Open Letter to John Ziegler

Dear Mr. Ziegler,

Max Blumenthal is one ballsy web journalist. His concept of where political analysis and commentary are going has a lot more balls than yours does. Yours is closer to eunuchism than it even is to the bullshit most critics complain it to be.

You seem to have an idea Max Blumenthal doesn't have any balls. At least you had the guts to tell him to his face. He confronted you at the CPAC fiasco. He may end up making you the highlight of the CPAC fiasco. Unlike you, I think that making you the biggest joke of 2009 CPAC would show this young guy has balls.

He was pissed you had tried to scam him to get an interview. I don't blame him. I'd be pissed too.

He stood there for over five minutes while you yelled, moved back and forth, swore, pointed your finger, and belittled him. He just came back, asking normal hardline questions, trying to get you to actually provide unbiased information. The way he did that showed he has balls.

When Max came to Alaska to cover Sarah Palin, he showed he has balls. The first places he went to interview people about Palin impressed me. His interview technique was so straightforward, I was taken aback. I thought - "kid has some balls."

He interviewed librarians and museum workers. That only took intelligence. Then he went to Todd Palin's favorite gun store, Chimo Guns in Wasilla, and hung out for a while. He convinced the folks there he was genuine.

In Wasilla, he interviewed some intensely over-motivated charismatic and fundamentalist Christian Palin supporters in environments I thought might put him in grave physical harm. He took my comments in stride, then asked for help with his camera prep work.

I know you came up to Alaska to do a story on Sarah Palin too. You should watch Max's footage, compare it to yours. Yours was classic old school suckup. Max's was Journalism 2012 Master Class. That didn't take balls. Brains helped, though.

I' ve got a hunch Max isn't just smarter and more ballsy than John Conrad Ziegler. He worked his ass off when he was in Alaska.

A big part of your job is to help Palin raise $70,000.00 per day over the next 1,000 days. I wish Max had gotten you to comment on that, but - as I said - he was pissed. And, to be fair, Conrad, I think Max took the middle name thing a bit too far.

But, John, Palin isn't going to be able to raise an average of $70K per day for 1,000 days. You were one of the first people called upon to help do that. It'll take balls for you to accept the role of being the Talis Colberg of Far Right failed mockumetaries. Max is starting to paint you into that corner, isn't he?

Phil Munger

Ziegler interviewed after Max's interview:


Max Blumenthal's interview with John Ziegler at 2009 CPAC: