"Ellie Light" is not Ellie Light and Isn't Even a Woman

The other day I had the story of the prolific letter writer who had managed to get the same letter to the editor published in more than 60 newspapers around the country (and some out of the country), each time proclaiming to be a person living in that paper's area of service. This had all the earmarks of a classic astroturf campaign and many wondered who as behind it.

A number of conservative bloggers started digging, along with some embarrassed newspapers, and what they've found is more than a little bit interesting (from Hot Air):

The nutshell version: The Cleveland Plain-Dealer spoke to “Ellie Light” on the phone this morning and got her to admit — in a “husky voice” — that her name’s really Barbara Brooks, she’s a nurse, and that she wrote the letters on her own initiative. She gave them some personal information to verify her existence and it checked out. Later today, another woman — not husky-voiced — called the Plain-Dealer and said that she’s Barbara Brooks and that it’s actually her husband, a Kossack named Winston Steward, who’s responsible for the Ellie letters and has now taken to posing as her because he’s afraid the “right-wing crazies” will get him. (Question: If you think you’re in danger, why would you expose your wife to that danger by posing as her?) She too gave the Plain-Dealer some personal information, and her records appear to match those of “husky-voiced” Barbara.

"Kossack" refers to the writers at the wacky left DailyKos website. Sounds like a little astroturfing for sure.