Kass: Defending Cramer

"This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man."
-- William Shakespeare

Late last week I asked Jim Cramer for permission to write a column in response to what I would describe as an abusive and ad hominem attack on him, Cramer vs. Cramer: Will His Crazy Confession Destroy His Career? written in Slate.com on March 22 by former Merrill Lynch Internet analyst Henry Blodget.

Though I did send a draft of today's column to him last evening, Jim gave me permission to respond to Blodget on my own terms. I give Jim credit for being willing to have me resurrect a story I am sure he is very angry about and wishes was never written. Nevertheless, he provided no input for today's opening missive nor was he given the opportunity by me to edit or make recommendations for this column.

As most subscribers now recognize, after six years on The Edge (RealMoolah and Street Insight), I speak my mind and I am not easily influenced. Though I am employed as a consultant by the company that Jim founded (he is the largest shareholder and member of the board of directors), TheStreet.com., to my knowledge Jim has no control whatsoever of my content nor the content of any other contributor on TheStreet.com, Real Money or Street Insight. Nor does he control how I or any other contributor on the three sites are compensated or who is employed (or fired!).