Every once in a while someone manages to encapsulate a complex thought in a few pithy words. As we have watched the Plame/Wilson scandal unfold, many have unraveled the threads to expose the flimsy core: reporters granting anonymity to highly placed sources. And the absolute nucleus of the problem is this: our millionaire reporting class cohabits the same lush territory as the muckamucks they pretend to cover. (Actually, cover is the operative word—they cover for them.)
Okay, so this dude Marty Kaplan comes along and says it all in a memorable way: A piss is not a leak. Read the post—it’s not long. As one person commented: “The question I have is this: If I can understand Mr. Kaplan’s point, why can’t the NYT or WP?” Indeed.
Meanwhile, over at the New York Observer, Chris Lehman meditates on the “theology of access” and Bob Woodward.
