You should also know that I chose to avoid any income stream long ago for a good reason. I'm beholden to nobody when it comes to my opinions and there'll never be a legitimate argument made that the perception exists that I'm in the pocket of anyone.
To date, I've not taken in one red cent for my efforts here.
And I'm proud of that fact.
I bring that up for a reason. Again, it has to do with perception. Take a look at a screen capture from yesterday. It comes from one of the most widely read and influential blogs on the planet - Instapundit. Click on the image to enlarge it:
Notice that second entry? The one that looks like a blog post? The one that offers the perception of being an endorsement of the reelection candidacy of Democrat Tom Perriello (VA-5)?
Glenn Reynolds - Instapundit himself - will tell you that that is not the case. That there is no endorsement. And we know he's right. Perriello's simply paid for campaign advertising on his site through Google.
But Perriello's people were also permitted to choose the placement of that ad. It's not in the margins. It's not depicted in a side banner. It's not structured as a pop-up. It's constructed such that it looks like a blog post. Just another blog post. One that reads, in a "blog post," "Tom Perriello, Hardest Working Man In Politics. Join Us!"
Join us.
See a problem?
Reynolds will tell you there's not even the perception of one. But ask yourself this: Would there be a call for Southside Virginians to "join us" - big and bold - in the blog post section (!) on the Instapundit site if money hadn't changed hands?
Perception. Perception.
I accept no money for what I do here. Because I will not dance. And I don't wish to waste my time explaining myself and my motives.
I may die a poor man but I'll have a clear conscience knowing that nobody influences the content of this weblog. Ever.
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In truth, there's another reason I don't accept money for this. I'm on firmer ground legally when this comes knocking at my door.
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