Jessica Fender of the Denver Post wrote this yesterday about a protester she recognized in the crowd Saturday:
http://blogs.denverpost.com/cr…
That protestor…appeared to be serial impersonator Rick Strandlof. When approached for his name by a Denver Post photographer, the scruffy man walked a way, collapsing his tent and disappearing into the crowd.
When Strandlof went as Rick Duncan in 2008 and 2009, he told politicians, reporters and anti-war activists he was an Iraqi War veteran with post traumatic stress disorder. None of that was true.
A few months ago, he was outed for pretending to be a lawyer and infiltrating Denver’s Jewish community as Rick Gold.
Now he’s out protesting under his own name…
In 2009, The Post reported on Strandlof’s military impersonation scam:
http://www.denverpost.com/comm…
But a trail of deceit has stamped Richard Glen Strandlof with another indelible mark: fake military hero who misled veterans, politicians and voters. Many had bought into the story of Rick Duncan, the wounded soldier rallying opposition to the Iraq war and support for struggling vets…
He backed mostly Democratic candidates sympathetic to his anti-war views in the run-up to the 2008 election. Beyond politics, he worked on behalf of homeless veterans in Colorado Springs, an effort that earned him widespread respect.
But revelation of his charade last month ignited the military blogosphere – some of the more charitable critics have suggested his deployment to a combat zone – and prompted speculation on just how he could pull it off.
The deception was elaborate, cunningly conceived and boldly executed – from his command of military vernacular down to details like the bumper sticker on his car.
Strandlof is on Twitter as reported, Tweeting on location about Occupy Denver (you can see his tweets RIGHT NOW on this page – right). He is interacting with many other Occupy Denver protesters. All under his own name.
Is all forgiven for his deceit of Democrats and web of lies? Do the Occupy Denver protesters on this blog support Strandlof’s presence there? Has anyone asked him to leave??
I have trouble identifying Occupy Denver as something other than the fringe lawless mob it appears to be, when serial fraud Rick Strandlof is the face of your movement. Please help me understand.
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Keep telling yourself that.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/…
Could you be more of a fool? Strandlof apparently, from media descriptions and some here, now appears to be homeless and very mentally ill. Why don’t you go help him?
in comments, or on the general thread — don’t remember. Half of Denver was there, Saturday. Why wouldn’t he be there? Based on his unshaven appearance, he is homeless, along with many other mentally ill people who have been tossed out onto the streets by an uncaring economy. With them are thousands of mothers and small children, people with developmental disabilities, people with physical handicaps, and people who have suffered the worst of life’s abuses and tragedies. Many of them are members of the working poor. Social programs and preventative programs have been cut to the quick by a Republican Congress. The poverty rate has increased by 50% since the year 2000. Strandlof should be locked up in a mental hospital where he cannot hurt anyone else.
That’s one of the reasons we protest, Genius.
I went to a U2 show a while back. Does that make me the face of U2 ? Weird, because nobody told me that.
IDIOT.
from the concert? Did Bono disassociate the band from you? If not, there’s no way around it, you are the face of the biggest band in the world.
for I am the “face” of all events I attend. It was a grueling vetting process, but it is done.
I am “the face” of Whole Foods. I say we drop these prices a little and tone down the sanctimony. Please contact my spokesperson for further statements.
you’re basically paying for the backsass, but you can change all of that now…
Instituting a 4 hour workday, seeya later!
/6 hours later, PCG’s boss kicks her out of the office as usual… stupid type AA personality.
done
Occupy some giant, awesome photos
of Interstate 25, I am proclaiming that everyone ought to get moving.
Hmmm, that sounds familiar. Ah, yes:
I’m going to start calling you Governor Gage. (And before you boo-hoo about this being from Howard Zinn, please note that this was a direct quote from Gage himself. You know, the sort of fact that doesn’t change because of the historian quoting it.)
you are so in!
Because we are faceless.
Oh, never mind. Do what you want. It makes as much sense as anything else in this post.
Idiot
http://coloradopols.com/diary/…
Okay, I’ll bite.
The man who….
Clearly I have struck a nerve.
I hope you realize that you look ridiculous; most people do pay attention with the people they are associated with. If somebody is speaking in a room and I don’t like what they’re saying, I take issue with it or I leave. Because I do not want to be associated with it.
The fact that the anarchists at Occupy Denver do not think this way does not change the fact that people like Strandlof are welcomed there, and as a result discredit everyone else there.
of a time when you “took exception” with some nut at a GOP meeting. Give full details, please. (Don’t bother with stories about when you left instead – as we all know, you generally leave when confronted here.)
See his comment re Tacredo postign an anti-Semitic screed: he just says it must’ve been a rogue staffer or an accident or something other than the reality that a longtime xenophobe suddenly indicated he doesn’t like the Jews either.
You don’t.
And neither do we.
Strandlof worked for Democrats.
He also endorsed Mike Coffman, and Coffman had it on his website for about 18 months. When the story hit the national news, Coffman’s gang took it down.
The first time I met Strandlof was at a Democratic Congressional event. I asked why someone who supported Coffman was there, since I had read he endorsed Coffman. He told me he had switched his support to the Dem.
Dick Wadhams tried to scrub evidence of it from the internet, but lots of us remember.
He also endorsed Mike Coffman, and Coffman had it on his website for about 18 months. When the story hit the national news, Coffman’s gang took it down.
The first time I met Strandlof was at a Democratic Congressional event. I asked why someone who supported Coffman was there, since I had read he endorsed Coffman. He told me he had switched his support to the Dem.
Dick Wadhams tried to scrub evidence of it from the internet, but lots of us remember.
Actually, the fact that right-wingers seem weirdly obsessed with the “Occupy” groups (just look at your posts, and the main page on redstate.com) is pretty solid evidence that you know the teabaggers can no longer even pretend to be speaking for the common person while griping about taxes on the rich. You guys are spooked.
If Strandlof had spoken and identified himself on stage, you might have a case. But he was just a guy hanging out in a big crowd who was probably not recognized by anyone.
There was a scruffy-looking guy at the protest who was blowing some kind of horn, badly, and asking for a dollar while trying to be cute with my kid. I didn’t welcome him and walked away as quickly as I could. Maybe that was Strandlof.
I haven’t counted, but I think he is Occupy Denver’s #1 Tweeter. Many other Occupy Denver Tweeters have acknowledged him even after he was exposed by the Denver Post. And from his Tweets, he is clearly on site.
by the number of tweets?
I haven’t checked, but I think Occupy Denver has constructed a shrine to ArapaGOP, and many in their movement have sacrificed kittens to try to appease him.
http://coloradopols.com/diary/…
Lets’ see … I attended several tea party rallies in 2009 … Therefore, I and my views are representative of the tea party as a whole. … Hey, that means all tea partiers support the Occupy movement!