There's an interesting (or, depending on your perspective, idiotic) fight underway between Mark Goldberg, a Washington, D.C.-based political reporter, and Dave Mustaine, the lead singer of Megadeth. The spat started in June 2006, after Mustaine criticized the United Nations in Billboard. Citing the organization's "failure to perform" in crisis situations, he announced that the band's next album would be named United Abominations.

Goldberg, a writer for the UN Dispatch blog (which is supported by the United Nations Foundation but has no official editorial affiliation with the organization), quickly fired back at the singer, calling Mustaine an "aging rock star"--and worse, noting an allegiance to Metallica.

Fast forward to May 2007. Megadeth releases United Abominations on Roadrunner Records, which eventually peaks at number 8 on the Billboard Top 200. Goldberg didn't respond immediately, since he "forgot to pencil the [album's] release date into my calender." But on Tuesday he posted a lengthy reply to the Megadeth title track on UN Dispatch. "We listened so you don't have to," he writes, following up with a verse-by-verse response to the song. Among other things, Goldberg disputes Mustaine's assertion that the UN helped enable the 9/11 attacks, and that Kofi Annan's son, Kojo, was involved in an Oil-For-Food program scandal. He also states that the singer has confused Hamas with Hezbollah.

Yesterday, Mustaine issued an equally lengthy response on both his own personal site and the Roadrunner Records website. Apparently his comments are aimed at his supporters: "Whether my facts are right or wrong, and whether you agree with me or not, I know I have your support--most of the time and that is all that matters."

While praising Goldberg's writing, Mustaine accuses him of bias and contends that the two "won't be having tea" anytime soon. The singer also wonders about Goldberg's background. "One question would be, who is the writer that is complaining? Is he a real writer or some blogger? Does he do news, journalism, or tabloid reporting? Does he represent the UN or the American people or is he just an American like me, and is just venting? And why is he so intent on going after me? Why not use that energy constructively? He is obviously educated well (or has a thesaurus)."

NewsQuake can provide that information: Goldberg is a writer-in-residence at the United Nations Foundation and a senior correspondent for The American Prospect magazine.

UPDATE, 4:52 PST: It never ends. Goldberg has responded to Mustaine's post. Link is here.