I DON’T KNOW WHY KAUS AND SULLIVAN ARE FIGHTING, or how I got dragged into it, but contrary to what Andrew suggests, I’m not sticking my fingers in my ears. I just think that the bad news is more-than-adequately aired in the rather hysterical Big Media — which often act as if they want us to lose — and feel that my time and effort is better spent on the things that I think are important. I also think that Sullivan’s gratuitous slap at The Belmont Club and Power Line is rather unjustified. The Belmont Club’s track record on Iraq, after all, has been rather good, as has Power Line’s. I used to rely on Andrew for this sort of analysis, but now I often have to go elsewhere. I don’t think that reflects badly on Power Line.

UPDATE: Related thoughts here. And here.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Sullivan responds to me, but he fails on two levels. His notion that I should be providing comprehensive and balanced coverage, instead of blogging about what interests me, seems rather, um, old media — as if the only model is that of a newspaper. (Actually, I assume that my readers are getting the daily boom-and-bang news from CNN, the NYT, etc.) It also seems rather odd: Andrew certainly doesn’t seem to feel any obligation to provide “fair-and-balanced” coverage of what seems to be his key issue, gay rights and gay marriage. That’s okay with me, as I expect Andrew’s blog to reflect what he thinks is important, and deserves more attention. I’m mystified as to why he expects something different from me.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Kaus continues after Andrew: “The point isn’t that his standards are going rapidly down, or up, or down and up at the same time. The point is he’s faking it.”

Ouch. I confess that I’ve been trying for a while to figure out what was going on with Andrew on the war, but I’m not sure that “faking it” is the right characterization. Because I can’t figure out what he would be faking. John Cole is confused, too. But I don’t think that Andrew is posting drunk, something that I’ve been accused of — though in this case, approvingly — myself. I’m not sure what’s going on.

MORE: More thoughts here and John Hinderaker of Power Line responds: “Maybe it’s a result of what I do for a living, but I’m hard to offend, and I don’t begrudge Andrew his opinion. I think it’s generally true that we have supported President Bush on Iraq, through thick and thin. But I don’t think this is because we are uncritical or blindly partisan. I think it is because steadiness is a key virtue in a leader, and Bush has been steady and resolute in his conduct of the war against Islamic terrorists.” Which is a virtue.