Michelle Malkin feature profile in latest TownHall Magazine

I spoke previously about the underrated landscape changing news that was the acquisition of Conservative blog HotAir by Salem Communications. One of the byproducts of that is this new profile interview of Michelle Malkin in TownHall Magazine, this interview was conducted by Ed Morrissey who acknowledges his favorable relationship with Malkin.

Townhall Magazine featured profile: Michelle Malkin
The next Townhall Magazine has quite a treat for readers, and quite a treat for me. Last month, the magazine asked me to write a profile of Michelle Malkin, the Boss Emeritus and my good friend, as their featured article of the month. After the sale of Hot Air (which celebrates its fourth birthday today!) to Salem Communications, I wanted to highlight an oft-overlooked aspect of Michelle’s success, that of a New Media entrepreneur, as well as a lightning rod for hate-filled attacks from the Left:

Andrew Wilkow VS Senator Daylin Leach

Senator Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery/Delaware) and RadioTalker Andrew Wilkow have begun a feud with Daylin using his 'DaylinSights blog' as the platform and Wilkow utilising his radio show. The feud could potentially lead to a tantalising face to face interview on Wilkow's Radio Show, we'll keep you posted if that eventuates

Read senator Daylin's original post on Andrew Wilkow and other Right Wing talkers

Right Wing Talk Radio
One thing Mr. Wilkow is not is open to different perspectives. The slogan of his show, screamed at every commercial break is "We're right, they're wrong. End of Story!!, which I must say is more punchy and effective than the liberal equivalent often whispered on NPR, "We're intrepid, they're Jejune, lets start a dialogue!".

More from Senator Daylin Leach on Wilkow

Right-Wing Radio Hate Part Deux.
I did, and the first thing I heard was someone screaming "What do you think of that Senator Daylin Leach" out of my speakers. And I thought, hey, wait a minute! How many Daylin Leaches could there be? And how many of them are Senators?? Four, five at the most? I began to think this might be about me.

It turns out that Mr. Wilkow had somehow gotten hold of my blog and was commenting on it. He then spent the next hour or so either replying to or referring to me. I must say that it made for most excellent listening for my long ride to Dauphin County.

Read the followup here

Wilkow's false literalism
So the argument here is that Mr. Wilkow is literally correct and therefore not being offensive at all. This is of course nonsense. But lets deconstruct it a bit.

First, before we even get into parsing the phrase, one wonders why Mr. Hilton's sexuality is even relevant....

But whatever it is he did to piss off Mr. Wilkow (and based on Wilkow's reaction to me, it was probably saying something less than worshipful about Mr. Wilkow), it probably had nothing to do with who Mr. Hilton sleeps with. So Wilkow's choice to use any term for "gay" in connection to Hilton would be a homophobic statement. Why mention it if it isn't relevant unless you think it will cast Hilton in a negative light.

Read American Pundit Fighting's interview with Andrew Wilkow

Allahpundit of HotAir deconstructs Bill Maher's role in the lefty landscape

A nice little dissertation by AllahPundit on where Bill Maher fits in the "lefty landscape". It turns into a nice wrestling style promo by the end with AllahPundit undervaluing Maher's accomplishments.

Video: And now, an important message from Bill Maher about tea partiers
...As lame as it is, I find the clip interesting as a window onto Maher’s place in the lefty media landscape. He’s not quite a comedian — the jokes here, such as they are, are simply terrible — and he’s not quite a serious pundit either, yet not only does he have his own show on premium cable, he’s in demand by cable news nets as a commentator on current affairs. Does anyone else get quite that much notoriety for filling this niche? Coulter and Dennis Miller are obvious comparisons, the former because she’s a provocateur, the latter because he’s a comedian turned pundit, but neither one has their own television show. It’s not like the left is starved for comic opinion, either. Stewart and Colbert run rings around this tool every weeknight and people like Patton Oswalt, Sarah Silverman, and David Cross are both sharply left and (at times) sharply funny. How does “Real Time with Bill Maher” exist but not, say, “Real Time with Zach Galifianakis”? Maybe that’s Maher’s secret — that, unknown to the public at large, behind the scenes he’s simply a genius of self-promotion. That would explain a lot; rarely has someone blessed with so little achieved so much.

VIDEO: Bill Maher On Tea Party: “Why Let The Truth Spoil A Perfectly Good Klan Rally”

Pete Dominick on 'Pete on the Street' segments on CNN's John King

For those who haven't seen Pete Dominick's segments on CNN's 'John King, USA', I highly encourage you too. Pete has been doing lighter comedic segments for CNN as John King's "offbeat reporter".

Read my PunditFight interview with Pete Dominick

VIDEO: Pete on the Street - Attending a Tea Party on April 15 in DC


Find all of Pete's video segments on CNN's 'John King, USA' via Pete Dominick's YouTube Channel
Go to Pete Dominick's official website - Stand Up with Pete Dominick

Rachel Maddow calls Bullpucky on GOP fakery: Says ACORN pimp outrage and Climategate are all fake

As a blog dedicated to the analogy that American Politics is not unlike professional wrestling, one of the more favored threads is fakery in politics. More to the point how the fake can swallow reality and create a new a one. The fakery can at times be innocuous, nefarious or absurd. Consider the impact Tina Fey's Sarah Palin parody had on the real image of the Republican Vice Presidential nominee. Consider the credibility and gravitas of "Fake" news show 'The Daily Show' and "fake" pundit Stephen Colbert. Consider how pundits from Glenn Beck and Ann Coulter have detractors questioning if they authentically believe what they are saying, or if its just a lucrative act for attention.

Rachel Maddow expands on Fakery in Politics in this segment challenging the GOP's outrage.

VIDEO: MSNBC'S Rachel Maddow says GOP's outrage is Bullpucky

The Rachel Maddow Blog - Let them eat fake
RACHEL MADDOW: What we’re dealing with here is the unmooring of politics from facts. The activists pushing the ACORN scandal knew it was fake. After all, they faked it. But it made a political impact anyway, so they win, right?

The climate-gate scandal, not an actual challenge to the homogenous consensus of decades of climate science but it could have a political impact, so go for it. It might work.

If the triumph of fake politics or advantage gleaned from stuff that’s not real - and who cares if it’s not real or if it has a political impact?...

It’s made up. It’s bull. It’s bull. It’s not real politics. Let them eat fake.

These are not real problems to worry about and work on as a country, right? But there’s more bang for the political buck to make stuff up like this than to try to debate real problems in the real world. So just go with the bull.