Where to begin with my disappointment? Fishbowl DC editor Betsy Rothstein promised (in writing, no less) retaliation against Big Government. For some reason, that didn’t happen. Worse still, what was flung at me came in the form of … an open letter.
Really? Open letters?
When you prepare to dodge incoming fire from a cool, cutting-edge hipster, you expect something a little more biting than the HuffPo-lame “open letter.” Perhaps an intervention is necessary. Perhaps Ms. Rothstein has friends who might take her aside and explain that “open letters” are the “eating paste” of Internetting.
I’d tell Ms. Rothstein myself, but she wouldn’t listen. According to the open letter, which was cleverly titled “Dear John,” my opinion is meaningless because I have a guilt-by-association problem. Yes, that impotently raged threat Ms. Rothstein posted on Twitter late last week ended up being nothing more than: “We’re right and Nolte’s wrong because of something someone who isn’t him did somewhere else.”
I’m not disappointed someone would stoop to guilt-by-association–we are talking about leftists here–it’s just that if you’re going to go that route, I’d appreciate a little more thought and effort. Had Ms. Rothstein simply reached out prior to her Dear Johnning, I would’ve been happy to help because when it comes to my guilt-by-association sins, I have a history that goes well beyond Rothstein’s desperate twisting of the facts regarding my colleague (and friend) Dan Riehl.
For instance, a little research would reveal that for 17 years I made a living as a bill collector where, as you can imagine, in that kind of business I had as colleagues all kinds of seedy characters guilty of all kinds of horrible things. Why one fella I knew bootlegged cable. Another cheated on his taxes. Moreover, to this day my mother swears I have great uncle who worked for Al Capone.
Talk about a missed opportunity. Fishbowl DC is desperate to justify an ugly, sexist attack hurled at a young woman who did absolutely nothing wrong, but had they known how truly guilty I am through my associations (and family tree), they could’ve justified so much more. Like demanding Michelle Fields wear a burka.
Now we get to the best part.
After once again claiming that two vicious smears launched against a conservative woman written by THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF THE BILL PRESS SHOW weren’t politically motivated in the least, Ms. Rothstein writes the following:
Perhaps Nolte should realize that criticizing a woman for her actions is not sexist, criticizing a woman because she’s a woman is.
Though I’m already embarrassed for assuming that the EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF THE BILL PRESS SHOW might have been politically motivated, I am working on being just as red-faced for believing the following might cross the line into sexism:
1. In fact, 14 out of 15 videos feature a young, attractive woman. Only one features a man. ALL of the videos with the women feature shots above the waist.
2. Some even go out of their way to show off cleavage.
3. Because when I think Keynesian economics, I think Titty City.
4. [I]f you want to be taken seriously, maybe just be good at reporting and stop showing off your legs and cleavage.
5. See Michelle’s low budget Skinemax video below.
6. One political reporter recently bumped for a TV spot for Fields wrote in to say, “Michelle Fields is like the case study of hot bimbo gets ahead of other people for her looks. So annoying.”
That comes from two Fishbowl DC posts written over two days by the non-partisan executive producer of the Bill Press Show. And that’s just the non-partisan sexist stuff, not the non-partisan personal attacks that were obviously meant to degrade and humiliate Ms. Fields.
But if you really want to know how dishonest and dissembling Betsy Rothstein is, take another look at the first part of the quote above:
Perhaps Nolte should realize that criticizing a woman for her actions is not sexist[.]
At first glance, that sounds pretty smart (hipsters are very good at bumper stickers), except for the part that isn’t true–and that would be all of it. The non-partisan executive producer of the Bill Press Show did not criticize Michelle Fields for her actions. He cherry-picked certain actions, namely cleavage and a personal Twitter account, and then set out to degrade Ms. Fields while willfully ignoring her other actions that one might label as a growing body of work.
Here are the actions the non-partisan executive producer of the Bill Press Show was not interested in cherry-picking, because they did not fit his vicious narrative: This. This. All of this, this, and this.
But if we’re going to cherry-pick, I say let’s cherry-pick!
Who looks more serious and reportorial to you? Ms. Fields getting knocked over by police while in the field covering Occupy for the Daily Caller…
…or Ms. Rothstein striking that leather-clad, badass, faux windswept pose before marching back to the Fishbowl DC cheap seats safely located high above The Arena where she can feel superior flinging her snark-poo?
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.