Although we can't seem to shake the nasty habit of writing in the royal we, occasionally one of our editors decides to shake off the cloak of anonymity to write a short, pithy statement long, rambling diatribe about a topic of their choice. Today, Debbie Newman is that editor.
Yesterday, Ben Smith of Politico wrote a longish, somewhat confusing article (provocatively titled "Clinton Campaign Kills Negative Story") detailing a glorified pissing contest between Hillary Clinton and GQ magazine. In said piece, ostensibly written in critique of agenda-driven journalism, the Clintons are depicted as calculating, evil and—worse still—analogous to Tom Cruise while GQ is portrayed as a spineless jellyfish,* who values self-preservation more than the basic principles of the First Amendment.
In other words, it's a completely subjective take on the importance of objectivity.

Daily News political jock Ben Smith yesterday announced he was splitting Mort Zuckerman's camp to take a gig at The Politico, that new web-based journalism outfit Kit Seelye has been dying to tell you about. The site – launching Jan. 27 – made headlines when it snagged WaPo vets John Harris and Jim VandeHei. And we only started paying a modicum of attention when Slate's Jack Shafer started blasting Politico's parent, Allbritton Communications, for "reek[ing] of oversell."
For Ben, however, it seems like the right move: His blogging career for the News' The Daily Politics was showing just a touch more promise as, well, The Empire Zone. The only way to move up from blogging, after all, is jumping to Page Six, Vanity Fair, or … another outfit that thinks they totally get the web.

• Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are coming to America! You know what that means? People's going to run the baby on the cover before the other paparazzi can jump them in the airport. [National Ledger]
• Andy Pemberton is, once again, out at Spin. Or he's back at the beach. Or sipping margaritas at SoHo House. Or maybe he never existed in the first place? [FBNY]
• The world welcomes another little Jessica Simpson into our hearts. No, Jess is not having Adam Levine's baby. But her little sister is morphing into her more and more by the minute. [Mollygood]
• Ben Smith is now 'struggling for relevance.' Ouch. Well, then again, nobody really is relevent in this world if they don't work for the Observer. [NYO]
• Case in point, Rebecca Dana breaking even more news on a Friday night. (Go home, people!) Diane Sawyer is unleashing the wrath over at ABC and execs aren't handing it very well. [NYO]
• Madonna is so over exploiting Britney Spears and has moved on to ruin the life of Lindsay Lohan. Nice, Madge. Like the kid doesn't have enough issues. [Page Six]
• Yay, Matthew McConaughey is single again. Wait, is it weird that we're more excited about Penelope Cruz being single? [People]
• Welcome Room 8, yet another blog about New York (this one's about politics!). It's from the New York Observer's Ben Smith, because even reporters with blogs need blogs. [Room Eight]
• Congrats to the Village Voice, who won some media crit award from Penn State. [VV]
• When it comes to crazies, Rod Stewart has had his fair share — but he hasn't met Paula Abdul yet. [MoreCoversationsWithFamousPeople]
• Movies with George Clooney and Brad Pitt as thieves should never end. Too bad script writers couldn't find spots for Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones, even with all those extra "get more" minutes. [AP]
• The Today show might have awkward sexual tension, but it doesn't have awkward tit jealousy like The View. [Lowdown]
• Here's something Katie Holmes has to look forward to: During his divorce from Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise tapped her phones. And she knew about it. [A Socialite's Life]
• Nicole Richie gets new hair, keeps the same old story [Hollywood Rag]
• Keira Knightly puts the class back in turning 21 — with a 1920s-themed bash in London. [3am]
