Tony Ortega Tweets His Inferiority Complex

We first made our readers aware earlier this week about the disturbing connection between the sex trafficking website Backpage and the notorious smutty video site Pornhub. As we explained, the story written by Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times is currently making something a seismic impact across the internet, making many supporters of the rights for corporations to make money from the exploitation of young women and underage girls very nervous.

One early, vocal advocate for the rights of sleazy businesses to victimize women for cash was Tony Ortega.

Recently we were asked by a concerned reader about the relationship between Kristof and Ortega, as we have in the past made reference to the public back and forth the two engaged in while Tony Ortega was busy shilling for Backpage even as Nicholas Kristof was exposing the organization for being little more than high-tech platform for pimps.

The first thing we should note is that, in stark contrast to Tony Ortega, Nicholas is an actual journalist, author, op-ed columnist, and a winner of two Pulitzer Prizes. He has been writing an op-ed column for The New York Times since November 2001. The Washington Post says of Kristof that he single-handedly “rewrote opinion journalism” with his emphasis on human rights abuses and social injustices, such as human trafficking and the Darfur conflict.

Indeed, even Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa has described Kristof as an “honorary African” for shining a spotlight on neglected conflicts.

For his part, Tony Ortega is (and remains) a failed tabloid hack who currently blogs from his wife’s basement because no reputable outlets will publish his outright fabrications anymore. To say Ortega’s petulant desire to attack Kristof on any topic— let alone human trafficking, given Ortega’s own ethically compromised relationship with known sex traffickers  — puts Tony at a decided intellectual disadvantage is a colossal understatement.

Consider just a few of the half-baked tweets Tony Ortega fired at Kristof in the wake of Kristof’s original explosive exposé on the horrors of Backpage and see if you can’t spot the panic of a fraud like Ortega painfully aware he is out of his depth, yet desperately trying to sound like a tough guy.

Village Voice tweeted:

“What Nick Kristof Got Wrong: Village Voice Media Responds bit.ly/GDp8jN”

Tony Ortega tweeted:

“Nick Kristof’s column about ‘Alissa’ being sold on Backpage at 16 was harrowing. Turns out it isn’t true, however. bit.ly/GDp8jM”

Tony Ortega tweeted:

“Look at Kristof’s column. He never says the woman was actually sold on Backpage. Because, well, she wasn’t. But is that the impression?”

Tony Ortega tweeted:

“Doing the math, girl Kristof writes about was pimped out in 2004-2005 — before VVM existed, and before Backpage was in New York. Hm.”

Tony Ortega tweeted:

“Voice has had adult ads since mid-70s. In recent years, we’re spending millions to keep underaged out. So ask yourself, why now the crusade?”