Remember the Mainstream’s frothing over Liz Wahl’s resignation from RT? How she was feted by the networks, supported by the beast, and embraced heartily by neo-con Russia-haters?
Turns out things might not be as spontaneous as they seem – in fact, in the paranoid world of neo-con American journalism things are very rarely spontaneous. They’re usually nasty, angry, ugly exchanges full of trolly self-righteous butthurt.
Rania Khalek & Max Blumenthal revealed that tweets, likely by mouthpiece Jamie Kirchick at the neo-con think-tank FPI, pre-empted Wahl’s RT stage exit.
Not only that, but that Kirchick, along with Buzzfeed’s Rosie Gray (who coincidentally also published an RT hit-piece recently) and Eli Lake, are knitted into a cosy set of self-supporting neo-con relationships with lobbyists and foreign policy hawks.
Here they are (with Wahl) being totally not sorry about that.
Sorry not sorry pic.twitter.com/FrQw8duXoF
— Rosie Gray (@RosieGray) March 20, 2014
It started with Khalek & Bumenthal tweeting a paragraph exposing how Gray, Lake and Kirchick are linked by lobbying, but spun into a childish slag-fest that even got people flipping birds. Seriously.
This is what propaganda journalism looks like, neocon style: http://t.co/py5CHauiY8pic.twitter.com/io7258RTzV
— Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) March 19, 2014
.@MaxBlumenthal@RaniaKhalek You know that's a lie, right Max? I'm not in those FARA documents.
— Rosie Gray (@RosieGray) March 19, 2014
Good start out of the blocks! That moment a Buzzfeed ‘power smurf’ realizes she’s on a US Foreign Agent Act register.
.@RosieGray@MaxBlumenthal Yes you are, Rosie. See here: http://t.co/SOmZZKlHqdpic.twitter.com/7AWNUYtoau
— Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) March 19, 2014
But then it gets personal.
.@RaniaKhalek@RosieGray You know what IS a lie, Rosie? Nearly every line in this trash you ran: http://t.co/b1hibEh0eG Time to retract, no?
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) March 19, 2014
Then catty.
@RaniaKhalek You probably don’t know this, but reporters in Washington who meet with foreign officials appear on FARA forms cc: @rosiegray
— Eli Lake (@EliLake) March 19, 2014
.@EliLake@RosieGray Okay, so why was Rosie so embarrassed that she felt compelled to lie about it just now?
— Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) March 19, 2014
Then comes the dining and whining pay-off expose.
.@EliLake@RosieGray Is it normal for reporters to accept lavish dinners from foreign lobbyists, like you and @jkirchick did?
— Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) March 19, 2014
@goodnewsgoddess@RosieGray@RaniaKhalek pay for play PR dressed up as news for journos who do no shoe leather and never investigate power.
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) March 19, 2014
A schoolyard bully brouhaha breaks out (emphasis on haha).
@RaniaKhalek That’s a lie, repeated by your crowd. I pay for my lunches with sources or we rotate who pays.
— Eli Lake (@EliLake) March 19, 2014
.@kampeas@steveniweiss@RosieGray@RaniaKhalek@EliLake nice to know DC journos think dinners w foreign lobbyists (pay 4 play) is kosher
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) March 19, 2014
Enter True American hero.
@RaniaKhalek is close friends with @AbbyMartin . This is part of the conspiracy crowd that defends RT and thrives off spreading lies
— Liz Wahl (@lizwahl) March 19, 2014
@AbbyMartin@RaniaKhalek demonstrate the dangers of being brainwashed by Kremlin propaganda, promoting anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism
— Liz Wahl (@lizwahl) March 19, 2014
Over the horizon gallops Slate’s Dave Wiegel (author of a ‘puff piece’ on Wahl that very day), brandishing a photo of Abby & Khalek flipping off a pic of Benjamin Netanyahu.
Here's the co-author of the Truthdig @jkirchick hit, with RT truther host Abby Martin, flipping off a photo of Bibi pic.twitter.com/N2fkqxhPvt
— daveweigel (@daveweigel) March 19, 2014
Claws are out and Khalek has to, y’know, tell the truth.
.@lizwahl@Slate Your distaste for the photo of us flipping off Netanyahu is strange, Liz, considering you were the photographer.
— Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) March 20, 2014
Slap! Wahl goes into radio silence. The damsel is distressed. Slate’s man reaches for the conspiracy hammer. Are you ready?
I hung out with @lizwahl on the day of the RT counteroffensive http://t.co/Bd6psFF7Qp
— daveweigel (@daveweigel) March 20, 2014
So now, RT is behind a ‘counteroffensive’. When in doubt blame the Kremlin. Always. Blame. The Kremlin. Because sources.
.@daveweigel And you didn't print those answers. Now how are we part of an "RT counteroffensive?" You're saying RT solicited our report?
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) March 20, 2014
@MaxBlumenthal RT sources, RT people retweeting it, summing up story in 140 chars
— daveweigel (@daveweigel) March 20, 2014
Yeah, only real journalists can dig that deep, and know what you meant better than you did.
.@daveweigel so far you've only deployed hyperbole, condescension & snark against our facts. Do you have anything better to offer us?
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) March 20, 2014
Lake obliged.
I think Max and Rania heard @jkirchick and @lizwahl “like to fuck with the Russians” http://t.co/puCxZXAy6T
— Eli Lake (@EliLake) March 19, 2014
While Jamie is not offended at all (why would he be?), he has these important messages to deliver to the world via his army of 5,000+ Twitter followers:
One should never ask a lady her age, but I am 30, not 31! http://t.co/JdDSQhbDcg
— Jamie Kirchick (@jkirchick) March 19, 2014
That's the thing my trolls don't understand. I revel in your hatred of me.
— Jamie Kirchick (@jkirchick) March 19, 2014
We feel for you, Jamie! We feel for you.
Batman - haters gonna hate! Yes indeed lol. pic.twitter.com/sity6CyT
— Alicia Steadman (@Lagniappe_girl) February 4, 2013