Kevin Fischer: Your Thin Skin Is Showing

You may remember that the conservative blogger and Milwaukee Public Television pundit Kevin Fischer landed in the middle of a blog swarm last week - - see The Chief blog, where all the response began, for an interesting update - - when he used the weird phrase "matzo-skinned lefties" in a blog posting (actually on more than one site) to describe liberal activists.

You can find his posting, my response and some links and comments here.

I noticed today that, as the beat goes on, there is an exchange drenched in too many ironies to track on Fischer's blog between its author - - Fischer - - and the Waukesha-based conservative blogger and activist James Wigderson.

Notice in the exchange just how thin-skinned Fischer becomes after Wigderson opens with a light-hearted line, which is usually his writing style, and then asks Fischer a question about the intent of the matzo remark.

Let's pick up the comment thread where Fischer responds to the blogger Michael Horne, with whom Fischer had spoken:

Michael Horne
Thursday Jul 16, 2009 11:46 AM

Kevin Fischer explains what he means by "Matzo-skinned lefties" in my Milwaukeeworld column. Not what I thought at first! http://bit.ly/gbB2r

Kevin Fischer
Thursday Jul 16, 2009 12:37 PM

I think some people by their wild reaction and incredible stretch are proving my point.

james wigderson
Thursday Jul 16, 2009 10:24 PM

I like to think of myself as round as a matzo ball. By why the uncomfortable reference to Jews?

Kevin Fischer
Thursday Jul 16, 2009 11:20 PM

Gee, Jim, why are you making that reference? I wasn't. I was referring to the thinness of the matzo. Maybe you'd feel better if you went outside and burned a few flags.

Kevin Fischer
Thursday Jul 16, 2009 11:32 PM

Jim Wigderson: Earlier tonight, before you posted here, you posted this excerpt on Jim Rowen's blog:"I think he honestly meant thin, but I gotta admit there is no way I would've made the connection."Well, if you said publicly that you think I meant thin, then why the hell do you come here a half hour later asking me what I meant? And if you wouldn't have made the same connection, then I can only assume you're not that bright. Jim, from day one that I've been blogging, you've had a bug up your posterior about it. I know, because you blogged about it. You made the erroneous comment that you thought legislative aides were banned from blogging. And you've mentioned you have a problem with me being on radio and TV.I've never met you or talked to you but you've got issues. Please, don't play your stupid games here on my blog. You're just another one of those conservatives (phony?)who likes to suck up to hateful lefties.Do it somewhere else, not here.

james wigderson
Friday Jul 17, 2009 12:51 PM

That's "James" actually. I'll repeat, I think you honestly meant thin, but why the Jewish reference? My "issue" Kevin is that I tend to be concerned about matters of anti-Semitism. As an apparent regular reader of mine you should be aware of that. My "issue" this time is that the matzo reference, aside from missing the comedic mark, was completely gratuitous given the context. The temptation is to believe that you were ascribing an ethnic character to leftwing politics. I don't want to believe it, but after my comment at Rowen's blog I thought I would ask anyway. As long as you're referencing my comment at Jim Rowen's blog, you might also note that I said your attempt at humor would make most readers uncomfortable. As for burning flags, I was at a very nice flag retirement ceremony the other night. Very moving. Given how personal you took my disagreement with your boss (whom I treated very respectfully) on that issue, I suggest it might be you that has "issues". I have nothing personal against you Kevin, and have even gone out of my way to make that clear. I think I have even linked to your blog positively at times. But I do think there are legitimate issues about media companies offering platforms to legislators and their staffers, and I also believe there are problems with legislative staffers taking stands on issues that may be of direct concern to the elected officials for whom they work. Gruffly complaining about my criticisms and trying to pretend they're somehow personal or the result of some character flaw does not make them go away.As for liking "to suck up to hateful lefties", I love everybody. I'm like a warm giant matzo ball of love.

Kevin Fischer
Friday Jul 17, 2009 1:29 PM

So I'm not allowed to say yes if a media outlet wants my services because I'm a legislative aide? I'm not allowed to be an independent thinker because I'm a legislative aide? Sorry, but I didn't check my 1st Amendment rights or my mind at the door when I took a job with the state of Wisconsin. JAMES, you, like the usual assortment of lefty nutjobs, took one word out of a nearly 600-word blog and are agonizingly trying make a big deal out of it. By the way, your flag burning article was the quintessential argument in favor of flag burning that I'm sure made liberals proud. No one, including you, wants to address the actual substance of my blog. I take offense to your quaint comments here where you try to be cute and funny after you more or less accuse me of anti-Semitism which is complete and utter garbage.I 've never written one word about you, though I could have, and we've never met, yet somehow you think you know me and the intent of every word I write. If you're tempted to believe I was ascribing an ethic character to leftwing politics, that's quite a leap given that matzo isn't a person but an inanimate object. For a supposed conservative, you sure sound like a liberal more often than you should.

james wigderson
Friday Jul 17, 2009 3:05 PM

You forgot to mention I put ketchup on my hotdogs. I'm practically a Communist.

Kevin Fischer
Friday Jul 17, 2009 4:10 PM Now that was funny.