The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Weigel to the Atlantic?

Posted on | June 25, 2010 | 25 Comments

Donald Douglas on Twitter asked me if I knew whether David Weigel had gotten a new job. As I mentioned earlier, Dave told me he had received three or four offers, but he didn’t say who had made the offers, and I didn’t ask. But then I saw this Hot Air Green Room post by Karl:

Andrew Sullivan is on Team Weigel, natch. So is Conor Friedersdorf. So is Marc Ambinder.

No fewer than three Atlantic Monthly staffers heaping encomiums on Weigel?

Yeah. So that’s obviously one of the offers, and it seems fair to say the crew there are salivating at the prospect of adding him to their roster. Also, Dave is friends with Megan McArdle, who could be expected to say a good word for him and . . . oh, look: Julian Sanchez is guest-blogging for McArdle!

Advice to Dave: Play hard to get. Make them beg you for it. How do you think McArdle snagged Suderman, anyway?

UPDATE: Who leaked the Journolist e-mails? I called my friend The Operative, who answered the phone with a denial: “It wasn’t us.”

Well, I had a hunch and kinda wondered . . .

“Yeah. You ain’t the Lone Ranger there, buddy. We’ve been getting calls all day asking about it, but it wasn’t us. We didn’t have anything to do with it. We’ve been busy on other stuff.”

OK, so if it wasn’t you guys . . .

“He f–ked with Matt Drudge. Nobody f–ks with Matt Drudge.”

Which would tend to confirm my earlier thought.

UPDATE II: Washington Post ombudsman Andrew Alexander quotes Raju Narisetti, a model of bland insincerity:

“We will look for someone to replace Dave,” Narisetti said.

Right. It took the WaPo four years after Ben Domenech’s brief stint before they decided they needed a conservative blogger on staff — and chose one who came with the warm recommendation of Ezra Klein.

Hey, Raju: I think Killgore Trout might be available. If not, there’s this guy named Conor Friedersdorf . . .

Category: Blogging

Comments

25 Responses to “Weigel to the Atlantic?”

  1. The Anti-Clique
    June 26th, 2010 @ 12:44 am

    OK, now I want to vomit. RS McCain has drunk the Kool Aid, and he wants more.

  2. The Anti-Clique
    June 25th, 2010 @ 8:44 pm

    OK, now I want to vomit. RS McCain has drunk the Kool Aid, and he wants more.

  3. jefferson101
    June 26th, 2010 @ 1:12 am

    Wow! Since Weigel’s out at the WaPo, maybe I should put in for the job.

    Or not. Although I am reputed to be fairly articulate in some circles, and can actually conjugate most of my verbs, I would probably fit right in there.

    OTOH, I’m a troglo-conservative, who has been known to announce that Barry Goldwater was a good guy, but a bit on the liberal side for my taste.

    That makes me radioactive, to the WaPo. Besides that, they don’t have enough money to make my quit my day job. (Strangely enough, I actually enjoy my job, as often as not. And I’m good enough at it that I’ve pretty much got a sinecure on the days that I don’t want to do anything.)

    Hey. I’ve been published a whole bunch, if one counts the Book Reviews that I did for the local paper. Yeah! A critic and a commentator! How much better can they find?

    I’m an American, with ancestors who fought on both sides of the Late Unpleasantness. And I’m relatively Stateless. My Daddy was Career Military when I grew up. I wasn’t from some State….I was from the United States.

    Should I send in a resume? They can’t do much worse than they have, now can they?

    I’m in for a couple of columns a week, for $1k per. And I won’t quit my day job. I’m a working stiff, and always will be.

    But I will moonlight!

  4. jefferson101
    June 25th, 2010 @ 9:12 pm

    Wow! Since Weigel’s out at the WaPo, maybe I should put in for the job.

    Or not. Although I am reputed to be fairly articulate in some circles, and can actually conjugate most of my verbs, I would probably fit right in there.

    OTOH, I’m a troglo-conservative, who has been known to announce that Barry Goldwater was a good guy, but a bit on the liberal side for my taste.

    That makes me radioactive, to the WaPo. Besides that, they don’t have enough money to make my quit my day job. (Strangely enough, I actually enjoy my job, as often as not. And I’m good enough at it that I’ve pretty much got a sinecure on the days that I don’t want to do anything.)

    Hey. I’ve been published a whole bunch, if one counts the Book Reviews that I did for the local paper. Yeah! A critic and a commentator! How much better can they find?

    I’m an American, with ancestors who fought on both sides of the Late Unpleasantness. And I’m relatively Stateless. My Daddy was Career Military when I grew up. I wasn’t from some State….I was from the United States.

    Should I send in a resume? They can’t do much worse than they have, now can they?

    I’m in for a couple of columns a week, for $1k per. And I won’t quit my day job. I’m a working stiff, and always will be.

    But I will moonlight!

  5. Dave C
    June 26th, 2010 @ 1:42 am

    http://franklinwpierce.tumblr.com/post/734916160/so-barry-puts-his-hand-behind-my-head-like-this

    Weigel drinking his blues away.

  6. Dave C
    June 25th, 2010 @ 9:42 pm

    http://franklinwpierce.tumblr.com/post/734916160/so-barry-puts-his-hand-behind-my-head-like-this

    Weigel drinking his blues away.

  7. Jack
    June 26th, 2010 @ 1:51 am

    Do we really need hour by hour updates on this douche bag?

    Fuck him.

    I would like your opinion on something that should actually interest you. Apparently some lefty blogs (HuffPo/DKo/LGF) and MSM outlets (Politico/Tapper) are all pissy that Palin tweeted a link to a Thomas Sowell article.

    Is U.S. Now On Slippery Slope To Tyranny?
    http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=537967&p=2

    Thoughts?

  8. Jack
    June 25th, 2010 @ 9:51 pm

    Do we really need hour by hour updates on this douche bag?

    Fuck him.

    I would like your opinion on something that should actually interest you. Apparently some lefty blogs (HuffPo/DKo/LGF) and MSM outlets (Politico/Tapper) are all pissy that Palin tweeted a link to a Thomas Sowell article.

    Is U.S. Now On Slippery Slope To Tyranny?
    http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=537967&p=2

    Thoughts?

  9. Mike
    June 26th, 2010 @ 2:16 am

    I’m almost stunned into silence by the nearly frenetic updates on Weigelrama. Based upon RSM’s endorsement many months ago, I started following the guy on Twitter. Not once, if ever, did i ever read anything positive about conservatives or the conservative movement coming from the little prick.
    I can’t explain the support he seems to be getting here except that perhaps he was a source, or conduit for other information, and given what’s transpired in the last 24 hours people don’t want to be seen as kicking the guy when he’s down. That’s the only possible explanation for how anyone in the conservative movement could possible defend this guy. Yes, I understand he was the nominal conservative at the Washington Post….but so what? How many times has this blog and others rejoiced at the downfall of the dead tree media, and used themselves as an example of the vanguard of “new media?” Why should I care that that little pissant was supposed to be representing our side? A fine example he was doing by the way. It might have been less painful to just have one of the Juicebox brigade do it…..

  10. Mike
    June 25th, 2010 @ 10:16 pm

    I’m almost stunned into silence by the nearly frenetic updates on Weigelrama. Based upon RSM’s endorsement many months ago, I started following the guy on Twitter. Not once, if ever, did i ever read anything positive about conservatives or the conservative movement coming from the little prick.
    I can’t explain the support he seems to be getting here except that perhaps he was a source, or conduit for other information, and given what’s transpired in the last 24 hours people don’t want to be seen as kicking the guy when he’s down. That’s the only possible explanation for how anyone in the conservative movement could possible defend this guy. Yes, I understand he was the nominal conservative at the Washington Post….but so what? How many times has this blog and others rejoiced at the downfall of the dead tree media, and used themselves as an example of the vanguard of “new media?” Why should I care that that little pissant was supposed to be representing our side? A fine example he was doing by the way. It might have been less painful to just have one of the Juicebox brigade do it…..

  11. TR Sterling
    June 26th, 2010 @ 2:21 am

    He kinda looks like emilio estavez or even charlie sheen in that picture?

    Oh yah new topic, sorry. According to Huffpo and Chucky’s Johnson, if you link someone you have actually also said everything they have ever said. It’s like R2D2 connecting to you. However linkage to a post is not a transitive property that makes that post equal to all your thoughts. Ask RSM! I know he has encountered the dreaded tautology and flawed inductive reasoning from those the same sources.

  12. TR Sterling
    June 25th, 2010 @ 10:21 pm

    He kinda looks like emilio estavez or even charlie sheen in that picture?

    Oh yah new topic, sorry. According to Huffpo and Chucky’s Johnson, if you link someone you have actually also said everything they have ever said. It’s like R2D2 connecting to you. However linkage to a post is not a transitive property that makes that post equal to all your thoughts. Ask RSM! I know he has encountered the dreaded tautology and flawed inductive reasoning from those the same sources.

  13. The Anti-Clique
    June 26th, 2010 @ 2:41 am

    “I’m almost stunned into silence by the nearly frenetic updates on Weigelrama. Based upon RSM’s endorsement many months ago, I started following the guy on Twitter. Not once, if ever, did i ever read anything positive about conservatives or the conservative movement coming from the little prick.”

    This made me LOL!!!!

    It’s also very true. And to think — all the guy had to do was clam his ego. And, you know — work objectively and fairly.

    But he thought he was the next Ezra. A stealth version of Ezra. But the next Ezra.

    RSMc’s updates really, really make sick.

    Step away from the Kool Aid, RSM.

    And do the one thing that Weigel did right: Do not cover your friends.

  14. The Anti-Clique
    June 25th, 2010 @ 10:41 pm

    “I’m almost stunned into silence by the nearly frenetic updates on Weigelrama. Based upon RSM’s endorsement many months ago, I started following the guy on Twitter. Not once, if ever, did i ever read anything positive about conservatives or the conservative movement coming from the little prick.”

    This made me LOL!!!!

    It’s also very true. And to think — all the guy had to do was clam his ego. And, you know — work objectively and fairly.

    But he thought he was the next Ezra. A stealth version of Ezra. But the next Ezra.

    RSMc’s updates really, really make sick.

    Step away from the Kool Aid, RSM.

    And do the one thing that Weigel did right: Do not cover your friends.

  15. Thrasymachus
    June 26th, 2010 @ 3:10 am

    The Atlantic, or Sniveling Weasel Central as it should be known, is a perfect fit for this tool.

  16. Thrasymachus
    June 25th, 2010 @ 11:10 pm

    The Atlantic, or Sniveling Weasel Central as it should be known, is a perfect fit for this tool.

  17. Terry
    June 26th, 2010 @ 3:25 am

    Drudge has an article by Jonathan Strong on Weigel. F*** that guy. Don’t feel sorry for him nor care what endeavor he takes up next. As far as I’m concerned he’s no better than Brooks or Frum.

  18. Terry
    June 25th, 2010 @ 11:25 pm

    Drudge has an article by Jonathan Strong on Weigel. F*** that guy. Don’t feel sorry for him nor care what endeavor he takes up next. As far as I’m concerned he’s no better than Brooks or Frum.

  19. Dave C
    June 26th, 2010 @ 4:20 am

    Brooks and Frum..

    I think I have a few of their CD’s.. Good stuff.

  20. Dave C
    June 26th, 2010 @ 12:20 am

    Brooks and Frum..

    I think I have a few of their CD’s.. Good stuff.

  21. Kilgore Trout
    June 26th, 2010 @ 6:10 am

    I am generally available, but I have a bunch of kid birthday gigs this weekend.

  22. Kilgore Trout
    June 26th, 2010 @ 2:10 am

    I am generally available, but I have a bunch of kid birthday gigs this weekend.

  23. Estragon
    June 26th, 2010 @ 7:04 am

    Mike @ #5 & The Anti Clique @ #7: Thank you! The defenders of this cretin always point to the SINGLE instance of him sticking his neck out to defend someone on the right (you can’t reasonably call Rand Paul a “conservative,” though), and gloss over the rest of his “work” at WaPo.

    .

    Julian Sanchez is so upset I almost wanted to email him a tissue. At least he admits he is a “former housemate” of Weigel’s and apparently the break-up was amiable. But when he claims Dave is “hard to categorize ideologically,” he’s just being thick (unless it’s some sort of code phrase meaning “teh gehe”). A guy who criticizes the conservative 99% of the time isn’t “hard to categorize” at all – IF YOU HAVE A WORKING BRAIN.

    .

    Now, he may be a fine lad to have a beer with. It’s not about what his hopes and aspirations are, that he writes poetry, attends Renaissance Fairs, and volunteers to change adult diapers at the nursing home on weekends, it’s about what he wrote. And what he wrote was slanted against conservatives.

  24. Estragon
    June 26th, 2010 @ 3:04 am

    Mike @ #5 & The Anti Clique @ #7: Thank you! The defenders of this cretin always point to the SINGLE instance of him sticking his neck out to defend someone on the right (you can’t reasonably call Rand Paul a “conservative,” though), and gloss over the rest of his “work” at WaPo.

    .

    Julian Sanchez is so upset I almost wanted to email him a tissue. At least he admits he is a “former housemate” of Weigel’s and apparently the break-up was amiable. But when he claims Dave is “hard to categorize ideologically,” he’s just being thick (unless it’s some sort of code phrase meaning “teh gehe”). A guy who criticizes the conservative 99% of the time isn’t “hard to categorize” at all – IF YOU HAVE A WORKING BRAIN.

    .

    Now, he may be a fine lad to have a beer with. It’s not about what his hopes and aspirations are, that he writes poetry, attends Renaissance Fairs, and volunteers to change adult diapers at the nursing home on weekends, it’s about what he wrote. And what he wrote was slanted against conservatives.

  25. Instapundit » Blog Archive » STACY MCCAIN on why conservatives shouldn’t be congratulating themselves over the Weigel defenstrati…
    June 26th, 2010 @ 8:26 am

    […] Meanwhile, rumors of Weigel going to The Atlantic? […]