Megyn Kelly blasts the editors at Playboy for their approval of Guy Cimbalo’s perverse essay on conservative women, and for their hasty retreat after an avalanche of criticism. When the retraction statement says that the magazine didn’t intend to encourage violence, Kelly wonders why the editors had no problem with hatred and misogyny, and especially political tolerance (via Johnny Dollar’s Place):

Well, it got a lot of criticism all around the blogosphere except at AOL, where Tommy Christopher got cashiered after having his post pulled by AOL Political Daily editor Melinda Henneberger. AOL-PD isn’t talking about Tommy’s sudden termination and their decision to spike his criticism of Playboy, but Green Room contributor Jim Treacher thought her name sounded familiar. He linked on his Twitter feed to a Slate article from last summer where Henneberger defended the lack of media coverage of John Edwards’ affair, too.

I found something else interesting about that August 2008 story. I hadn’t known that Henneberger previously wrote for XX Factor before getting hired by AOL. This is the same blog that declared criticism of Playboy to be the death of free speech:

Apparently, free speech is so over when the masses rule the media: “It’s only OK if I think it’s funny. It’s only OK if it fits my politics. It’s only OK if I say it is.” I wish Playboy hadn’t pulled it. Censoring the piece doesn’t make it any less real, any less politically incorrect, any less true. Attempting to police human nature is the real joke here.

It’s an interesting connection. Did that have anything to do with Henneberger firing Tommy? And isn’t it more than just a little ironic that XX Factor lamented the criticism of Playboy as the death of free speech while one of its former bloggers was busy censoring Tommy, declaring the topic off-limits, and kicking Tommy to the curb for daring to write about it?

Update: Don’t miss Media Lizzy’s excellent post on this topic, either.

Update II: The Huffington Post has a good post on this as well.