PLAYGIRL editor-in-chief Michele Zipp has been stripped of her duties after she revealed how she voted Republican in the 2004 election.

Zipp, in an e-mail, claims she was fired after an onslaught of liberal backlash.

"Hello Drudge,

"After your coverage of my article about coming out and voting Republican, I did receive many letters of support from fellow Republican voters, but it was not without repercussions. Criticism from the liberal left ensued. A few days after the onslaught of liberal backlash, I was released from my duties at Playgirl magazine.

"After underlings expressed their disinterest of working for an outed Republican editor, I have a strong suspicion that my position was no longer valued by Playgirl executives. I also received a phone call from a leading official from Playgirl magazine, in which he stated with a laugh, "I wouldn't have hired you if I knew you were a Republican.

"I just wanted to let you know of the fear the liberal left has about a woman with power possessing Republican views."

what a joke. how dare there be a republican at the head of a cock rag!

that's comedy.

Well, that's outrageous. If I knew this, I would've cancelled my subscription. There's no need to anymore.

it's repubs that are funding the french film industry too! eee gads!!!

Go to hell!

I bet if anyone (drudge, dalen, a talking fish) scratched the surface of this, it would blow apart like a house of cards. First of all, I believe there is something called discrimination (race, creed color, etc) that would prevent all but the absolute dumbest of people from telling here anything close to "I wouldn't have hired you if I knew you were a republican." Secondly I damn near guarantee you that the magazine's editorial content, subsrciption numbers or both were less than what they felt they should be under this person's watch.

What I am saying is that this is complete and utter bullshit, and probably fabricated out of whole cloth.

what he said.

yeah, i cant believe they would be that blatent. and if they were, the last thing she should be thinking of doing is mailing matt drudge.

between matt gookurt or whatever and this broad, Drudge report has gotten to be a hotbed of sexy, sexy talk.

oh i forgot this is obner. my bad.

yeah, and his tag line vs. the "storry' is a bunch of bullshit too.....

the tag line says she was fired for being republican...

his "story" says she claims to be fired for being a republican...

total unsubstansiated bullshit.....

there is no workplace protection (outside of the public or unionized sectors or a "for cause" contract clause) for political affiliation - see Title VII. They could probably fire her for this.