POWIP Piece of Work In Progress – Former Abode of Dan Collins

A Post I Really Didn’t Want To Have To Write

As you know, since The B-Cast went off on their own, bought out by Andrew Breitbart, I've been without a job. Over the summer, I mushroomed, and I've picked up copywriting and editing jobs here and there.

My termination from The B-Cast came as a phone call from Scott while I was at the NIH in Bethesda with Aidan, for a treatment study regarding low-voltage trans-cranial stimulation, on the day that I visited The Daily Caller, and had lunch paid for by Becca Glover and Sean Medlock, aka Jim Treacher. I don't blame them at all. Scott had taken on work for Glenn Beck (he now is chief editor for The Blaze), and The B-Cast went from a 2 1/2-hour daily vlog to a 1-hour show. It was very kind of them to help me out last year when I was looking for work.

It was rather odd, though, that I wasn't kept abreast of things there. I knew, as did other followers, that there were big changes in the works. At one point, I gave the green light to Enoch sending a mock-up page to Andrew's people, on the chance that they might have some work for his business. Scott got a call from them and called me in response, saying that I'd likely inadvertently screwed things up regarding a contract negotiation. He really couldn't say how so, for contractual reasons, and he really still can't elucidate what went wrong for the same contractual reasons.

Before he left, though, he had a brief conversation with Larry O'Connor, who was taking the reins of Breitbart.TV. He asked him to contact me. Larry was unaware that I'd been employed in any fashion by Breitbart.TV. One of my principal tasks, apart from tracking down interviewees, was to supply video material for the page. Larry and I talked for awhile about the possibility of my working for Breitbart, and I sent him a lot of links in the early going, but a lot of things conflicted with his asking Andrew directly whether I might have a place there, including the possibility of a lawsuit from Shirley Sherrod. Recently they've brought Dan Riehl into the fold, and . . . good for them.

Larry and another friend both suggested that I should get in contact with Jason Mattera, who had assumed important editorial duties for Human Events. So, I did. Jason and I parlayed at length on two occasions, and he suggested that it would be a good idea to set up an interview with the print editor, as well. Then . . . I heard nothing. I called, I emailed, I tweeted, but couldn't get a response at all. I still haven't gotten a response.

Now, Jason's not exactly a shrinking violet. I requested that if he knew of anything that might exclude me from seeking a position in right-wing media, he should let me know. I'd like to know what I'm up against, certainly, and I'd like to have the chance to respond to any allegations. It could be that I was too revealing in my correspondence, but really that's the way I am. If he's not responding because he thinks it might be embarrassing to me, he's got the wrong guy.

The only person, really, that I can think of who's big in right media who might have a thing against me is PJM head Roger Simon, though I've been friendly to him and helpful to many of his writers. Long ago, when Jeff got dumped from the cadre, we had a conflict. In the ensuing communication, he insulted someone whom I admire, reporting the words of someone else whom I admire. I contacted that someone else, and, indicating that I didn't expect a response, said that perhaps he shouldn't entrust such private communications to Roger, but that I wasn't going to report it to the targeted. And I haven't. I didn't see then, nor do I see now what was to be gained.

John McIntyre from RealClearWorld has urged that we communicate a couple of weeks after the elections when things simmer down a bit, and I would be delighted to find something to do for them. Still, I cannot understand why Jason hasn't had the decency to contact me. Honestly, it's rude.

If you've got any insight about this, please let me know. Sorry to waste your time bitching, but this is the way it is for me at the moment.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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