The Telegraph is doing its regular web-hits-count-inflating list of most influential American pundits. Not much to disagree with, really, except for this:

39. DEE DEE MYERS Became the first female and the second youngest White House press secretary under President Bill Clinton. An MSNBC commentator, she was a consultant to “The West Wing” series and was widely believed to the model for the character C.J. Cregg. Married to Vanity Fair political writer Todd Purdum, in her recent book “Why Women Should Rule the World” she argues that women are “better communicators, better listeners, better at forming consensus”. Well placed to chip away at the traditional male domination of political punditry.

Are they serious? Dee Dee Myers? By their own summary, the highlights are that she’s: 1. a mostly forgotten Clinton administration figure; 2. a former consultant to a defunct television show; 3. married to a political writer; 4. the author of a book read by her mother, two proof-readers, and that guy at the Washington Post. Oh, and she’s “well placed” to become a noted female commentator. But isn’t one.

Dee Dee Myers is best remembered for the Bambi-in-the-headlights rictus on her face as she learned the news, as opposed to announcing it, at her White House press briefings. She didn’t inform the press; they informed her. She all but asked “He did what?” on a couple of occasions. Even the Telegraph isn’t arguing that she’s an influential commentator, only that she might become one. Lame.