Howard Kurtz laments the trend (you know it’s an old trend when Howie gets wind of it) of celebrities political hacks going into punditry. It profaneth, quoth Howard, the sacred name of journalism:

USA Today figured it would be no problem for Bush-bashing filmmaker Michael Moore to “unobtrusively observe the convention,” as its deputy managing editor put it.

Right. Why would it be a problem to hire a man reviled by the Republican Party as a guest columnist, send him into the lion’s den of Madison Square Garden, where he would be trailed by packs of reporters and attacked from the podium by John McCain? Nobody would think that was a cheap stunt — would they?

Howard, look around, man. I know it’s been a while since you came up for air, but this is ridiculous. Where was the outrage at all the conservative commenters you so generously mention … way, way down in your column … when they dove into the cesspool? Why wait until it’s Michael Moore you can smack around?

Couldn’t be because Michael Moore is easy ink, could it? Nobody would think that was a cheap stunt, would they?

A.