> > what do The
>> Nation and MSNBC see in this guy? His chief role seems to be that of
"left
>> politics cop,"
-They need someone who seems "left" but who really isn't - the -appearance of balance without any measurable effect on the prevailing -centrist discourse. Funny that a guy who made his name writing a book -about pundits ends up serving this role.
Come on, now who is acting as an ideological cop. Alterman is not a Marxist, but he supports almost every progressive political position, denouncing corporate types as criminals, calling for boycotting the United Jewish Communities for sending charity to Jews in the occupied territories, denouncing Ashcroft's assault on civil liberties, attacking the racism of the mainstram media, and so on.
And this was just from yesterday's column.
Why the urge to attack the most left columnist in a mainstream position to get those kinds of positions out?
-- Nathan Newman