Mr. Alter - This is called "owned"; and done in a pleasantly arched manner, I would say.

Mr. Reed,
My first thought after reading Alter's rant was "why would he want to keep such a mundane event off-the-record." A reporter's job is to report. Your explanation makes much more sense. Alter, like so many other mainstream pundits, is gasping for air.

So, if this is true, then Ol' Sideswiped, Mr. My-batting-average-is-a-helluv-lot-higherr, just struck out a couple times.

Alter has earned my trust for many years of solid and ethical reporting. Radar? Not so much. You guys want to earn respect? Try some real journalism and lose the snarky gossip.

I, too, know that Alter is a Respected Jounalist, and that he can very accurately characterize conversations that he can't remember. I also think his column advocating the Iraq invasion was also pleasantly arch, neither serious nor sarcastic.

Dear mr. Gill,

It is with deepest regret that I must inform you that your identity appears to have been stolen. Someone left a comment here with your name attached that is clearly an Alter-troll. No one who has been reading Alter on this subject and then the reply above could leave such an inane message. Indeed there's no way the creator of said inane message could have read the said correspondence. Unless of course they simply do not read English. Maybe that was it?

Here's the comment I submitted at the Huffington Post in response to Jonathan Alter's "sideswiped me" whine. It never made it past the moderator there - too abusive I guess.
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Jonathan Alter writes:

"I don't remember him calling Broder "the voice of the people," but if he did, it was said with a pleasantly arch tone, neither serious nor sarcastic."

Over in a Glenn Greenwald thread someone pointed out this sounds like something a graduate of the Alberto Gonzales School of Wily Construction would say: I have no recollection of what happened but I can assure you there was nothing amiss.

Here's a link to a Jebediah Reed article.

http://www.radaronline.com/features/2007/01/betting_on_iraq_1.php

Anyone want to supply a link to a more interesting article written by Jonathan Alter, the big spending grizzled reporter?

Mr. Reed: Don't look now, but you just had your leg pulled by an expert. When Edsall is being sarcastic, he doesn't wink: he keeps his deadpan. You fell for it. Better luck next time.

http://www.samefacts.com/archives/the_wayward_press_/2007/05/edsalls_irony.php

Mark, if Tom Edsall doesn't feel it necessary to give any indication when he's being insincere, then he must be used to being misinterpreted.

Whatever his intended meaning, Alter's gloss on it was badly-worded, and left him looking arrogant. He could've said "I don't remember Edsall saying that, BUT KNOWING HIM I'D GUESS HE WAS BEING ARCH..." But instead he said, in effect: Even though your recollection of the exchange is superior to mine, I know better than you how it went down. Arrogant.

I teach media and politics at Columbia and helped organize the Gravel taxicab event that Jebediah Reed recounted for Radar. Here is my recollection of what really happened.

After the event, Gravel led a group including Reed, Jonathan Alter, and myself down Broadway to the West End Café. As Reed reported, along the way we bumped into Tom Edsall. My memory, however, conflicts with Reed's representation of the ensuing conversation.

After Gravel warmly introduced my girlfriend and me to Edsall, the candidate began a good-humored ribbing of Edsall about Broder. During the back and forth, Gravel said, "He doesn't believe in the power of the people." Edsall responded with a voice deepened in mock earnestness (not "matter of factly"), "David Broder is the voice of the people!" Edsall's voice and his proclamation were clearly over-the top and intended to be funny My girlfriend and I both gave a chuckle. I do not remember any "awkward silence" between Edsall and Gravel "over a great gulf of unshared beliefs." In fact I remember Gravel inviting Edsall along for lunch-- the reporter declined because of another engagement.

Also, Jonathan Alter did not rush out during lunch because he was upset by Gravel's reference to the Bush twins. He simply had to catch a plane. When we first sat down, we had trouble getting a waiter. Alter said he was anxious to order because he had a flight that afternoon. During the lunch everyone casually enjoyed their beers, while Alter scarffed down his salad and engaged Gravel in a congenial discussion about the campaign. When Alter finished his salad- clearly pressed for time, he called for the check- (he bought lunch for the entire party, including Gravel.)

I followed Alter out of the restaurant to discuss an unrelated matter and waited with him before he hailed a cab to the airport. Nothing in his demeanor during our conversation indicated he was upset or uncomfortable with anything Gravel had said. Alter was just a man with a plane to catch.

Dr. David Eisenbach
Columbia University