How else are they going to squeeze a living wage out of the imaginary employers who pay their imaginary salaries? Seriously, are they so enthralled with the idea of the proletariat that they’d rather pretend they don’t own their own businesses? Or is this actually a proposal to form a Blogads consortium and force advertisers to buy from all if they want to buy from one?

Maybe it’s just their way of applying the Fairness Doctrine to the ‘Net. Free expression as a closed shop:

During the meeting there were surreal arguments over whether the union would be strictly for political bloggers. “There are knitting bloggers and nature bloggers and all kinds of bloggers and we have to include them as well, do we not?” one clearly miffed young woman asked. The man from the Teamsters counseled inclusiveness. Perhaps sore-knuckled knitters can find a place in an international brotherhood after all. The sky is the collectively bargained limit, even for conservatives.

“I would want to include conservative blogs because if they have to adhere to the journalistic standards the union sets…” the moderator began.

“…they’ll go out of business!” a woman finished.

Cue predictably spontaneous applause.

Nice to see the AFL-CIO and Teamsters devoting their time to this very serious endeavor.

I reserve further judgment until I find out whether union demands include iPhones for employees. Now, follow the AmSpec link and see for yourself who floated this new motto for the fightin’ fightin’ nutroots: “We’re supposed to be shrill and self-destructive.” Here’s a hint: She knows a thing or two about both.

Update: Never mind Hamsher. This is better: “They’re so painfully craving any type of mainstream acceptance that they’re prone to the crassest kind of flattery and pandering, which weakens them.”