Meet Mr. "Shove it."

Colin McNickle is the [Pittsburgh]Trib's editorial page editor. His column appears Sundays. Ring him at (412) 320-7836. E-mail him at cmcnickle@tribweb.com.

Colin McNickle is not a reporter.

I repeat:

Colin McNickle is not a reporter.

Back in December, 2000, he wrote this in his column:

This column will really upset liberals

By Colin McNickle
Sunday, December 16, 2001

As with fools, I don't suffer liberals gladly. I'm a proud member of the vast right-wing conspiracy. If not a founding member, I'm at least a charter member and darn proud of it. And I, too, find myself continually shaking my head over the Styrofoam-for-brains liberals and ``their'' media.

All who enter my office are reminded of my persuasion when they leave. It's so chilling that some even here don't linger very long.

My ``sustaining membership'' card for 2002 from the Republican National Committee, taped to the wall, is one far-from-tacit notandum. (Down boys and girls; no money exchanged hands for this honorific.)

Below that is my ``I'M FED UP WITH THE LIBERAL MEDIA'' bumper sticker that Brent Bozell gave me January last in Washington. (That, by the way, was right after Brent gave Bob Bork a big bear hug and secret handshake.) LINK

This "Shove it" story is in its fourth day and has been debunked by everyone under the sun who is willing to state the simple truth: Colin McNickle was not asking her a legitimate reporter's question. He was hoping that Heinz Kerry would be so distracted by convention events that he could bait her with his use of "Unamerican Activites," instead of "Unamerican Traits," which was the term she had actually used.

If you followed this story this week, you had a chance to see the rightwing spin machine in action.

Beware the rightwing op ed editor in reporter's clothing.