Bloggin' Fun!

Patrick Hynes reports on the Politics Online Conference 2005:

Somehow the subject of Fox News came up and one bloated, goateed attendee went into a frenzy. Snarl-faced and glassy-eyed, he declared, "Fox News isn't journalism! It's a direct arm of the Republican National Committee! They meet with the Republican National Committee every morning!" Even Nicco from the Dean campaign looked uncomfortable.

Turns out the fellow was a blogger with "The Raw Story," a vehemently pro-homosexual blog and webzine, which specializes in "outing" Republican members of Congress. While not a member of the panel, he took it upon himself to insert his opinion on just about everything discussed or mumbled by anyone in the room.

"If you're a rightwinger, you are a fascist," he vociferated to no one in particular.

"I'm a rightwinger," I responded. "Am I a fascist?"

"Pretty much."

It dawned on me: this clown's free speech was more of a nuisance in this, a public setting than in electronic form on his blog. At least when it's on his blog, I need neither to hear nor read it.

And you don't have to constantly worry about staying upwind of him too!