Blumenthal of Media Matters refuses to be baited by Breitbart at CPAC

Max Blumenthal, of Media Matters for America, (he's also a contributor to The Nation, The American Prospect, and the Washington Monthly,) has adversaries surrounding him at the CPAC conference -- they're interested in insulting and excoriating him, but not in answers to the questions they pepper him with. Blumemthal stays impeccably calm while despite the unprofessional antics of his detractors. Andrew Breitbart, for one, goes apoplectic.

My favorite moment may be the way Hannah Giles misconstrues the word minstrel for menstrual. My problem is I can't figure out if she's being serious or disingenuous.

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Thomas Hayes is an entrepreneur, journalist, and political analyst who contributes regularly to a host of web sites on topics ranging from economics and politics to culture and community.

Salon's Max Blumenthal Smears Zennie, Having Smeared Sarah Palin's Friend Steve Stoll

If you regularly check out my blogs or videos, you may remember my interview with Steve Stoll, who was presented in a Salon website article on "Sarah Palin's Right Wing Mentors " as a member of the John Birch Society.


Well, when I created a blog post with the Salon article as a base , Stoll saw it on Google and -- having pretty much had it with this Salon article getting repeated all over the place online (just Google "Steve Stoll palin ") -- contacted me.  After some back and forth, Stoll agreed to talk to me via video -- I agreed to give Stoll a platform to present his case.


In doing so, Stoll got to clear his name, which was pretty much dragged through the mud in the article.  First, he's not a member of the John Birch Society and is a Barack Obama supporter.  He's not the weird guy that Max and his co-writer David Neiwart painted him as.  Stoll's mentioned all over the place in the article, as if they talked to him.


They never did.


So I was happy to make the video.  And Steve was happy too.  But then today, I have this public comment exchange with an "mblumenthal" -- Max Blumenthal...Which Max starts off with this:

Zenni describes our factual reporting as "character assassination," thereby taking Stoll at his word without any corroborating evidence. Zenni never asked for Stoll's opinion on the New World Order, never questioned his anti-government views, and never explored our reporting on the disturbing role Stoll played in Palin's rise through the ranks. If Stoll had an issue with Stein's allegations, he should have returned one of our dozens of calls. Zenni, you been bamboozled!

zennie62 (3 hours ago) 

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Max. Rather than using this medium for insults, why not meet me and tell your story? What do you fear? What's the deal? I told you the deal I made with him here. But this kind of exchange from you is most disturbing.

zennie62 (4 hours ago) 

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And on that matter, I am happy to present you with an equal time on video. But also it's good to think about it from Steve's point of view. I think the story would have been just as powerful without him.

mblumenthal (4 hours ago) 

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Stoll misleads and the ever-credulous Zenni enables. I left numerous messages for Stoll, giving him to opportunity to respond to John Stein's allegations. He never called back. My co-author, David Neiwert, not only called Stoll at least ten times, he appeared at his home to query him. Stoll never called back or came to the door. We reported Stein's allegations as allegations, not facts. Stoll, meanwhile, hid from the light of day. Further, he won't address his sabotage of John Cooper and Stein.

zennie62 (4 hours ago) 

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Max, that's not fair. This all started by Steve contacting me, not the other way around. I'm not going to defend Steve, but I offer you the opportunity to tell your side of the story. I made a deal to give Steve his platform; that's how I drew him out.

zennie62 (4 hours ago) 

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Additionally, I must remind you that in a world where "Online Reputation Management" matters, it would have been good not to use Steve's name the way you did as it impacts how other see him. He wanted to clear his name. Can't you understand that?

zennie62 (4 hours ago) 

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Moreover, I guess you have to throw me into the "Chris Matthews" category because he was able to "draw out" Michelle Bachmann and let her fall on her own sword; such is the power of video. It's a different medium. I did draw out Steve. Those words are his. I'm proud of that. Also I Steve mentioned that you called him.

zennie62 (3 hours ago) 

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"Stoll misleads and the ever-credulous Zenni enables." -- it also reads as if you have formed a view of Steve without meeting or knowing him. That's not good at all. I've talked to many people on my video who's views I do not agree with. But I give them a platform so that we can be informed. You imply that you did not attack Stoll's character, then turn around and do so. Geez, man.

Here's my point:  Max -- in this exchange -- seemed to me to have a kind of axe to grind regarding Steve Stoll.  Max says he wasn't trying to smear him, then goes right ahead and      does that in the public comments.   Moreover, if you look at the article, it does not report Stoll as "perhaps" or "maybe" having done something, it's written as if it was fact.  


I offered Max the chance to allow me to video his point of view.


I'm still waiting Max.