FEAGLER

Please, Mr. PD Editor, please find another actor to play the "ordinary old sort-of-liberal white-guy columnist who remembers how it used to be" role. This one's just not trying any more.

Somewhere in the ranks of your working reporters there must be someone who aspires to be the new Royko (or Breslin, or Hamill, or whoever). There must be someone in the newsroom who's got the experience, the address book and the long perspective the role requires -- but is still a real live journalist, committed to learning and sharing things we don't already know. There must be someone whose grasp of technology and media has moved beyond early Paddy Chayefsky.

It's time to open up the slot and give'em a chance.

I don't think Feagler is too old or out-of-touch to write a good column -- in his own way he's still a sharp, knowledgeable guy -- but he has obviously decided not to give a crap any more. Today's willfully ignorant, meretricious, mean, dumbass piece on blogs should settle any lingering doubt about that.

Mr. Editor, it's time. Give the space to someone who cares.

Others on this subject: George (with lots of comments), Tim, Bridget, JMZ, Cool Cleveland, John Ryan, Chas.