Letters to the Editor
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for what it's worth...
...the nyt newsroom dowd spoke of and greenwald discussed is the WASHINGTON BUREAU office -- a well-cossetted embassy within the green zone of the beltway.
And the colleagues she alluded to in her smarmy backhanded way of defending herself ("see? it wasn't just ME who was wrong -- my colleagues here thought the same things!") were drawn from the handful of folks left behind in dc at a time when the political world is out of town.
that is, they are either the oldest of the capital guard or the newest, rawest recruits; in either case, folks who have been judged not up to the task of actually, you know, covering the campaign. (not that campaign coverage is any great shake. but still.) and yes, they perform for each other in that painful fraternal way, trying to come up with proof that they are world-weary and have seen it all. they also perform for the dowdster, knowing that a Pundit is in their midst. their comments prove just how tired and empty the groupthink is, not to mention how tough it is for office chatter, even newspaper office chatter, to be genuinely amusing. comedy is not pretty, after all.
none of this is to undercut any of glenn's insights or contentions. indeed, it merely supports his larger point that beltway journalism is a pack-based know-nothing enterprise. but don't confuse the dc crowd with the nyt headquarters in new york.