Ted Rall's fictional blog (Updated)

QandO has almost got it right - Google knows the first hate sentence Ted Rall attributed to bloggers ("Ted Rall should be beat to within an inch of life with a baseball bat."), but believe me, it wasn't easy to find it. It takes real googling skills. Or maybe Ted Rall frequents that forum.

This google search will find the comment. Currently it's fourth place, but after the column, I doubt that will remain there long. The original source comment can be found here. The source is a comment posted on Dec. 15, 2003 by user "Domh" on the "Global Affair" forum in response to this cartoon (ucomics subscription required - for a nonsubscription link, try this). Domh went on to say the following (exerpt only):

Those people desperately need to spend a year living in the mideast building schools, roads, digging wells, and getting a smack upside the head... but NOOOO - cant bring them out of their little fantasy world can we?

This is the mentality of the HOWARD DEAN set... in a nutshell. I know. I grew up with it, went to school with it learned everything I need to know about it to reject it intelligently. This is the mindset that my own stepfather is still firmly entrenched in as he approaches 60 years old.

Looking at this, it is clear that it is not a personal threat (and not even hateful), but an expression of disgust at the way certain liberals insult the US armed forces.

However, in spite of the quote existing, it exists on a forum, not a blog. My registration for that forum has not yet been activated (since this was the first time I visited it), so I cannot say whether Domh has a link to his blog in his personal profile (personal profiles are only visible to registered users). Maybe Mr. Rall could do some accurate research for once. However, seeing that he's got a track record for being free with facts, maybe he specializes in "fictionalized journalism", just like Hunter S. Thompson.

(Note: I've attempted to contact Domh and will update this post if I get a response.)

(Hat tip: Captain Ed)

Update: Domh responds:

Fascinating!

No I am not a blogger, never have been. The quote was made in the forum thread you noted and nowhere else.

Rall? Shoddy Journalism? Imagine my shock and surprise, and please note my severe sarcasm. [...] Rall is a hack [...] with no morals or ethics whatsoever. He is a shock-jockey with pen and ink. He is a junior-Michael-Moore, biting at the teat that feeds him to force out more milk-money.

Thanks for pointing this out. I wonder when the death threats from the the 'peaceniks' will start flooding my inbox!

Cheers,

Domh

Look, children, at the excellent example of McCarthyism that Ted Rall displays. It's not the blogsphere, but the MSM journalists who are the biggots today and make free with the facts. (Update updated to clarify meaning - and remove expletives.)

Update 2:
Domh started a thread on the topic on the Global Affairs forum. That said, does anyone have a copy of the original cartoon? I don't subscribe to ucomics, else I would have posted it here.

Update 3: The harmless cartoon that sparked it all.
You can find the editorial cartoon that sparked Domh's wrath here. I've modified my original text to add this link, too. Be careful - you might spew your lunch.

Update 4:
My hunch about the Rall-Thompson connection turns out to have been right. Upon looking through Rall's blog, I came across a post in which Rall states that "I wouldn't be able to do what I do if it hadn't been for Dr. Thompson." That says it all.