Righty turned lefty (and former CA Dem gubernatorial candidate) Arianna Huffington's latest project is a celebrity group blog called
The Huffington Post. It just debuted this morning. It doesn't allow comments, just celebs weighing on on topics they may or may not have an intelligent opinion about. Currently featured:
Famous historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr criticizing a Bush claim that better diplomacy could have saved Eastern Europe from the Soviets.
Acting couple Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Brad Hall with a weak gag about how gay marriage has put their relationship in jeopardy.
Comic/director Mike Nichols claiming oddly that "metaphor is in trouble."
Actor John Cusack with a mildly interesting grouping of things he jotted down from notes Hunter S Thompson left scattered around his farmhouse.
Actress/daytime talk show host Ellen Degeneres reminding us about the wild horse slaughter thing.
Playwright David Mamet just letting us know that "'Arianna Huffington' asked me to write for this computer thing."
Neocon author David Frum expressing alarm that the horrors of the Soviets are not being remembered in the same way the Nazis are.
What do you think? I think this looks like a strange medley of the stupid and trivial elevated only by virtue of being spouted by a celebrity, and the serious and well-informed, which is not well served by being grouped with the former. But, it may be a buzz-driver even more so than Wonkette.
Update:
Actually Huffington Post does apparently permit comments on Arianna's own posts... just not the posts by the (other) celebs. The current post is an interesting
"Huffington Post exclusive" detailing a forthcoming book by Gerald Posner that claims "Saudi Arabia has crafted a plan to protect itself from a possible invasion or internal attack. It includes the use of a series of explosives, including radioactive “dirty bombs,” that would cripple Saudi Arabian oil production and distribution systems for decades."