Responding to the MSNBC story revealing his donations to Democratic candidates, New Yorker writer George Packer says: “My readers know my views on politics and politicians because I make no secret of them in my comments for The New Yorker and elsewhere,” Packer said. “If giving money to a politician prejudiced my ability to think and write honestly, I wouldn’t do it. Fortunately, it doesn’t.”

I’m not so certain “honestly” is a correct word here. In his book Assassin’s Gate, Packer makes reference to me a number of time at various inter-agency meetings. The only problem is that I wasn’t in attendance at any of the meetings Packer places me at. He either got it wrong or made it up. No correction issued on his second edition, though. Sometimes a political hit job trumps integrity.