So, as those who read me know, I can't stand Jane Hamsher, Firedoglake, Accountability Now, or anything about that organization. I've criticized them repeatedly here and elsewhere. However, the attack on their organization by the Drudge Retort guy (Roger Caden) is the biggest load of bull I've ever seen. I agree almost 100% with what Glenn Greenwald wrote in their defense in the diary now on the recommended list. While I think the actions taken by Accountability Now are misguided and ultimately harmful to progressive values, that organization is clearly legit and has been straightforward with its donors.
I do, however, disagree with Greenwald in one important respect. Greenwald says:
This smear comes from one place: blogs that are devoted to revering Barack Obama and despising anyone who speaks ill of him.
That's actually not true. The smear comes from the guy who runs the Drudge Retort. This guy has a long long history of completely frivolous attacks on anyone in the progressive blogosphere who actually tries to earn a living.
Let's look at what this same guy was saying all the way back in 2005.
The Drudge Retort has been kicked out of the Liberal Blog Advertising Network, a group of 75 liberal sites organized by Markos Moulitsas of Daily Kos and Chris Bowers and Jerome Armstrong of MyDD under the guidance of BlogPAC, a political action committee that Moulitsas and Armstrong began in 2004.
. . .
I think the moral of this story is simple: Practice due diligence before getting into business with Moulitsas, Armstrong and Bowers. A trait that makes them entertaining bloggers -- a talent for getting into fights they don't need to have -- doesn't translate well to making a network of weblogs advertiser friendly.
I'm not going to pretend to know the motivations of the person behind the completely frivolous attack on the Greenwald/Hamsher PAC. But, based on this guy's history, it doesn't appear to be an attack by the so-called Obama-idolators. Rather, it appears to be some kind of weird years-long vendetta against anyone in the progressive blogosphere who puts together an organization that actually get bloggers paid.
Anyway, take it fom someone who can't stand Jane Hamsher or FDL. The attack on the Accountability Now PAC finances is a total smear and a massive FAIL.