taking on the boomers

From what I remember from the days before TimesSelect, this from Ezra Klein is more or less accurate:

Wandering through the nation's op-ed pages is like ambling through a dojo. Each writer has his own particular style, technique, finishing move. There's Tom Friedman, who rushes in with the Implausible Conversational Anecdote, links it to an Off-Topic Invocation Of World Travels, and finishes you with a Confusing Metaphor From Above. Or there's Maureen Dowd, who deploys Unfounded Personal Speculation mixed with Confusing Allegories till she's set up her killing blow: Insinuation of Character Defect. It's impressive stuff.

The deadliest op-ed columnist, however, is unquestionably David Brooks. He's the drunken boxer of the opinion page, luring you into a false sense of security with Banal Observations that comfort through Faux Bipartisanship until you're ready for the Illogical Conservative Conclusion.

Very good. Matt and Ezra have quite a thing going over at Tapped (I also like Garance, but she hasn't been as prolific as the other two). They very nearly convinced me to subscribe to the paper form of the magazine a couple months ago, until I realized I barely read [clarification: have a hard time making it all the way through] the magazines I have already. I think (editor) Tomasky must have taken action to prevent a duopoly, though, because I've been noticing other contributors posting recently, most of whom mysteriously don't appear on the masthead.