Unfortunately I have seen quite a few LINO COOL KIDS post libelous attacks at Eschaton. Attacks that rival freepers in their vehemence, anger, and lack of eloquence.
It is one thing to tear Coulter apart on policy, and another on the way she dresses or looks.
I have also seen the LINO'S turn on the REAL liberals. One poster, a GREEN party organizer with "granny" in her handle, was questioned as to whether she was a real grandmother. Another poster, a Jewish woman in a wheelchair, was not only questioned as to if she were Jewish, but some idiot said she deserved to be in the wheel chair. And the Lck's supported him!
I fully realize that it wasn't Atrios who made any of those posts. But there is a definite air of fascist think as we think to the site.
Heaven forbid anyone suggest Clinton had imperfect policies, or Nader wasn't the cause for the Gore loss.
Frankly I'm surprised that attorneys have not been called in for the frequent abuse some posters receive. Abuse that extends well beyond policy differences into viscious personal attacks and extremely rude insults.
Hopefully, this legal action will cause some people to wise up. That this is just the first, and though it may well be frivolous, others that could follow would not be.
Yes we all have the right to free speech, but some choose to be hypocrites only paying lip service to that right. They pretend that their limited world view is above the limited world view of those they attack. They frequently cross boundaries they demean the other guy for crossing. They act like a mob scene in a Steinbeck story, goading each other into more and more degenerate comments.
Maybe the legal action is just sport, or ruffled feathers. But, there are those within the Atrios clique, who create a climate where the law can be capitalized on. All it takes is a single attorney with the proper interpretation.
An interpretation accepted by the courts.

Abuse is not libel. Period.

It's ironic that conservatives, who whine about litigation so much, are so quick to run to the courts with spurious claims of defamation.

Clinton was accused in printed and video materials of being implicated in the murder of numerous people. He never sued for defamation.

So if an accusation of murder against a public figure doesn't warrant a libel suit, a description of someone as a "stalker"-- clearly identifying the meaning as verbally following someone around, not taking illegal action-- is clearly not libel either.

You can call someone a fascist pig, a leftwing communist, a degenerate, and all sorts of names and it's not libel, especially if listeners can easily recognize that you are advancing the description as your opinion.

"Vehemence, anger, and lack of eloquence" and "viscious personal attacks and extremely rude insults," while likely uncouth, are not illegal.

I think Luskin should thank Atrios for the free publicity.

On the lighter side, Yahoo news is reporting today that FoxNews almost sued FoxEntertainment for a "Simpsons" episode making fun of it. It was only after lawyers from "The Simpsons" advised FoxCorp. that they would only be suing themselves that they let the matter drop.

A continued exercise in people wanting to sue because of rudeness. If we sued everyone who was rude, (there's a rhyme here, I know it), well, you know.

I'd like to thank Bill O'Reilly for bringing this kind of nonsense into the public light by suing Al Franken. LESS SUING FOX, MORE WORK ON THE PROGRAMMING.

Good luck to Atrios in regard to the lawsuit. He'll need it. A legal defense costs money whether there is a legitimate basis to the case or not. He will spend all the moolah he can raise.

However, I won't be contributing a penny to Atrios' defense. His hypocrisy in regard to liberals doing wrong is the reason why. If he were even-handed in his criticisms, I would be fully behind him. But, I can't support someone who aligns himself with racists like Jim Capazzola and Kevin Hayden, while condemning the bigotry of Right Wing bigots. In a way, the lawsuit is Atrios' chickens coming home to roost.

In response to MacDiva:
I don't know who Kevin Hayden is, but I am familiar with Jim Capozzola, and I must object to your characterizing him as a racist. If you feel he is, elaborate and explain.

Just a test

Great Blog

Thanks