Cheap Move at the Times

THE NEW YORK Times has long thought of itself as God's gift to all media. JIB likes to read the Times as much as anyone, but that has become more difficult since a recent decision by the paper to charge a fee to read Times columnists online. It's standard practice these days for a paper to charge a fee to look through archived news stories -- but the Times charges a fee even if you want to read a columnists on the day he or she is published. Outrageous! It used to be part of my weekly routine to check out the latest columns by Friedman, Brooks, Krugman, and -- yes-- even Dowd. But no more. Just Inside the Beltway is a little behind on this story, I know (the new policy has been in effect for several months now), but it is worth mentioning because I am now forced to take off my links to any NYT columnist. So long Thomas. Auf Wiedersehen David. Au Revoire Maureen.