Why Does Michael Barone Still Have a Job?

TO: Editors, National Journal, U.S. News and World Report
FROM: Brad DeLong
ABOUT: Your Long-Run Credibility

It is being undermined by your continued employment of Michael Barone. Just saying.

Let's turn the mike over to Michael:

USNews.com: Opinion: Barone Blog: Barone Blog: The K Street Project: In the wake of Tom DeLay's announcement that he will resign from Congress, commentators of all stripes have been close to unanimous in criticizing him for his lead role in the K Street Project. This was the attempt to get trade organizations and large corporations to hire Republicans as lobbyists.... I'd like to weigh in against the critics of the K Street Project. Yes, it looked unseemly. The Republicans went ballistic after the Electronics Industry Alliance (I think I've got that name right) hired former Democratic Rep. Dave McCurdy as its top D.C. guy; critics said, gee, that's unfair, McCurdy is a talented and decent guy (an opinion with which I'd concur).... To which my response is: Hey, that's life in the big city....

Yes, there are downside risks--that you'll be taken captive by the lobbyists you create, that they will skew public policy toward their interests rather than toward the interests of your party or the broader public it seeks to represent, that you will attract in the ranks of your staff self-seekers who will betray you as some of Tom DeLay's staffers have...

"That you will attract in the ranks of your staff self-seekers who will betray you as some of Tom DeLay's staffers have." Right. Just as Elizabeth I Tudor's counsellors betrayed her and acted against her wishes when they sent the warrant to execute Mary Queen of Scots to Fotheringay Castle.

That anyone would imagine their readers would swallow such low-quality bulls--- -- that's amazing.