The Note is Dead
Mark Halperin, former ABC News "Political Director," is leaving the world of network punditry for the world of still appearing on TV constantly but with a different, more respectable little title on his chyron. That's right, he's going toTime. Eric Alterman's headwill explode.
Halperin was the brains, irritatingly unfunny sense of humor, overinflated sense of self-importance, and sycophant behind "The Note," a daily tip-sheet that we and a couple other journalists in Washington used to read.
Eventually Halperin lost his mind and started pretending that things like the Bush administration's response to Hurricane Katrina and congressional Republicans intervening in the Terri Shiavo case were brilliant political moves made with great wisdom that would reveal itself over time. Then he started hawking his book,Only I and I Alone (and Karl Rove) Know How Elections Can Be Won Anymore, Please Buy My Book Please Please Please PS Hey Drudge Please Plug This Please Please Please by MARK HALPERINand John Harris, and embarrassed himself repeatedly in venues like the Hugh Hewitt show, losing the respect of pretty much everyone paying attention with his shamelessness. In other words, he whored himself out to sell his book, sold out his journalistic contemporaries by confirming the right wing's worst fears about them on national radio, and then his book bombed.
So he's a perfect fit forTime. Good work, Stengel!