Jim Webb will receive The Excellence in Public Service Award at G'Town this week.  Talk about a contrast!

Yes, he is receiving an award at Georgetown this week, but not from Georgetown University.  He is receiving a student organizational award from the Georgetown Law Democrats.  Big difference.

Great PR, though.

Agreed...one of many positive contrasts that voters will be seeing in the coming weeks.

Isn't this the same organization that recently gave the same award to Hillary Clinton?

The ITPAA is not a partisan.  They are a high-tech workers advocacy group.  They gave the award to Hillary Clinton for hypocrisy, decrying outsourcing here in America while making statements supporting outsourcing on a trip to India.

check out Hillary's involvement in TATA.  It's disturbing.

The long time RK readers may recall the Kilgore Weasel Meter.  Perhaps it is time to make a minor name change and coax our Weasel out of his burrow (or whatever shelter weasel's hide in).

I think you may be on to something, Eric.

Was that it was always maxed out.  Whenever we thought Kilgore couldn't get any weaslier, he proved us wrong, right up to the Despicable "Hitler" Ad.

I think we can expect the same with Harris Miller.  When I first met him I NEVER, expected he'd turn out to be such a weasel.  Yet, here we are, in heretofore uncharted weasley territory.

We may have to rename the whole blog to Weasel Watch or something like that.

A certain RK blogger, who will remain nameless, had a thing for giving Jerry all 5 weasels whenever he (Jerry) did anything weasely. 

So to your point - we should change the approach because I know that would be easier than changing the habits of the blogger in question.

Perhaps a cummulative thing - everytime a new weasel activity occurs it is noted for all to see and the weasel count increases by 1.  That way we have a tally of how many "acts of weasel" were performed.

And then we'll reset the counter when it's Allen time.  Or should we run two weasels at once?

So, is the RK community ready for the return of the weasel?

I think each time he does something weasley, we should document it.  But also, when the ITPAA names him to their Weasel list, that's also gotta be worth at least one weasel, even though Miller didn't really do it himself.

Almost anyone with a computer and a few bucks for filing at IRS can create an organization and issue press releases or awards.

Rather than latch on to ITPAA because it speaks ill of Harris Miller, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry etc, I would hope RK and others actually look into and validate ITPAA.

For example:

1.  Who are its members and how many?  Why is there no "Membership" option?

2.  Why does it endores Cong. Tom Tancredo (R-CO), and only Yom Tancredo,  as a great American patriot?

3.  Why are there no questions or answers on its FAQ page?

4.  Why does its "Offerings" consist of only speaking engagements, interviews or advertising on the site?

5.  Why is there no description of the ITPAA on its "press release?"

Are RK and other blogs being maniupulated?

This is journalism 101.

"The organization, representing over 1,200 professionals nationally"  Who the members are?  I don't know.  Why don't you check and see if you can find out.

(partially from my posts elsewhere):

The point is that this "association" appears to be nothing more than a subscription-based bulletin board. I note that its Job Connection has a total of 6 "members" of which 2 are the founder and the site's "Info" address.

Also, it's informative to read the "About ITPAA" entry on the page of "Must Reads." This appears to be a one-man band with some suscriptions.

The sum of all this is that someone named Scott Kirwin decided to proclaim a weasel award and issue a press release.  And that someone describes himself as a Republican who voted for Bush in '04, believes Hillary Clinton is the enemy and that Tom Tancredo is not only his biggest supporter but a hero.

http://www.vaconservative.com/wp-stats.php?author=Scott%20Kirwin

And because the award sounds clever -- anti-Miller? -- it's treated as if it is legitimate.  It's not. Neither is the "association."

1) The president and site admin at ITPAA http://www.itpaa.org is Scott Kirwin an IT worker/software engineer who has himself been victimised by outsourcing job loss.

2) Many members of the ITPAA are vulnerable to reprisal from their employers for belonging to an anti-outsourcing organization. Some have directly lost jobs to outsourcing and worker replacement (H-1b & L-1 replacements).

3) Whatever one may think of opinion pieces posted by Scott, (such as the Weasel award), the wealth of material on the www.itpaa.com site provides ample damning evidence disproving the assertions of Miller that outsourcing benefits our society and that no injury has been done to American workers.

The ITPAA "award" came on the heels of the AFL-CEO letter and "fact sheet" detailing what is wrong with Harris Miller.

Is the AFL-CIO not a credible organisation? Should we not believe people in the AFL-CIO who have had long experience dealing with Miller? I don't find the ITPAA or the award in any way troubling...

Frankly, the questions about the ITPAA seem more of a distraction from the charges leveled against Miller than anything else...

1.  Why is that "Frankly, the questions about the ITPAA seem more of a distraction from the charges leveled against Miller than anything else... ?"  Is it because such questions burst the balloon that "ITPAA" is an association and that the "award" is but a snark by an individual?

2.  Are you a member of the "ITPAA?"  If so, what are your membership benefits?  What does ITPAA do other than publish a web site?

3.  I assume from your answers #1 and #3 an implied agreement that the ITPAA is a "site" rather than an "association."

4.  I assume from your description of the weasel as a "award" as agreement that it is not legitimate.

5.  While many of its member organizations do good things, the AFL-CIO is, in fact, an interest group.  The opinion of one of its offices no more concludes my thinking on this election in 2006 than did its support for Richard Nixon in 1972.

If the objective is to attempt to diminish a candidate -- just do it, rather than hide behind a bogus "association" and equally bogus "award" -- which was the original focus of this thread.

If you wish to vent on globalization, outsourcing and the economics there of, why not post a detailed diary?  I'm sure it would prompt a healty debate.

Really, I'm not all that terribly concerned about the importance of the weasel award or how you regard the integrity of the ITPAA...  The ample evidence available all over the 'net about Miller's past is really quite damning whether you consider the ITPAA or Scott Kirwin "authoritative". That's all I was getting at.

I've corresponded with Scott Kirwin for several years. He's an interesting person who has tried to make a difference re. the outsourcing and worker replacement issues. I've also corresponded with a number of other anti-outsourcing activists such as Mike Emmons, Sona Shah, Norm Matloff and Rob Sanchez -- along with WashTech's Marcus Courtney.

I am the founder of the ITPAA - a non-profit business league formed while Harris Miller was trotting around Washington claiming that 580,000 jobs were going unfilled, Dice had 18000 jobs listed nationally, and I had just trained my H-1b replacement and was unemployed. 225 applications and 3 months later, I was employed - and Harris Miller continued his shortage shouting.

1. Why should the ITPAA's membership concern you? If you must know last I checked I have a membership roll of 600. That's registered members - I have an additional 1,200 supporters that aren't registered.

2. When you join the ITPAA you have the ability to make your voice heard on issues important to the IT community. We educate Congress, local and state legislatures on such labor dumping (non-immigrant visas), offshoring, tax reform, and medical insurance reform.

I personally belong to the AMA, and receive JAMA every week. Would a publication convince you?

3. The ITPAA, inc is registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(6) - a business association. We are also incorporated under the laws of the state of Delaware where it is based.

4. The "award" is a pink slip that is embossed and signed, and either presented or mailed to the recipient.

5. While I'm sympathetic to the AFL-CIO, we are an association and neither condone nor condemn unionization.

The ITPAA isn't about debate. It is about making our voice heard. The ITAA, Compete America and other organizations have flooded Washington DC with money. They represent their own interests, not those of independent, hard-working American IT professionals.

Who represents programmers? Project Managers? Web developers or business analysts? Who represents independent contractors operating as sole proprietors or S corporations? Who represents Green-card holder employees?

The IT field has been gutted by short-sighted practices. If you want to debate, feel free to start your own journal.

We don't debate: we fight for our members and our country.

Scott Kirwin

During the 2004 election we sold "outsource Bush" bumperstickers while awarding John Kerry our "Weasel Award". Tom Tancredo is a Republican, but has taken serious heat from the RNC for his stand. However, we also have communicated with Democrats in New Jersey (Shirley Turner) and Indiana, where we supported anti-offshoring bills.

During the 2004 election, the ITPAA refused to endorse either major candidate. Why? Because both supported uncontrolled offshoring. Had the Democrats nominated Dick Gephardt, we would have announced our support for him.

Speaking as a lifelong Democrat (until 2004) and progressive:

Why has the Democratic party turned it's back on the people? Why has it shunned labor, and looked upon those of us who support the military (my stepson is in the Marines and has been in both Iraq and Afghanistan) and work hard to raise children and remain true to our spouses with such disdain?

The DNC has become elitist; it reminds me of the Social Democratic parties in Europe. It has lost touch with the people, or worse, belittles us.

Why? Since when has patriotism become a crime? When has believing in the importance of values like honor and faith become things to be sneered at?

I grew up in an Irish-Catholic household where John F. Kennedy was spoken about in the same hushed tones and reverance as the Pope and FDR.

The Democrats have forced people like me out. It has kicked out Gephardt and marginalized Lieberman all the while embracing the Limousine Liberal set - Streisand, Huffington, and other multi-millionaires.

Would Kennedy be a Democrat today? I doubt it. Neither would FDR.

Do you honestly think you will win elections without the people's support?

Do you honestly believe that Harris Miller will beat Allen?

Jim Webb understands the way former Democrats like me feel. He knows that people like me want to return to the Party, but can only do so when there is a party worth returning to.

A K-Street lobbyist and elitist, or a man of the people who would give Allen a run for his millions?

The choice is yours.

Your "membership" is of interest because you position yourself as an "association."  Do you have 600 "members" or 1,200 "non-registered" members (whatever that is) or what?  You've used the number 1,200 members in press releases for two years.  It's important because you issue press releases claiming membership and "awarding" awards.  You may have filed for limited tax-exempt status, but you are not an association.  You're a blogger....

...with these opinions, in addition to those contained in your bogus "award":

A.  With regard to PBS:  "It's still a pit of anti-Americanism that really, really needs to get its funding cut off."  http://www.therazor.org/

B.  With regard to global warming:  "The more I learn about Global Warming -- the less I believe that it is scientific rather than a political argument."  http://www.therazor.org/

C.  With regard to Democrats:  "By my reckoning, the Democratic Party now stands for the following: 1. Offshoring and Globalization (as shown by Baucus's and Kerry's comments) 2. Labor Dumping (unrestricted immigration - legal and illegal) to drive down salaries. 3. Killing innocents through supporting abortion on demand. 4. Protecting the guilty by opposing capital punishment. 5. Protecting terrorists by hamstringing the military. 6. Protecting terrorists by undermining Israel. 7. Protecting terrorists by opposing domestic surveillance."  http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1137256208.shtml

D.  Or this, regarding Democrats:  "Of course, those of you who know the true state of the Democratic Party today know that the party is too busy fretting over the rights of Terrorists than it is worrying over such trifling matters as the problems of its consituents."  http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1137694793.shtml

So, while you are certainly entitled to your opinions, if you attack a candidate or party -- any candidate or party -- behind the screen of a bogus "association," you should expect to sooner or later be challenged and/or exposed by anyone who has every done oppo for 5 minutes. 

"Sunlight is the best disinfectant."

Anonymous Coward RJL
I'm not running for Senate, but your boss is. So why are you making me the issue?

I know! Because you can't refute the facts.

Get some balls, man, and stop hiding behind pseudonyms.

Scott Kirwin

of refuting the facts above, oh great one of balls.

I see the shoe fits.

I've never met Harris Miller.

Case closed.