Dear Sam Feist, CNN Political Director Jim Walton, President CNN Worldwide:

I have to ask, where's my CNN gig?

I mean, you've made the decision to hire Erick Erickson of RedState, so clearly, you've understood that bloggers reach out to many politically engaged Americans and tap into a market for an cable outlet that is struggling to compete.

Smart move. Bloggers are outside the Beltway cocktail circuit. We're informed, we can get to the heart of the issue quickly and we're not afraid to be confrontational at times, which makes for good television.

But Erick Erickson? With all due respect, why?

Because I don't know if you've watched the news in the last few years, but there are few less in touch with the pulse of America than Erickson. We have a Democratic president, Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress and overwhelming support for Democratic--nay, for liberal solutions. The country isn't center-right, no matter how many times Rush Limbaugh or Lou Dobbs tells you it is (oh wait, is that a sore spot for you? Sorry.). Americans have pretty much told Washington that we tried the conservative way and we didn't like the results. It's disheartening that so few in the media seemed to have picked up on that message, and it's clear you didn't, since you hired a reactionary conservative like Erickson.

So I come back to where's my gig? I think I'm as likely a choice as Erick Erickson and in many ways, a better business choice. I'm educated, articulate, snarky, and unafraid to defend my political stances, all traits you need and want in a television commentator. Moreover, I'm committed to facts and context and I'm capable of having a discussion with someone with whom I disagree without pulling facts from my posterior region, insulting them or wishing them harm or death, something you'll NEVER see from Erickson (did you even read his blog before hiring him?).

So unlike Erick, I actually can speak for a large majority of Americans--instead of a waning, increasingly irrelevant bunch of fringe players easily manipulated by astroturf organizations seeking to benefit corporations over Americans and I can do it in a civilized manner, something this country has also said they'd like to see more of.

I'd say that I'm cuter than Erick Erickson (television is a visual medium, after all), but I recognize that's a pretty subjective statement. Maybe you feel that conservative, puffy, middle-aged, bloviating, angry, privileged white men are underrepresented on your channel. I come from a website with at least as much traffic and influence as RedState (not to put too fine a point on it, but RedState isn't even on the list), if not more (Erick keeps his traffic stats close to the vest--the easier to puff up your counts that way), and we've managed to achieve that without corporate funding, unlike RedState, so I do bring an audience share with me as well.

But most importantly, I've been on the right correct side of issues far more often than Erickson. Hell, I've been correct more often than ALL of your conservative commentators put together. Go ahead. Line up my posts next to Erickson's and let's see who really reports facts and who just catapults the propaganda.

Wait a second, Messrs. Feist and Walton, let's look at your statement about Erickson's hire:

"Erick's a perfect fit for John King, USA, because not only is he an agenda-setter whose words are closely watched in Washington, but as a person who still lives in small-town America, Erick is in touch with the very people John hopes to reach," said Sam Feist, CNN political director and vice president of Washington-based programming. "With Erick's exceptional knowledge of politics, as well as his role as a conservative opinion leader, he will add an important voice to CNN's ideologically diverse group of political contributors." [CNN's Political Ticker, 3/16/10]

So by your own admission, you WANT to reach crazy, factually-challenged, threatening conservatives in a country that is struggling with some of the nastiest, most bigoted and most violent rhetoric seen in decades. Interesting.

Well, actually, if that's the kind of audience you're seeking, maybe I'm not the right person for the job.

However, if you ever get serious about actually wanting a fact-based and ideologically diverse group of contributors--rather than the lip-service you pay it now, you can always reach me through this site.

Sincerely,

Nicole Belle