Meet the guest-bloggers (Bumped and updated) (Karol)

Alternate title: I've got some really cool friends.

Tom "Funkypundit" Elliott- I don't remember if I ever thanked Robert George for sending TFunkE my way but thank you, Robert! As we say in the Russian card game Klabbr: good pick-up. He's smart, hilarious and listens to a dazzling range of music. He also sometimes lets me drag him to dive bars in South Brooklyn to play pool. Tom is on the NY Post Editorial Board and blogs at Funkypundit. This article is pinned to the refrigerator in his apartment in East Flatbush, Brooklyn.

Mark W. Smith- I've long been a fan of Mark Smith. I've read and loved both of his books, "The Official Handbook of the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy 2006: The Arguments You Need to Defeat the Loony Left" and "Disrobed: The New Battle Plan to Break the Left's Stranglehold on the Courts" and he has been a huge influence on me on a wide range of issues, especially gun control. This is his first time blogging anywhere and I'm thrilled he agreed to do it here.

Ignatius- Iggy's uber-posts on his site Guinness&Poker are legendary, and he is like the Instapundit of the poker blog world, giving good 'lanche and fathering blog-children as he goes. I met him for the first time in Vegas in December and discovered he was a Republican (more a libertarian, really, or a Republican who has soured on Republicans). When I told Peter about him he said "A Republican guy with long hair who plays poker?! I thought if you met one of those you'd never come home." Hey, I almost didn't. But there's a Mrs. Iggy so don't get too attached.

John Budnick- Dawn Eden introduced me to John at an event for Sam Brownback at his apartment. He seems to be the man about town in the social conservative scene in NY (yes, apparently there is one). I don't know John that well (yet) but I'm really looking forward to reading him. I have a feeling he will have a unique perspective.

I am waiting for confirmation from one or two others. If they agree to guest-blog, I'll update and bump this post.

I'll likely be doing a little blogging too, in between laying by the pool all day and playing poker all night.

UPDATE, 4/7/07: Charlie Prince has agreed to join my excellent group of guest bloggers. I first met Charlie at a conservative film festival in Dallas and then by fortuitous coincidence at a poker game in New York. So, to recap, he likes film, he likes conservatives and he likes poker. We were meant to be friends. Charlie blogs at Cinema Strikes Back, the coolest film site I have seen. He is wary of my Fred Thompson adoration but, y'know, no one's perfect.