The Washington Post finally landed the scoop everybody wanted a month ago, getting Ron Paul associates to say the candidate really did sign off on those racist newsletters in the 1990s. But with Paul battling Rick Santorum for third place in the polls once more and a media blackout back in place, it doesn't look like it'll have the impact it would have earlier. At least so far, the only other news organization we've seen pick up the story is Talking Points Memo, and while people are talking about it on Twitter, a lot of the reaction is along the unsurprised lines of Democratic strategist Greg Pinelo, who says he "never thought otherwise."

Post reporters Jerry Markon and Alice Crites got ahold of some people who worked in Paul's newsletter company, who said Paul knew what was going into his newsletters. They even got somebody to go on the record: “ 'It was his newsletter, and it was under his name, so he always got to see the final product. . . . He would proof it,' said Renae Hathway, a former secretary in Paul’s company and a supporter of the Texas congressman." But Paul's less of a factor in the Republican race now than he was a month ago, and his regular supporters are so fiercely loyal that they won't abandon him over this one news story.

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at amartin at theatlantic dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.
Adam Martin