Wingnut Blogger Feels Dirty By: Mark W Adams

John Hawkins of Right Wing News responds to Former Bush White House Communications Director Dan Bartlett's intriguing comments on how Blogistan "regurgitates" GOP talking points so faithfully that Shep and I both found delicious.

I have some respect for Hawkins in that sometimes he can act like a rational person, admits when Administration is full of it on rare occasions, and doesn't froth at the mouth too much or become insulting when he's defending patently wrong-headed positions. About where John Cole was a couple of years ago.

I think he's sincere when he tries to interpret Bartlett:

Let me tell you what Bartlett is really talking about here: The MSM is generally hostile to Republicans and routinely ignores, minimizes, or distorts the GOP's message. This is incredibly frustrating to Republicans in DC, who often can't get out their side of the story, even on very important issues.

I think this is an honest depiction of how conservatives generally feel about their message, regardless of the objective truth of the situation. That's how we get Rush Limbaugh insisting for years that he "is equal time," and despite documented evidence to the contrary coupled with the consolidation of mainstream media in the hands of so few, the "liberal media" meme persists.

As Ari Melber explains, "For no apparent reason, Bartlett came out and debunked two of the most persistent claims in the conservative blogosphere." That there is no liberal media bias in the White House press corps, and that conservative bloggers are in no way independent.

John Hawkins, however, believes in his own integrity, which has led to more than one instance where I've seen some cognitive dissonance in his writing. And lo, we see more of it today:

In fact, if the DC GOP actually listened to bloggers and considered some of the advice we gave them (not catered to us, not pandered to us, not courted our favor, just listened to us sometimes), they'd be about a hundred times better off. However, at the moment -- although they have improved considerably over time -- they seem to look at us as nothing more than a seldom used part of the GOP message machine.

See John, the problem is not so much any distortions of reality. It's perfectly legitimate to argue that the conservative message gets stepped on. Liberals have no cake-walk competing with the bimbo eruptions and gossip/horse-race coverage of politics by the Village press either.

The problem is that Bartlett rubs your nose in the fact that you're being used, just another slut. At least when Fox News regurgitators or Wingnut radio propagandists do the administrations bidding, they get paid -- which of course makes them whores. My question is whether Hawkins is suppressing resentment over the fact that he lost his integrity by being used like the tool he his, or that he's not sharing in the bling.

Face it John. You're feeling the same conflicted emotions any mistress who started out as a casual 2:30am bar pick-up feels. Eventually she overhears the guy on the phone to his wife saying, "Really Honey, it didn't mean a thing."

Don't kid yourself that you ever were going to get the brass (or even zircon) ring and enter the inner circle. Your integrity really means nothing just because you weren't on the payroll like the actual media prostitutes. You were and always will be treated like the cheap slut you are, no matter how much you pretend you're a "real" journalist. Making a living off selling your soul for access (and advertising space) won't make you a born-again virgin.