The Missing Dirt On Arianna Huffington (Arianna: “The Dirt” Part I)

Gawker Manhattan Media News ^ | October 6, 2008 | Ryan Tate

[flattorney]

The Missing Dirt On Arianna Huffington

The New Yorker published its profile of Arianna Huffington. Though disappointingly far from the juicy takedown we hoped for, it does contain a few interesting nuggets. We learn, for example, that the Republican-divorcée-turned-internet-publisher bizarrely "hides" all three of her BlackBerrys in her bathroom at night, even though she lives only with a housekeeper and her two daughters. Her gay ex-husband Michael Huffington elaborates on how she knew of his interest in men before their marriage, saying, "in my Houston town house I sat down with her and told her that I had dated women and men so that she would be aware of it." And Huffington sounds downright proud of her lack of long-term friendships, saying, "I metabolize experiences fast." But there's so much missing, so much that should be in this 14-page story, starting first with how she runs the Huffington Post — would any male mogul be profiled at such length with so little said about how he runs his business? — and continuing through to juicer questions about her dating life and cultlike religious guru. A few specifics:

• The New Yorker's Lauren Collins briefly depicts Huffington holding hands with ex-boyfriend Mort Zuckerman at the recent Time 100 party. But who is she seeing now? Is it true she tends toward hot younger men? What about her rumored dalliance with Newark Mayor Cory Booker?

• Collins also delves into the much-explored topic of Huffington's affiliation with spiritual guru John-Roger. But what about how she has stocked her site with fans of the culty leader?

• Just one paragraph on the Tim Russert feud? Can she still not come up with anything nice to say? Is it true top NBC News staff hated her even more after Russert died?

• How does Arianna run the Huffington Post? What's it like to work there? It's hardly surprising or scandalous that Huffington can be an "erratic... high-strung boss" or that she has lost 15+ employees, as reported in the profile. Sample quote: "One of the frustrating things was that she had absolutely no compunctions about saying, ‘Hey, do this,’ and then saying, ‘Why did you do that? I never asked you to do that.’"

• The New Yorker might start with HuffPo's political message discipline. Huffington has spiked work that is not "congruent with HuffPost's editorial position against the media's penchant for viewing everything through a left/right prism," a convoluted position she formulated after one of her columns was used against Barack Obama.

• Which raises the question: Was HuffPo biased toward Obama? After the site reported that Obama said "bitter" working-class Americans "cling to guns or religion," HuffPo co-founder Ken Lerer, who himself said to be unhappy about the story, rushed to talk with angry Obama campaign operatives. That would be the same Lerer who convened a fundraiser for Obama at his apartment the year prior, when he was still CEO of Huffington Post. It's worth at least asking whether the Clinton campaign's accusation that the site was a "conveyor belt" for pro-Obama propaganda was more than mere campaign flackery.

• Also, why did HuffPo delay covering the latest scandal stories on Democratic politician John Edwards, despite having broken some of the earliest ones?

• If the HuffPo has been called an "internet newspaper," as the New Yorker reminds us, Collins would have been well-served to take a look at how much it spends on actual reporting. Mayhill Fowler, arguably its brightest star at the moment, paid her own expenses and received no salary. Huffington herself said many staff left because they "wanted to be writers.... the jobs are administrative."

To fit in some of these topics, the New Yorker might have had to cut out the bits about Huffington's "considerable intelligence," her "seductive" charm and how she likes hiking, "yoga, meditation and prayer." But at least the magazine would have broken some significant new ground.

[flattorney]

Arianna Huffington: Queen of the Soros Shadow Party and . . .

12.08.08: Seventy-one(71) anti-Arianna Huffington "Dirt" Articles by Gawker Manhattan Media News
10.29.08: Huffington Post Writer Stabbed Ex-Lover 220 Times With Screwdriver (Boynton Beach, Florida)
02.15.07 HuffPo: Al Franken and Me: Coming Clean, Preemptively by Arianna Huffington
- - Al Franken and I shared a bed. Repeatedly. While we were both married. And, long before Pam and Tommy Lee or Paris Hilton, we always made sure we had a camera to record our liaisons. Shocking but true. What can I say... And the fact that it was being recorded for posterity only added to the frisson. (Article re: Franken running for U.S. Senate and Arianna worried about being his previous secret sex biatch.)
10.12.06: Charlie Rose Interview: George Soros and Arianna Huffington (Full screen, 56 mins)
01.01.99 Esquire: The Strange Odyssey of Michael Huffington
- - Drop $30 million on a political campaign. Lose the race. Search your soul. Divorce Arianna. Decide you're gay
12.21.98 CNN: Michael Huffington reveals he's a homosexual. Starts new life as gay activist

NOTE-1: This is one of a number of dated articles/write-ups that I have not had time to post the last 2 months. Hopefully will finally get caught up the next two week.
NOTE-2: FR’s new homepage layout and “Free Republic Memorial Wall” is 5 Stars outstanding! Thanks Jim and John. - FlA

Posted Photo by FlAttorney & Co.

TAB

[montag813]

Is it true she tends toward hot younger men?

They must be on drugs or drunk. How could you have sex with that ugly ass woman when you're sober?

[avacado]

"We learn, for example, that the Republican-divorcée-turned-internet-publisher..."

She's a Republican? No way!

[rightwingextremist1776]

Johnny....JOHNNY.....Time to rub the bunions...

[Doogle]

.."SHE HAS MAN HANDS!"

[MissDairyGoodnessVT]

My Big Fat Greek HuffPo

[Zevonismymuse]

This was taken at a GOP fund raiser back when the parasite was posing as a Republican. My daughter was around six years old at the time and still remembers being creeped out by Huffington. We sat with Huffington and her daughters at the dinner. Huffington feigned interest in my daughter but she was an obvious phony. Huffington is possibly the most opportunistic person in modern history. She is absolutely without a soul.

[webschooner]

Was HuffPo biased toward Obama?

[Numbers Guy]

I didn’t like her when she was an alleged conservative. She was clearly a total phony and I was annoyed with fellow conservatives who thought she was some sort of icon.

Two friends of mine (married) lived in California during the Huffington/Boxer race in 1994. For Halloween they dressed as Michael Huffington and Barbara Boxer. Each wore a sign listing the “top 5 reasons not to vote for [the other candidate]”.

Among the reasons not to vote for Michael Huffington was “he beats his wife. Have you listened to her speak? A lot of blows to the head will do that to someone”.

[Walmartian]

She can't be all bad if she spits her "bacci" juice in a bottle instead of onto the floor.

[flattorney]

Taking A Hatchet To Arianna Huffington: Some Tips

By Ryan Tate, 7:22 AM Aug 22 2008

A New Yorker journalist is calling around for a story on the "Real Arianna Huffington," the Post reported. The scribe is supposedly asking about the allegedly ballooning value of the Huffington Post, recently pegged at $200 million, and about whether publisher Huffington is a "cutthroat boss." Perhaps the New Yorker writer — former New York Post man Ken Auletta? — should ring up HuffPo senior editor Rachel Sklar, who just last night aired news that Huffington spiked her story about MSNBC because she wants to tightly control how politics is discussed on her site. From Sklar's message on Jim Romenesko's Poynter.org forum:

This post was originally written for "Eat The Press' at the Huffington Post, but it was determined that the post was not "congruent with HuffPost's editorial position against the media's penchant for viewing everything through a left/right prism" (see here). With respect, I disagreed, and together we decided that the piece would be best placed elsewhere. Thanks to Jim for that opportunity.

More suggestions for the New Yorker:

• Look into why the Huffington Post ignored the John Edwards-Rielle Hunter affair at first even though it owned the story.
• Commission more hilarious artwork like the drawing above, used for the New Yorker's last Huffington story.
• Find more pointless, deeply inaccurate blog posts by Huffington's celebrity friends, like the awful thing John Cusack just posted.
• Expect Arianna to hold a major grudge. She nursed one against Tim Russert for 14 years for a profile his wife wrote that turned out to be true.
• Don't try to prove Huffington is a cutthroat boss just because she supposedly "fired assistants after one day of work." We know another internet publisher of Southern European extraction who supposedly fired someone after zero days of work. Now that's cutthroat!

TAB

[Carley]

She was always a money grubbing whore.

Nothing has changed.

She sold herself to Huffington and sold herself to Soros and no doubt many people in between.

[Carley]

She must have a thing for gay men. Booker is clearly in that category.

Just a pretty boy who was promoted by the Orca and the same libs who promoted the One.

[DManA]

When she is at home she uses her real accent - pure Fargo.

I got no verification - sue me.

[DManA]

When she is at home she uses her real accent - pure Fargo.

I got no verification - sue me.

[popdonnelly]

This woman is a total airhead. Proof that anyone can be a liberal celebrity. No talent required.

[DManA]

Ok, that double post was NOT my fault, I swear it.

[Theodore R.]

Years ago, I read her biography of Picasso and found it awkward, overlapping, and confusing. She seemed to think the reader knew as much about the intricacies of the subject as she did.

[Emperor Palpatine]

Guilty as sin!!!!!

[Inspectorette]

There was a hilarious scene when she was running for CA governor against Arnold. She actually crashed one of his appearances, attemping to confront him, and succeeded in knocking over some microphones. She looked like the boob that she is.