INTERLUDE: Who is Michael Barbaro!

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012

Parker’s willing assistant: Following up on our previous post:

Ashley Parker was Maureen Dowd’s “research assistant.” But who is Michael Barbaro?

Last September, the Hampden Hall Country Day School decided to let us know! For alumni news, just click here!

Two clicks later, we were devouring a profile from the New York Observer. Kat Stoeffel described the intrepid reporter who had just been assigned to cover Campaign 2012:

STOEFFEL (9/28/11): It’s a conspicuous but logical promotion for Mr. Barbaro, who for the past three years has made a white whale out of the city’s own superrich politician on the Times front page, even while routinely scooping the tabloids on the City Room blog.

When Mayor Bloomberg began a campaign to improve New Yorker’s diet and nutrition, rather than get every other politician’s opinion on the nanny state, Mr. Barbaro persuaded the manager of Mayor Bloomberg’s local diner to dish on Hizzoner’s snacking habits.

It wasn’t enough for Mr. Barbaro reveal that the mayor had missed a handful important city events due to his habit of skipping off to Bermuda on weekends. Oh, no. Mr. Barbaro spent a week on the island retracing the man’s steps, detailing what the mayor orders at the local four-star restaurant and relaying a choice bit of gossip from the local golf club: apparently the Mayor can be a little slow on the links.

With his determined gait and emphatic eyebrows, Mr. Barbaro, 31, is a memorable but divisive figure around City Hall.

Nothing gets past the intrepid new breed. With their emphatic eyebrows, they stand on the shoulders of Dowd.