Did you see what she wore today? That girl needs a stylist. And fast.

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Following up on our scoops on Josie Hearn’s questionable reporting tactics, the WaPo’s media king weighs in on a little snafu committed at the pub last week: 

One Toke Over the Line?

Ryan Grim, a reporter for the Politico, the new Capitol Hill newspaper and Web site, called the White House drug policy office for comment last week.

Tom Riley, a spokesman for the office, recognized the name. Grim, he says, had called the office long ago, saying he was a reporter, but was using an e-mail address from the Marijuana Policy Project, where he worked. The group’s goal is to legalize the drug.

Riley did not return Grim’s call. Instead, as the Politico disclosed, Riley called Martin Tolchin, the paper’s senior publisher, to point out that the reporter was hardly unbiased.

“He then threatened to complain to Washington Post media columnist Howard Kurtz about a conflict of interest,” the Politico said.

That was not necessary (although such calls are always welcome here on the media beat). I contacted Riley the day the story appeared.

“The idea of someone who had been an activist on this now being a staff writer purporting to write about it objectively . . . is ludicrous,” Riley says.

“It’d be like a lobbyist for Philip Morris going to write about smoking issues for The Post.”

Politico Executive Editor John Harris says that Grim, who was hired from Washington’s City Paper, has a “reliable record” as a reporter. “There are lot of people at publications who have gone from advocacy jobs in a previous career to non-advocacy roles,” Harris says. “The story was motivated by journalistic interest, not his particular views on the subject.”

Grim’s story said President Bush is seeking a 31 percent funding hike for an anti-drug advertising campaign “that government-funded research shows is at best useless and at worst has increased drug use among some teens.” Riley calls the piece “totally slanted,” saying it fails to note that marijuana use among teenagers has declined over the last five years.

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We spent a good amount of time on Friday detailing how Josie Hearn failed to credit members of the Hispanic press for at least one story she’s taken credit for breaking while at the Politico. Apparently, those crazy kids at FOX News weren’t paying any attention.

Over the weekend, the channel triuphantly reported that Alvaro Cifuentes, chairman of the DNC’s Hispanic Caucus, abruptly resigned amid allegations he used a racial slur during a heated argument with a black aide to Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean. (Cifuentes allegedly called the aide “boy.”

But sources tell BHDC that it was actually a tip to FOX News from a Washington correspondant who writes for El Nuevo Día that led the channel to the story. Not a lick of credit was given, however, and, in at least one instance, FOX has been given the credit for breaking the story .

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“The Politico is becoming ridiculous”

“The Dog Ate My Blackberry”

“The Politico: Harnessing the Interwebs in the Manner of Junior High School Nimrods”

“Josefina: Cállate La Blackberry!!!”

Related: Exclusive: Capitol Standard Editor Says Politico’s Josie Hearn is Passing Others’ Work Off As Her Own; Exclusive: More News from Josie; Beautiful Handiwork of Politico’s Josie Hearn: “I Broke the News”

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She’s got her Blackberry, kids, and she’s not afraid to use it. Apparently, our coverage has riled her up a bit because she still thinks she broke a story that a couple of Washington Hispanic papers had already broken. 

“Hmmm, not much professional responsibility here it seems,” she wrote to BHDC via e-mail after The Capitol Standard editors spoke out. ”How are u (sic) able to post after you’ve read those two nov (sic) stories in their entirety with their dates? Or bearing in mind the resignation aspect of the more current story.”

I have done the research and the Politico’s reporter math just isn’t adding up. But she does seem to own her share of hubris, adding this zinger: “I hadn’t heard of you until today, but seems you are living up to your rep.”

If you hadn’t heard of BHDC, then how could we have a reputation for you to know about, Josie?

If you want to enlighten us, you know how to get in touch. But please stop being so vague. If you think someone is lying, why won’t you just say it?

Related: Exclusive: Capitol Standard Editor Says Politico’s Josie Hearn is Passing Others’ Work Off As Her Own; Exclusive: More News from Josie; Beautiful Handiwork of Politico’s Josie Hearn: “I Broke the News”

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