You can read Ben Smith’s post here at the Politico on Dave Weigel.A few points from me:1. It is no surprise to me that Ben Smith is on Journolist too. I wonder if the push back by lefty oriented journalists over Sarah Palin complaining about that stalker moving in next door was coordinated on Journolist. Probably.2. The most shocking story is a Journolist member leaking Dave Weigel’s emails. Talk about stabbing a comrade in the back — particularly one who successfully infiltrated the right posing as a quasi-right of center journalist. I’m guessing someone got jealous.3. I don’t think Dave Weigel had any expectation of privacy on Journolist because there have been leaks before to Mickey Kaus.4. Why is anyone shocked by Dave’s emails? They were emails written to pseudo-friends expressing what anyone who knows anything about Dave’s mission at the Post would not be surprised by. They story here is not that Dave is a liberal, I already told you that. The story is that some people — including people at the Washington Post — are shocked and appalled to find it out now. Good grief people. Have you not paid attention? Read Dan Riehl.5. The Washington Post relying on Ezra Klein’s recommendation for someone to cover the right from the right is like the estate of a dead man shocked that the doctor Jack Kevorkian recommended to them killed their father. Suckers.6. Ezra Klein has disbanded the Journolist, which is code for changing its name and re-inviting a more select group, probably not including Ben Smith.7. Don’t cry too much for Dave who, again, is a very nice guy. I’m sure the Huffington Post is preparing its press release right now that they’ve hired him to keep doing what he’s been doing.8. Ben Smith writes, “The Post appears to have hired Weigel, a liberal blogger, under the false impression that he’s a conservative.” Actually, I’ve had people from inside the Washington Post describe Weigel’s job as “to report on groups and people on the right who should be viewed as fringe.”9. I feel a little sorry for Dave going through this. He got a cool gig others probably covet (maybe someone enough to leak his emails). I really think this is much ado about nothing if only because everyone should have known it was all a shtick. The only issue for me is the dishonesty involved by the Washington Post in positioning Dave as covering the conservative movement from inside the conservative movement. And I don’t blame Dave for that. Say what you will, but the Washington Post is not run by dumb people. They knew what they were doing.10. Awesome work by the Daily Caller. Awesome work.
Why Is Anyone Surprised by This Dave Weigel Business?
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