August 26, 2007
Hateration
I hung out with Andrew Sullivan this year’s CPAC and he has posted my videos on several occasions. He is presently on vacation. One of the people keeping The Daily Dish warm in Sullivan’s absence is Jamie Kirchick, a self-described “homocon” who serves at the pleasure of Marty Peretz. I hear from a TNR source that Kirchick has rewarded his employer by helping web weirdo “Throbert McGee” leak inside information to the Weekly Standard to assist the neocon rag’s swiftboating of “Baghdad Diarist” Scott Thomas Beauchamp.
Now, Kirchick has decided to go after to me for daring to say in my Q&A with the Forward that my videos have been viewed by an audience outside what I described as the “liberal intellectual bubble.” He calls that assertion “laughable.”
But what did I do to earn Kirchick’s wrath? Perhaps Kirchick is angry that Sidney Blumenthal is my father (Kirchick inexplicably quotes Sullivan’s negative review of my father’s book, “The Clinton Wars,” to buttress his attack on me). Maybe he is jealous that my interpretive dance moves so perfectly evoked the brilliance of Jose Limon. Or maybe it’s this. Who knows? For now, all I will say in response to Kerchick — I actually pity him for some reason — is that while I welcome his promotion of my interview, he needs to stop sipping that haterade.
Matt Yglesias was also baffled by Kerchick’s weird post, and takes him to task for poor reading comprehension.
August 26th, 2007 at 10:25 am
His attack kind of reminds me of David Horowitz’s rant a few months back by using your father as a source to somehow discredit you and your work. It’s weak and cheap, to say the least. Then again, Kerchick, Horowitz and Sullivan aren’t even worthy enough to shine Sidney Blumenthal’s shoes, and they can only dream of being HALF the journalist/poliatical analyst/historian he is.
Max, I can see these attacks intensifying once your book is released, therefore prepare yourself — your opponents are already sharping their knives to gut you open.
August 26th, 2007 at 10:26 am
Sharpening. My bad.
August 26th, 2007 at 11:54 am
I’m not worried Preston as long as you’ve got my back.
August 26th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
Fo’ sho. You’re my boy and an honorary brotha, so of course I got back yo’ back.
August 26th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
Damn, I messed up that last part of the sentence. You know what I meant though.
August 29th, 2007 at 10:53 pm
I want to read your dads book Max, but I have this weird thing over long books. Somehow every time I stare at it in Barnes and Noble I just get overwhelmed because of its enormous size and end up having to leave the aisle. I’ll read it eventually though.
“Homocons”…that’s some funny shit. While recently searching through archives of Dan Savages famous sex advice column “Savage Love”, I came upon a blog post he had written about this conservative at Michigan State who was working for the Tancredo campaign. The post went on to explain that the kid was gay, and somehow tried to make a point of the hypocrisy. The firs thing that popped into my mind was “not a surprise…he’s just another conservative in crisis”. I think his name was Tyler Whitney if anybody reading this feels like googling his name.
Anyway, I could understand if a homo offended you Max, but not a homocon. Never let a homocon make you feel bad, because like all bullies, homocons are just upset with themselves.
October 8th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
I’m sorry you’re being attacked. You should be viewed for
I’m curious: what is your dad’s book
yourself and not for someone else even if it’s a parent.
You should be able to be respected for your own work
which I enjoy all the time whether it’s your writing or
your video’s and I think you do a very fair job on
everything.
about?