Wonkette

The idea — as cited by Lloyd Gove in his column today — that TIME’s Matt Cooper is fishing for a job at the NYT because the newsweekly’s hire of Mike Allen has made him feel “a bit crowded” seems off to us. First of all, Allen is not that much taller than Dickerson. Does hog the covers, tho. And then there’s the question of whether Matt’s fishing… or was he pushed? Far from being crowded, we hear he may be lonely: Since his bravura performance of “I Was THISCLOSE to Jail” on the courthouse steps last month, the reception by his colleagues has been stilted and the magazine’s editors aren’t sure what to do with him. (Jim Kelley’s response to inquiries about Cooper’s future in last week’s NYT piece were somewhat less than enthusiastic: “It’s not a matter of appropriateness; it’s a matter of effectiveness.”)

The Times, however, has the perfect role for Cooper: foil. Our sources say that it’s not so much the Times that’s interested in Cooper as it is managing editor Bill Keller. The rank-and-file, on the other hand, wonder why Keller would be interested. We suspect Keller is looking for a soulmate, or at least a cellmate. With almost-a-martyr Cooper on staff, Keller might succeed in muddying the waters over of the paper’s internal investigation of Judith Miller’s role in the leaking of the name of CIA agent Valerie Wilson (Plame, whatever).

Please don your tin-foil hats before we continue after the jump.

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We’d been enjoying all the attention being paid to the earnest and diligent Mike Allen’s move from the WaPo to TIME — it’s thrilling to watch someone make the transition from famous-for-DC to famous-for-DC-NYC-corridor — but today’s NYT hammers home the real reason for the Drudge-spurred interest in the move (though Drudge’s interest in Allen himself may be unrelated). As the Times says, Allen’s “hiring may have implications for the status of Time’s other White House correspondent, Matthew Cooper.” TIME honcho Jim Kelley notes darkly that “It’s not a matter of appropriateness; it’s a matter of effectiveness.” Well, at least Matt has his show biz career to fall back on. MORE »

We dream of the day when our career changes warrant the coveted Drudge “FLASH”:

Allen’s not talking; we say: Mike is the kind of reporter sources would go to jail for. MORE »

NRO picks up the tidbit everyone told us was double super-secret: The Washington Post’s current Hill reporter, former White House correspondent and unfailingly polite Mike Allen is in talks with TIME magazine to leave the Post for TIME’s more luxurious lodgings over on 12th Street. He gave Eric Pfeiffer what can’t even be called a non-denial denial, more like a non-confirmation confirmation: “Thank you for asking. I love The Washington Post and have not made a decision about any change.” MORE »

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The New York Observer makes the case for Matt Cooper, legendary DC funnyman. In the process, iron-stomached correspondent Leon Neyfakh plunges readers into the grim demimondes of both live comedy performances and Washington “humor.” Here’s a snapshot of the Coop, monitoring the work of his protegee, Roll Call columnist Mary Ann Akers, as she floated a few gay marriage jokes at the National Press Club: MORE »

• TIME honcho Jim Kelley talks Jon Friedman into submission: “We spoke so much, as a matter of fact, that I was out of breath (and questions) by the time we wrapped up a marathon phone interview.” Yet says nothing: “Above all, Kelly stressed: ‘You’re not going to see Time reporters put the name of a confidential source in an email.’” [Marketwatch] MORE »