From Tara:
The Wall Street Journal's reporting and newswriting teams have apparently received word from "higher-ups" in the company that the acronym "GOP" will no longer be used as a synonym for "Republican Party" in the paper's articles:
[T]he short form may seem baffling (or even spin-doctored) to some new readers, we want to avoid its use in articles and headlines," says the memo. "Beginning in December, use it only in the direct quotations and then be sure to explain what GOP means. Even among people who know that GOP refers to the Republican Party, many may not know that it stands for Grand Old Party.
In addition, "Grand" might suggest (you're going to be shocked) that the WSJ leans rightward.
The Democratic Strategist notes that the comments to the original CBS News Politics blog piece include some alternate constructions for "GOP," including "Greed Over Principle" and "Guardians of Privilege." And some that are naughty.