Civil War in Kentucky Blogosphere

I love a good fight.

I'm hoping Hillary changes her mind and unleashes her hysterical hilbots at the convention in a futile attack that not only fails spectacularly but destroys her political career and burns the Democratic Leadership Conference to the ground with it.

That, however, would overshadow the BlogWar we've got raging in Kentucky's own liberal blogosphere (fight starts in comments.)

For the record:

- Ben Carter is Kentucky's BlogFather, starting BlueGrassRoots way back in 2004. The name alone deserves a prize: Blue Grassroots, Bluegrass Roots - it says it all.

- But when Mark Nickolas set the Kentucky Blogosphere on fire in 2005 with his blanket coverage of Ernie in Bluegrass Report, BlueGrassRoots did not have the sources or resources to compete.

- Nickolas' departure left a gap, and Joe Sonka filled it superbly as the main blogger on the rejuvenated BlueGrassRoots. PageOne has the financial backing and the snark and the connections, but Joe's BlueGrassRoots had flair. I was honored to be asked to participate a year ago.

- I admit I find Ben unbearably sanctimonious at times, and his eagerness to kowtow to the powers that be indicates worrisome authoritarian tendencies.

- My own sarcastic sense of humor makes me a more natural ally of Joe, who shares my anti-authority, fuck-em-if-they-can't-take-a-joke attitude.

- I don't know exactly what happened before Joe left BlueGrassRoots in March, but I know this: BlueGrassRoots is a less scoop-filled, less sharp, less entertaining, less funny blog since Joe left. Though that's as much my fault as anyone's.

- I am extremely upset that Joe is not going to the Democratic National Convention as one of BlueGrassRoots' representatives. Joe was the heart, soul and guts of BlueGrassRoots in 2007, and if Joe didn't earn that convention credential, nobody did.

- I admire SarahG., BenRay and RDemocrat, and am looking forward to their convention coverage. It's not their fault Joe's not going.

- I'm old enough to be a (very young) parent to both Ben and Joe, and the temptation to beat them both with a willow switch and send them to their rooms without dinner is overpowering.

- Forget the accusations, forget the money (seriously, I'll pay Joe the fucking $250 myself if that's the obstacle here), drop the fucking tape measures and tuck yourselves back in, boys.

- The blog Ben created and Joe perfected is going to the Democratic National Convention, y'all, and it behooves all of us that it show the world that the big boys in New York and California and D.C. have nothing on Kentucky's take-no-prisoners Left Blogsylvania.

Whatever it takes, Joe needs to go to Denver.

Make it happen, guys.

Whatever. It. Takes.

Cross-posted at BlueGrassRoots.