RP asks TPM a good question about the Dan Froomkin Debate at the Washington Post

"If this whole thing is only about having differences over the name of the column, why is then this not being talked over internally? WHy do they have to discuss this so public?"

I think the answer is clear. www.washingtonpost.com is independent of The Washington Post. Editorial decisions for www.washingtonpost.com are made by its executive editor Jim Brady. Washington Post exective editor Leonard Downie Jr. can ask Brady to make editorial changes, but can't just quitly make them.

I am sure that if Dan Froomkin wrote for the printed Washington Post, this would have been handled quietly and internally. Republicans would have complained and Downie would have made changes and no embarassing public debate would occur.

In fact I find it impossible to doubt that such problems have been handled quietly in the past. I think the public debate only occured as a result of Republican amazement that the Post hasn't followed the standard operating procedure of changing its editorial policy in response to their complaints.

Thus I find it impossible to doubt that Leonard Downie Jr. should be fired immediately.