Betsy Rothstein, FishbowlDC Sued Just For Calling Some Publicist A Slut Every Week For A Year

"Why is Betsy Rothstein such a fucking cunt?" we were asking sometime last year, after FishbowlDC editor Betsy Rothstein decided we were a giant alcoholic who loves to make things up (fine) without even checking to see if we were indeed making things up! (We weren't; the goodly folks at Politico had their own thoughts on the matter; and even after they'd confirmed parts of our story that Rothstein had insisted we'd invented, that was just another reason for her to say we'd invented them; because Betsy Rothstein is areally good journalistfucking cunt.)

"Oh, she does that to everybody ," said everybody.

Well, we're a big girl, and we're also (kinda) a public figure, and since we actually have a pretty good grasp on First Amendment law -- Zenger! Schenk! The sailing dates of ships! Gertz! Falwell! Actual malice and whatnot! -- it was obvious that her opinion of how much we should stick to baking banana muffins was not actionable. If Betsy Rothstein wants to be a cut-rate Andrea Peyser scold, well, everyone should have a goal!

But whoops, now fucking cunt Betsy Rothstein and her hapless employer, MediaBistro, as well as some other jag she's got working there, have been sued for defamation and false light invasion of privacy   just because they called some publicist a diseased slut every week for over a year!

Now, it is not usual for journalists to get all smirky when other media outlets are sued for libel. So it is weird that Betsy Rothstein does not have a lot of friendly media types ready to back her up. Oh wait. It isn't.

Here are some screenshots from the complaint, which is a hoot.

We at Wonkette know a thing or two about satire, which is protected when the loathsome-disease-riddled subject is a public figure (or even better, a public official , in which case it doesn't have to hide behind "satire" at all!). We're just saddened by the quality of this. Some publicist -- who really in no way could be deemed a public figure -- has a Kung-Fu Grip for handjobs? A "cougar" is down-to-fuck? Looks like someone needs a remedial course in not getting sued for defamation!

If anything, Wendy Gordon's lawyers are better at satire than are FishbowlDC and Betsy Rothstein. Examine this piece of evidence, if you will:

That's some sweet fuckin' snark. Perhaps Ms. Gordon's lawyers are interested in moonlighting for your Wonket, like half our bloggers, who are all "esquires" just like Orly Taitz! 

Anyway, by our reading -- and we are not among the half of Wonket bloggers who must first be killed because they are lawyers -- Betsy Rothstein, who is a fucking cunt, should have been familiar with Gertz , which says you don't need to prove actual malice in defamation of private figures. Even though "actual malice" is proved in every word Rothstein wrote.

Good luck in court, Betsy. Or whatever.

[ LegalTimes ]