Diana wins again.
David Horowitz throws yet another hissy fit here, offering nothing in the way of substantiating his claims, he pours on the smear and vitriol instead. I smell fear over at Team F-Troop.
NOTE: The comments to David’s sad scribble are blistering:
VanessaSemp: ”Horowitz must be smarting that West’s book has received so much attention. This is all information he had for years, it’s true. The bigger question is why he never did anything with it. The case for Hopkins as a soviet agent is more than circumstantial at this point. Horowitz might disagree with the conclusion but he can’t prove a negative. Until more of Venona is translated, no one will know for sure one way or another. However, the vitriol and animus these “conservative” writers have unleashed on West for a book they largely agree with should give anyone pause. Frankly, their diatribes come off as mote than a little elitist and sexist –apparently unless West is a PhD from Harvard and a guy, her book is not sufficiently “scholarly” and “serious”. Sounds like she either beat these guys to the punch or just sour grapes that her book has received so much well deserved recognition.”
UPDATE: An anonymous source tells me that:
”Horowitz couldn’t make any money off her book. He almost always lists himself as a co-author on the books written by writers at FPM – go look up “David Horowitz” at amazon.com – for example in the e-books they put out (kindle singles, short). His salary is pretty significant – check out his org. at David Horowitz Freedom Center (DHFC) listing at guidestar.org. His budget there is 6.4 million for 2011. He and Radosh feel they own the anti-communist space and don’t want interlopers – especially interlopers who could make them look bad in ANY way. She didn’t give him a way to wet his beak. She didn’t kiss the ring. It’s not ALL about the money, but I think it’s about the money as much as the resentment against other anti-communists who aren’t in the mold of EX-communists which is the extra fruity flavor added value that Horowitz brings to the table.”
NOTE II: Michael Finch, $196,000; Peter Collier, $181,000; Robert Spencer, $161,000 (all have benefits at a usual additional percentage, from around $10k to $15k). David Horowitz, $488,953 + $21,536 in benefits, over half a million just for salary and benefits, NOT including having many expenses reimbursed of course. Look, if he wants to take 1/12 of his organization’s income for himself, fine. It’s his baby, it’s a bit high for the non-profit world I must say. Even for the for-profit world. Also, the 2011 990 IRS form for David Horowitz Freedom Center says he works 70 hrs a week…..really?
It appears that 35 hours every week have been spent fuming about Diana and commiserating with Radosh, at least since the book was published.
The gelt angle is a bit harsh. I don’t even think it’s “not a disinsentive”. There are other conservative book publishers out there so there’s no reason to think Horowitz would feel entitled to hold a monopoly on a particular subject.
I haven’t read the book but have seen several of Ms. Wests talks and interviews about it.
It was extremely foolish of Mr. Horowitz to cause this bru ha ha as it presented a fantastic opportunity for him to give a lecture series about his perspective on the subject matter.