Oliver Kamm

I'm bemused by Oliver Kamm's attack on political blogs in The Guardian.

It is, of course, totally fair comment when aimed at my opponents such as Guido Fawkes and the weirder end of the libertarian Tory blogosphere as in Monday's piece linked above - but it suddenly becomes foaming-at-the-mouth rabid anti-Americanism when aimed at New Labour as is frequently the case in The Guardian's "Comment is Free" column.

Attacking political blogging as a medium because you don't like Guido is fair enough, but attacking political blogging because you think I'm an ars**ole is completely unfair and rather stupid. Lighten up Oliver, and for a starter allow comments on your own blog. I've been on the receiving end of some fairly unpleasant comments here, but that comes with the territory of expressing yourself politically - if you express strong opinions you get strong feedback.

And what kind of rarified political world is it that Oliver lives in if he thinks angry or abusive comments are a product of the blogosphere? He should try canvassing at election time.

If like me you are a right-wing New Labour supporter in Hackney, you get no end of abuse thrown at you by those who think you are a usurper of their Party, an overpaid foie gras guzzling fraud and part of a corrupt and manipulative local council group of liars, cheats and robbers.

Obviously I don't pay much attention to these comments when they originate from the peasantry. But I've also had worse things said to me at Labour Party meetings than in the comments on this blog, and still gone for a drink afterwards with the people attacking me.

But what the hell. It's called politics - it excites people and inspires them and can make them angry. It's not an academic exercise about theories it's about how government affects people's lives so if they feel they need to shout then they have a right to.

If you want to know how people view me as a blogger, look at the people who link to my blog. They are all sensible, decent political analysts making a positive contribution to political debate in this country. And because they do this so successfully, old hacks like Oliver Kamm are running scared for their own fat-cat positions in the traditional media.

My linkers include both political friends and political enemies: Chris Paul, Iain Dale, Quink of "Hackney Lookout", Paul Canning, Paul Stott of "I Intend To Escape", "Not the Clissold Leisure Centre", Kerron Cross, "Labour Watch", "Never Trust a Hippy", Tom Miller of "NewerLabour", "Shiraz Socialist", "The Rotten Elements" and "Take Back The Voice" to name just a few. On the other hand, I agree with Oliver Kamm when it comes to bloggers such as the spoofster who keeps impersonating me. I've checked on Technorati and drawn up the following list of websites that link to this vile parody blog. Check the list for yourself to see that I've made nothing up. I don't need to point out the clues as to what sort of person this is.

A PR Guy's Musings	Daily Pundit	Johninnit	Rio Resources Payday Advance
About Whose News?	Darlington Councillor	Jon Cruddas	Shanna Evans Pornstar
Action-Without-Theory	Das 24	Karen Bruce	Stuart's Soapbox
Airline Tickets To Milwaukee	Dave's Part	Kerron Cross	Stumbling And Mumbling
All Star Health	Deals Hotel In New York	Kollect	Take Back The Voice
Antonia’s Blog	Egyptian Blogs Aggregator	Kris's Stoke Newington	Temperama
Bangbros Sex Vdeos	Ewan's Blog	Labour In Haggerston	The Blair Era
Be About Your Business Citizen	Extreme Fisting Sexuploader	Labour Watch	The Daily
Black Jack 8deck	Fast Loans Without Employment	LabourHome	The Daily (Maybe)
Blackjack Ringtones Walmart	Free Arabic Mobile Realtones For Ericson	Luke Akehurst's Blog	The England Project
Blairwatch	Free Fat Porn	Ministry Of Truth	The Hackney Post
Bloggers4Labour	Freemania	Miranda Grell	The Labour Humanist
Blogging4Merton	Gay Anal Bang	Never Trust A Hippy	The MacDezart
Bob Piper - Labour Councillor	Gay Husband Pics	New Jerusalem	The UK Daily Pundit
BobFromBrockley	Gaymuscle	NewerLabour	Themes For Phone V360
Brighton-Regency-Labour- Supporter	Gordon Is A Moron	Nuclear Peace	Theo's blog
Brownswood Councillors	Guess Black Katie Purse	Nude Israeli Girls Porn	Tim McLoughlin
Byrne Baby Byrne	Hackney Lookout	Omar's Blog	Tom Watson MP
Canadian Healthcare Mall	How To Put V Cast Music On Your Phone	Overnight Cash Advances	Toronto Airline Tickets
Cassilis	Hoxton Councillors	Pamphlet Labour	Travel Blog
CB Hotel Dusseldorf	HQ Moviesporn	Parburypolitica	UK Commentators
Chris Paul: Labour Of Love	Iain Dale's Diary	Paul Linford	Unison
ClawsFour	Idiots For Labour	Paulcanning	Unoriginalname38
Clissold Leisure Centre Stoke Newington	I'm-Not-Gay	Payday Loans Who Do Not Use Teletrack	Vast Left Wing Conspiracy
CND	Indigo Public Affairs	Peachtree Credit Card	Videos Pornd
Comment Central	Is There A Payday Loan	Pick A Payday Loan Throu Western Union	What's New Pussycat?
Compare Replica Coach Purses	I'Ve Already Had My Sweetest Dreams Come True	Praguetory	Woman Boyporn Pictures
Continental Promo Code Seattle	James' Blog	Quotes About Gay Marriage	Wongablog
Cross Eyes Porn Block Software	Jennifersfreepornpick	Reasons To Be Impossible	WordPress
CTU Ringtones For Pearl	Jo’s Journal	Ribble Valley Red	Лысый Андроид