Fishbowl5 With Dana Milbank, The Beggar

FishbowlDC caught up with WaPo’s Dana Milbank today in view of his new op-ed column this Sunday.

Will you still be writing “Sketches”?
Yes, though probably one fewer each week. I have promised not to cut back on my mentions of Roland Burris.

How did this opportunity come about? Did the bosses come to you or you to them? There is a worn-out patch of carpet outside Fred Hiatt’s door where I spent the last few months on my knees begging.

Have you always wanted to go in this direction and did you anticipate it? I had originally planned to beg outside of Hiatt’s office for only 30 days. The 90-day begging period was unanticipated but very rewarding.

Will your opinions be serious-minded unlike some of your sketches (not that everything isn’t serious of course)? Will that be a huge shift for you? I think the serious/funny tradeoff is a false choice. It is possible to do journalism on very serious topics while wearing a sandwich board.

How did you get your start in Journalism and what was your first job in the profession? As a college sophomore, my euphonium was stolen from the band room. I used the insurance money to buy a Mac and joined the college newspaper.

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