Impending layoffs at The Washington Times, in which as much as a quarter of the newsroom employees could see pink slips, has allegedly been delayed until January. One theory for the delay is that the incompetence level of management is so high that they couldn’t get their act together in time. Another is that insider sourcing tells us that Laura, the wife of CEO Larry Beasley (whom the staff now privately refers to as “Evil Santa”) has broken her leg.

“How awful is it to hold the axe over everybody’s heads and just keep them all waiting in fear for months,” a TWT insider told FishbowlDC on condition of anonymity. “Worst possible way to handle for morale.”

A fascinating detail: The individual reviewing all the departments to decide who they retain is none other than John Solomon — who was shown the door as editor in 2009 and went on to the Center of Public Integrity and Newsweek. Solomon rarely stays at a job too long and is known for leaving under dubious circumstances.

Facing impending layoffs, TWT employees have taken to displaying depressing Charlie Brown Christmas trees in their offices to express the “Bah humbug” lack of holiday spirit in the building.

A quote from the Charlie Brown Christmas special has been internally re-attributed to current TWT chairman Tom McDevitt, the former president who many say ran company finances into the ground to the point that necessitated massive layoffs:

“I killed it! Everything I touch gets ruined!”

A TWT insider told FishbowlDC: “That Charlie Brown quote perfectly summarizes Tom McDevitt’s mismanagement of the Washington Times. He has an amazing anti-business knack for doing the exactly wrong thing 100 percent of the time. McDevitt would find a way to lose seven figures on a sidewalk lemonade stand — and that’s after Mommy and Daddy already paid for the Minutemaid mix and the paper cups.”

Ouch. Touchy stuff.

Under McDevitt’s presidency… Read more

Gallows humor is settling inside The Washington Times newsroom with each passing hour as layoffs loom in the foreground of the holiday season.

Employees are saying “Evil Santa” (the nickname bestowed on CEO Larry Beasley) is leading his reindeer to the slaughterhouse before Christmas. As for the picture here: That ugly reindeer crossing decoration is in the Human Resources office, from where the pink slips will be dispatched.

Reflecting on impending layoffs and talk of resignations beforehand, one journalist quipped, “If Evil Santa isn’t careful, he won’t have any reindeer left to make his Christmas Eve run.”

As Jennifer Aniston said of Brad Pitt when he trashed his marriage with her in Parade magazine, he’s missing a “sensitivity chip” from his brain. Well TWT‘s new CEO Larry Beasley may also have a chip missing or a screw loose. Take your pick.

This week a Santa with the word “JOY” was displayed on an end table in Beasley’s office the day after news broke of his staff dubbing him “Evil Santa” in the face of layoffs. It does sorta look like Beasley, doesn’t it?

But an even clearer sign of Beasley’s questionable sensitivities to the approximately quarter of the newsroom staff that is expected to be given pink slips: He had a new sofa moved into his executive suite Thursday.

“So while the newsroom is worried about layoffs, the out-of-touch CEO is worried about getting a more comfortable couch,” a TWT insider told FishbowlDC.

Merry Christmas Beasley!

As we reported Wednesday, The Washington Times‘ Editorial Page Editor Brett Decker is on his way out. Gone. Finito. Forced out. Among the details he must deal with as he packs up his belongings is what to do with General Tso.

That’s his Siamese fighting fish, not his lunch.

“The company has made its decisions and it’s time for me to ramble on,” Decker tells FishbowlDC. “Life goes on. My biggest concern now is finding a foster parent for General Tso, my Siamese fighting fish who lives on my desk at work. I can’t take him home and leave him unsupervised with Chop Suey, my cat. So in short, yes, a lot to worry about amidst the transition.”

Asked if he wanted FishbowlDC to assist in finding him suitable foster parents for General Tso, he said…

Also, meet the formidable Chop Suey after the jump… Read more

Politico‘s media writer Dylan Byers had a real knee slapper of a post on Tuesday afternoon concerning the apparent shaky future of off-the-record conversations due to a Des Moines Register editor writing on an off-the-record chat with President Obama. “What does ‘off the record mean?’” his headline asks.

What does it mean, Dylan? Oh goody, we’re going to learn something! But actually, he never answers the question and in his concluding graph says, “There’s actually no clear answer on whether this is right or wrong — agreements always depend on the source and the reporter. But this muddies the water a little bit, and probably portends more cumbersome pre-conversation negotiations.”

Indeed the waters are muddy where Dylan is concerned. In July of 2012, multiple sources tell us he phoned The Daily Caller to inquire whether they’d produce print editions come January. But instead of saying who he was or where he worked, he cryptically said he wanted info on how to advertise in the print edition. Byers offered his first and last name but not his workplace — why bother, everyone knows the famed reporter, right? He called back a second time, questioning a salesperson about that alleged print edition.

Eventually he got around to telling her who he was and where he worked.

An anonymous media insider had this to say about Dylan’s behavior… Read more

As some reporters know only too well, The Hill‘s Managing Editor Bob Cusack is something of a professional prankster. Well, halleluja, the tables have finally turned. Over the weekend, Cusack got a taste of his own medicine when, while dining at the Greene Turtle in Fairfax, Va., a young boy approached and asked for his autograph.

Turns out it was the 10-year-old son of Cusack’s colleague, Pete Kasperowicz, a reporter for the publication’s Floor Action Blog, who had put his son up to the prank. Cusack bought it. “Punk’d @PeteKTheHill convinced his son to come up to me at restaurant and say, ‘Can I get your autograph?’ I was speechless,” Cusack wrote on Twitter.

While it’s not the dirtiest prank we can imagine — Cusack deserves much worse — it is admirable that he fell for it, even temporarily. But beware. Little does Kasperowicz know that Cusack has already begun plotting. “I have to get him back,” he told FishbowlDC. All we can say, Pete, is watch your back. And even then you won’t see it coming.

To refresh your memories on what Cusack is capable of, back in December, 2009, Ian Swanson, The Hill‘s News Editor, innocently spilled coffee on his computer and destroyed it. So Cusack went ahead with his devil’s work and wrote him phony emails, pretending to be a company techy. He insisted that Swanson appear before staff and speak on the dangers of coffee and computers. Swanson agreed to it, before ultimately realizing Cusack was the culprit.

Consider this just as good as flowers.

MSNBC “The Daily Rundown” host Chuck Todd always concludes the program by asking his guests for a “shameless plug.” Answers involve everything from shout-outs to spouses and children to compliments to colleagues, sports teams and more. On Tuesday WaPo National Political Reporter Nia-Malika Henderson took the opportunity to praise her editor Anne Bartlett. Who praises editors anymore? They have no appreciation day. She must’ve been thrilled.

Henderson gushed, “She moves a ton of copy and makes us all look great.” She also called her a “wonderful editor.” To which Todd joked, “When you praise your editor it means you have a tough week.”

Last week Politico campaign reporter Dave Cantanese got himself into a little bit of a ethical pickle when he injected himself in the story on Rep. Todd Akin‘s (R-Mo.) “legitimate rape” gaffe by defending him. “Poor phrasing, but if you watch the intv @ToddAkin meant to convey that there’s less chance of getting pregnant if raped,” he wrote on Twitter. “So perhaps some can agree that all rapes that are reported are not actually rapes? Or are we gonna really deny that for PC sake? So looks like he meant to say — ‘If a woman was REALLY raped, it’s statistically less likely for her to get pregnant.’ What’s the science?” Editors swiftly removed him from the Akin beat. Ever since, the reporter seems to have disappeared — no byline, no tweets.

Where did he go?

Sources close to Cantanese tell us he is taking a breather to personally reflect on what happened last week as well as talk to close friends and colleagues in and out of the business. The incident apparently hit him hard, but he has also found it illuminating.

Politico brass (a.k.a. VandeHarris) issued an internal memo last week saying Cantanese had “crossed lines” and especially offended Politico colleagues, but they gave no indication of any formal suspension. The reporter then went on Twitter and appeared to voice regret, saying, “Bad idea trying to have nuanced conversation on highly charged issue on here,” he wrote. “Did not intend to take a side. Lesson learned.” No doubt he’s looking to Niki Minaj‘s Superbass, which he rapped at a karaoke contest last year, to help him through these tough times.

Cantanese is likely to be back in full swing soon, though. Maybe even as soon as today. This morning he wrote a self-deprecating note on Twitter, saying, “I clearly lost the month of August, what Senate candidates join me in that column? #SenateMonthly10“