My reply to the NY Post reporter who e-mailed me (Dean smear)

[FlashHarry]

Mr. Johnson,

It’s interesting that you didn’t refute any of the three examples I gave in my original e-mail—you simply retorted with, "who is more liberal, except maybe Al Sharpton?" Since you acknowledge that Sharpton may in fact be ‘more liberal’ than Dean, I guess, by your own admission, your original statement that Dean is the ‘most liberal’ doesn’t really hold up.

However, I would posit that being against the war in Iraq actually makes Dean quite conservative. (He was for the war in Afghanistan and the original Gulf War, by the way.) In fact, many true conservatives, including Pat Buchanan and Robert Novak, have decried the invasion of Iraq as anything but conservative. To wit, launching a ‘preemptive’ war against Iraq (a sovereign nation that, though arguably ‘evil,’ posed little or no threat to the US) without the backing of the world community, while the war against Al Qaeda was still being prosecuted, is the antithesis of conservative.

I have no problem with your politics. In fact, I consider myself quite conservative in many ways. I do, however, have a problem with the lazy repetition of a spurious talking point.

His response to my original e-mail can be found here.

On edit: I realize I'm tilting at windmills here. But it's still fun to call these bastards on their laziness...

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Way to go!

These freepers have to understand that they haven't fooled everyone, and that with every post we make we're making other people wake up and think!

[ComerPerro]

2. Wow

Well done.

Great command of the language. I love all of the outstanding writing that goes on every single day here. Often times, it is taken for granted because many DUers have come to expect a high level of quality from those who post here.

Now, let's see if this professional writer replies with another one sentence talking point.

[Renew Deal]

3. I live in NY.

And I saw the article the other day. I think it was a blip on Page Six. That's an odd place for political news. As you may know, the paper is owned by Ruport Murdoch. They have endorsed the republican nominee for as long as I can remember. I read that article. It was a smear job. I don't know why they felt the need to post it. There was nothing newsworthy about it. Maybe that's why it was on Page 6.

[FlashHarry]

4. It was on Page 6.

It was a passing thought in the gossip section. The fact that it was 'slipped in,' made it all the more infuriating to me, as stuff like this tends to brainwash the masses without their even knowing it.

[TSIAS]

5. Good job (n/t)

[prolesunited]

6. Nicely written

Frankly, I think they should fire him and hire you instead. :D

Keep us posted if he responds.

BTW, you may want to shoot this exchange over to Media Whores Online or to the Dean blog.

[FlashHarry]

8. I just shot it over to 'the Horse.'

I doubt they'll print it, though--there's just soooo much media whoring going on these days.

[screembloodymurder]

7. Nail him to the wall

any punk reporter using the "liberal" lable like a dirty word can't think for himself.

[MisterP]

9. "But, Rupert, your buyers are my shoplifters."

--department store owner