So I’m sitting here minding my own business and get this email:

From: Rachel Slajda
Subject: request for interview
Date: October 15, 2009 11:28:55 AM EDT
To: Erick-Woods Erickson

Dear Mr. Erickson,

Hi, my name’s Rachel Slajda and I’m a reporter for TalkingPointsMemo.com. I’m writing a bit of a profile on you and some of your recent writings, and I was hoping we could chat by phone. I’d like to get your take on how your critics respond to various tweets and posts you write, and some broader things, such as what, in your words, is the mission of RedState.
What do you say?

I’m heading out of the office now but I’ll be back about 1 pm and should be in for the rest of the afternoon. Give me a call whenever you can, at 212-645-xxxx.

Thanks so much, and I look forward to talking with you.

Best,
Rachel

–
Rachel Slajda
Newswriter, Talking Points Memo

Now, you and I both know that given Talking Points Memo’s habitual fabrication of stories and facts and constant attacks on the right, that (A) I have become someone of note the left feels threatened by and (B) this is soooo gonna be a hit job. See e.g. here,here, here, and here.

But, I was still amenable, though it’d have to be by email because I’m not where I can get use a phone right now. Then I decided if this “reporter” wants to report on me twittering, I’d see what she’s been twittering. I stumbled on to this one:

“Republicans: anti-Nobel Peace Prize, anti-Olympics, anti-women’s rights, anti-universal health care. Why are we still even listening?” If you scroll back further you’ll find her contempt for social conservatives and fiscal conservatives with scornful posts about both the Values Voters Summit and tea party activists.

So, my first question has to be why does she want to interview me if she thinks the left just needs to tune us out. My second would be that if she really thinks we are anti all those things as opposed to pro-America, pro-freedom, pro-free markets, and pro-quality healthcare, how could she even understand or process fairly what I say if her presuppositions are based on contempt for everything I and the right stand for, i.e. America as it is, not as the left would have it be?

I think I’ll pass.

But, for your edification, Caleb did transcribe the interview as it no doubt would have happened:

[TPM]: Why do you hate love?

[EE]: I don’t hate love. Why would you say that?

[TPM]: Is it hard being so racist all the time or does it come naturally?

[EE]: What? I’m not a racist! You guys always ..

[TPM]: Sir, can I finish? Can I finish sir?

[EE]: Alright go ahead.

[TPM]: If you only had time to murder one important historic figure, would it be Obama? Or are MLK or Ghandi still in the running?

[EE]: What?! Listen, I don’t want to ..

[TPM]: So you can’t decide? Can’t pick one helping from this buffet of racist delight? You do realize how offensive that is right sir?

[EE]: Hold on a second, I didn’t even …

[TPM]: Can I finish, sir? You’re assaulting me with your interruptions. You just can’t help but rape, can you?

[EE]: Rape? Are you kidding me? Look, When you said you wanted an interview, I thou

[TPM]: What is the mission of Redstate?

[EE]: What?

[TPM]: The mission of your website? How would you characterize it?

[EE]: Oh. O … K. Well Redstate is first and foremost a conservative blog community. We try to …

[TPM]: Sir, you didn’t answer my question sir.

[EE]: What? I was answering it!

[TPM]: No, the one about hating love.

[EE]: What?!? You already asked that stupid question. It doesn’t even make sense.

[TPM]: You didn’t answer it.

[EE]: Actually, that’s one of the few I did have a chance to answer. The rest of them you …

[TPM]: Please stop interview-raping, sir. I’m just trying to ask a few questions about your website.

[EE]: You won’t let me talk about the website!

[TPM]: Sir, if you can’t stop interrupting me I’m going to have to end this interview.

[EE]: You do realize this is an email interview right?

[TPM]: Is that some kind of fat joke, sir?

[EE]: Ok, you know what? If you can’t be serious ….

[TPM]: Thank you for your time, sir. I’ll let you know when we post the article. The working title is “Raped by a Racist: The Erickson Interview | Part 2 of 11″