With Friends Like These...

John McCain gets endorsed by the NY Times and Bill Clinton on the same day.  Now, if the Secretary General of the United Nations could chime in...

Comments

[Gilgamesh]

Maguire;

Who do you like? The field is gettin'
pretty thin.

[JM Hanes]

OK, captcha is rejecting my comment as spam so I'm going to try posting it in what I hope will be digestible pieces:

I finally got around to checking out the New York Times Editorial Board, because whenever I read one of their editorials I end up wondering who on earth actually writes their tripe. Reading over the list, I'm not sure that David Shipley is the only suspect here -- or even the prime suspect -- but it seems almost too perfect that the #3 guy on that totem pole "served in the Clinton Administration from 1995 until 1997 as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Presidential Speechwriter." That time frame fits the '96 election campaign rather like a proverbial glove, does it not? Of course, I can't imagine that anyone on the Times Editorial board would actually refuse to take a Clinton call....

[JM Hanes]

...When it comes to who actually wields the most poisonous pen, however, it looks like even a Clinton speechwriter has got stiff competition. Shipley was handed the "Times editorial presence online" when Andrew Rosenthal succeeded Gail Collins as editorial page editor in Dec. '06. Carla Robbins took over what looks like the #2 spot, assigned "to lead the editorial board." According to Rosenthal:

Carla is extraordinarily smart, with a deep background in diplomatic reporting, Washington reporting and national security reporting. She has impressed us all with the strength of her arguments, the depth of her knowledge and her skill at initiating and guiding debate.

My favorite part of her bio is a (shared) prize from the U.N. Correspondents' Association...

[JM Hanes]

....As for Rosenthal himself, when Collins stepped down, New York Magazine commented:

Huh. If you'd told us someone in a prominent position at the Times was about to leave it, this so wouldn't have been the one we'd have guessed: Gail Collins is stepping down as editorial-page editor. She'll be replaced by Andrew Rosenthal, former foreign editor, onetime loyal Howell Raines sidekick, and perpetually Abe's son.

This is all pretty funny when, as Andrew McCarthy points out, the Times is so casual about its own conflicts of interest, and so scrupulous about pointing to nepotistic motes elsewhere, but never mind.....

[JM Hanes]

....N.Y.Mag went on to quote the Times' own press release:

"When Andy moved from the newsroom to his position as deputy editorial page editor three years ago," Mr. Sulzberger continued, "we did not know the degree to which he was a born editorial writer. He has penned some of the most powerful and insightful editorials that have run on our pages.

If "powerful and insightful" means outrageous, he's probably our guy. OTOH, I haven't checked out Teresa Tritch's joint book project with CBS on "America at War" (in Iraq), so she could be in the running too. Maybe someone else can finger the perps, or tell us where/if Bill Keller figures in here somewhere too. I suspect this kind of thing is an open secret in the biz, but alas, I'm just an "enquiring" civilian mind who wants to know.

----------[Nothing Follows]-----------

[Clarice]

JMH--I love reading your comments.

[Tonto]

A footnote to JM Hanes' speculation about David Shipley: He was married to Naomi Wolf (they're divorced now).

[JM Hanes]

Tonto:

Wow. I would hope he divorced her because she's out of her political mind, but it was probably something more mundane. I remember back in the days (of yore!) when I thought newspaper editors and bankers were pillars of the community.

Clarice: Thanks!