It all started when TNR’s Michael Crowley posted an excerpt from Democratic strategist Bob Shrum’s upcoming book that makes it look like Joe Klein got a little too cozy with the Kerry campaign back in ‘04. Shrum writes that Klein “would chastise Kerry on the phone when he didn’t like a speech, counseling both Kerry and me about what the candidate should say and what our strategy should be.”

Klein, never one to take something like this lying down, responded by shooting off an email to Greg Sergeant at TPMcafe.com defending himself against chatter that he’s too chummy with politicians, (which by implication calls his journalistic objectivity into question), saying that “there is a bright line here. I don’t give political advice. I give policy (and horse race) opinions.”

Back over at TNR, Christopher Orr isn’t impressed with Klein’s explanation: “I’m tempted to advise Klein that he’d be better off keeping his mouth buttoned on this particular topic. But, like Klein, I don’t really see myself as an advice-giver. Instead, I’ll merely offer the opinion that explanations this lame only make things worse.”

What do Klein’s pals over at Time’s Swampland blog have to say about all this? Blog fight!