THERE ARE EDITORS and there are editors. After a quarter century of punditry, I have come to appreciate the best of editors and to refuse to work with the second team. The second team seems intent on substituting their ideas for yours and dulling the sharpest points. The first team polishes and will rarely, if ever, steer away from controversy. Though they may sound cautionary notes, they never spike the good stuff.
Which is why the Sacramento Bee made such a terrible move this week with the announcement that political reporter and columnist Daniel Weintraub would henceforth have his blog entries at California Insider subjected to editorial veto. Weintraub’s blog was launched as a genuinely innovative feature–instant reports from the recall campaign trail from one of the most connected scribblers in the state. Weintraub used his forum to tweak all candidates and to break big headlines. His audience grew and grew.
