Take Charles Johnson, a jazz musician and software programmer who is best known for his Web site, Little Green Footballs. Although an independent himself, for years Johnson's LGF has been one of the most popular blogs on the right, focusing mostly on national-security issues and the war on terror. It's also been a magnet for criticism from the left and even denounced by some as a "hate site" for its strident criticism of radical Islam.

But lately, posts on jihadists have dwindled in favor of a new target: Glenn Beck. Just this week, Johnson went after Beck for using violent imagery and rhetoric in a segment where he pretended to douse a guest with gasoline then threatened to set them on fire, accused Beck of promoting conspiracy theorists, and posted a video of attendees at one of the "Tea Party" events heavily promoted by Beck advocating for book burning.