A few days ago, Los Angles Times blogger Andrew Malcolm suggested that Rahm Emanuel has “ties that bind” to British Petroleum, and that it may be a part of the “corporate political connection and the quiet way the inner political circles intersect, protect and care for one another in the nation's capital.” The reason? Emanuel reportedly once lived rent-free in the home of D.C. pollster Stan Greenberg, and Greenberg's research firm once did re-branding work for BP.

Playing the guilt by association game can backfire, if you're not careful. Take a stab at guessing which company Greenberg also considers a client.

If you guessed the Los Angles Times, you're right. Greenberg's firm, Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, is a “premium research and strategic consulting firm,” that does work for corporations, issue groups, and political campaigns. It highlights its work with BP during it's “Beyond Petroleum” re-branding phase, but it also lists the LA Times among its dozens of clients. A quick Google search shows that the firm did some recent polling work for the newspaper and the University of California.

So, does that mean Malcolm is beholden to big oil? Or even better, is he beholden to the White House? After all, Malcolm works for the Times, which has employed Greenberg's firm, and Greenberg has ties to both Emanuel and BP. That's only three degrees of separation!