The Democratic Insult

How dare they call him a Democrat! David Cay Johnston demands satisfaction, after his own newspaper had the audacity to insult him so harshly.

Mr. Johnston wrote a book, as columnists are wont to do, and his employer, The New York Times, was good enough to review his book. Who wouldn't want a review in such a prestigious rag? The mention of one's book would be good for who knows how great in increase in sales. With Mr. Johnston's background in economics, he should easily see the benefits as compared to the costs.

Sadly, Mr. Johnston is less than pleased with his press. As reviewed by Jonathan Chait of The New Republic, Mr. Johnston's non-fiction tome comes across as little more than a re-hash of his newspaper columns, padded with additional material supplied by paid researchers. The book is weak, it takes a decided populist approach to government, and Mr. Johnston is too dense to see that the government taxes the rich and the burden isn't falling on the poor. That, my friends, is a Democrat by definition.

Mr. Johnston would like everyone to know that he is a card-carrying Republican, and to be dumped in the same cesspool as the Democrats is too much to endure. Oh, and by the way, Mr. Chait has a competing book that's just come out. Do you think there's a connection between that tidbit and the negative review?