JournoList, the top-secret liberals-only Google listserve that the America Prospect‘s Ezra Klein started in 2007, has made its way into the wide world, courtesy of the irreverant Mickey Kaus. The list has drawn conservative’s ire since Politico reported its existence earlier this month. NRO’s Mark Hemingway threw a fit and fell in it, asking “if the list isn’t “pushing an agenda,” why are there no conservatives participating?” Dave Weigel, the Washington Independent‘s conservative expert (which is kind of like a red panda expert, except that conservatives mate far more frequently) tssked his widget at gloating republicans, and by extension, the leaker! So what the hell happens on the JournoList? Kaus and the poor soul who traded in his harp for a Kaus-brand hurdy gurdy have the answer: The list is where TNR’s Jonathan Chait, free spirit Eric Alterman, and the Nation‘s Chris Hayes go to e-hug their shit out. [Ed note: Gawker and Wonkette beat me to this. FUCK!] Lying lawmakers, abortion, and the death of Culture 11 after the jump.

  • Charles Homans reported on the death of local conservative web venture Culture 11 for Washington Monthly. Homans’ initial impression is spot-on, and one that conservative sites, by their prudish nature, can’t help but cultivate: “On its surface, the softly launched beta (test) version of Culture11 hewed closely to the original vision, down to its Slateish design. Poking around the site was a bit like wandering into the Christian rock section of a record store: the bands were recognizably bands, with electric guitars and vaguely countercultural clothing, but there was something … different about them, the musicians just a little too healthy looking to be real rock stars.” I tossed my two cents on conservative culture writing into murky waters a few months back. David Sessions at Patrol has a great response to Homans’ piece, in which Culture 11’s Joe Carter makes a CONSERVATIVES GONE WILD appearance in the comments.
  • You know how all those political types have been frothing at the mouth about the AIG bonuses/Wall Street sodomizing Main Street/Etc.? WCP alumnus Dave Jamieson calls them on their bullshit in a fantastic TNR piece: “Last week, lawmakers dashed to the podiums of Capitol Hill to condemn AIG and the rest of those bonus-loving scoundrels on Wall Street. But not long before that, some of those same members had been dashing to fundraisers with the very financial bogeymen they were now skewering.” Charlie Rangel? Crook. Chris Dodd? Douche hat. Carolyn Maloney? into Wall Street for big bucks. Don’t trust a one of ’em.
  • Why does William Saletan talk about Lady Parts all the time? Because they matter: “The reason I keep you posted on developments in IVF, surrogates, and embryo screening is that they’re transforming the debate. They’re changing the conditions on which our moral positions rely. Were you pro-choice because the embryo was in a woman? Now we have embryos in dishes. Did you support embryo screening for fatal diseases? Now we’re talking about screening embryos for eye color. Does the value of an embryo depend on what its mother thinks? Now we have embryos with two mothers: a genetic one and a gestational one. Should they at least consult each other?”

That’s it for me, folks. Enjoy your weekend.