To what extent does getting private calls from Administration officials corrupt JB? Ezra Klein? Ygelias? TPM?I certainly can't speak for the others, but I don't mind answering for myself. Call it a bit of disclosure.
I've never received any phone calls or anything else from the Obama Administration, so I'd say zero. What has happened as I've done this is that I wind up getting on distribution lists from various people. Some are Democrats, some are Republicans. Not very many at all, but a few. Plus, I'll get a few stray "hey, have you seen this" emails, sometimes from professional types, and sometimes from regular people. And most of it gets deleted right away, but sometimes I'll see something that interests me and wind up doing an item. For example, people know that I'm interested in filibuster rules, and judicial and executive branch nominations, and if there's something going on with those things I might find out about it from someone who has an interest in one side or another -- although I've definitely used that kind of tip to oppose what the person who tipped me wanted. At any rate, of course my opinions are my own, and I can't really even remember anyone trying to lobby me to shift an opinion for anything I write here. Perhaps I'm just not important enough; I have no idea.
And I'm sorry for the questions I didn't get to, but the sun is threatening to set fairly soon, and I still do want to rush a baseball post out before Yom Kippur begins. Thanks for all the great questions.
Yes, most indubitably YES, you are corrupt.
ReplyDeleteWell, you asked, didn't you? ;-)
But seriously, if there's no distance between commenters and the people they're commenting on, then they're part of a propaganda arm. They're just another of their voices.
Don't know if you fall into that category, you'd have to answer that I suppose, which you have, and I wouldn't call you part of anybody's propaganda arm, following your protocol.
Hah. Good answer JB.
ReplyDeleteOf course, what I was getting on, is how diffuse is a party? Is JB a party member? affliate? actor? And what point do you draw the line?
FWIW, you are more than important enough to get super-secret memos....