Dear Markos,
Yesterday your wrote a diary which given your power and status in this site, it would be reasonable to argue that its content (and the frenzied bullying and pile on that resulted from it) could be seen as potentially highly damaging to my reputation.
As many people noted in the diary comment thread, you could have chosen to contact me directly via private messaging; or you could have chosen to write the diary sharing your concern about the perceived issue (paranoia is crazy) without taking such a direct hit at my person, in such a public manner.
Aside from the disingenuous implication that you seem to be wedded to, whereas you've argued you don't give two shits about the NSA spying, and things like that, I argue that by you having written that diary in the very first word, linking it to mine, and by having titled it "Your paranoia is crazy," you being such a high-profile figure (with national reach), what you've done is cheapened yourself and the site.
I'm not arguing that, this being your website, you don't have the power to do whatever you want, and it seems from the feeding frenzy in the comment thread that the type of people that would approve of this action you took, approve, but I believe that a reasonable person could characterize what you did as a gross and shameful abuse of power.
At this point, after that type of behavior, I'm not sure what to think about your professional standards, but I would hope you would agree that since it is you that decided to make such a high profile personal attack against my person, choosing to use an extremely damaging and derogatory slur, you would not see this challenge to a public debate as overly insubordinate.
And so, respectfully (even after having been subjected to such a direct insult, and the abusive commentary for which you are responsible), I challenge you to a public debate.
I'd like to debate two simple issues with you: Do you have any prove that I suffer from paranoia? If you don't, what prompted you to write such a highly offensive missive referencing my person?
Second, is this site a fraud? In other words, is this site a tool of the corporatist Democratic party establishment passing itself off as something else?
Now, I'm not saying that I don't understand that you have a business to run and all that; that's a different issue.
You see Markos, me asking you that question is also based on observations, but I'm willing to re-examine my view depending on any cogent argument you put forward, in case you accept this very public challenge.
I understand that you may think that my "paranoia is crazy," and that's why I challenge you to prove it, given the highly damaging consequences of such a public attack by someone with such a high national profile... But be that as it may, I would hope you can see that what I'm not is a coward.
Finally (and I write this honestly), I don't necessarily think I will be banned for writing this diary since I assume you still have some gumption in you when it comes to very serious and contentious online debates, and that you still have some of that "crashing the gates" attitude that led you to create this website... But in all honestly, if you do decide to do so, I would say paraphrasing, I really don't give two shits about it. I'd have no problem putting my writing and activism energy in other venues.
It's up to you, as the site owner, of course.
Now, I would respectfully ask users not to write in the comment thread and wait to see if Markos Moulitsas makes an appearance. I will be waiting.
If he decides to ban me from the site, my readers know where to find me.