Brian “Saint Paul” Ward writes over at Fraters:

[A piece by Chad] reminds me that there was an all-star group of local, liberal bloggers who formed the web site “New Patriot” a few years ago. We covered it here. They promoted themselves at the time, among other ways, as “our answer to the Fraters dicks.”

As the Fraters dicks still have questions demanding answers, let’s check in on them and see how things are going: New Patriot.

Doh! Gone with the wind they are. I guess we’ll have to stand by for the New New Patriotism.

Doh – he’s right.  The New Pats have gone 404 on us. 

And in a sense that’s a shame.  In a local leftyblogosphere crowded with knee-highs who toss chuzzlewitted snark on good days, and too-pathetic-to-bother defamations on bad ones (almost inevitably from the cover of cowardly anonymity), the New Pats were generally good writers, usually up for a rational argument (once you got past the “Fraters Dicks” bit) and, refreshingly, actual people rather than head-slappingly melodramatic handles fronting for 15-watt intellects.  While I disagreed with them on most things, I respected the likes of Chris Dykstra, Luke Francl, Chuck Olsen and most of the rest of the contribs for being good thinkers, capable readible writers and responsible bloggers.

The Elder Swings Away: Silly kids. They shouldn’t have underestimated the staying power of the Fraters dicks.

Indeed; the part I do like is taking that quick swerve down memory lane past some of the leftybloggers that, er, came out swinging at us over the years.

Ragweed?  Hah.  Stick a fork in him.

Kevin McKay?  Floating belly-up.

Daddypants (I can’t even find a link in my own archives)?  Changed and tossed!

I could go on – but you get the picture. We just keep swinging away.

Anyway – be well, New Pats.  Your scene could use y’all.