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You are here: Home / Yikes.

Yikes.

by Imani Gandy (ABL)|  June 22, 201111:54 pm| 181 Comments

This post is in: Rare Sincerity

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I have immense respect for John Cole.  I respected him before I started blogging here.  I will respect him long after I stop blogging here.  I respected him when he took my post down, and I respect him for putting it back up.

While I respected his decision to take down my post, I felt that I would not have been able in good conscience to continue blogging here.  And once it happened, I fired off some “meh” tweets about it.  And then, frankly,  I forgot about the whole situation.  I didn’t know he had put the post back up because I was (am) busy drunkenly stumbling around looking for my keys and trying to clean my apartment and prepare for the arrival of the Angry Black Parents.

John has been incredibly gracious towards me, and has had my back practically without question.  Had he not put my post back up, I would not have thought ill of him.

And for the record, I don’t spout off here because I am trying to garner attention for myself, or to generate revenue (you’ll notice I don’t have any ads on my site.)  I don’t blog for a living and I don’t blog to hurt people.  I do it because I give a shit.  A HUGE shit.

As for today’s kerfuffle, I will say (as I have said before) that in my view, if you control — in any fashion — the viewpoints and voices on your blog, then you own those viewpoints and voices.  That is why my Hamsher post took the tone that it did.  THose of you who have read my previous posts on the subject understand that.

To the extent that anyone reading this would like to discuss the issues raised, I’m pretty easily found here in Blogistan.  Twitter.  ABLC.  Facebook.  It’s nonsensical for anyone to go after Cole for my writing.  Cole had nothing to do with the post, he has never told me that I can’t write about any particular subject (just as he allows his comment sections to run free and wild).  This is precisely why I don’t think he can reasonably be held liable or accountable for anything that I have written or posted here.

My viewpoints  — however crazy or inappropriate they may seem to you — are mine and mine alone.

That being said, I disagree that what I wrote was a vicious smear or that it was not based in fact.  Could I have posted a disclaimer expressing why, specifically, I hold Jane Hamsher accountable for the viewpoints and moderation policies on her blog?  Sure.  Did I feel it necessary?  No.  I’ve written about it before (as John notes in his update to my post) and most of the folks here know my viewpoints on the matter.

In conclusion,  I’ll take my lumps and the insults and whatever comes my way, but cut John some slack.  It’s his fucking birthday, dammit.  And he’s a good man.  It’s going to take a lot for my affection for the big lug from West Virginia to wane.

Sorry this is a bit rambly, but I been having teh drinks.

Shit!  I gotta go put my laundry in the dryer.

::wanders off::

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Previous Post: « The Secret Blogger’s Birthday Ball
Next Post: Late Night Open Thread: Parodies »

Reader Interactions

181Comments

  1. 1.

    Steve

    June 22, 2011 at 11:56 pm

    If the post is back up, why don’t I see it? So confused.

  2. 2.

    Corner Stone

    June 23, 2011 at 12:01 am

    @Steve

    If the post is back up, why don’t I see it? So confused.

    Look for the post, “Dick in a box”.

  3. 3.

    Steeplejack

    June 23, 2011 at 12:02 am

    @Steve:

    Here’s a link for you.

  4. 4.

    eemom

    June 23, 2011 at 12:03 am

    not that it matters, but according to John’s bend over backwards to kiss Jane Hamsher’s ass “Jane’s not responsible for what others post on her website” thesis, your post had nothing to do with him — so why should he delete it?

    Ah well. Chalk it up to eternal mysteries.

  5. 5.

    AAA Bonds

    June 23, 2011 at 12:06 am

    CATTLE CALL ON THE HAMSHER DANCE,

    ALL ABOARD THE JAAAAAAAAAAANE TRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIN! ! ! !

  6. 6.

    gocart mozart

    June 23, 2011 at 12:07 am

    Just thought I would say to you ABL, you are my favorite poster here at balloon juice.

  7. 7.

    General Stuck

    June 23, 2011 at 12:07 am

    And he’s a good man. It’s going to take a lot for my affection for the big lug from West Virginia to wane.

    Yes, but sometimes a major fucking spaz. But so am i, come to think of it. Well now, I hope all is hunky dory again, as much as it can be on this leaky vessel of a blog, full of crazy people and furry critters.

    As much as I like Obama and think he is a good man and president, there is no way I can see it through a black persons eyes, what he represents, and the fury it must cause when he is treated unfairly, especially when race is involved, by folks supposedly on his own pol side, as well as the other side..

  8. 8.

    AAA Bonds

    June 23, 2011 at 12:07 am

    Holy shit people, I heard there’s a blog run by a woman named James Hansher?

    Thoughts???????????????

  9. 9.

    Corner Stone

    June 23, 2011 at 12:09 am

    I have immense respect for John Cole.

    Obviously not.

  10. 10.

    Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason

    June 23, 2011 at 12:09 am

    I must admit, it’s entertaining seeing the various front page posts on kerfluffles, having missed the earlier posts and the 200+ comment threads. It’s like wandering into a party after it’s over and seeing various people lying around half in and out of garbage cans, passed out (yes, true story) and wondering what I missed.

    As for me, I have no issues with anything any of the front pagers have posted. I don’t get the animus against ABL or ED Kain or whoever. I just read, agree, disagree, and get on with trying to keep my job, house, cars, life. And the odd bottle of Evan Williams.

  11. 11.

    Sarah Proud and Tall

    June 23, 2011 at 12:09 am

    There’s been screaming and drunkenness and throwing things and then a mushy group hug (presumably to be followed by more screaming and throwing things).

    All in all a typical birthday, as far as I can tell.

  12. 12.

    AAA Bonds

    June 23, 2011 at 12:10 am

    Personally I think that all blogbagging is just leftist revisionism of “dirtbagging”, which is when my college roommate used to take tequila shots out of the cap of the laundry detergent.

    But shouldn’t we call it juiceboxing? As Mao said, we should “lean to one side”.

  13. 13.

    AAA Bonds

    June 23, 2011 at 12:12 am

    Who here likes some Pol Pot! Come on now, who wants to shoot everyone who wears glasses

  14. 14.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    June 23, 2011 at 12:12 am

    I’m glad to read this ABL, and once again, thank you John. I haven’t said anything mean about what John did so he gets no apology from me but I will again wish him a Happy Birthday! It was a heck of a way to spend a birthday but we don’t get the luxury of knowing in advance what shit may happen on one.

    When I read something I disagree with here, I don’t hold the site responsible for it. We own what we write and that’s as it should be.

    Hey Triple A, go fuck yourself with a sharp but very rusty garden implement. Repeatedly.

  15. 15.

    ABL

    June 23, 2011 at 12:14 am

    Corner Stone-

    I hope you never get tired of trying to hurt my feelings.

    <3

  16. 16.

    Cacti

    June 23, 2011 at 12:16 am

    So, how many times did Cole censor his glibertarian school-girl crush, ED Kain?

  17. 17.

    AxelFoley

    June 23, 2011 at 12:17 am

    What the hell did I miss? Dammit, I always miss the good shit around here! Someone give me a recap!

    STAT!

  18. 18.

    Timothy Trollenschlongen (formerly Tim, Interrupted)

    June 23, 2011 at 12:21 am

    @STuck # 7:

    “As much as I like Obama and think he is a good man and president, there is no way I can see it through a black persons eyes,”

    So Stuck, is it your belief that all black people see Obama and his actions in the same way? Do you believe all black people also see everything else in the same way? That all black people hold the same opinions and viewpoints, and that ABL represents all black people when she writes?

    What is the underlying cause of this racial identical thinking? Is it genetic? Social?

    Please illuminate.

  19. 19.

    AAA Bonds

    June 23, 2011 at 12:21 am

    Due to the factionalism already beginning to emerge in the Red Guard movement, Liu Shaoqi made the decision in early June 1966 to send in CPC work teams. These work groups were led by Zhang Chunqiao, head of China’s Propaganda Department, and were the attempt by the Party to keep the movement under its control. Rival Red Guard groups led by the sons and daughters of cadres were formed by these work teams to deflect attacks away from those in positions of power towards bourgeois elements in society, mainly intellectuals. In addition, these Party-backed rebel groups also attacked students with ‘bad’ class backgrounds (these included the children of former landlords and capitalists). These actions were all attempts by the CPC to preserve the existing state government and apparatus.

  20. 20.

    AxelFoley

    June 23, 2011 at 12:22 am

    @Steeplejack

    @Steve:
    Here’s a link for you.

    Thanks, Steeple.

    Oh, goodie, Jane trying to edjumacate us po’ little nigras!

  21. 21.

    General Stuck

    June 23, 2011 at 12:22 am

    Correct me if I’m wrong, but as I understand it, the folks behind the ad are a prog group called NPA, and are very much linked to FDL, or something along those lines?

  22. 22.

    AAA Bonds

    June 23, 2011 at 12:22 am

    The 11th Plenum, which was meeting in August, had ratified the ‘Sixteen Articles’, a document that stated the aims of the Cultural Revolution and highlighted the role students would be asked to play in the movement. After the August rally, the Cultural Revolution Group directed the Red Guards to attack the ‘Four Olds’ of Chinese society (old customs, old culture, old habits and old ideas). For the rest of the year, Red Guards marched across China in a campaign to eradicate the ‘Four Olds’. Old books and art were destroyed, museums were ransacked, and streets were renamed with new revolutionary names and adorned with pictures and the sayings of Mao.

  23. 23.

    Steeplejack

    June 23, 2011 at 12:23 am

    @AxelFoley:

    Dude, just go to the link and read the post. It’s all laid out right there at the top: ABL’s post and Cole’s update.

  24. 24.

    AAA Bonds

    June 23, 2011 at 12:24 am

    Mao, concerned that these work teams were hindering the course of the Cultural Revolution, dispatched Chen Boda, Jiang Qing, Kang Sheng, and others to join the Red Guards and combat the work teams. In July 1966, Mao ordered the removal of the remaining work teams (against the wishes of Liu Shaoqi) and condemned their ‘fifty days of White Terror’. The Red Guards were now free to organise without the restrictions of the Party and, within a few weeks, on the encouragement of Mao’s supporters, Red Guard groups had appeared in almost every school in China.

  25. 25.

    General Stuck

    June 23, 2011 at 12:25 am

    Please illuminate.

    Blow it out you miserable ass you fucking freak

    illuminated as deserved

  26. 26.

    AxelFoley

    June 23, 2011 at 12:26 am

    @Steeplejack:

    @AxelFoley:
    Dude, just go to the link and read the post. It’s all laid out right there at the top: ABL’s post and Cole’s update.

    Doing it now. Just gotta get some popcorn to go with it.

  27. 27.

    AAA Bonds

    June 23, 2011 at 12:26 am

    In December, Defence Minister and Mao loyalist Lin Biao accused General Luo Ruiqing, the chief of staff of the People’s Liberation Army, of being anti-Mao, alleging that Luo put too much emphasis on military training rather than Maoist “political discussion.” In December, Mao called an enlarged Politburo meeting to discuss the charges against Luo. While the Politburo initially received the charges with skepticism, Mao pushed for an investigation into Luo’s conduct, after which Luo was denounced, dismissed, and forced to deliver a self-criticism. Stress from the events led Luo to attempt suicide.

  28. 28.

    Cacti

    June 23, 2011 at 12:28 am

    Correct me if I’m wrong, but as I understand it, the folks behind the ad are a prog group called NPA, and are very much linked to FDL, or something along those lines?

    And Corny West is their spokesmascot who’s going to edjumucate the coloreds on how Obama “fearz teh free black man” and hangs out with jooz.

  29. 29.

    Dongo

    June 23, 2011 at 12:28 am

    Your posts are more blindly thoughtless and partisan than any other author on this blog. Combine that extremely serious detriment with your very poor prose style, and it’s just damned hard to find anything to recommend your writing.

  30. 30.

    AAA Bonds

    June 23, 2011 at 12:30 am

    The falling of the modern revisionists into the ideological position of the social-democrats in major issues constitutes the basis of the complete amalgamation of revisionists with the social-democrats. By pursuing this course and recommending it to communist and workers parties of different countries, the modern revisionists with N. Khrushchev’s group in the lead, aim at causing the degeneration of the communist parties into reformist parties of the social-democratic type, at impregnating the working class with bourgeois ideology and reformist illusions, at weakening the revolutionary fighting spirit of the working class movement, and alienating it from the only correct road against the capitalist order of oppression and exploitation.

    The revisionists, of course, do not, as a rule, proclaim their hostile intentions openly. They accompany every step they take to the detriment of the cause of the revolution and of communism, with demagogical slogans and clothe it with all kinds of justifications. Their anti-Marxist action of fusing with social-democracy too, they try to justify with the pretext that the social-democratic parties too are allegedly workers’ parties and that the unity of the working class is essential in the struggle against capitalism. Let us dwell in brief on this matter.

  31. 31.

    Carolina Dave

    June 23, 2011 at 12:30 am

    I wish John a very happy birthday and thank him so very much for introducing me to the ABL. Having an ABL who is a lawyer, lives in DC, and a passionate person makes this blog so much more interesting. Her perspectives, discourse and point of view are very thought provoking. Bless both of you, get that laundry done and your garden growing again.

  32. 32.

    Mike Kay (The Base)

    June 23, 2011 at 12:31 am

    I don’t care about the billboards. But Hamsher has a long, long history of banning anyone who posts a disagreeing comment. Don’t believe me – try it yourself using a pseudonym. And I’m sure you’ve heard, she’s currently instituting what she calls an “identity hardeming” program to stamp out dissenting voices.

    She’s at the very least involved in the billboards by approving of the posts appearing on her site.

    Think of it this way, if the posts were to raise money to run billboards denouncing FDL, do you think she would let those go on?

  33. 33.

    General Stuck

    June 23, 2011 at 12:31 am

    Your posts are more blindly thoughtless and partisan than any other author on this blog.

    “partisan” only a moronic firebagging twit would say that on a liberal blog.

  34. 34.

    Carolina Dave

    June 23, 2011 at 12:32 am

    Not sure how Chairman Mao is relevant…

  35. 35.

    Linnaeus

    June 23, 2011 at 12:32 am

    I’m pretty easily found here in Blogistan.

    I, for one, prefer Max Sawicky’s nomenclature that he proposed back when he was writing MaxSpeak: progressives/left/liberal blogs are in Blogovia, while conservative/libertarian blogs are in Blogistan.

  36. 36.

    AAA Bonds

    June 23, 2011 at 12:32 am

    Are the social-democratic parties really and truly workers parties? To judge whether a party is a party of the working class or not it does not suffice to look at the name it attaches to itself. Hitler’s party too, called itself “nationalist socialist”! The only correct criterion is whether or not it defends and upholds the interests of the working class, whether or not it fights for its cause. And in order to elucidate this matter one should see to whose advantage are the ideology, policy and all practical activities of this or that party. “Don’t bush faith in phrases”, Lenin teaches us, “but rather see to whose benefits they are” (Works, vol. 19, p. 33, Russian edition). And if we look at this manner from this prism, from the prism of class, which is the only correct, Marxist-Leninist criterion, then it becomes clear to every true communist that the social-democratic parties are not workers parties, but they are, as Lenin has dubbed them “bourgeois parties of the working class”. We showed above through numerous facts, that in both ideological views, political views and all around activities, modern social-democracy is nothing other than, as Lenin says, “a political detachment of the bourgeoisie”, “a promoter of its influence”, “a true agency of the bourgeoisie in the workers movement”.

    From the point of view of its social make-up, too, the social-democratic parties have undergone and are undergoing visible changes. The number of workers in their ranks are becoming less and less and the number of elements of the petty bourgeoisie and of the workers bureaucrats are increasing. The modern reformists have themselves launched the slogan “the deproletarization” of the social-democratic parties. And this has been expressed in the new programs of many social-democratic parties. Thus, for instance, the program of the Swiss Social-Democratic Party has it: “At the beginning socialism was the concern of the working class which used to be exploited by capitalism alone. . . . Now socialism is the concern of all mankind. It pertains to every man with a sense of responsibility for the welfare of society”.

    This is for the groundwork, for the masses of the social-democratic parties, whereas as far as the leading cadres are concerned, the higher up you climb in the hierarchy of the social-democratic parties, the fewer workers you find in them. As a matter of fact many social democratic leaders have long become real capitalists: many of them take part in the administrative councils of the biggest banks and own packages of solid shares, drawing millions upon millions of dividends each year. Thus, for instance, according to returns of the recent years, 410 principal functionaries of the German Social-Democratic Party occupied 929 high paid posts in the major banks and corporations of Western Germany, 62 social democrat personalities were directors of the firms Mannesman, Klekner, Krupp, Flick and others. The same situation prevails in other social democratic parties of the West like France, England, Belgium, the Scandinavian countries and so on.

    This is the kind of “workers’ class’ the social-democratic parties represent. The modern revisionists, who are themselves nothing but traitors to the working class, have every reason to stick the label of “workers’ party” not only on themselves, but only on the social-democrats, but also on any English bourgeois conservative party if such a thing is dictated by their anti-Marxist and anti-revolutionary plan of action.

    It is therefore obvious enough that the argument of the modern revisionists pretending that the social-democratic parties are parties of the working class, is altogether a false one. Hence, their slogan on “the need for unity of the working class” is demagogical, a pretext to justify their union with the “bourgeois parties of the working class”.

  37. 37.

    NoFortunateSon

    June 23, 2011 at 12:34 am

    ABL, keep up the good work. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Your article was sourced correctly.

    Before I even knew what a Balloon Juice was, I was deeply suspicious of Jane Hamsher and her progressive credentials. Before even the Bob Bigham payola scandal.

  38. 38.

    Comrade Kevin

    June 23, 2011 at 12:34 am

    @Carolina Dave: uh, ABL lives in LA.

  39. 39.

    AAA Bonds

    June 23, 2011 at 12:35 am

    On the eve of the 17th Congress of the French Communist Party finds itself on the horns of a dilemma: will it continue to give blind obedience to the ‘conductor’s baton’ and allow the revisionist group in the leadership to plunge it definitely on the way of betrayal, or will it break the conductor’s baton, correct its mistake, and return to the heroic revolutionary road of Marxism-Leninism?

    Many leaders of the French Communist Party have hurled insolent words and made impudent charges against the Party of Labour of Albania and its leadership. This we will not forget. Eventually, if not today, tomorrow, every thing will be settled in a Marxist way. We are certain that those who have acted in this manner will eventually blush with shame. We are not indebted to the French Communist Party. Its leaders are indebted to the Party of Labor of Albania. Nevertheless, we sincerely call on the French Communist Party to turn to the way of revolution, before it is too late, for the good of the French people, of the French proletariat and of the international proletariat. There is its place. Those who correct their mistakes command the respect of others and enjoy the support of the communists and of all the progressive people of the world, while the traitors are loathed by everybody. They are looked down upon and mercilessly fought by all as in the case of Khrushchev’s group, Tito, Togliati and their loyal companions, against all the modern revisionists.

  40. 40.

    ABL

    June 23, 2011 at 12:35 am

    @Dongo-

    I have read and processed your concerns. Luckily, I have raging ADD and as soon as I turn my head from the computer monitor, I will immediately forget who you– LET’S RIDE BIKES!!1!1

  41. 41.

    Steeplejack

    June 23, 2011 at 12:36 am

    @Carolina Dave:

    Think ABL lives in Los Angeles now.

  42. 42.

    aisce

    June 23, 2011 at 12:37 am

    so, how many times have you threatened to quit the site now?

    71? 295? 843?

    what fun.

  43. 43.

    Dongo

    June 23, 2011 at 12:37 am

    “Partisan” is an actual word that actually means something. Consider that evil “firebagging” radical, the American Heritage Dictionary:

    1. a strong supporter of a party, cause, or person.

    “Party”, obviously, is the operative word. I’ve been following this blog for several years, and I’ve never seen someone so willing to unquestioningly accept whatever the Democratic party dogma on any issue, no matter the actual underlying facts, as ABL. I disagree with various other bloggers on this site at various times, but none just strike me as so mindlessly, self-importantly, incompetently doctrinaire as her.

  44. 44.

    Timothy Trollenschlongen (formerly Tim, Interrupted)

    June 23, 2011 at 12:39 am

    @ Stuck # 25:

    Blow it out you miserable ass you fucking freak…illuminated as deserved

    hahaha…I’ll take that as a very transparent admission that your frequent brown-nosing assertions that all black folks think and feel exactly the same and that ABL speaks for all of them is, in fact, racist bullshit.

    As a reminder, my tender delicious ass is anything but miserable, you hummingbird-munching psycho. Given that you frequently mention my ass when trying to hurt my tender feelings, I can only conclude that you are also a sadly closeted, and deeply frustrated, homosekshul.

    If you give me an email address, I’ll send you some pics of my astonishing glutaneous orbs, so that you can relieve yourself before posting here, and thus spare the BJ commentariat the written evidence of your sad, stifled soul.

  45. 45.

    Jane2

    June 23, 2011 at 12:39 am

    I love reading your posts, and I love your passion. And IMO you completely fit in with the tone of BJ. Having said that, I know that all of the FPers share that….I don’t read some of them, but I never feel compelled to trash them because they add to what makes BJ unique and worth reading.

    Jane H *is* an opportunistic piece of work, and good on you for calling her out.

  46. 46.

    Cain

    June 23, 2011 at 12:39 am

    So if I supported Cole, would that make me a Colebot?

  47. 47.

    Timothy Trollenschlongen (formerly Tim, Interrupted)

    June 23, 2011 at 12:41 am

    @ Dongo # 29

    Your posts are more blindly thoughtless and partisan than any other author on this blog. Combine that extremely serious detriment with your very poor prose style, and it’s just damned hard to find anything to recommend your writing.

    Racist!

  48. 48.

    Corner Stone

    June 23, 2011 at 12:41 am

    @ABL
    Expect me.

  49. 49.

    Elie

    June 23, 2011 at 12:41 am

    I just don’t get the melodrama.

    ABL — I respect you and your posts. Some things I agree with, others I don’t. Mostly I do. Big deal. What is the big dammned deal? Can’t we have controversy and challenge of ideas anymore?

    As for Hamster — I hate the idea that you might be in effect “punished” for taking on that w—e. Anybody can write anything for effect. Her flying monkeys come here to show off and piss on the walls. Its a free country and I would not restrict their ability to do that. But John, neither would I take down ABL who surely is owed more respect than those a-holes…

    Well, its a free country. sorta. At least for Jane Hamster and her crew…

  50. 50.

    Nellcote

    June 23, 2011 at 12:42 am

    General Stuck @21

    http://my.firedoglake.com/themalcontent/2010/12/16/new-progressive-alliance-our-manifesto/

  51. 51.

    Steeplejack

    June 23, 2011 at 12:43 am

    @AAA Bonds:

    Dude, might want to adjust your antenna. You seem to be getting a lot of bleed-through from CHICOM-SPAN. Calibrate here.

  52. 52.

    Timothy Trollenschlongen (formerly Tim, Interrupted)

    June 23, 2011 at 12:43 am

    @ Mike Kay # 32:

    I don’t care about the billboards. But Hamsher has a long, long history of banning anyone who posts a disagreeing comment.

    Just like ABL! No wonder ABL hates the Ham! She sees in her what she cannot love in herself! OMG, this all makes sense now.

  53. 53.

    Urza

    June 23, 2011 at 12:44 am

    Though mostly a lurker, I think your posts bring up important issues from a point of view that few white people actually understand. I may not always agree with every point, but it is something that needs to be brought up and remembered.

  54. 54.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    June 23, 2011 at 12:47 am

    @Carolina Dave:

    You can safely ignore that Triple-A rated circus freak. They’re just posting shit for their personal amusement and that’s about it. It’s their way of sticking their fingers in their ears and yelling “LALALALALALALALALA…!”

    It helps them to keep reality at bay.

  55. 55.

    Mike Kay (The Base)

    June 23, 2011 at 12:47 am

    I’m setting the over/under of comments to this post at 145.

  56. 56.

    General Stuck

    June 23, 2011 at 12:48 am

    but none just strike me as so mindlessly, self-importantly, incompetently doctrinaire as her.

    Then you can eat shit and die, and take the fucking Tim interruptus freak with you. People who don’t participate in threads to express and confront what it is they disagree with AT THAT TIME are pretty much cowardly worms IMO, to show up later to spout criticism . I’m pretty doctrinaire on that.

  57. 57.

    Sarah Proud and Tall

    June 23, 2011 at 12:50 am

    @ AAA Bonds

    Did your brain break?

  58. 58.

    wmd

    June 23, 2011 at 12:50 am

    Hamsher came close to banning me during the great ACA kerfuffle. I bothered to research what data exclusivity means and disagreed with her publicly.

    Her moderators stopped her. And she tried to be gracious about trying to ban me.
    YMMV

  59. 59.

    Dongo

    June 23, 2011 at 12:51 am

    Hard to argue with this well-reasoned refutation of my claims.

  60. 60.

    Dongo

    June 23, 2011 at 12:51 am

    Hard to argue with this well-reasoned refutation of my claims.

  61. 61.

    Sarah Proud and Tall

    June 23, 2011 at 12:53 am

    @ Timothy Trollenschlongen (formerly Tim, Interrupted)

    pics of my astonishing glutaneous orbs

    sarahproudandtall (at) gmail.com

    Send ’em on over, sweet cheeks.

  62. 62.

    General Stuck

    June 23, 2011 at 12:53 am

    Nellcote

    So they are the same, NPA and FDL. No Mea Culpa necessary ABL. You were spot on about the bus ad source, though I have no idea about the local geography in DC and what neighborhoods are black or white.

  63. 63.

    General Stuck

    June 23, 2011 at 12:57 am

    Hard to argue with this well-reasoned refutation of my claims.

    No shit. Your claims are but a hollow sound of your own voice. And nothing else of substance. Pipe up in some actual issue or pol threads, and make your claims with some context. Otherwise your claims do not warrant anything but dismissal.

  64. 64.

    aisce

    June 23, 2011 at 1:00 am

    does anyone want to point out the irony that a day after cole posted about counterproductive activism like code pink glitter showers distracting from the issues, abl goes and gives jane hamsher (who is the personification of “professional leftism,” hypocrisy, and manufactured activism for profit) an out by being an unhinged blatherer?

    investigating hamsher’s media interests is a relevant topic. bus billboard conspiracies? perhaps less so…

  65. 65.

    Exurban Mom

    June 23, 2011 at 1:01 am

    Jane Hamsher became dead to me when she collaborated with Grover Fucking Norquist. That should have been the end of any consideration of her as a “progressive” or “liberal” in any real way.

    Another commenter on the site today distinguished between political opponents (people with whom we disagree) and political enemies (people who lie and cheat to persuade others of their point of view). Grover Fucking Norquist isn’t a political opponent, he’s a political enemy. He is evil. He should never be given the time of day by any progressive, ever.

    And I’m not a person who believes we should write people off like that, but he’s on the short list, with Dick Motherfucking Cheney, Donald Asshat Rumsfeld, Alberto Assclown Gonzalez, Donald The Chump Trump, Crazies like Palin and Bachman, and a few others I could mention. We need to hear about all her activities, and all the abuse she lets stand at FDL, so we can convince the Villagers that she is not, in fact, progressive, but simply an equal opportunity political hack. And I for one appreciate any opportunity to call attention to this. Thanks, ABL, you’re a keeper, and I love to read your words.

  66. 66.

    cinesimon

    June 23, 2011 at 1:02 am

    ABL, keep it up. You rock.

  67. 67.

    opal

    June 23, 2011 at 1:04 am

    in my view, if you control—in any fashion—the viewpoints and voices on your blog, then you own those viewpoints and voices

    Her flying monkeys try to control viewpoints on other sites, that’s for sure.

  68. 68.

    cinesimon

    June 23, 2011 at 1:05 am

    General Stuck, how about you and Timothy go have yourselves a righteous fight in the kindergarten sandpit where you both belong.

  69. 69.

    General Stuck

    June 23, 2011 at 1:08 am

    cinesimon

    I am just going to assume you are new here, and don’t really know what is going on. Maybe you should lurk a while, before spouting off.

  70. 70.

    eemom

    June 23, 2011 at 1:09 am

    I’ll just repeat myself, cuz no one ever listens anyway.

    Cole sez Jane is not responsible for what others post on her site — fact free or evidence free as it may be. It can be totally craaaazy shit — but if it’s not under Jane Hamsher’s byline, it is totally fucked up to suggest she bears any responsibility for it……even if it IS her site and even if she DOES ban the shit out of anybody who disagrees with her about, like, anything.

    Now we come to this evening. John Cole has never censored any FPer’s post, and very rarely has he banned any commenter. To his credit. People, including me, have said things to him that RBG (Hamsher eunuch-in-chief) would have hurled himself on his sword rather than allow to be posted about his Lady — and good Cole has batted nary an eyelash.

    And yet, this evening, all of that changed. Cole suddenly decided that posts on his blog must be supported by EVIDENCE. He suddenly noticed that “editorial oversight” — or howeverthefuck it was phrased, I’m tired — is like totally within his rights as a blogger, and so WTF is all of our problem?

    I mean, he’s RESPONSIBLE for what gets posted here, ain’t he?

  71. 71.

    Corner Stone

    June 23, 2011 at 1:10 am

    @opal
    opal. I love you baby. Stop trying to deny the mutual attraction. You’re not fooling anyone.

  72. 72.

    Corner Stone

    June 23, 2011 at 1:12 am

    @eemom

    Cole suddenly decided that posts on his blog must be supported by EVIDENCE. He suddenly noticed that “editorial oversight”—or howeverthefuck it was phrased, I’m tired— is like totally within his rights as a blogger, and so WTF is all of our problem? I mean, he’s RESPONSIBLE for what gets posted here, ain’t he?

    Absolutely spot on eemom. Agree 100%.

  73. 73.

    Constance

    June 23, 2011 at 1:13 am

    This is the first blog I’ve followed that I read the comments and I have to say, it’s pretty amazing.
    Most of the commenters go with the ideas, pro and con and then there are the attackers who go for the throats of the bloggers instead of questioning or refuting the blogger’s ideas. Um, why?
    ABL and John, in addition to being bright and articulate are funny and I do love funny–maybe because I’m so damned serious all the time. I don’t understand why people read this blog if they hate it and why they throw ugly crap into the comments. Go someplace where they make you happy and spare us the vitriol.
    Life is too short to make yourself and us miserable (well, I’m 71 so it’s not always too short) so try to stick to ideas and forgo the poison.
    I’m going to finish my glass of wine and toddle off to bed.

  74. 74.

    cinesimon

    June 23, 2011 at 1:13 am

    Assume all you like, General Stuck – no I’m not new, and regardless of your actual argument and opinions, you both definitely belong fighting in a kiddie’s sandpit.

  75. 75.

    AxelFoley

    June 23, 2011 at 1:13 am

    @ General Stuck:

    I am just going to assume you are new here, and don’t really know what is going on. Maybe you should lurk a while, before spouting off.

    ROFL

  76. 76.

    Sarah Proud and Tall

    June 23, 2011 at 1:18 am

    Corner Stone – June 23, 2011 | 1:12 am · Link
    Absolutely spot on eemom. Agree 100%.

    I ain’t sayin’ I agree or disagree with either of you on this one, but I think that sound we all just heard was hell freezing over.

  77. 77.

    General Stuck

    June 23, 2011 at 1:20 am

    cinesimon

    So a commenter throws up a mendacious post directed at me, and I return the favor and fire, and I am to be compared with TIM I. Is this how you think critically? unimpressive.

    But if you just don’t like me, say so, without the false equivalence bullshit. You sound like CNN

    edit – don’t believe I’ve seen your handle before tonight, so if you are not new, then why are you hiding behind a new handle? And what was your old one I might recognize.

  78. 78.

    AxelFoley

    June 23, 2011 at 1:21 am

    I was kinda scared to say anything, but yeah, Sarah summed it up for me.

  79. 79.

    ABL

    June 23, 2011 at 1:24 am

    so, how many times have you threatened to quit the site now?

    officially two.

    the first time wasn’t really a threat to quit — it was more a “wow, it’s gonna be like this? dang!” chalk it up to shock.

    the third time i was taking a break for health reasons.

    today, i think i get a mulligan:

    a) i didn’t threaten to quit, i said “as of now i don’t want to be a part of BJ anymore” (or maybe i just said that on twitter. who can remember? those were heady times!);
    b) i didn’t know what the hell was going on. i was at a bar when the post was pulled, and doing laundry when it was put back up.
    c) i don’t have a c, but these things should come in threes.

    but even if i agree that it was four, that’s a far cry from whatever the fuck you wrote, innit?

  80. 80.

    hamletta

    June 23, 2011 at 1:24 am

    Yeah, eemom it MV, because we’re not all paranoid freaks like you, dear.

  81. 81.

    ABL

    June 23, 2011 at 1:28 am

    Just like ABL! No wonder ABL hates the Ham! She sees in her what she cannot love in herself! OMG, this all makes sense now.

    never change who you are, tim — please only change your moniker.

    i find you delightful.

  82. 82.

    Steeplejack

    June 23, 2011 at 1:30 am

    @Steeplejack:

    Testing . . .

    ETA: Okay, the absolute shortest fix to the “no Reply button” problem appears to be this:

    @&#060a href=#comment-NUMBER&#062PERSON’S NAME&#060/a&#062:

    Replace NUMBER with the actual number of the comment you want to reply to (visible when you hover over the “Link” thing next to the comment), and replace PERSON’S NAME with the actual name of the commenter to whom you are replying.

  83. 83.

    General Stuck

    June 23, 2011 at 1:32 am

    Well, this has been another delightful day in the BJ asylum. Bedtime

    After while crocodiles

  84. 84.

    opal

    June 23, 2011 at 1:35 am

    @Corner Stone

    Have some more punch. Have you met AAA Bonds?

  85. 85.

    Steeplejack

    June 23, 2011 at 1:39 am

    @Steeplejack:

    Longer version (which is easier but may cause problems with some browsers) is:

    &#060a href=”LINK”&#062PERSON’S NAME&#060/a&#062

    Replace LINK with the info you get when you right-click on the “Link” link to the right of the comment. Replace PERSON’S NAME with the actual name of the commenter, as above.

  86. 86.

    Corner Stone

    June 23, 2011 at 1:44 am

    @opal Not yet baby. But if he’s half as fun in the sack as I imagine you to be…mmmm, scrumptious.

  87. 87.

    Steeplejack

    June 23, 2011 at 1:47 am

    @Mike Kay (The Base):

    I say 200, easy. You’ve got several intra-blog feuds that have been reignited, not to mention I am +4 (and counting) and doinking around with half-assed hypothetical solutions to the “no reply” problem. All we need now is for asiangrrlMN to show up and start spreading rusty pitchforks around. Maybe this will summon her.

  88. 88.

    Corner Stone

    June 23, 2011 at 1:48 am

    @Sarah Proud and Tall
    Well, clearly, this is a moderated site. And Cole is responsible for all posts on Balloon-Juice. His invoked “editorial oversight” has left little room for future disagreement with this simple fact.

  89. 89.

    AxelFoley

    June 23, 2011 at 1:48 am

    @ Corner Stone

    You bastard. You said you’d never cheat on me.

  90. 90.

    andrewsomething

    June 23, 2011 at 1:52 am

    I’ll just repeat myself, cuz no one ever listens anyway.

    I’m listening, but I just done buy it.

    I’ve got no love for FDL, but there is a substantial difference between someone “blessed” with frontpage status and someone writing in a diary section.

    ABL isn’t being very clear here either:

    It’s nonsensical for anyone to go after Cole for my writing. Cole had nothing to do with the post, he has never told me that I can’t write about any particular subject (just as he allows his comment sections to run free and wild). This is precisely why I don’t think he can reasonably be held liable or accountable for anything that I have written or posted here.

    So John bares no responsibility for the writings of someone he explicitly asked to write here, but Jane bares full responsibility for random nut bag who fills out a web form to get an account?

  91. 91.

    A Humble Lurker

    June 23, 2011 at 1:52 am

    @AxelFoley

    And you believed her? I told you man, once a slut, always a slut.

  92. 92.

    Corner Stone

    June 23, 2011 at 1:55 am

    I’m…sorry dog. But opal…opal just does it for me. In a way you’ll never understand.
    All those 3am discussions/gropefests we mugged through…none of them meant anything to me like when opal smiles.
    It’s not you…it’s opal.

  93. 93.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    June 23, 2011 at 1:55 am

    @Sarah Proud and Tall:

    My first thought was that it truly is the end times. That sound you hear just might be the locusts approaching.

  94. 94.

    sneezy

    June 23, 2011 at 1:55 am

    if you control—in any fashion—the viewpoints and voices on your blog, then you own those viewpoints and voices.

    So then, having taken your post down, at least temporarily, does Cole now “own” everything that appears here? If so, didn’t he already “own” it all by virtue of having banned a commenter or two (or three, or whatever, I don’t know) in the past?

    I don’t think so. While I think you have a point, I don’t think there is a bright line, and do think that “in any fashion” is too low a bar.

    If you wanted to argue that Hamsher (with whom I’m not familiar) exercises so much editorial control over what appears at her web site that we don’t need to locate a line precisely to know that she’s crossed it, I would find that more persuasive (assuming it was backed up with evidence) than the argument you have offered.

    (All this for what it’s worth, of course.)

  95. 95.

    Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason

    June 23, 2011 at 1:57 am

    @steepljack: Just thought I’d try this out. Testing, testing … is this thing on??

  96. 96.

    cbear

    June 23, 2011 at 1:58 am

    @ Axel Foley

    Pipe down, you harlot. The only reason he even looked at you and this Opal chickie was cause me and fuckhead made him walk home one night after we triple-dated on one of Cole’s drunken open threads.

  97. 97.

    Corner Stone

    June 23, 2011 at 2:01 am

    @sneezy

    So then, having taken your post down, at least temporarily, does Cole now “own” everything that appears here? If so, didn’t he already “own” it all by virtue of having banned a commenter or two (or three, or whatever, I don’t know) in the past?

    Yes, obviously. Cole is the sole proprietor of this blog and has subsumed direct ownership of all content herein.

  98. 98.

    Sarah Proud and Tall

    June 23, 2011 at 2:01 am

    @AxelFoley

    You said you’d never cheat on me.

    He said it to me too, except with extra tonguies.

  99. 99.

    opal

    June 23, 2011 at 2:06 am

    @Corner Stone

    AAA Bonds just went on a beer run.

    You really should go with him.

  100. 100.

    AxelFoley

    June 23, 2011 at 2:09 am

    Damn, did Corner Stone bump uglies with all ya’ll?

    Man, fuck this place. I’m out. Where are my keys?

  101. 101.

    Corner Stone

    June 23, 2011 at 2:12 am

    @AxelFoley
    I’m a man. No, he’s a boy. I’m a man. Well, he’s your mother. I’m a man. He’s a one-night stand. I’m a man. He’s a bi. I’m a man. He’s a slave. I’m a man. He’s a little girl, and we make love together.

    You can thank mojotron for the earworm.

  102. 102.

    cbear

    June 23, 2011 at 2:16 am

    Man up, Foley, You ain’t the first guy to discover the love of your life is the town pump.

    * BTW, I can’t be sure, but I strongly suspect he’s the guy who put the “mom” in eemom. The man’s an animal.

  103. 103.

    ABL

    June 23, 2011 at 2:22 am

    If you wanted to argue that Hamsher (with whom I’m not familiar) exercises so much editorial control over what appears at her web site that we don’t need to locate a line precisely to know that she’s crossed it, I would find that more persuasive (assuming it was backed up with evidence) than the argument you have offered.

    my statement above is not convincing.

    sheesh! tough crowd. i fired that post off quickly.

    my point is this: jane hamsher moderates her blog comments to within an inch of their lives. she neither welcomes nor tolerates dissent. dissenters become subject to “identity hardening.” bloggers under her “employ” must “dial down” criticism of her.

    john does not exert that sort of editorial control over this blog.

    if i had time, i’d search for the post i wrote on this subject however many months ago. so yes, i misstated my point up there.

    and no, i don’t think anything that happened today changes john’s policy with respect to editorial control.

  104. 104.

    Steeplejack

    June 23, 2011 at 2:22 am

    @Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason:

    You’re almost there. Only problem is that your comment number came out as 82, whereas it should be a seven-digit number.

    http:&#047/www.balloon-juice.com/2011/06/22/yikes-2/#comment-82

    Shound have been:

    http:&#047/www.balloon-juice.com/2011/06/22/yikes-2/#comment-2642930

  105. 105.

    opal

    June 23, 2011 at 2:23 am

    I see the cracker pack still likes to go family style…

  106. 106.

    ABL

    June 23, 2011 at 2:24 am

    Yes, obviously. Cole is the sole proprietor of this blog and has subsumed direct ownership of all content herein.

    wrong.

    you’ll get something me-related right one of these days, Corner Stone. i have the utmost faith in you. don’t give up.

  107. 107.

    ABL

    June 23, 2011 at 2:26 am

    ABL isn’t being very clear here either:

    you’re right, i wasn’t being very clear. i hope #103 provides clarification for you.

    today has been an interesting day, to put it mildly. i’m sure you will be a doll and cut me the appropriate amount of slack.

  108. 108.

    Steeplejack

    June 23, 2011 at 2:26 am

    @cbear:

    How you do that thing with the square bullet icon and the indent? I’ve tried several ways and can never get it past FYWP.

  109. 109.

    ABL

    June 23, 2011 at 2:28 am

    Can’t you just feel Corner Stone lurking out there, fingers poised over the keyboard, ready to pounce? I feel it.

    ;)

  110. 110.

    cbear

    June 23, 2011 at 2:34 am

    Steepy, it’s a supersecret code me and CS developed late one night—-notice the 4 corners of the little square?
    I’d tell ya what it means but then I’d have to kill ya.

    In truth, I have no fucking clue how I cause that to appear. I can’t even figure out how to do the @ thingy properly without the “reply” button.
    But, I am a handsome man, so I got that going for me.

  111. 111.

    Steeplejack

    June 23, 2011 at 2:40 am

    @cbear:

    Aw, fuck you, you’re yer just yankin’ me. I asked a straightforward question.

    Steep + (heading for the refrigerator)

  112. 112.

    cbear

    June 23, 2011 at 2:42 am

    No I’m not, Steep. Yer one of the few people I actually like around here.
    Let me see if I can figure out how I do it…..

    * testing
    * testing

  113. 113.

    goblue72

    June 23, 2011 at 2:43 am

    Dont let the firebaggers get you down, ABL. They just have too much sand in their vaginas. Just keep on preaching. Love your off-kilter rants. Only when Cole gets his full dander on, does it get any better.

  114. 114.

    quaker in a basement

    June 23, 2011 at 2:44 am

    Love you, ABL and really love that you can ignite a no-holds-barred all-out foodfight among the regulars in just two paragraphs. Good lookin’ too!

    But there’s one place you could clarify: On one hand you say that Cole isn’t responsible for what you write on his site; at the same time you say Hamsher is responsible for everything written on hers.

    Explain?

  115. 115.

    opal

    June 23, 2011 at 2:44 am

    @ABL

    Judging by his general demeanor towards women, Corner Stone’s fingers are poised for something that involves Vaseline and credit cards.

  116. 116.

    cbear

    June 23, 2011 at 2:50 am

    Steep,
    Shit, it’s simple, just hit shift/asterisk when you edit.
    And, don’t fucking tell everybody—it is kind of cool-looking.

  117. 117.

    Steeplejack

    June 23, 2011 at 2:51 am

    @opal:

    [. . .] Vaseline and credit cards.

    Has no one heard of Astroglide?! Vaseline is so ’90s ’80s ’70s.

  118. 118.

    Steeplejack

    June 23, 2011 at 2:54 am

    @cbear:

    Shift-asterisk?! WTF?!

    Okay, will give it a try.

    Talking, talking, talking . . . * (shift asterisk).

    ETA: Didn’t work a damn for me. I have to hit shift to get an asterisk anyway. Do you possibly mean Alt-Shift-* or something like that?

    * Does this work?

  119. 119.

    cbear

    June 23, 2011 at 2:56 am

    In the edit box, dude.

    * Congratulations, you’ve cracked the inner circle. Tomorrow night I’ll teach you the secret handshake. Bring astroglide. lol

    * I’m out. g’nite.

  120. 120.

    BattleCat

    June 23, 2011 at 2:59 am

    Look, I think we can all agree that everyone in the comments section is a dick-burglar and should be punished with a gentle wrist-slap and then given a Presidential Freedom Medal.

  121. 121.

    Steeplejack

    June 23, 2011 at 3:00 am

    @cbear:

    Yeah, I was in the edit box. Apparently it works only if it is the first character of a paragraph. Good to know, and mucho thanks to you, but FYWPWAVRPF!

    ETA: Just hope I remember this in the morning when I’m not +5 +6 +8½.

  122. 122.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    June 23, 2011 at 3:08 am

    Here’s some humorous news for ya ABL:

    Our daughter was able to rename one of her melee weapons in Team Fortress 2 so she renamed it:

    The Twatwaffler.

    It’s originally called “Southern Hospitality” and is a wrench you can injure someone with and it drains their health away for five seconds.

    Twatwaffle has entered the gaming world and it’a all your fault! Oh, and mine for telling her and her Mom about it. We’re baaaad people, eh? ;)

  123. 123.

    Parah Salin

    June 23, 2011 at 3:10 am

    How can you square this:

    I will say (as I have said before) that in my view, if you control—in any fashion—the viewpoints and voices on your blog, then you own those viewpoints and voices.

    with this?

    It’s nonsensical for anyone to go after Cole for my writing. Cole had nothing to do with the post, he has never told me that I can’t write about any particular subject (just as he allows his comment sections to run free and wild). This is precisely why I don’t think he can reasonably be held liable or accountable for anything that I have written or posted here.

    This is the exact same disclaimer FDL has for MyFDL. They are not an endorsement.

    My viewpoints —however crazy or inappropriate they may seem to you—are mine and mine alone.

    There are probably 20 diaries a day at MyFDL. The particular blog post for the bus ad was posted on MyFDL by someone other than Jane Hamsher, and she never commented in the diary. I doubt she’s even aware of it.

    You not only hold her to a standard, one that you feel John Cole shouldn’t be held to, but the actions of that other person are now attributed to Jane Hamsher. And of course you can divine Janes intent (that she didn’t write, endorse or comment in) to re-educate black people, based in some random comment in some unknown diary months earlier (that she didn’t write, endorse, or comment in).
    As far as accusations that she wants to Primary Obama, she wrote months ago that was a waste of time. But then she didn’t have to say it. If anyone ever said it on FDL or MyFDL then according to you, she said it. Of course if comments are ever moderated then she’s a monster for that too.

    While I respected his decision to take down my post, I felt that I would not have been able in good conscience to continue blogging here. And once it happened, I fired off some “meh” tweets about it. And then, frankly, I forgot about the whole situation.

    Yes. of course you forgot, but for Hamsher you never forget anything, in fact you collect any and all heresy or ugly gossip, no matter how inaccurate or slanted, repost it all on multiple blogs every time you can add one to the end of the list.

    This does reflect on John Cole even though you don’t think it should, as he continues to give you a platform to spout this nonsense. He is aware of what you write- over and over. The least that you should be expected to do is quote and source your accusations properly. Speaking of which, I see one of your sources, Matt Osborne has pulled down his diary. Wonder why?

  124. 124.

    Comrade Kevin

    June 23, 2011 at 3:45 am

    @BattleCat:

    Look, I think we can all agree that everyone in the comments section is a dick-burglar and should be punished with a gentle wrist-slap and then given a Presidential Freedom Medal.

    I may be an asshat, but I’m not a “dick-burglar”, whatever that is.

  125. 125.

    drunken hausfrau

    June 23, 2011 at 4:09 am

    I’m late to the party… I live in the UK, so I tend to be online while you all are sleeping… but I actually like your posts.

    This is my favorite blog — I love all the bloggers here. It is never dull and it is always thought provoking. I trust Cole et al because of the quality of the writing and the passion and concern displayed here. No needs for apologies.

    (p.s. I don’t read FDL anymore…. Jane turned me off several years ago… I still follow Attaturk, Athenae, TBogg, etc. — I just follow them individually. Let’s say this: I wouldn’t be surprised if she was connected to this bus ad thing… )

  126. 126.

    ABL

    June 23, 2011 at 5:06 am

    Parah, read my comment at 103 and give it a rest, will ya.

  127. 127.

    ABL

    June 23, 2011 at 5:15 am

    Look, Parah and whomever else is going to come along and drop their two cents.

    I clarified what I meant at 103. I stand by what I wrote. You can sling crap at me all you want. It’s ok. I’ve come to expect it. But you’re not going to will me to change my mind.

    You call the racist dogwhistles I’ve pointed out “heresy” and “smear.” I call it racist bullshit. YMMV. I get that. Cole doesn’t agree. I get that too. But I stand by what I wrote.

    I mean, right now there’s a diary up that jokes about OFA standing for Organizing for Abuse.

    It’s cute!

    In response to Jane’s “What Do You Do When the President Is Just Not Into You?” and reading the comments especially about the dreadful OFA, I posted a typical ask-yourself-if-you’re-in-an-abusive-relationship quiz. Someone suggested a diary, and I got busy refining the questions. For the word partner, substitute President, Senator, Democratic Party (or the other big one), or to get to the real heart of the matter, corporatocracy (appropriate pronouns provided).

    So, here we go.

    1. Do you feel afraid to speak your mind or ask for something you need?

    2. Does your partner make fun of your ideas or opinions?

    3. Does your partner try to control every detail in your relationship?

    4. Do you often feel guilty and second-guess your choices because of your partner’s negative comments about these choices?

    5. Are you afraid of your partner’s temper, feel like you walk on eggshells, and monitor what you say or do around your partner?

    6. Do you find yourself making excuses for your partner and justifying his/her/its actions to others?

    7. Does your partner lie to get what he/she/it needs?

    8. Does your partner use weapons to threaten you or others?

    9. Does your partner discount your basic needs?

    10. Does your partner criticize your family and friends (or your political allies) and ask you to stop seeing them?

    11. Has your partner told you that “it won’t happen again” but it does?

    12. Has your partner ignored you in public? Or put you down or insulted you in public?

    13. Has your partner abandoned you for long periods of time and then returned when he/she/it needs something from you?

    14. Do you feel that you have changed, lost touch with who you are, or become someone else in order to be with your partner?

    15. Have your friends or family expressed concern about your relationship and/or your well-being?

    16. Does your partner know how to make you feel bad (i.e., what buttons to push)?

    17. Does your partner always claim to be right even when the opposite is obvious?

    18. Does your partner say that if you try to leave him/her/it, your world will come crashing down?

    19. Do you feel like you never get anywhere when you try to communicate?

    20. Does your partner take certain topics off the table? Exclude you from decision –making?

    21. Do you have reason to believe your partner may spy on you or in other ways interfere with your privacy?

    22. Does your partner always have an excuse for his/her/its behavior?

    If you answered “yes” to three or more questions, you are experiencing signs of relationship abuse. And what should people do when they find themselves in abusive relationships?

    Get it? It’s funny because they are in an abuse relationship with Obama! They are suffering domestic abuse at the hands of the evil man in the White House.

    First comment on that diary? Jane Hamsher. “That made me laugh.”

    But it’s just some random diarist’s post, right?

    Sorry, I’m not buying it.

    Keep kidding yourself that she doesn’t exert control over FDL far and beyond the sort that John exerts here.

    I stand by what I wrote.

  128. 128.

    ABL

    June 23, 2011 at 5:22 am

    As for Matt, I’m not sure what diary you are referencing, and while I’ve spoken with Matt, I don’t speak for Matt, so you’ll have to ask him. He’s a nice guy. I’m sure he’ll oblige you with a response.

  129. 129.

    ABL

    June 23, 2011 at 5:23 am

    Ha ha Odie! That’s hilarious. :)

  130. 130.

    El Cid

    June 23, 2011 at 6:12 am

    This would have been another good time where specific claims of fact and charges of wrongdoing should have been (at the very least in retrospect) listed and examined so that those of us not intimately following Hamsher could follow along as closely.

    I went back to the original post, and started to draw them out, but good lord, it’s one that requires research on each particular question.

    Just like broad statements about the Libyan or Afghanistan situation have to be broken down and examined claim by claim — say, for example, Juan Cole’s recent statements on the situation being mistaken for analysis and thus cited, rather than subject for examination.

    Of course, I would guess that might have been done in the hundreds of comments.

    But there are times when those of us who don’t so closely follow, even obsess on, the status and actions of Hamsher can get a quicker grip so as to form even a basic opinion of ABL’s post.

    Or perhaps not, and it’s just the responsibility of any reader to do this for himself or herself. I could certainly see the claim either way, but for more organized dialogue and less simple haranguing, it’s a better approach.

  131. 131.

    J

    June 23, 2011 at 7:07 am

    Good riddance, ABL, don’t let the door hit ya on the way out. Your terrible, rambling writing and annoying overuse of bold, italics & underlining will not be missed.

  132. 132.

    Lysana

    June 23, 2011 at 7:49 am

    I”m back since you are, ABL. We fight on. I have your back.

  133. 133.

    Dana Houle

    June 23, 2011 at 7:50 am

    @J

    I see that you’re invoking Strunk and White charges as grounds for dismissal. But how do you feel about her spelling?

  134. 134.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    June 23, 2011 at 7:54 am

    I apologize for this latest blog kerfluffle.

  135. 135.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    June 23, 2011 at 7:57 am

    @ABL:

    I thought you would get a kick out of that bit of humor and could use the laugh. We were playing TF2 the other night and there was a little window that would pop up while in spectator mode (between my getting wasted by someone and returning to the game) and it showed that she was carrying “The Twatwaffler”. She was running around the game map as an engineer, building turrets, setting up transporters and provisions and then merrily clubbing the opposition to death.

    I thought you could use the laugh after all of the bullshit you’ve had to read. My wife even uses “twatwaffles” on occasion now…lol! She says the girls at work think it’s hilarious.

    I hope you are feeling better this AM. Don’t let the Negatons drag you down to their level, keep up the good work. :)

    @J:

    Boy are you ever going to be disappointed when you finally read a bit more here. Here’s to hoping you storm off in outrage.

    Cheers :p

  136. 136.

    Betty Cracker

    June 23, 2011 at 8:01 am

    Well, I’m glad this kerfluffle has been resolved because I very much enjoy reading Mr. Cole, Ms. ABL and now Mr. SteveM (huzzah!), and it’s convenient for me to have all aggregated on one blog.

    What, it’s not all about what’s convenient for me? Well, shit…

  137. 137.

    chopper

    June 23, 2011 at 8:24 am

    if the person who owns the blog doesn’t own the posts of others, why did cole find it necessary to take down ABLs earlier post?

  138. 138.

    J

    June 23, 2011 at 8:28 am

    @Dana — forget rigid adherence to Strunk & White or any other style guide, ABL’s prose style flunks any and all tests. She’s a terrible, disorganized, hyperbolic, overcharged, rambling ball of not-interesting.

    Her turgid style might almost be tolerable if she at least had something insightful or unique to pass along, but a significant portion of her posts are effectively like this:

    OMG! WOWZ! You all HAVE GOT TO read this link NOWno FIVE MINUTES AGO. This is SO WRONG, y’all, I gotta take it down after the jump…

    But the jump consists mainly of embedded YouTube videos. Wish she would actually follow through and quit.

  139. 139.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    June 23, 2011 at 8:40 am

    if the person who owns the blog doesn’t own the posts of others, why did cole find it necessary to take down ABLs earlier post?

    Maybe Allan emailed John and suggested it as a way to improve the site.

  140. 140.

    Extreme Liberal

    June 23, 2011 at 8:49 am

    So let me get this straight. Jane Hamsher is employing “identity hardening” tactics for commenters on her blog, but some don’t think Jane hardens the identity and rubber stamps what writers put on her blog. Hard to believe.

  141. 141.

    Ivan Ivanovich Renko

    June 23, 2011 at 9:01 am

    Hey, J- why don’t you quit? Like as in, sod off.

    bloody wanker.

  142. 142.

    Omnes Omnibus

    June 23, 2011 at 9:21 am

    @ J:

    I don’t understand why someone who dislikes a particular blogger’s style so intensely continues to read and comment on that blogger’s posts. Why not just read something else?

  143. 143.

    J

    June 23, 2011 at 9:37 am

    Omnes Omnibus — I don’t really “continue[]” to comment on her terrible posts. I did on the first couple turds she dropped here, and then have merrily scrolled past them for weeks. And then saw here she was blessedly leaving (although she appears to have reversed course, sadly) and dropped by the say adios. And returned once or twice to defend my views of her god-awful prose.

  144. 144.

    Cassidy

    June 23, 2011 at 9:38 am

    Fuck Hamsher. Fuck FDL. Fuck all the manic progressive purity trolls. Grow the fuck up.

  145. 145.

    duck-billed placelot

    June 23, 2011 at 10:06 am

    @Mike Kay, 55: I love helping prophecies come true.

    @Everyone else: Thanks for an entertaining first cup of coffee. I do hate it when balloon-juice is quiet, too quiet for any extended periods.

  146. 146.

    eemom

    June 23, 2011 at 10:10 am

    good morning y’all.

    This has been a most entertaining and edifying thread.

    And now we return to our normally scheduled fuckery.

  147. 147.

    Daveboy

    June 23, 2011 at 10:21 am

    Good riddance to ABL. She was a terrible poster and I lost all respect for her the minute she posted that picture of Glenn Greenwald at Cato Unbound as though writing one article for a publication that has also included the founder of Daily KOS made him some sort of “enemy”. ABL fucking awful and I won’t miss her a bit.

  148. 148.

    Timothy Trollenschlongen (formerly Tim, Interrupted)

    June 23, 2011 at 10:25 am

    @cinesimon #68:

    General Stuck, how about you and Timothy go have yourselves a righteous fight in the kindergarten sandpit where you both belong.

    OK, will do, you big grown up, mature, parental, adult, boring, serious person you.

    At least Stuck is kind of fun in his madness.

  149. 149.

    Explainer

    June 23, 2011 at 10:27 am

    if the person who owns the blog doesn’t own the posts of others, why did cole find it necessary to take down ABLs earlier post?

    This is really not complicated.

    A blog, like a newspaper or magazine, is responsible for those it selects to write on its behalf, by writing on its front page.

    It is not responsible for what commenters and diarists write, because anyone can write there.

    For those still not following:

    Balloon-Juice is responsible for the content of those it puts on its front page (Doug, Tim, ABL, etc.), but not for its commenters.

    Identically, FDL is responsible for the content of those it puts on its front page (Marcy Wheeler, TBogg, Jon Walker, etc.), but not for its commenters (or diarists).

  150. 150.

    PS

    June 23, 2011 at 10:29 am

    @J: “defend my views” is an advance, since you seem to be close to grasping the concept of subjectivity. Regrettably you followed it with “of her god-awful prose” which retreats to your previous position of unjustified superiority.

  151. 151.

    Allan

    June 23, 2011 at 10:33 am

    @Fuckhead:

    Keep fucking that chicken.

    Oh, PS:

    Guess what? I actually DID email John yesterday morning!

    Want to know what it said?

    ::I’ll wait here while you go grab your bottle of Astroglide::

    OK, now that you’re back, my email to John:

    Good morning, John. Thank you for linking to my NRSC post at ABLC. The manner in which you linked (without providing additional comment or summary of the post) drove a great deal of traffic to ABL’s blog that might not have otherwise visited, and page views went through the roof.
    ..
    I appreciate it very much.
    ..
    Best regards,
    Allan

    Clearly I instigated this whole kerfluffle.

    Me? I’ve just been laughing at what classic Balloon-Juice drama-fodder it’s all been. I ribbed John a bit at ABLC and on the Twitter, but I’m giving him a break on this (and a pass from future invocation of it) because he thought it over and did the right thing, and the people I know who know Cole love the big lug.

  152. 152.

    shortstop

    June 23, 2011 at 10:50 am

    Astroglide vs. Vaseline. Sure, this country is falling off a cliff of anti-science, pro-ignorance pure disaster, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t celebrate the technological advances we do have.

  153. 153.

    Jennifer

    June 23, 2011 at 10:54 am

    ABL, glad you’re still here (though before you ever joined the FPers here I dropped by your blog from time to time. Suffice to say, I disagree with J’s deep “analysis” of your prose stylings).

    That having been said, I find that I don’t always agree with your point of view, in degree or sometimes totality, but SFW? I don’t agree with anyone all the time. Which is why I find the “I’ve hated ABL ever since she said XYZ which I disagree with” pretty fucking unfathomable. I’d like to point out to those who find themselves in occasional disagreement that it is possible to address a comment specifically to the whys and wherefores of the nature of your disagreement. There’s no reason for it to get more personal than that – particularly when it’s a disagreement between those who are in broad agreement on more global ideals. It comes off as being disrespectful of someone whom, by virtue of your broad agreement, you should accept as being at base, a good person, albeit one with whom you do not ALWAYS agree.

    Capiche?

    I weighed in on the thread yesterday with my own thoughts vis-a-vis Hamsher & those who react to any criticism of her as out-of-bounds, so I’ll not go into that again. I’ll echo what someone else said above and say that I didn’t feel like the original post did a good enough job of connecting the dots for me to really understand whatever evidence there may be, and I’d like to understand that better. But I do accept that ABL, even if she’s wrong about the details of the underlying facts, would not have made anything up in service of a vendetta or anything of the like. Why? Because I know she’s good people. Good people sometimes make errors and sometimes misunderstand things, so if she was wrong about any of what she wrote, I’m more than willing to extend benefit of the doubt. I wonder why others are not.

    But I am now very curious to see a better connection of the dots, because all the back and forth has me really curious about it. Pretty much all of the comments have been of the defend/attack, on personal grounds, the various people involved – ABL, Hamsher, John Cole, even many of the commenters – variety. Precious few have been on the topic of whether or not the claims in ABL’s original post can be supported with evidence, and what that evidence is.

  154. 154.

    Admiral_Komack

    June 23, 2011 at 11:02 am

    Jane Hamsher is a ratfucker, and those who don’t wish to see it, well that’s their problem.

  155. 155.

    Bobby Thomson

    June 23, 2011 at 11:16 am

    You know who else wasn’t a big fan of Chairman Mao?

    That’s right, John Lennon. Also, too, Hitler.

  156. 156.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    June 23, 2011 at 11:17 am

    I think ABL is a great writer, very personable and funny as hell. That doesn’t preclude me from taking issue with a capricious and arbitrary use of banning or from taking the occasional dig at her posse for being self-righteous douchebags. I think I’ve been consistent here despite the efforts of some of the Heathers to turn it into an ABL vs. Anti-ABL thing.

  157. 157.

    ABL

    June 23, 2011 at 11:39 am

    I love how people are still singing the I’m a shitty writer and good riddance song when I quite clearly am not going anywhere.

    I’m an awesome and hilarious writer. That’s a fact.

    All the insults coming from these new screen names are seriously cracking me up.

    Yep. It’s going to be a fun election year. I’m going to piss a lot of you off and I’m going to enjoy doing it.

    :)

  158. 158.

    ABL

    June 23, 2011 at 11:48 am

    Oh, and here’s a fun fact. This “J” person doesn’t appear to have ever commented here before.

    Surprising, non?

  159. 159.

    Egilsson

    June 23, 2011 at 11:53 am

    ABL is not a great writer; it’s a hard fact that ABL is actually a lousy blogger.

    I’m struggling to think of anything interesting she’s written here, and I’m coming up dry.

    Initially, I was interested in what she had to say when she started blogging here. Now, I usually skip it because it’s almost always stupid, shrill and sloppy — or apparently the product of a mindless drunken spew.

    ABL writes like she’s a terribly insecure person who is trying to mask that insecurity with mindless yet misplaced aggression. She races along on the attack because she’s afraid of being exposed as a lightweight. The problem is, she is a lightweight, and she doesn’t actually have anything interesting to say.

    Being RIGHTEOUSLY ANGRY is a good schtick as a covering mechanism, but eventually you need substance.

  160. 160.

    Admiral_Komack

    June 23, 2011 at 11:57 am

    Egilsson:

    ABL is a great writer.

    You, however, ain’t worth shit.

    Fuck off, punk-ass.

  161. 161.

    Quiddity

    June 23, 2011 at 12:21 pm

    I’m not surprised to read about this latest development. This blog has changed its tone in the last couple of years. It is no longer a “plain reading” site. Instead, it’s adopted a number of insider ticks: “click to embiggen”, “Comrade Doug Harlan J in Damascus” (or whatever it is this week), extensive dog diaries, staccato writing style, over use of rhetorical questions, plus you have the always-reliable-for-a-condescending-remark General Stuck. Along with that, the dialogue has become incredibly fiery.

    Did is write “fiery”? I meant angry. That’s what goes on here much of the time and I don’t think it’s particularly healthy to be in that mode so often. Reading some of the posts and comments literally gives me the sense that if the person was in the room with me, I’d get punched out. It’s as if I walked into a liberal biker bar where everybody had a chip on their shoulder, just looking for an excuse to pummel some chump.

    I get angry at times, but when I blog or comment, I try to limn the situation and analyze it using a neutral tone if possible.

    The web traffic stats show that the visitor traffic has held steady, and even increased a bit, so people like the product. But I prefer the material that was present in say, 2008, than what’s here now.

    P.S. Who even wants to bother commenting when you have people like Admiral_Komack writing “Fuck off, punk-ass.”

  162. 162.

    ABL

    June 23, 2011 at 12:36 pm

    Egilsson. Another newbie who just happened to pop over to tell me I suck.

    Tell me, can I expect an influx of new faces all day? When does Jane allow you to have a lunchbreak?

  163. 163.

    Egilsson

    June 23, 2011 at 12:50 pm

    See, more proof you are a sloppy and shallow lightweight.

    I’ve been reading here for 4 years; I just don’t post regularly. I don’t read or post at FDL at all.

    I’ve also posted here as “Tunch”.

    You can play these little conspiracy games all you want, but you are wrong.

    I have no grudges or axes to grind; I started reading your material here as a fresh slate. Having read your material, I just think you are a lousy blogger and I now regard you as a sloppy and shallow lightweight.

  164. 164.

    Daveboy

    June 23, 2011 at 12:51 pm

    Oh I just want to point out that I enjoy Balloon Juice (almost wrote that I enjoy BJ, which is also true but not what I intended) but don’t like ABL, because she’s terrible and uninteresting.

    I wish John would put in a way to filter out certain posters so ABL would become more of a benign tumor on the blog, rather than the malignant stupid-cancer she is now.

  165. 165.

    cinesimon

    June 23, 2011 at 12:54 pm

    @ General Stuck: just because you think you haven’t seen my username before, I therefore MUST “hiding behind a new handle”?
    And you question MY critical thinking?
    Grow up for fuck’s sake.
    This is my only moniker.

  166. 166.

    Cassidy

    June 23, 2011 at 1:11 pm

    I wish John would put in a way to filter out certain posters

    It’s called the scroll wheel on your mouse. Do you need a lesson in how to use it or can you figure that one out for yourself?

  167. 167.

    taylormattd

    June 23, 2011 at 1:11 pm

    Oh Davey, you were so much more fun when you were shilling for Hillary at DKos during the primary.

  168. 168.

    reader

    June 23, 2011 at 1:54 pm

    I post as J and as reader, and do so from multiple devices. I have read the site for years. Sorry to say, ABL, but my opinion is that you are the worst blogger to appear on the site and I was pleased to learn you might be leaving.

    Also, just so you know, I have no time whatsoever for Jane Hamsher — I do not even visit her blog. Back in like 2003 I used to read tbogg all the time, but I actually stopped visiting him once he wound up over there. And I honestly do not think my comments were such a vicious attack that they would lead you to go trolling through IP addresses. Grow up.

  169. 169.

    Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)

    June 23, 2011 at 2:27 pm

    @Explainer

    No. It’s a matter of consistency of policy.

    Cole has every right to remove both blog posts and comments, but- as a matter of policy- he chooses to not exercise this right (one exception: spam). He allows the front pagers and commentariat free rein.

    Hamsher does exercise this right, but only concerning content that doesn’t jibe with her perspective. Hamsher therefore claims responsibility for what appears on her site, but selectively, and therein the hypocrisy.

  170. 170.

    quaker in a basement

    June 23, 2011 at 2:39 pm

    I clarified what I meant at 103. I stand by what I wrote.

    Yup. That’s the one I was askin’ for at 114. I guess 103 slipped into my “already-have-my-comment-written-in-my-head-so-I’m-gonna-post-it-no-matter-what” blind spot.

    Carry on.

  171. 171.

    HyperIon

    June 23, 2011 at 2:48 pm

    @ #34 wrote:

    Not sure how Chairman Mao is relevant…

    Not sure how AAABonds is relevant.

  172. 172.

    Mr. Poppinfresh

    June 23, 2011 at 3:21 pm

    I like how everyone who dislikes your (IMO awful) writing style and the way you go about threadcrapping on this perfectly nice blog must either be “a newb” or “a troll”.

    Nobody ever got better at what they did through high-handed dismissal of criticisms and building their own Greek chorus.

    But hey, just another opinion to write off as somehow flawed…

  173. 173.

    AxelFoley

    June 23, 2011 at 4:04 pm

    LOL @ these new trolls coming out of the woodwork.

  174. 174.

    Lojasmo

    June 23, 2011 at 6:11 pm

    Whoa! The troll is strong in this one.

    At least two fresh faces have now admitted to be socks.

    And one fresh face has compared ABL to malignant cancer! Whoa! Again.

    And all the angst about ABL’s shitty writing style, at least ten posters checking in to complain.

    hamster has her fingers in a lot of puppet-butts.

  175. 175.

    J

    June 23, 2011 at 10:56 pm

    No puppet here. Instead, ABL just lies. I have posted many times.

  176. 176.

    ABL

    June 24, 2011 at 3:10 am

    Instead, ABL just lies

    ok, sparky.

  177. 177.

    ABL

    June 24, 2011 at 3:11 am

    I like how everyone who dislikes your (IMO awful) writing style and the way you go about threadcrapping on this perfectly nice blog must either be “a newb” or “a troll”.

    point to me where i said everyone.

    you won’t find it. there are plenty of regulars here who loathe me. i know who they are. they know who they are.

    you’re dismissed.

  178. 178.

    ABL

    June 24, 2011 at 3:13 am

    Sorry to say, ABL, but my opinion is that you are the worst blogger to appear on the site and I was pleased to learn you might be leaving.

    oh come now. you’re not sorry to say it. otherwise you wouldn’t be following me like a dog chasing a fucking car to say it over and over and over.

    i get it. you think i’m an awful blogger. fortunately, when it comes to me blogging here, your opinion doesn’t count. only john’s does. i happen to believe i’m a phenomenal writer, and you cannot convince me otherwise.

    so you have two choices: continue to follow me around telling me how much i suck, or stuff a sock in it.

    i don’t care which you choose. either way, i get it. you don’t like me. you’re even sorry to say it.

    message received (and summarily ignored.)

    good bye.

  179. 179.

    ABL

    June 24, 2011 at 3:16 am

    And all the angst about ABL’s shitty writing style, at least ten posters checking in to complain.

    it’s pretty omnimusing to me. to think i weigh so heavily on the mind of these folks that they can’t help but chime in every third hour to keen about how awwwwwwwful i am.

    as cole said to me today, “your milkshake brings all the trolls to the yard.”

    indeed it does. indeed it does.

  180. 180.

    ABL

    June 24, 2011 at 3:19 am

    I wish John would put in a way to filter out certain posters

    this wins the day as The Most Absurd Comment. HA!

    let me take time out of my day to complain about having to read a poster when… what’s that? oh, i have a scroll function?

    well, how about that! silly silly me.

    i would suggest you make use of your ability to Not Read my posts, but somehow i don’t think you’ll have as much fun ignoring me as you do taking precious seconds out of your day to tell me how awwwwwwwwwful i am.

    i won’t deny you the small pleasures in life, so go ahead with your bad self.

  181. 181.

    ABL

    June 24, 2011 at 3:20 am

    hamster has her fingers in a lot of puppet-butts.

    it would be so much more interesting if she would come here and yell at me herself.

    le sigh.

    a girl can dream.

    :)

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