Move over Deborah Howell. New York Times Public Editor Byron Calame keeps the "panty sniffing" meme alive and well. (reg. req)

"When it comes to deciding whether to report on political figures' private lives, "few cases are as clear as the Clinton marriage," Mr. Keller wrote to me in an e-mail last week. "It would be irresponsible NOT to take a hard look at how these two people relate and operate as a couple." Joseph Sexton, the metro editor, whose reporters are involved in covering the senator from New York, said the story "grew out of a meeting of editors weeks ago aimed at developing lines of reporting for covering Hillary's re-election campaign and potential bid for the presidency."

Greg Sargent: "It's awfully tiresome that this needs to be pointed out yet again, but note the same old refusal of the media to acknowledge its own role in shaping voter perceptions of our political figures. Calame says the relationship will be "on many voters minds," but if anything, the roar of criticism of the article shows quite clearly that voters don't want it to be on their minds. It will be forced onto their minds by the big news orgs, who have been feasting on the Clintons' marriage for well over a decade with all the restraint of belching guests at a Roman banquet while rarely doing more than nibbling daintly at the edges of Republican unions."

Peter Daou: "Calame tries to defend Patrick Healy's sorry excuse for political reporting that ran in last week's Times. Healy's awkward attempt at tabloid journalism has already been sliced and diced. I'll add one more point I made on MSNBC last Wednesday, a point that Calame conveniently ignores: where on earth are the juicy stories about John McCain and Rudy Giuliani, let alone George and Laura? Oh, sorry, the Times is too busy digging up pro-Bush quotes in Provo, Utah. My bad."