An “asshole” has found itself right in the thick of media things today. And no, this has nothing to do with George Will‘s prostate exams.

Yesterday evening CQ Roll Call‘s Jonathan Strong and Daniel Newhauser double bylined a story headlined “‘Obstinate’ Factor Continues to Roil GOP.” The article looks at the decision of Republican leadership in the House to recently strip four GOP congressmen from coveted committee assignments. It contains the following (emphasis ours):

“‘What I tried to explain to them was, it didn’t have anything to do with your voting record, a scorecard, your work across the street or anything else. It had to do with your ability to work within the system and to try to work. And to be, I guess, constructive in things. And I said, “I guess you could say it was an asshole factor,”‘ Westmoreland said. ‘Now I wasn’t calling any member in particular an asshole, I was just trying to describe an environment where some people that you’re trying to work with, they just don’t want to work within the system.’

“Westmoreland later expressed regret for using that language, saying, ‘Maybe I should have used ‘obstinate factor.’”

Today, 15 hours later, Politico‘s Jonathan Allen published a very similar story with very similar language… Read more

CQ and Roll Call are finally taking their relationship to the next level – the two organizations are moving in together.  In a memo to staff, CQ-Roll Call Managing Director Laurie Battaglia annonced that she has signed a lease at 77K St. NE where both publications will live happily together under one roof.  Battaglia said that the move “signifies The Economist Group’s commitment to CQ-Roll Call.” 

The move will happen in phases beginning in November and ending around Easter of 2011.  See the full memo after the jump. 

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