San Francisco Liberals and their Sock Puppets

There's a new Greenwald in town, and he's working for SF Mayor Gavin Newsom(scroll down):

Mayoral spin master Peter Ragone appears to have been caught with his fingers in the blogger jar.

The local news site SFist has discovered that Ragone's home computer is the source of a series of mayoral-friendly postings that have gone out under a different name.

Some of the postings praise boss Gavin Newsom. Others go after Newsom's critics -- most notably ABC-7 reporter Dan Noyes, who has made bushwhacking the increasingly flustered Newsom his favorite pastime.

Postings going out under a fake name have, in turn, prompted some to compare them to Nixonian dirty tricks and others to crack jokes about Ragone having way, way too much time on his hands.

Whatever the case, ABC's Noyes -- who in one posting was referred to as a "sad, sad guy" -- quickly confronted Ragone on camera about the postings.

Ragone denied that he was posting under fake names, and insisted that Web poster John Nelson is a real person -- actually a close family friend.

Indeed, Nelson must be a very good friend, given that some of the postings have gone out from Ragone's home before 8 a.m.

"What can I say, we had a nerd attack,'' Ragone said. "I've learned my lesson."

Obviously posting under a fake name isn't a problem in itself. It's pretty creepy for a political consultant to do this anonymously on behalf of his boss, though. And blaming it on an imaginary friend is utterly pathetic.

But I like the "nerd attack" line. Sounds like Louis and Gilbert put a protractor to his throat.

All in all, it's pretty amazing loyalty considering how Mayor Newsom treats his campaign staff...and their wives.

Hmm. A philandering mayor who advocates gay marriage? Newsom thinks that's a political career-ender. Form the first link:

"I certainly won't be appointed by any administration or special councils because I'm a time bomb and too controversial,'' Newsom said, referring to the political storm that arose after he unilaterally authorized gay marriages in San Francisco.

And it's not just the Republican critics that Newsom was talking about.

"God as my witness ... one of the three Democrats you mentioned as presidential candidates (we're told it was Barack Obama) will not be photographed with me, will not be in the same room as me, even though I've done fundraisers for that particular person not once but twice, because of this issue."

Actually, your Honor, you might be surprised how far that kind of resume will get you these days.