Showbiz flogs blogs

Huffington to launch site with a cast of bigwigs

By NICOLE LAPORTE

In a move unlikely only because it's taken this long to happen, pundit-about-town Arianna Huffington is extending her hosting largess to the blogosphere.

This month the wannabe California governor is launching a Slate-like Web site where a cast of bigwigs, including Sen. Jon Corzine (D-N.J.), David Geffen, Barry Diller, Larry David, Tom Freston, Ari Emanuel, Jim Wiatt Tina Brown and Harold Evans will each have their own blog from which to spout Big Thoughts about politics.

Huffington wouldn't comment, but it was confirmed that a soft-launch of the Huffington Report would be up and running before the end of April.

It will be interesting to see how these honchos fare in the Wild West of the 'Net, where contentious, or even off-hand remarks are seized upon within seconds by millions and held up for debate (and often scorn) on scores of Web sites. Or even if Diller or Geffen will actually type their thoughts.

Unlike corporations, the Internet does not provide legions of publicists and spinmeisters to keep the public at bay.

Then again, Huffington is wisely confining her site mostly to politics. It's safer, after all, for liberals to bash the government than Hollywood.