The cyber-smear of Ward 3 council candidate Sam Brooks began last weekend with the creation of a phony Yahoo profile. Under a smiling photo of Brooks, someone posted a message that said a vote for Brooks would help make homosexuality a crime in the District.
The next day, a message riddled with misspellings appeared on the local Craigslist site. Its title: "I am a proud white supremist Democrat." That message urged voters to support Brooks if they agree that blacks should be made powerless, that Hispanics should be chased from the city and that rights for gays should be eliminated.
Brooks was appalled by the postings and by similar missives sent in his name to a variety of message boards and Web sites. "It quickly went from, 'Oh, this is a fun little political battle' to 'We'll ignore it' to 'Wait, this has to be handled by lawyers,' " Brooks said in an interview.
Brooks, a Democratic activist who won attention last year when he came in third in the primary to replace D.C. Council member Harold Brazil , said he has asked a lawyer to seek a court order to force the culprit's Internet service provider to cough up his or her identity. Brooks said he thinks he knows who it is, though he declined to identify the person publicly.
Brooks's only declared opponent in the race, Jonathan R. Rees , a business manager for an institutional dental care company, said he had nothing to do with the phony messages. In fact, Rees said, he, too, has been victimized by anonymous attacks against his candidacy posted on message boards.
"I'm just trying to pretend like it's not happening," he said. "I'm telling people, 'Don't react to them. You're only going to make yourself look bad.' "
By press time Tuesday, Brooks had yet to unmask his tormentor. In the meantime, he has posted his own message on Craigslist decrying the "nasty, cruel, and offensive posts . . . made by someone impersonating me -- and my campaign for DC Council. . . .
"I am certain people have been offended by the posts, and I am so sorry my name was so directly associated with them."
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps
Put City Administrator Robert C. Bobb firmly in the maybe category: Last week, Bobb said he is not considering a run for mayor, but he declined to rule out the possibility.
"I haven't made any calls to anybody," Bobb told reporters at the mayor's weekly news conference. "But if someone approaches me and makes me an offer I can't refuse, I have to look out for my future."
For the moment, Bobb said his sights are focused on guaranteeing the success of Mayor Anthony A. Williams 's final year in office. "I tie my success to him," Bobb said. "Total loyalty."
And Perhaps, but Unlikely
You can put former U.S. attorney Eric H. Holder Jr. in the maybe-but-unlikely column.
