Herewith we introduce the Chum-o-Meter (trademark pending), our proprietary measure of gratuitous punditocratic familiarity as practiced by Andrew Sullivan of “The Daily Dish.”

The Chum-o-Meter rings every time Sullivan refers to another pundit, journalist, writer, columnist, editor, scholar, intellectual, or public official using a nickname or some other unwarranted familiarity, or mentions that this or that person is a “chum,” “friend,” “pal,” or some other intimate.

The latest examples (And it’s only Tuesday!):

I.
“Here’s a great new test for the new editor at Slate, Jake Weisberg. Jake has a fat-cat book deal with [Robert] Rubin detailing Rubin’s allegedly glorious record as Treasury secretary. Let’s see if Slate will take on the architect of the bubble. Why doesn’t Jake commission a story pronto? I’m sure he can pass along the relevant phone numbers to an enterprising muck-raker [sic].” (Edited post-publication by Sullivan.) [Emphasis added.]

II.
Don’t miss my friend Ian Buruma’s typically astute piece dissecting the British Left’s new litmus test of being anti-Israel. [Emphasis added.]

III.
“The Mickster [Conservative writer and Slate blogger, Mickey Kaus.] sees that front page double-barrelled [sic] piece on AOL-Time-Warner [sic] on Saturday as more [Howell] Raines willy-waving [sic].” [Emphasis added.]

IV.
“Very interesting post on Josh Marshall’s site from Josh Green.” [Emphases added.]