Was James “***” Brady using Deborah Howell to send The Amazin’ Froomkin a signal? It would be irresponsible not to speculate, especially after today’s Portrait of the Editor as an Old Weasel (Jane here). Howell wrote:

Political reporters at The Post don’t like WPNI columnist Dan Froomkin’s “White House Briefing,” which is highly opinionated and liberal. They’re afraid that some readers think that Froomkin is a Post White House reporter.

John Harris, national political editor at the print Post, said, “The title invites confusion. It dilutes our only asset — our credibility” as objective news reporters.

Damn, wrong department. I should have put this one in The Department of Stop it! You’re Killing Me! See, Froomkin doesn’t give two shits about who he goes to dinner with, or his book contract, or his precious access. Those are the assets Froomkin’s diluting. And high time, too. Harris continues:

Froomkin writes the kind of column “that we would never allow a White House reporter to write. I wish it could be done with a different title and display.”

That’s what Harris says. Here’s what Harris thinks:

Yeah, “different.” That’s the ticket. Different, like… Smaller. Less visible. Not so pushy . And the display… You want my honest opinion? I think Froomkin just gets too much space…

Et cetera. Back to Little Debbbie:

My bottom line: The Web site adds to The Post’s prestige, and the world is moving toward the Web. The Web is a wonderful place for The Post to put newsprint-eating texts and documents, such as presidential speeches, and other information, such as congressional votes, that readers want.

Oh. My. God. That’s Little Debbie’s vision of the web! A place where you stash stuff that’s too long for the “real” paper, and a source of “prestige” (translation: a cost center). Not, heaven forfend, as a valued news source. Not a source of sadly needed credibility for the paper that brought us Steno Sue!

But I agree with The Post’s political writers here; the Web site should remove the “White House Briefing” label from Froomkin’s column.

Let’s see what “***” does. Won’t this be fun?