Matt Taibbi is a tool.

[Writer]

DISCUSS!

[Truth2Tell]

1. a tool of the corporate war lobby?

oh wait.... that's some other people.

[beachmom]

2. I call him Mr. Cynical, who sometimes can be mildly amusing.

But let's be clear that underneath all his contempt for the Powers That Be, he is for nothing.

[mcctatas]

3. Sometimes...

but he can be pretty hysterical when he's not being a jerkoff.

[EstimatedProphet]

4. Is he no longer an Official Hero of DU?

What did he do, go on Olbermann? Did he say something that wasn't part and parcel Official DU Party Line?

[lurky]

9. I think this is the problem:

http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/2008/12/the-whore-factor.php#more

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. Exactly. He said something bad about some dems. He's gonna get TSed now!

:eyes:

Oh wait, he's not a member of the forum so I guess he doesn't much care.

[camera obscura]

20. The problem isn't people turning on their heroes, maybe it's that the standard for "hero" is too low

"He said something I agree with! TRUTH TO POWER! Genius! The only real journalist left in the entire universe ZOMG!!!!!!!!!!!!"

even preening imbecilic assholes can get it right some time. Doesn't mean they're not preening imbecilic assholes.

[EstimatedProphet]

21. I think the problem is in hero-worship itself, actually

I agree, the pattern it takes seems like people find someone who they agree with on something, then start effectively putting their own words into their heroes' mouths. since X said this, he must also believe this and this and this. when they find out he/she isn't their image of perfection, then he/she suddenly goes from Can Do No Wrong to Can Do No Right. If people simply paid attention to the statements other people said instead of trying to make archetypes out of them, they wouldn't crash so hard.

[ShortnFiery]

23. Yes, for example, I just heard a quote from so called *Labor promoter" Harry Reid.

"as much as a Union guy as I am, there's going to have to be concessions between Labor and Management."

HELLO? Middle and Working Class AMERICA. This is Class War NOT a partisan fight. We damn well best get the so called PROGRESSIVE representatives to not *again* give OUR TAX DOLLARS to mega-Corporations so they can screw the labor unions and the average workers.

Congress is presently pro-corporations FIRST and FOREMOST ... we need to remind these assholes that they work for WE, THE PEOPLE, not AIG, Citigroup, The CEOS of the Auto Industry, etc.

[ShortnFiery]

22. That's the problem. Many good people here don't "idol worship" politicians. If you wish to go into

a Depression within this Country, continue to promote "Celebrity" or (God Forbid!) any politician as "a hero." :thumbsdown:

[JVS]

5. FAIL

[FrenchieCat]

6. He likes to mix his non-fiction with his fiction.

Sometimes I wonder whether he actually can't make up his mind between writing mystery novels and political reports.

Calling people whores and turtles without much back up seems pretty fiction based to me. :shrug:

[Kalyke]

17. Looked like an awful lot of backup regarding Daschle in that article to me.

And, yes, some Democrats can be whores.

BTW, do you not think Obama ever does anything wrong? You seem to sometimes go pretzel-bent in explaining some of his actions.

He's not perfect, you know.

Granted, he's not John McCain, either, which is a plus... but he's still not, to borrow Republican talk-show coiniology, the Messiah, either.

[classof56]

7. I guess I've missed something recent about Matt, but I must say...

IMHO he's an awfully fine-looking male! 'Course, I'm old enough to be his grandmother, so it's probably just me...

Class o'56

[Vinca]

8. I'm a serious Matt Taibbi fan. Love his cynical, sick sense of humor.

[DevonRex]

11. He is trying WAY too hard. Sometimes over the top is just over the top.

The Rolling Stone article is more shock value than anything.

[NashVegas]

12. I Coulda Told You That Last Spring

What'd he do this time?

on edit: Ah. God, that's so funny.

[wyldwolf]

13. yes he is. What people like him don't get is...

the Democratic party is and never has been the purist "progressive" utopia he for someone reason believes it should be.

[LynneSin]

14. Seriously - all that crap he wrote about Republicans and Bush - bashing them all time

a real tool

:sarcasm:

[JVS]

15. Yeah what an asshole!

I've been reading his stuff for over 10 years. The guy is alright by me.

[smoochpooch]

16. The tone of his writing is too abrasive for me. I think he alienates people with some of his

name calling. I'm always reminded of the Big Lebowski when the dude says, "No you're not wrong Walter, you're just an asshole!" That's what I usually think when I read Matt's articles in RS.

Plus, it just bugs me when someone criticizes everything and everyone but offers no alternatives.

[Mass]

18. Nothing new. but what exactly ticked you off today?

If it is the rollingstone article, I find funny to see him call somebody a whore. He is probably one of the biggest whore in the media world, and there is certainly a lot of competition.

[spanone]

19. monkeywrench?

[ShortnFiery]

24. Matt Taibbi is spot on! This is "the people" vs. "a corporate run government" NOT a partisan fight.

But in picking Daschle — who as an adviser to the K Street law firm Alston and Bird has spent the last four years burning up the sheets with the nation's fattest insurance and pharmaceutical interests — Obama is essentially announcing that he has no intention of seriously reforming the health care industry. And I know that lots of public policy people are hailing this pick, saying Daschle is perfect for the job ("His new leadership position confirms that the incoming Obama administration has made health care reform a top and early priority for action in 2009," Ron Pollack, the director of Families USA, told reporters), but when they say that I think they mean the following: "Out of all the bought-off Washington whores who could have been given this job, Daschle is the best one. His fake reform will go the farthest in its approximation of actual action than the fake reform of any other possible whore-candidate." Actually that probably sums up the ideological profile of Obama quite well generally — but that's another story.