Flack Attack

Now that Bishop Thomas O'Brien's rosary beads are in a crack, he's called in the big guns to save his tarnished butt. And The Spike isn't talking about attorney extraordinaire Michael Manning. Or His Holiness himself.

No, the good bishop has summoned Kim Sue Lia Perkes, late of the Arizona Republic-- and more recently, a well-respected religion writer for the Austin American-Statesman-- as his anointed spinmeister. Perkes, who outed herself as a Catholic in her last column for the Republic, is a welcome change from departed longtime flack Marge Injasoulian, a dour damsel of damnation and veritable stereotype of a bad nun. Reporters always feared she'd rap their knuckles with a ruler.

Perkes, on the other hand, already has a cheery voice mail message that says: "Like Elvis, I may have left the building." Ha ha. She even returned The Spike's call.

Good luck at the Diocese, sister.

Her return to Phoenix set The Spike to thinking about other scribes who have gone to the dark side by providing "public information." Flacks, we call them on this side of the line.

The Spike dialed up some of the Valley's better-known ex-reporters to find out why they switched teams and how they're faring now.

Most had to ask their new masters if it was okay to talk to us. Sheesh. Guess the shoe is on the other foot now, huh?