Dan Kennedy Media Blog | Info

The title of the article is "The Reigning Queen of Reinvention." But before she switched sides, Bennetts wrote, she was "vociferously right-wing wife" of Rep. Michael Huffington. Anyone who remembers the conservative days of Arianna would hardly call her "vociferously right-wing." She was in the Gingrich circle in the mid-1990s, but she still held liberal social views, and was writing gooey new-age books like The Fourth Instinct. Bennetts knew this: late in the article, Arianna is quoted by Bennetts that even then, "I was always pro-choice and pro-gay rights and pro-gun control."

Later in the article, Bennetts allowed some dissent – from the left. Uber-feminist Katha Pollitt of The Nation assesses the Huffington Post as having some "real journalism," but "there are also tons of seminaked-starlet photos, bogus – and dangerous – medical advice, silly ‘spirituality,’ addlepated self-help and barely disguised self-advertisements, most of all from Arianna herself."

Near the end, Bennetts explains that Arianna is "particularly proud" of coming back to a "warm friendship" with her ex-husband Michael, who announced he was bisexual. Their daughters, now 20 and 17, struggled with the breakup:

"My kids have been through a lot of hard times – both had eating disorders – but both are now in good place," Huffington says. "We’re really close. Christina jokes that when I come for parents’ weekend, I arrive Thursday and leave Monday. Iwas going to a conference and asked her if I could stop by and see her, and I remember waiting at Starbucks like I was waiting for my lover! I remember calling [former ABC and CNN anchor] Willow Bay, who’s a good friend, and saying ‘I can’t be too forward; I can’t ask too many questions!’

"When I’m home with Isabella, I’d rather be with her than anything else. The night before I left for Tel Aviv, Isabella wnet out for dinner but got back at eight and said ‘Mom, would you like to go out for ice cream and talk?’ I had a massage scheduled, but I said to the massage lady ‘Goodbye!’"

Ah yes, dismissing the massage lady: there’s your liberal poster girl for knowing the struggles of the common man.

—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.

Editorial: Labour needs to look past Ratana pact
The Ratana Church has made its expectations of the Labour Party very clear. It wants four Ratana candidates for winnable seats on Labour's list at the next election. It is a demand the party cannot meet. If it was quietly disposed to do such a deal before, it cannot do it now. The very public demand, issued as a challenge at Ratana Pa on Sunday, will compromise any new Maori candidates Labour might put high on its list next year.

The right wing love the relationship with the Maori Party, it's always nice to feel you are perceived as much less racist than you really are. The Maori Party provide camouflage for the right wing and their recent Stockholm syndrome over the Emissions Trading Scam should be a kick in the arse over their complacency to date.

But this fascinating attempt by the Granny Herald to portray the reception Labour was given at the Ratana Church using their own biased perceptions to back up a one sided editorial is an incredible exercise in spin.

The Standard pick this up today...

It was clear that the Herald had decided how Ratana would play this year: everyone loves Key, Goff gets the cold shoulder. It didn’t matter what actually happened, that was going to be the Herald’s narrative:

Ratana pats Key on the back
Labour gets icy reception at Ratana

You would think those headlines had been written before the event. They have no relationship what actually happened according to every other media outlet:

RNZ: Labour leaves Ratana feeling secure in support [2]
TVOne: Labour recieve warm welcome at Ratana
Tv3: Goff: reception at Ratana warm, relationship healthy [2]
Dompost: Goff scoffs at claim of losing church

Interesting isn't it, other media organizations walked away with a very different impression than the Granny Herald.

National need conservative media to cement their marriage of inconvenience with the Maori Party so that it stops looking so obviously out of sync. Maori voters overwhelmingly handed their Party vote to Labour NOT National and the Maori Party's decision to vote for tax cuts for the rich, their appalling Emission Trading Scam and being face slapped by Rodney over Maori representation on the Super City can't be pleasing to many within Maoridom who are facing steeper unemployment rates and social infrastructure degradation.