Incredible, but true

The four most incredible pieces of information from Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World scandal:

1. British Prime Minister David Cameron met 26 times with Rupert Murdoch, or his News Corp. executives, in just over one year in power. In addition, he had Murdoch’s son James, senior executive Rebekah Brooks, and former editor Andy Coulson (who he later hired for his own staff) as guests to his country home. Does the Pope talk that often with God?

2. Ms. Brooks became editor of the News of the World at age 31. The paper was the largest circulation English language newspaper in the world. She appears to have had no formal education beyond high school. She joined the News of the World as a secretary at age 21.  She later started writing about TV soap operas and at 29, less than three years before becoming the newspaper’s boss, she was just a feature writer, but a charming and vicious networker. In getting ahead, who you know really is more important than what you know.

3. Rupert, looking owlishly arrogant, told a British parliamentary committee he is not to blame for the phone hacking or other outrages committed by his news empire. Employees he trusted are to blame. Rupert, Rupert, Rupert, you nasty little worm. You hired them. You created the culture of power craving and greed in which they thrived.

4. In a world of possible terrorism on every street corner, a man with a shaving cream pie gets past British security, into a parliamentary hearing room and at Rupert Murdoch. How safe does that make the world feel? And, we still have to take off our shoes when we enter an airport lineup.