***update: Tom Blumer at Bizzy Blog is tracking the story…they’ve changed their e-mail contact info to my e-mail address…nice…***

***update II: From Tom Blumer:

I received the e-mail that follows from Ryan Fissel, and spoke to him a short while ago. I appreciate his prompt response to my request to speak with him.

Ryan is one of the two people who run Linwood Campaign Services, LLC, a campaign assistance company whose slogan in “committed to electing Democrats.”

Here is the text of his e-mail, which I am posting with his permission:

I am writing today because I noticed this morning the posts on various blogs about something that BSB (Buckeye State Blog — Ed.) and Plunderbund had been writing about concerning infiltration of a Republican gotv effort. I was mainly concerned because my name, my business partner’s name and other people have been dragged into this mess. I have spoken with Russell Hughlock at BSB and he assured me it is a hoax designed to make people worry and not focus on their events in the final 24 hours before election day.

I want to state completely that I did not have any knowledge of this hoax or anything having to do with it until this morning when I called and demanded answers from Russell Hughlock at BSB. This was in response to the Free Republic comments section which took the time to publish my home address and telephone numbers as well as personal information belonging to myself and my business partner and our clients.

As to Buckeye State Blog being hosted at a hosting service that I own (we were doing websites for a time and it was just easier to have your own server than deal with a reseller) that situation will be rectified as soon as possible.

I hope that you will be able to correct any information that you are covering on your blog. If you have any questions, please email me and I will answer them to the best of my ability.

Thanks,
Ryan Fissel

Ryan made it clear how unhappy he was with BSB’s conduct, and that (possibly paraphrasing) “this isn’t how we do things.”

He also noted that his partner has been in heated discussions with BSB, which are apparently ongoing and less-than-totally pleasant, over promptly owning up to the hoax.

I think the takeaway from this is that while the other party certainly has more than its fair share of honorable people (it’s too easy to forget that), there is an unfortunate undercurrent of childish and vandal-like behavior that can’t be ignored…

***update III: Mary Katharine Ham is not buying the botched hoax theory.***

***

Something rotten going on in Ohio? Check out left-wing Buckeye State Blog, which appears to be trying to infiltrate GOP get-out-the-vote efforts:

Conservative website Free Republic is investigating and monitoring.