… cross-posted at Donklephant, where it caught the attention of Bob Roth and he responded in the comments. In the interest of fairness and completeness I will paste that comment exchange here….

Justin, “out front with the story on centrist blogs?” If you are suggesting that I should have leaked the story, then you don’t understand my integrity. Unfortunately, I’ve found that embargoed info doesn’t typically stay embargoed either.

I don’t consider what is being written necessarily a “backlash.” I see that there are many I-told-ya-so’s out there, but what I have found in the world of politics is that there are a lot of name-callers and few action-takers. I can leave Unity08 with my head held high because I worked the insane hours and slept at the office to try and make a difference and thereby improve our country. You can argue whether it was right or wrong, but I took action.

Finally, you make an assumption that there was money in the bank when it was all said and done… we had ballot access efforts, direct mail in the works, an office of staff, new site technology built… and we stretched a million and a half dollars in donations over an amazingly long time period equal to about a year and a half. I don’t know about you, but the startups that I have worked for have had a much higher burn rate than that.

Good luck to you all!

Sincerely,
BobR

So just out of curiosity Bob, since Unity08 no longer needs a V.P. of Marketing

- where are you going?

Also, some of us warned you last year that not having a coherent exit strategy was not the smartest move. Obviously, that warning was ignored. So for everybody’s benefit and in the spirit of transparency, I’d like to hear what you’ll be doing now since you won’t be picking a ticket or holding a convention or getting ballot access. Will Unity08 give any of the money they raised back? Or has it all just gone to line the pockets of the people who are working at there?

These are fair questions Bob, and they deserve real answers.

My comment to the members in the Unity08 forum was the result of their having been a false rumor started that day. We were operating on a time line to close the virtual doors of the organization which we advanced due to the nature of the press report. I felt that I owed it to the membership to tell them what I could since these particular members had worked avidly with me on the movement.

One thing. In case you didn’t notice, I had nothing to do with the demise of Unity08. You and your fellow followers failed to behave like the big money, pr professionals, and Washington insiders that dreamed up Unity08 wanted you to behave. You didn’t contribute enough money, you didn’t get behind the presumed enlightened leadership, and you did not get enough of your friends and family to support an organization that took no stands on any issues, fielded no candidates, and stood for nothing meaningful. Not my fault. Like I said I feed sorry for the people that invested hopes, dreams, money and energy in a cynical organization that betrayed the people who supported it.

Good for you Seattle, and anyone else trying to push forward to try to change the political system we have that doesn’t care to serve the public anymore. Keep pushing for American government to serve America again, for the concept of country above party, for true and honorable public servants, for all Americans to involve themselves in the process, and for a process that we look forward to participating in, instead of the hopeless process we have now.

MW, Keep going how you see fit. Keep being negative, keep dragging down, keep your efforts focused on being a dickhead. Do what you like, it’s your choice. But what’s your goal? To destroy everything you disagree with until nothing but your thoughts are left? I doubt that’s a successful tactic. Disunity is the future, huh? That’s what keeps things honest? Ok, the two party system is good. Tension is needed. But when 2 choices have no interest in aiming to be the best for the whole common good, and instead choose that dragging the other down so all they have to be is barely better than the other is the highest standard they choose to hold themselves to (which I’d argue is the current state), what good is that? Who are you helping by cheering for the demise of Unity08? Do you believe that their motives were tainted from the start? What have you done to contact them, to get to know them, and to discover if in fact that’s true? If this site and negative rhetoric is serving nothing more than your ego, all the rest of us are better without it. Stay vocal if you’re trying to contribute and not just detract. Your vanity is showing.

Ah yes, Hagel, the source of so many pleasing words, unsullied by a single concrete action. And Bloomberg — because billionaires just don’t have enough influence in American politics.

How could anyone NOT swoon, with a line-up like that?!?