Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World! (32 page)

To the Big Contributors: You are my business model. When we set out to design the twenty-first-century virtual newspaper, we knew it had to be powered by you, the citizen journalist: the doctor, the lawyer, and the schoolteacher ready and willing to break the stories the mainstream media conspicuously ignore, and join us in the fight to change politics and the media for the better. You’re in the fight for the best of reasons: to preserve the future of this great nation. For the hours you’ve put in with nary a paycheck and rarely a thank-you to show for it, you’ve been ruffling all the right feathers and changing not only the discussion, but how it’s discussed. You’ve redefined what a newsroom means in this day and age, and countless times, you’ve beaten the Old Media at their own game—and believe me, they don’t like it. When we have a real newsroom with a real infrastructure, I cannot wait to spend my time calling each and every one of you to thank you for your heroic wares.

Drudge, thanks for
everything
.

Steve Bannon, thanks for becoming a front-and-center confidant and friend in no time flat. Your values, intelligence, generosity and guidance have been invaluable. Happy to be a grundoon in your service.

John Fund, thanks for your Obi-Wan Kenobi–like guidance through the political and news cycles. And of course I cherish our friendship deeply.

Ben Shapiro, a better sounding board I could not find. We’re an odd pair. We are nearly mathematical opposites, but fighting the same fight for virtually the same reasons. Is that the commutative property? (Math was never my best subject.) You have no idea how glad I am I reached out to you when I saw you fighting the good fight as a seventeen-year-old sophomore at the UCLA Bruin. Then I couldn’t believe someone courageous like you existed. Nine years later, I feel the exact same.

Darren Rush, Adrian Otto, and Gerald Chao, you know too well my technical shortcomings as that Internet guy and make me look good nonetheless.

Dennis Miller, I am eternally grateful for you supporting me and my work from the very, very beginning. Apostasy wouldn’t be half as fun without knowing THE Dennis Miller’s seeing the same things, too. Also, for whatever reason, one of your lines has stuck in my head for over twenty years: “ ‘Jimmy cracked corn, and I don’t care.’ What in the hell sort of attitude is that?” Kills me.

Rush Limbaugh, your astounding success is a beacon for every aspiring voice on the radio and every “blogger” on the Internet. Like Reagan, you led this revolution with good cheer and humor—kryptonite to the left. On a selfish note, becoming friends with one of my heroes has been a highlight of my life.

Sean Hannity, aside from your guidance, support, and friendship,
you are also a role model for the way you balance your public and family life all the while maintaining your exemplary character.

Ann Coulter, though our body types are noticeably dissimilar, it is you who I’ve always aspired to be—the most courageous warrior in the movement. With precision and Vegas-headliner humor, you dismantle the left daily and stop their transparent antics in their tracks. You’re a great mentor and a better friend.

Mark Masters, thanks for dropping out of school and selling puka shells. You are an immense inspiration, a general, and a good friend.

Laura Ingraham, when I was getting clobbered, you stood out, defending me when it was not the politically expedient thing to do. And boy, did I notice.

Mark Levin, your book
Liberty and Tyranny
is the most important book of recent memory. Its timely release as the Tea Party grew and thrived was divine. History is going to look fondly on you, and I will be happy to say that a ferocious and defiant patriot was a friend.

Hugh Hewitt, you’re the first place I know I can go to unravel the most complex issues of our time, sometimes even when they involve me. Thanks for sticking up for me even when others didn’t.

Patrick Courrielche, thanks for showing exemplary courage—and for understanding that art and culture are more influential than politics.

James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles, you earned your place in media history. Sorry Jann Wenner never saw fit to put you on the cover of
Rolling Stone
. His loss. Your futures are bright.

Greg Gutfeld, you’ve done more to alter the image of conservatives for America’s Utes than any other 3 a.m. late-night cable news talk show host. In all seriousness, it’s amazing that two guys so similarly unserious in our comparable upbringings have realized there’s more to life than finding cool music before others. Thanks for all.

Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly, and Megyn Kelly, thanks for seeing the subtle, grotesque details that turned the ACORN exposé into a pivotal 3-D
Avatar
-like news-watching experience.

Rusty Humphries, Lars Larson, Greg Garrison, thanks for making me a regular part of your radio diet.

Michael Savage, my next book will be a controversial exposé that you are cuddly, warm, affectionate, hysterically funny, and easy to get along with.

Mike and Diane Silver, our luck in happening upon the two of you as neighbors is going down as one of life’s greatest unexpected gifts. Thanks for looking after my wife and family when I am in outer space.

Adam Baldwin, a happy warrior and at times, literally, my bodyguard.

Gary Hewson, real estate development, my ass! You’re an investigative journalist legend!

Paul Mauro, many thanks for your insights and assistance—and for what you do during the day.

In no particular order, and whose friendship and support, regardless of politics, I cherish: Maura Flynn, Christian Josi, Andrew Marcus, Evan Maloney, Jude, Ken LeCorte, Tim Hale, John Ondrasik, Glenn Reynolds, Chip Gerdes, Christian Bladt, Jon Kahn, Liberty Chick, Dan Riehl, Flint Dille, David Greenfield, Patrick Frye, Frank Miller, Kimberly Cox, Scott Kaufer, Mike Sullivan, Scott Johnson, John Hinderaker, Patrick Dollard, Mickey Kaus, Scott Johnson, Kevin Reilly, Tucker Carlson, Judit Maull, Rob Long, Lee Stranahan, Evan Sayet, Steve Hayes, Allen Covert, Dr. Jeff Gandin, Rep. Michele Bachmann, Rep. Steve King, Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, Dan Basmagian, John Reimers, Matt Labash, John Irwin, Kathryn Lopez, D. B. Sweeney, Paul Raff, Gary Sinise, Brian Kennedy, The Claremont Institute, Charles Kesler, Tammy
Haddad, Ben Robin, Joe Escalante, Robert Davi, Seth Swirsky, Bill Whittle, Jon Fleischman, Andrew Klavan, Jeremy Boreing, the Harrahs (Richard, Verna, and Julie), John L’Herault, Michael Nadlman, Katie O’Malley, Kurt Loder, Tammy Bruce, Jonah Goldberg, Bill Sammon, Charles Winecoff, Mike Roman, Christian Adams, Niger Innis, Brandon Darby, Ned Rice, Joel Pollack, Billy Zoom, John Podhoretz, Lucianne Goldberg, Victoria Jackson, Jon Voight, Brian Iglesias, Melanie Morgan, Debbi Lee, Frank Gaffney, David Reaboi, Matthew Marsden, Jason Jones, Tarina Tarantino, Alfonso Campos, Steve McEveety, Jim Caviezel, Amy Holmes, Chad Fleming, and Jamie Hailer.

To those I forgot to mention by name: I sincerely apologize. And refuse to invoke ADHD yet again. Besides, it just means you’ll for sure be mentioned in the next book.

To Gene Brissie and Rick Wolff, without whom this book would not exist: Thanks for believing in me and my story, and pretending to overlook my ADHD.

To the Tea Party patriots I have met over the last year: Thank you for getting off your butts, leading the revolution, and withstanding the unfounded, predictable media attacks. We made history.

Part publisher, part agent provocateur, part blogger, but all high-octane, politically incorrect truth-teller and mainstream media destroyer, Andrew Breitbart defies easy categorization.

Described as “überconservative” by his many political enemies, he co-created the Huffington Post. A free-speech advocate, he believes that there need to be more voices and more dissension in our democracy, not homogenized mainstream media pabulum. As a result, in 2009, he began to launch a series of groundbreaking group blogs harnessing a combustible mix of opinion, breaking news, and good old-fashioned investigative journalism, all aimed directly at the power structure of Hollywood, the mainstream media, and the political establishment. The Breitbart network presently includes
Breitbart.com
,
Breitbart.tv
, Big Government, Big Hollywood, Big Journalism, and Big Peace, with more to come in 2011.

With a fierce independence of spirit fueled by thousands of like-minded patriots and rebels, the “Bigs” took down ACORN and tapped into, defended, and propelled the Tea Party, leading the charge into the historic 2010 elections. As the Old Media falls apart, Breitbart leads a populist uprising to redefine media, politics, and culture.

Andrew Breitbart lives in Los Angeles with his wife, three sons, and a daughter.

“Andrew Breitbart is an invaluable asset to the Commonsense Conservative cause. RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION is a manual and call-to-action for awakened patriots who are too intelligent to believe the leftist media lies and distortions. Breitbart reminds us why we must fight for our country’s future by staying true to core values and never retreating.”

—Sarah Palin

“RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION starts off where many conservatives are born: after college, when liberalism’s theoretical utopia begins to clash with the real world. Gen X slacker Breitbart transforms himself—with a little help from yours truly—into a cultural warrior, a New Media powerhouse, and one of the conservative movement’s most ferocious fighters. Brash, funny, fiery, and irreverent, Breitbart and his Big sites put liberals on the defensive—where they belong.”

—Rush Limbaugh

“[Weaves] a narrative that will remind many readers of their own lives. Even if you don’t share all of Andrew’s political beliefs, you will find yourself identifying with at least some of his story and conclusions. The book is part biography, part history lesson, and part manifesto, and it flows with clarity of purpose from one page to the next. It subtly draws you into a narrative, strung through the whole book, where he meticulously makes the case against the media and pop culture, which, he argues, help spread and normalize the liberal agenda. He also explains how to combat that agenda.”

—
DailyCaller.com

“Right smack in the middle of this volume is where Mr. Breitbart’s narrative takes off like a rocket.”

—
Washington Times

1
. Cristina Corbin, “ACORN to Play Role in 2010 Census,”
FoxNews.com
, March 18, 2009,
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/18/acorn-play-role-census/
.

1
. “Ants in the Picnic Basket?”
DrudgeReport.com
, July 4, 1997,
http://www.drudgereportarchives.com/dsp/specialReports_pc_carden_detail.htm?reportID={F996E731-A796-400C-9B0D-D91F3FAB6BBE}
.

2
. “White House First Learned Willey Was Talking during Online Chat,”
DrudgeReport.com
, March 15, 1998,
http://www.drudgereportarchives.com/dsp/specialReports_pc_carden_detail.htm?reportID={EFC06A59-502F-4477-806C-954B06564D1A}
.

3
. Arianna Huffington, “Tomb of the Well-Known Hotel Magnate,”
AriannaOnline.com
, November 24, 1997,
http://ariannaonline.huffingtonpost.com/columns/column.php?id=597
.

4
. Maureen Dowd, “For Once, Clinton Was Innocent,”
Wilmington Morning Star
, November 25, 1997.

5
. Arianna Huffington, “The Ancient Non-Mariner,”
AriannaOnline.com
, December 4, 1997,
http://ariannaonline.huffingtonpost.com/columns/column.php?id=600
.

6
. Ibid.

7
. “Newsweek Kills Story on White House Intern,”
DrudgeReport.com
, January 17, 1998,
http://www.drudgereportarchives.com/data/2003/01/16/20030116_014732_ml.htm
.

1
. Kate Zernike, “CPAC Speaker Bashes Obama, in Racial Tones,”
New York Times
, February 18, 2010,
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/cpac-speaker-bashes-obama-in-racial-tones/
.

2
. Alicia C. Shepard, “A Scandal Unfolds,”
American Journalism Review
, March 1998,
http://www.ajr.org/article.asp?rel=ajrshepard1_mar98.html
.

3
. Marvin L. Kalb,
One Scandalous Story: Clinton, Lewinsky, and the Thirteen Days That Tarnished American Journalism
(New York: Free Press, 2001), 90–91.

4
. Shepard, “A Scandal Unfolds.”

5
. Ibid.

6
. Kalb,
One Scandalous Story
, 94–95.

7
. Shepard, “A Scandal Unfolds.”

8
. “Report: Lewinsky Offered U.N. Job; Investigators: DNA Trail May Exist,”
DrudgeReport.com
, January 21, 1998,
http://www.drudgereportarchives.com/data/2002/01/17/20020117_175502_ml.htm
.

9
.
Today
, NBC, January 27, 1998.

10
. “She Had Sex with Cigar: Media Struggles with Shocking New Details of White House Affair,”
DrudgeReport.com
, August 22, 1998,
http://www.drudgereportarchives.com/data/2003/01/16/20030116_014732_ml.htm
.

11
. “Storm over Lewinsky ‘Stalker’ Claim,” BBC News, February 8, 1999,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/events/clinton_under_fire/latest_news/274792.stm
.

12
. Associated Press, “Lewinsky ‘Stalker’ Label Tied to Blumenthal,”
Toledo Blade
, February 7, 1999.

13
. Sidney Blumenthal,
The Clinton Wars
(Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003), 371.

14
. Christopher Hitchens, “Thinking Like an Apparatchick,”
Atlantic
, July–August 2003.

15
. Gabriel García Márquez, “Why My Friend Bill Had to Lie,”
Guardian
(UK), January 30, 1999.