This business that Howie Kurtz is manufacturing about Maggie Gallagher seriously pisses me off because I’ve met Gallagher, I like her, and I know that nobody had to give her a writing contract to say good things about marriage.
My first contact with her was at a joint hearing of the Judiciary Committees of the California Assembly and Senate in the 90s, where she was a featured witness alongside Gloria Allred. She probably cashed a check from the Democrats who ran the legislature for her appearance, but I don’t recall any whining.
She was invited because she’s been one of America’s foremost marriage advocates since the 80s, as you can see from the list of books Amazon.com has from her. So if she only writes in praise of marriage because of a token contract with HHS last year, she must be pretty damn prescient, not to mention determined. Can we imagine the dedication it took for her to embark, back in the 80s, on a course of writing a half-dozen books on marriage just to get a $21,500 check 20 years in the future?
Amazing.
Numerous critics point to Kurtz’ conflicts of interest, but that doesn’t matter to me because he’s obviously a moron with not enough on his alleged mind. His mother must have dropped him on his head.
UPDATE: This is absolutely hilarious: David Brock, of Troopergate fame, says Gallagher has irrevocably damaged her integrity and should be fired by her syndicator. Yes, the David Brock who’s been an attack dog for both Richard Mellon Scaife and George Soros.
What an odd world this is.