Elizabeth Warren, who somehow manages the neat trick of being a U.S. Senator and at the same time appearing thoroughly unbeholden to any moneyed interests, has hung a fresh scalp upon her scalp wall.

A think tanker at the liberal establishment fixture Brookings Institute put out a report saying that one of Warren’s pet consumer protection rules would come with too-high costs. “Oh non he didn’t!” [comedian voice]. Warren responded with a letter to Brookings pointing out that, hey, that report was sponsored in full by a money management firm with a direct financial interest in the rule. And, boom, what do you know, now the researcher, Robert Litan, has resigned from Brookings.

Damn. Don’t fuck with Elizabeth Warren.**

**This would be a great morality tale except for the fact that Litan did not resign over the fact that his research was paid for an interested party—which is considered “typical” and unremarkable in DC, and which Litan defended—but over the fact that he mistakenly cited his Brookings credentials while testifying to Congress in violation of Brookings rules for researchers of his particular type. So really the overall process is still as corrupt as always.

Anyhow Elizabeth Warren won this minor skirmish.

Update: I’m told some people consider “scalp” offensive. My apologies.

[Photo: AP]