A few thoughts about Tom Barnard.

First off, give the radio personality props for being an equal-opportunity offender. Before his show ticked off American Indian leaders last month, he had drawn the ire of Somalis, Asian-Americans, hip-hoppers and liberal politicians. My guess is that either Hispanics or dwarves will be next.

Also, keep in mind that his latest tirade wasn't even his. The comment that got the most attention -- that genetics and incest may have contributed to the high suicide rate in Indian country -- was uttered by sidekick Terri Traen, whose role is to play the show's dumbbell, something she does to perfection. (Her biggest gaffe: She once said on the air that I looked kind of cute.)

Barnard quickly corrected Traen's "incest" claim -- and actually cleans up messes more than he gets credit for.

Because Barnard rarely talks to the press, I called his buddy, frequent guest Nick Swardson, to provide some insight into how the show works. Before even knowing any details about the latest dustup, the Twin Cities comic correctly guessed that it probably had something to do with comments made by someone other than Barnard.

"He surrounds himself with people who can be loose cannons," said Swardson, who currently has the No. 1 comedy album in the country. "That way, Tom can be the epicenter of smart and cool. They say stuff that fuels these fires and he navigates from there."

I would hate to listen to a muzzled Barnard -- and I'm sure fans would agree. There's a reason he's got one of the top morning shows in the country, with about 23 percent of the adult 25-54 audience tuning in.

The one thing KQRS should be taken to task for is not addressing these issues in the press. I defend Barnard's right not to do interviews, but for no one at KQRS to return phone calls or answer questions from the mainstream media is irresponsible and, quite frankly, cowardly. You want to put on an irreverent show? Great. But you've got to be willing to stand up for it.

Prelude to Minnpost

Minnpost.com hopes to prove that the Internet isn't just for kids anymore. The news website, scheduled to debut this week, will rely heavily on veteran Minnesota journalists, many of whom were on the job when typewriters were all the rage.

During an Oct. 24 launch party, founder Joel Kramer, a former Star Tribune publisher, told visitors to think of this nonprofit project more as a magazine (Slate, Salon) than a newspaper (Star Tribune, Pioneer Press) with a heavy emphasis on personalities. "We're designing ourselves to be a second read," Kramer said. With that in mind, the bulk of new material will post around 11 a.m. every weekday (for the most part, no publishing on the weekend).

"We're going to focus on lunchtime when we will be the new information," he said. For those who prefer their info the old-fashioned way, hard copies will be available in high-traffic areas in the Twin Cities. Kramer is hoping that companies will reprint these copies on their own and distribute them to their employees. Lots of talent on board, but if you go by the party refreshments -- cheap wine and warm Coronas -- it's going to be a fly-by-the-seat-of-your pants experiment.

Big Ben

Ben Tracy is being called up to the big leagues. The WCCO reporter, best known for the "Good Question" segments, will report for "CBS Evening News With Katie Couric" and the "CBS Early Show" starting in January. It's obvious that his "Question" segments were a big hit after they started airing regularly on the "CBS Saturday Early Show" five months ago. Fans of the segment needn't worry. Another reporter will be tapped to take his place, but probably not before the station answers another "Good Question": Who will be the next news director?

njustin@startribune.com • 612-673-7431