The Outing of Cal Thomas

A Daily News gossip column blind item:

"Which fair and balanced face of Fox News likes to trawl for much younger men at a certain trendy dive bar on W. 40th St.? Hint: It's not one of the girls."

No, it's not Cal, as far as I know. We all know who this blind item's about.

The question is: Why publish it?

If the newsworthiness is the subject's interest in much younger partners, why leave out the man's name? Items about straight men who date/hit on much younger women use the mens' names.

And if the name's omitted because the item couldn't be adequately sourced, why publish it at all?

These are, of course, rhetorical questions.