It’s becoming perfectly clear that James Dobson has been coopted by the Bush administration. Far from being the angry, independent-minded, endlessly skeptical Christian Right watchdog he sold himself as, he’s now getting “secret information” from Karl Rove, carrying water for the administration, and attempting to smooth all those feathers mussed by the pick. And now, to find that the classified words a little Rovie whispered in his ear had nothing to do with Miers’ opinions and everything to do with inside baseball stuff that made him feel involved, well, that’s the icing on the cake. Because according to his radio broadcast, that’s what Rove told him — that others on the shortlist dropped out of the running. That’s what he alluded to in his statement. That’s it. The sort of thing politicians tell journalists or bloggers to make them feel privileged, important, and knowing. And that quick trip down West Wing Lane was more than enough for Dobson to summon the troops and march forth for the president.

Ezra Klein is a former Prospect writer and current editor-in-chief at Vox. His work has appeared in the LA Times, The Guardian, The Washington Monthly, The New Republic, Slate, and The Columbia Journalism Review. He’s been a commentator on MSNBC, CNN, NPR, and more.