While the Post hosted Weigel's "Right Now" blog, he was almost completely absent from the actual newspaper. His byline count since he was hired is....one, a snarky May 29 Style section piece on Sarah Palin's new journalist neighbor Joe McGinniss suggesting she's a "hysterical" woman with an "ability to incite hatred." (This doesn't count after-the-story credit lines like "David Weigel contributed to this report," of which there were a handful.)
Twenty MSNBC appearances to one Post byline. It seems like he should have been paid by NBC-U the entire three months.
Weigel also appeared on Countdown five times and Maddow's show once in February and the first three weeks of March before the Post announcement. The Post may have made their hiring decision based on the TV appearances.
Here's a list of the show dates.
Before the Post hiring:
The Rachel Maddow Show: February 8.
Countdown: February 11*, February 12, February 19, February 26, March 8.
During Weigel's Post tenure:
Countdown: March 29, April 1, April 7, April 12, April 20, April 26, May 7, May 14, May 19, May 24, May 26, June 9, June 11, June 17, June 18, June 24.
Hardball: April 28, May 12, May 20.
The Rachel Maddow Show: April 9.
*On February 11, Weigel's segment was cut short by breaking news, so his interview the next night was a makeup appearance.
