I had a taste of the incentives that create these creatures as editor of a small-town weekly. The president of the state senate hailed from our humble village, and before long I became the metro dailies’ go-to guy for “policy” insight, followed by a regular radio gig, invitations to Important Politcal Functions and visits by Important Political Figures – some of whom are now Bush administration muckety-mucks. Heady stuff for a 22 year old.

I loved it. The publisher loved it. Readers loved it. Fortunately, when my conscience woke up, it hated it.