Today is one of those occasions where we are going to expose the underbelly of those who have gotten away with outright thuggery for far too long. Today, we’re going to outline for you one of the favored tactics of the besieged old guard of our Party: the smear campaign.
You will see firsthand how ruthless and malicious some Republicans can be toward their brethren who threaten established power and privilege. You will see and be appalled by the depths of deception to which some so-called conservatives will go to score cheap points against other conservatives. And, you will see careless, malicious, and vindictive behavior that should make you sick to your stomach. It gives us no pleasure to expose this behavior within our Party, but we cannot allow it to go unchallenged any longer because they are attempting to destroy the character of good people.
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PART 1: Get people talking. Prior to the 7th District Committee meeting on June 25th — where Fred Gruber would serve as newly-elected Chairman after the upset victory over long-time chairman Linwood Cobb—the air was thick with false rumors of Fred Gruber’s “sordid” history. Certain people who have been friendly to Cobb for years were involved in shopping these rumors to various media outlets, including a number of newspapers and blogs. News sources refused to touch these rumors, because they saw it for exactly what it was – false and malicious character mudslinging.
They were desperate to have the rumors published somewhere on the internet prior to the 7th district meeting, and finally it made its way to a sympathetic blogger, who was all too eager to score cheap political points. This blogger—who admittedly acknowledged the information was unsubstantiated—wrote a post about how reporters were hearing rumors about Gruber posting his “little Gruber” on an adult-themed website, and that he had been arrested for solicitation of a prostitute, among other seedy activities. The objective of the people spreading the rumor was obvious: spread it long enough, get it published somewhere, and people will assume it is true. These malicious rumors and blog post served as the backdrop to the 7th District meeting, galvanizing opposition to Gruber’s desire to invest the Committee’s war chest on grassroots operations and party building inside the district, so that Ray Allen could not send the war chest off to Washington, DC.
PART 2: Drop the hammer. So the stage had already been set when many Virginia Republicans received a blast email last Friday from former Delegate Tom Gear. Gear’s email, entitled “Tawdry Tendencies makes Chairman Fred Gruber the first to the go to the Woodshed,” said that Gruber had listed a profile on sexually suggestive and pornographic websites, and that Gruber is searching for opportunities to hook up with young girls. Gear also posted Gruber’s email on his website.
We delve into the details below, but beware, as Gear himself says, “This content is Rated M for Mature audiences only.”
PART 3: Don’t let the truth stand in your way. Fred Gruber has been a single man for 20 years. He is a Marine, Christian, father and patriot. He has had a profile on Match.com and a free dating site for years. In today’s world, it is extremely common for people to meet via dating websites. In fact, our own Jamie Radtke met her husband on Matchmaker.com back in 1998, and they have now been married for more than 15 years! But Tom Gear is not accusing Fred of being a member of a dating website, but rather something seedy and unbecoming a GOP official.
PART 4: Lie, and then mislead, and then deceive. Gear posts what he wants you to believe are screen capture images of a pornographic website where Gruber posted a profile. Gear warns the reader that if they were to visit the site themselves they would be inundated with porn, and would be required to sign up with their own profile to see Gruber’s profile:
Note: For a reader to see the full site and Gruber’s profile, they must sign up and add their profile to adultfriendfinder. If you dare to sign up to site be prepared to be bombarded by other sites you wouldn’t want your mom to know exist.
This is a not-so-subtle way of discouraging anyone from actually seeking the truth. If you brave Gear’s dire warnings and actually click the link, what you’ll see is something very different than what Tom Gear has alleged in his email…you’ll see a perfectly innocent dating website, with a very sweet profile from Fred Gruber. It is not a pornographic website like Tom Gear claims!
Here’s what Gear alleges. First, he references a number of salacious and pornographic banner ads on Fred’s profile as evidence of the site’s sexual nature. The problem is that these banner ads have absolutely NOTHING to do with Fred’s profile or the website. They are assuming that people won’t know how these kind of banner ads work. Banner ads are tailored to the viewing habits of the person’s computer that was looking up Fred’s profile.
PROOF: Look at these two screen shots of Gruber’s profile page done by regular users. The banner ads are for credit score checks and weight loss.
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Now look at the one that Tom Gear has emailed with the porn banner ad:
Click to enlarge
So these banner ads actually reflect on Tom Gear, and tell you one of three things:
Second, and probably the most convincing evidence that Tom Gear is BLATANTLY LYING to people is this: Tom Gear shows screen shots of Fred’s profile and has the word “CENSORED” on the last two photos in Fred’s photo album, suggesting they are lewd (see above pictures again). But those censored photos are beautiful pictures of Fred at his son’s wedding!!! There is nothing lewd about them.
Tom Gear went on to grab additional screen shots supposedly of other parts of the dating website, showing more pornographic banner ads. Again, these banner ads are on Tom Gear’s computer either because of HIS porn habits, or because he’s just plain lying.
PART 5: Find allies to carry your water. The smear works when misinformed people who are already likely to oppose the target can be made unwitting accomplices. Hence, Gear writes his email in a way to particularly incense supporters of Rep. Eric Cantor:
I have to wonder what David Brat, the Republican nominee for 7th District was thinking when he pushed to get Gruber elected. His actions now will tell me where his moral compass points when he becomes publicly aware of his District Chairman’s dark secret.
(Emphasis added). Then, to buck up the skeptical warriors, you must promise them that this is only the tip of the iceberg:
So now we know the real Fred Gruber and with rumors swirling about other troubling issues in Gruber’s past this story is far from over. What is sad is that a family man of character and high moral fiber was replaced by a man who at the least lacks good judgment. I wonder after reading this article and seeing Gruber’s profile on this website will the GOP faithful in the 7th District rally to call for Gruber’s removal?
And now you know what it is all about! This entire smear campaign is an effort to get Gruber to step down as chairman. Sadly, there have already been some people snookered by Tom Gear’s depraved hit job, and some people who should know better than to be seduced by this kind of garbage are nonetheless trading knowing looks and “I told ya so” grins as they set aside their critical thinking to engage in the hatred Tom Gear is inciting.
HOW IT WILL END
A malicious and libelous email has been sent to thousands of Republicans in the hopes of creating enough pressure to have Gruber forcibly removed as chairman in the 7th District. More rumors and innuendo are already surfacing from the same sources bitter about Cobb’s and Cantor’s losses. Rather than go about the business of the Party until it’s time to back a different candidate for chairman, they are going to try and destroy Fred Gruber’s character with purposefully false information. This behavior is reprehensible.
The Bull Elephant has learned that Chairman Gruber has retained an attorney who has issued a cease and desist letter to Tom Gear, demanding a public retraction. This type of flagrantly malicious character assassination will not be disregarded or taken lightly any longer. Mr. Gruber is also considering further legal steps against Tom Gear. See the embedded letter below.
Furthermore, we know that Tom Gear does not operate alone. We know who is behind these attacks with him. These individuals have gotten away with this type of thuggish intimidation for far too long and it must stop immediately. So, if you have found yourself in possession of anonymous emails from [email protected] that peddle lies about leaders in the Virginia conservative movement (including those here at TBE), be aware these emails are generated by the same people supporting Tom Gear’s efforts. These individuals have been found, and include certain former and current Party officials. More will be coming to light on them shortly. As the saying goes, an elephant never forgets. As it turns out, neither does the internet.
A copy of Fred Gruber’s cease and desist letter to Tom Gear is embedded below:
58 comments
[…] the smearing of Gruber via a widely-distributed nasty email sent under Gear’s name. (See Anatomy of a Smear Campaign for more on the email that sparked the […]
[…] of you likely remember the horrendous hit job against Louisa Tea Party leader Fred Gruber that was used to attack his character, after Gruber […]
[…] Anatomy of a Smear Campaign, we detailed the outrageous nature of the attacks on Gruber’s character, and how that and similar […]
[…] Bull Elephant was the first to investigate and expose the truth about Gear’s blatantly false assault on Fred Gruber’s character. As set forth in Gruber’s […]
This behavior now appears to be widespread and not limited to Eric Cantor et al.
Mississippi GOP have been exposed. A black minister recruited as a cut-out to BUT BLACK VOTES for Cochran has come forward with evidence. Why did he come forward? The MS GOP stiffed him! Just goes to show that if you plan on committing voter fraud, you can’t be a tightwad about it 🙂 See report at http://www.westernjournalism.com/cochrans-campaign-manager-two-others-named-black-minister-admits-voter-fraud/
They stick their noses in District 3. all the time. They should work for the Dems.
When I ran for delegate, CONGRESSMAN ROB WITTMAN told anyone who would listen, and there were plenty, that the reason he didn’t support me was because, “She sent me a bunch of nasty emails”, a total-bald-faced-lie. I have numerous witnesses, which include Wittman enlisting a subordinate, his press secretary, to parrot the same lie. When I confronted the weaselly, lying, coward, he lied to my face and said that he was talking about my campaign manager, a great and noble man who had worked on HIS campaign and helped get him elected!
Then there were the mother’s-basement trolls who spewed their hating lies on any and every ‘comment’ opportunity they could find declaring the most absurd accusations including the accusation that I had declared bankruptcy and were swearing to know it is a fact.
When I asked an attorney about what could I do to hold these people accountable I was told, “IT’S POLITICS” and this is what I should have expected.
So Wittman, if you’re reading this, you pathetic, lying, coward, sue me for defamation, slander and/or liable, please!
You’re not helping your image with postings like this.
She sounds very presidential to me, she even livens it up a bit with “you pathetic, lying, coward,” don’t you think?
…
Good catch.
I vote to make her ambassador to North Korea.
/… Nuclear War in 4 days.
Frankly after 9 years in NC I have to say that VA politics make me want to a) throw up b) take a long, hot shower and c) run away screaming. VA: you have MAJOR issues. The lying and the corruption is revolting and that’s just the GOP! The whole structure is rotten to the core and until there’s a huge, vocal grassroots effort to implement registration by party and other election changes as well as leadership changes and rewriting of Plans of Organization you will keep getting this kind of thug behavior.
Lesson here – If you have a propensity to use computer technology and output to smear someone then know a little more about a browser’s function then Mr. Gear obviously does. What an amateurish attempt to associate ad banners, the bane of internet spam, with anything meaningful other then the annoying popups they are on most sites. One thing to keep in mind though is the silly length some establishment types are willing to go rather then incorporate conservative members and policies into the party. Much like that unwanted guest that arrives but doesn’t seem to want to ever leave your guest room – what to do? Of course just burn your house down, simple.
I am appalled by everything that has been going on with the establishment GOP — from slating to campaign tactics to this latest disgusting smear campaign. It makes me sick to think we’re all “under the same tent” — I don’t want to be associated with those kinds of people.
Then please join your local GOP and vote these bums out of your local Committee. It is time for the Establishment Rino’s to go so we can have good honest people run and get elected to office who will fight to protect our Constitition and We the People.
I couldn’t agree with you more. That is exactly why I have gotten involved with my local GOP. I will be encouraging others to do the same.
This is not Gear’s 1st dirty rick. He got the convention delegate list in 2013 and sent out emails trashing some of the LG candidates.
Political organizations can be so . . . political!
Someone needs to tell Tom Gear about Google Chrome Incognito
http://lynnrmitchell.wordpress.com/2014/07/02/breakdown-of-how-fred-gruber-wanted-to-spend-7th-congressional-district-money/
That blog post is a red herring. No one has any problem giving Dave’s campaign or Ed’s campaign money. The two proposals could likely well have been merged into one compromise proposal if the sides cared enough to do so. It’s the $300,000 that was routed through RNC that everyone has a problem with, that could well enough have been routed through RPV except that Ray and Linwood have a problem with RPV.
In fact, seems like they have a problem with large sections of the Republican Party at this point, which is unfortunate. Burn the house down to save it? Bad strategy.
Poor Lynn, she has really fallen off the turnip truck, hit her head, and will now believe any crazy thing that Bill Bolling, Eric Cantor, Lindwood Cobb, or Tom Gear tells her. I feel bad for her.
i hope everyone has had their say but if you haven’t please hurry up. EVERYTHING i said in TO THE WOODSHED is 100% accurate. 48 hours is up mr gruber and mr. george, game on, where is the lawsuit? the letter was dated july 2, has it been 48 hours? i have not removed the website or done anything requested of me in mr. george’s letter. remember folks in a lawsuit both sides get to use discovery, can’t wait.
patience mr. gear. you won’t have to wait much longer. a thoroughly prepared complaint takes a little longer to prepare than your fast and loose (and blatantly false) smear-site.
I have to say I am new to this issue as it’s obviously been going on for 2 years now. But I’m now interested Mr. Gear in your thoughts today. It appears that Mr. Gruber has filed his lawsuit and you’re running scared. I just attempted to look at your website and lo and behold it’s been taken down. I also notice that now you’re beginning to throw others under the proverbial bus – what happened to “100% accurate? But if I were you I’d start moving assets into family members names otherwise you may be homeless soon. Now I’ve had my say and I’d love to hear your retort – I believe it will be fascinating.
the name of this blog should be changed to “Bullwinkle” that would have more credability.
Tom Gear has some nerve, (Teddy Thompson debacle) and the (Hampton judicial appointment controversy). Sounds like he’s a lying DemocRat (RINO) operative grabbing at straws to remain relevant. Does Tom still beat his wife and dogs?
I know this is going on all over the country. I am pretty sure it is going on where I live also in local politics as well as state. Hopefully this type of behavior is in it’s death throes as the old guard’s power is finally vanquished. They know they are losing and don’t like it one bit. Their corruption is showing in a way they tried to keep undercover for a long time. The game is over. We are on to their power sharing with the other side. The other side has never played fair and getting in bed with them is sheer lunacy, but that is what has happened. The power is shifting and hanging on is the order of the day no matter what has to be done.
Keep the faith and fight back. Never let them get the upper hand. Get ready to lead.
If the public cannot believe what Republicans say about Republicans, how can they believe what Republicans say about Democrats? Well, they can’t.
And the Creed?
Amen.
Jim,
Leave it to you to use this as an opportunity to immunize Democrats from whatever Republicans say about Democrats.
I don’t consider myself a Republican but I do enjoy watching you play one on these boards.
No, I am a man without a Party.
My point is that this type of behavior would seem to be of little benefit to the Republican Party.
When will I see a headline that says, “Republicans in the US House pass legislation to bring our jobs back to America”?
When will I see a headline that says “Republicans pass legislation that says if you hire an illegal, you are going to jail”?
When will I see a headline that says, “Republicans pass their own legislation to control rising healthcare cost “?
When Doug?
Jim, it doesn’t matter how many “good bills” the Republicans pass in the House…even if the pass each one that you list…Reid will NOT let them out of committee in the Senate…so they are basically wasting their time…they have tried.
Could you please give me the bill numbers where they have tried? Thanks
I can list a few of the bills the House has passed but Reid is blocking in the Senate:
Review of Federal Regulations – H. Res. 72
Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act – H.R. 872
Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act – H.R. 2018
Consumer Financial Protection & Soundness Improvement Act – H.R. 1315
Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act – H.R. 3094
Regulatory Accountability Act – H.R. 3010
Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act – H.R. 4078
Small Business Tax Cut Act – H.R. 9
Health Care Cost Reduction Act – H.R. 436
Pathway to Job Creation through a Simpler, Fairer Tax Code Act – H.R. 6169
Veterans Opportunity to Work Act – H.R. 2433
STEM Jobs Act – H.R. 6429
Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act – H.R. 2842
Domestic Energy and Jobs Act – H.R. 4480
The few I have checked look like keystone, anti- union, anti-Obama-care, bills that were going to be DOA in the Senate.
Nothing but vending machine legislation bought and paid for by big business.
Spin it any way you want (I thought you leftists wanted immigration reform – 6429 is a small part of that – or do you only want immigrants for low-wage, unskilled labor?)
So you admit the House is passing bi-partisan legislation that Harry Reid refuses to allow debate on, right?
I will admit that Harry Reid seems to be doing a good job keeping Republicans from wiping out the middle-class.
You seem to have left out at least one bill, HR 1406, another screw the middle-class bill.
My views on immigration have been consistent for over 10 yrs.. Lock up the employer.
I really do appreciate you giving me those bill numbers.
Hope you like Hillary as President!
Didn’t the House Republicans promise to come out with their own detailed healthcare plan before the mid-terms? Where is it? Same place as the one they “said” they had in 2009?
Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be anyone keeping Harry Reid from wiping out the middle-class. His latest efforts even involve modifying free speech and wanting to license journalists.
Hillary, of course, is uniquely qualified to run the Empire.
The House, Senate, and the white house all have a very nice health care plan. The middle class pays for that, and will be paying for it for millions of non-citizens that have signed up for Obamacare. Did you want a health care plan for YOU? Well that’s not going to happen, since Obama has the FDA and HHS working for the pharmaceutical companies and Monsanto.
And Mitch McConnell wants to save middle-class America? Check out this link for the answer to that!
http://www.theonion.com/articles/sources-harry-reid-sleeping-with-mitch-mcconnells,18720/
Somebody doesn’t understand satire
Jim without a Party
If you simply criticized Republicans for stupidity and corruption I’d buy it, but you’ve had a tendency to praise favorite Dems out of the other side of your comments.
As for your desired headlines, attempts have been made in all three areas you mention. House leadership has been abysmal, but then again when the Executive Branch spends so much of its time misleading and outright lying to the opposition Party which controls the House, it’s tough to produce informed , effective legislation to target a problem in need of a solution.
Doug,
“As for your desired headlines, attempts have been made in all three areas you mention.”
Would it be unfair for me to ask you the HR numbers, and which Congress number, of these attempts that you speak?
Thanks for your comment.
Jimbo,
quick question for you. Obviously you are no fan of Republicans, (which a lot of the time I can agree with you on) but I rarely see you excoriate Democrats. So, as someone who’s a “man without a party,” what do you think about the Democrat Party? It seems from your comments that you’re a fan of Senator Reid, I’m curious as to your political philosophy.
Ok, I think the Democrats immigration plan sucks, and is anti-middle class. Sen. Reid stops the bills listed below, along with bills like HR 1406, which are nothing more than anti-middle class, vending machine legislation. Look at Sen. Reid as a “tool” to limit big business in their attempt to strangle the middle-class paycheck.
Don’t like ObamaCare? Well where is the Republican’s “detailed” healthcare plan that was promised before the midterms? We simply cannot afford the double dight annual increases that gave us ObamaCare.
The Republicans get a lot of focus because they have controlled Virginia Government since Jan. 2010. What could the Democrats do, wrong or right?
Just look at what the Republicans in Virginia have done since 2010. Runaway spending and the largest tax increase in Va. history.
I somewhat agree about Reid, he does stop some of the big business oriented legislation, but only does so (in my opinion) because it’s legislation that he doesn’t have his dirty little fingers in. I also agree, Reid is a tool.
However, I didn’t ask you about Republicans, I know you don’t like Republicans. What do you like or dislike about Democrats. Where do you stand with them and against them? Do you like Obamacare? I know, Republicans haven’t given you the specific plan that they promised, you’ve made that clear. That’s not what I asked. I’m also aware Republicans have run Virginia state politics since 2010, with the exception of this most recent session (obviously this is pre-Puckett resignation).
But back to my original question, what do you think of Democrats? I know, you’ve made it clear, you “do no like either Party,” but you haven’t really said what you do or don’t like about Democrats. You’ve only made clear that they both suck. Fair enough. I’m a Rand Paul/Ron Paul Republican, and I think that they both have had pretty atrocious track records, though the Democrats track record is worse than Republicans (not by much). So, what do you think of Democrats? What do you think of the “anti-war” Dems who’ve been sadly silent since their man has been in charge? Or the anti-big corporate who have remained silent as President Obama continues the pro-big business legislation pursued by Bush. I’ve heard how much Republicans suck, I want to know what you think about Democrats. Nothing will change, I agree, but that’s because we keep electing different sides of the same coin.
Here is one of the Republican plans that has been around since 2009. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-111hr3200ih/pdf/BILLS-111hr3200ih.pdf
That was a bill introduced by Democrats? HR 3200?
A Republican plan that even the Republicans will not pass in the House that they control???
That plan is nothing but corporate vending machine legislation.
Mr. Gear is the one who needs to go to the Woodshed.
Mr. Gruber and his attorney should take no prisoners. Hopefully they will also be able to take legal action against those who are behind Mr. Gear as well.
I hope Mr. Gruber and his attorney sue the pants off of all involved.
It’s a sad testament to our Party that his has become the normal MO of the establishment. I have experienced this personally over the last few months, and I can hardly wait to see what new attacks will be coming my way.
did you read my post?
Yes
There appears to be no connection between adultfriendfinder and this datehookup site.
Signing up for datehookup it says:
Profiles with photos get up to 10 times as many responses.
Guidelines:
Make sure your face is visible and you’re the only person in it.
If there is any nudity or partial nudity your profile will be deleted.
I get ads for the new Mazda CX-9 and for another dating site, plentyoffish.com (which I already have a profile on and is as legit as match.com).
Searching for profiles doesn’t seem to bring up anything that violates the posted guidelines.
Scum, Tom Gear is lying scum.
Its really sad watching dishonest establishment hacks frantically clawing at any last vestige of relevance they can grab….it’s almost a panicked flailing around. I’m not sure if its more disgusting or pathetic. Probably both.
Eric,
You underestimate the establishment’s resources.
Agree