CNN’s Erickson A ‘Pragmatic’ ‘Honest Broker’

CNN contributor Erick Erickson gets The New York Times profile treatment. Shaila Dewan says that the RedState blogger has shown himself to be a different sort of Republican pundit:

Mr. Erickson has shown a pragmatic streak, suspending RedState’s policy of endorsing only anti-abortion candidates in favor of Scott Brown, the Republican who won a special Senate election in Massachusetts. He has banned “birthers,” who question President Obama’s citizenship, from commenting on RedState, calling them “crazies.”

Also interviewed for the article was FireDogLake blogger Jane Hamsher, who is often across the table, or at least the screen, from Erickson when they appear on John King, USA.

Jane Hamsher, the publisher of the liberal blog FireDogLake, said that many bloggers like Mr. Erickson test rhetorical limits, but “that’s no reason to keep him off the air.” Ms. Hamsher said she would rather debate Mr. Erickson, whom she called an “honest broker,” than an opponent reciting prescribed talking points.

Erickson’s controversies, including a now-famous tweet about Supreme Court Justice David Souter, also get mentioned in the article, with the criticism attributed to “liberal detractors.”

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