PATRICK HYNES has learned that it’s better to disclose up front. Jim Geraghty busted him for ripping Romney while working for McCain without mentioning it on his blog. Hynes takes his lumps here, and Daniel Glover has a roundup that hits him for levelling charges of paid shilldom at Markos et al., but observes: “He was as forthright and honest with me as any source I’ve ever interviewed, and he was not at all defensive even though I was asking pointed questions. That was definitely a new media approach to talking with a journalist/blogger.”

Hynes acted as go-between on our podcast interview with John McCain; I didn’t realize he was actually being paid by McCain’s PAC. Not sure it would have mattered, really, but I would have liked to know.