Cato’s Doug Bandow wrote twenty-four columns on topics friendly to Jack Abramhoff’s clients. And he did it for cash. Peter Ferrara took up to $2,000 a pop for columns too.

Bandow has resigned from Cato. Ferrara defends the practice and says he’ll keep doing it.

Ugh. My view of journalistic ethics has always been basic common sense. If you take money from someone to do something, say so and let the reader decide. Bandow’s a very smart guy, why on earth couldn’t he see that? I’m sure there are close calls when you get insititutional support and the like. But, cash from a lobbyist? I just don’t understand what Bandow could have been thinking.