Maybe we should just give Politico another spot on the Pulitzer board:

In a segment this morning on “Morning Joe,” Politico potentate Mike Allen got promotionally cute. The context: “Morning Joe” launched a discussion of two opposing GOP views toward the last month’s shutdown crisis — that of Sen. John McCain and that of Sen. Ted Cruz. In a clip presented on air, Cruz pointedly expressed no regrets whatsoever about his extreme position in the October proceedings. After showing Cruz’s unapologetic approach, Scarborough asked guest Allen whether Republicans should focus on beating up the Democrats rather than fighting among themselves. Allen responded, “Well, Joe, exactly, and I don’t know what you keep under your pillow, but what I have under my pillow is the book…’The Right Path,'” said Allen, brandishing hiscopy of the book. “You might call this clip the ‘Wrong Path,’ because what we’re seeing here from Sen. Cruz is defiance and we’re seeing that he may try to push for another confrontation like this.”

You know, when I’m pimping out a fellow blogger’s book, or my own, at least I say right up front, “Go buy this, she’s a pal of mine.” My problem with the entire journalistic “ethics” argument today is that it over-polices actual stated opinions and ignores the value of transparency. Just tell me what you’re doing, who you’re doing it for, and how many bodies they have on you to get you to do this kind of thing for them.

That way I can make my own decisions about whether you’re on the up and up or whether you’rejust as much of a moral monster as I always thought you were.

Schmuck.

A.