My Letter to Wonkette

tips@wonkette.com

Look, Wonkette - I like you. Read you a few times. You're light-hearted and that's an important thing on the often heavy-handed liberal side.

But Steve Gilliard (and the 70 others on that petition) have a point, much as it may hurt you to hear it. I know it's hard to get criticized, but it happens to all of us - happened to me many times on my posts and comments around the web.

You have guts for doing a blog, and you're an excellent writer - but you're not A-list honey. Even I can tell you're B-List - I who am probably W-List or something. You're definitely somewhere in the top-100 or so liberal bloggers - but you're not one of the top-ten, and THAT'S who we need on a panel to counter the right wing. If it's just me saying it, then you have the right to ignore it - but if I were you I would humbly reflect on the fact that 70 excellent writers and thinkers are ALSO saying it.

What I'm saying is, the NPC needed a clown, and they picked you. This is an old phenomenon, kind of like "Uncle Tom" or Lieberman or Powell, and you need to be modest and strategic enough NOT to let them play you like that. Don't let them play your ego to hurt the left.

Read below for how the right wing is using you on this panel:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=109x20149