Written by Barbara Friedland   

It has been written, even presented on this website, that Sarah Palin has more depth and intelligence than her cartoonish presence would indicate. Early in her career in Alaska politics, she managed to better some questionable opponents and ferret out corruption. After her elevation to the national stage, her views remained stable and predictable. Even lacking coherence, Palin’s intent is obvious.

Arianna Huffington’s life has been a series of shape-shifting identities, beginning with the doting wife of a conservative, Republican politician. He came out of the closet. She emerged from the marriage with some loot, I mean financial settlement, and the new incarnation was born.

Before or maybe simultaneously with the aha liberal permutation, was the political gadfly. She ran for Governor of California - with the same chance of winning as Gary Coleman. She was a political flibbertigibbet. A joke. A amuse bouche candidate that folded into the field of also-rans.

Still, Huffington continued her progressive journey, befriending folks like Bill Maher. He provided an ongoing television platform that she enjoyed on a semi regular basis.

On the heels of Arianna’s liberal transformation, came the crusader against capitalism. Some ideas were interesting and had merit. Such as people moving their money from the too-large-to-fail banks into local savings and loans. Of course, the latter type of financial institution had caused financial chaos a few decades earlier.

And now there is the marriage of Huffington Post to AOL- someone call Time Warner.

The deal netted the HuffPost a cool $315 million, with a third or so going to Ms. Huffington.

The website was built on the free labor of talented writers and well known folks who brought juice and buzz, as well as content.

The irony does not escape me that I write about a site with free content for, well, free. Still the pedigree of the folks of RSN is available, open and consistent. And, like other such websites, is focused on presenting views commonly ignored by mainstream media, and is not a stalking horse for a large, large payout.

Of course bloggers, as well as giant online publications such as the examiner, have undermined the value of news, writing, opinion and reporting. The short opinion piece has hurt investigative reporting that can take weeks or months to research, analyze and create.

Arianna Huffington did not create the economic collapse of professional writers single handedly.

And it will be interesting to hear her views on the subject in her newest incarnation.