Speaking of "I am the Law"

This summary by Balloon Juice contributor Comrade DougJ is spot on. Regarding some Wisconsin Republicans efforts to get the emails of a U of Wisconsin professor who deigned to criticize Lord Walker in a column.

This all needs to be seen from a broader perspective. It’s similar to what the Virginia Attorney General dd to a climate science professor in Virginia, it’s similar to what James O’Keefe does to NPR and ACORN. If you constantly harass anyone for being openly liberal and constantly reward anyone for being openly conservative (BALANCE!), you create a system of punishments and rewards.

It’s why the “left-leaning” columnists at the Washington Post mostly take conservative positions, it’s why some scientists recommend their own profession be subjected to McCarthy-style hearings, it’s why Joe Klein wears his paranoia about hippies and black panthers so proudly, it’s why newspaper ombudsmen say James O’Keefe should be given a Pulitzer.

People, especially professionally ambitious people, are, for the most part, cowards and careerists. If they know they get slapped down for taking liberal positions and raised up for taking conservative ones, you can guess what they’ll do most of the time

It is why even though Bob Herbert is leaving the NY Times after 20 years, someone like Digby who would be perfect for such a gig will never be considered.

They'll just ask Russ Doubthat for recommendations.