Money to Donors".Firedoglake.Jane Hamsher. Archived fromthe original(Blog)on March 27, 2010.RetrievedMay 24,2010.
  33. ^Jane Hamsher (July 15, 2009)."I Don't Think 50 Votes Means What They Think It Means"(Blog).Firedoglake.Jane Hamsher.RetrievedMay 25,2010.
  34. ^Jane Hamsher (July 30, 2009)."53 House Progressives Won't Vote For Blue Dog Compromise".Firedoglake.Jane Hamsher. Archived fromthe original(Blog)on March 10, 2010.RetrievedMay 25,2010.
  35. ^Jane Hamsher (October 8, 2009)."Public Option Please (POP): Because Health Care Is A Human Right"(Blog).Firedoglake.Jane Hamsher.RetrievedMay 25,2010.
  36. ^Jane Hamsher (November 2, 2009)."Anna Eshoo's PhRMA Boondoggle: The Devil Is In Her Details"(Blog).The Huffington Post.Arianna Huffington.RetrievedMay 25,2010.
  37. ^Jane Hamsher (December 11, 2009)."Sign Letter to Susan B. Komen Foundation: Donations Shouldn't Go To Hadassah Lieberman".Firedoglake.Jane Hamsher. Archived fromthe original(Blog)on June 7, 2010.RetrievedMay 25,2010.
  38. ^Jane Hamsher (December 22, 2009)."Why I Went on Fox and Friends".Firedoglake.Jane Hamsher. Archived fromthe original(Blog)on February 26, 2010.RetrievedMay 25,2010.
  39. ^Jane Hamsher (March 18, 2009)."Yes, Rahm is Totally Vindicated".Firedoglake.Jane Hamsher. Archived fromthe original(Blog)on May 26, 2010.RetrievedMay 25,2010.
  40. ^Jane Hamsher (April 8, 2009)."White House May be Dictating, But We're Not Stenographers"(Blog).Firedoglake.Jane Hamsher.RetrievedMay 25,2010.
  41. ^Jane Hamsher (November 7, 2009)."And the Catholic Bishops Endorse! A Special Thank-You To Planned Parenthood and NARAL".Firedoglake.Jane Hamsher. Archived fromthe original(Blog)on April 11, 2010.RetrievedMay 25,2010.
  42. ^Jane Hamsher (December 2, 2009)."Announcing One Voice For Choice".Firedoglake.Jane Hamsher. Archived fromthe original(Blog)on March 31, 2010.RetrievedMay 25,2010.
  43. ^"Odd Couple Demands Probe of Rahm Emanuel at Freddie as More Money Rolls In".FOXNews.December 25, 2009.RetrievedDecember 25,2009.
  44. ^Overreach THIS! (May 18, 2010)."New Definition in Urban Dictionary: FIREBAGGER".Talking Points Memo.
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