Joe Klein: Campaign Consultant

It appears that Joe Klein, a columnist for Time magazine and author of Primary Colors, does political consulting on the side. According to Bob Shrum, John Kerry's campaign manager, Klein often called Kerry with unsolicited advice during the 2004 presidential campaign.

Klein himself was trying to play many parts. He was not only reporting on the campaign and preparing to write a book about consultants; he was also a constant critic and yet another sometime adviser. After the Kerry appearance at the Iowa Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner, he told [Kerry spokesman] David Wade: "Great speech, but it's too late"--then turned around and stalked away. With Klein, it was almost always too late for us, in part because we didn't always take his persistent advice. He would chastise Kerry on the phone when he didn't like a speech, counseling both Kerry and me about what the canddiate should say and what our strategy should be.

TPM wonders if Klein was not inappropriately blurring the line between reporter and political candidate. However, I've always thought that the MSM normally takes the "consultants-eye view" of political campaigns in their reporting. Klein's heavy-hitter status gave him a chance to live the fantasy of consulting a presidentuial candidate during an important election.